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Delta Variant On The Rise In U.S., Prompting New Warnings To Get COVID-19 Vaccination
The highly transmissible Delta variant of COVID-19 is quickly spreading throughout the United States, the Biden administration said on Tuesday in a renewed effort to persuade Americans to get vaccinated.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, told reporters that the Delta strain, which was first identified in India, now accounts for about 6% of new infections in the U.S.
(The World Health Organization shifted how it names coronavirus variants earlier this month, opting to refer to them by letters of the Greek alphabet rather than the regions they were first seen. The change was made to reduce the stigma associated with country-affiliated nomenclature.)
Biden’s infrastructure talks with GOP collapse amid irreconcilable differences
President Joe Biden’s infrastructure talks with Republicans collapsed Tuesday, the lead GOP negotiator said.
“I spoke with the president this afternoon, and he ended our infrastructure negotiations,” Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., said in a statement.
The end of the talks will increase pressure on Democrats to pass a sweeping package using a special process that doesn’t require any Republican votes in the Senate.
Richest Americans pay almost no income taxes, report finds
The 25 richest Americans paid little to no federal income taxes, according to a report released Tuesday by the nonprofit news organization ProPublica, a claim that has reignited debate about the tax code and sparked an investigation by the IRS into the leak of private tax documents.
NBC News has not independently verified the documents, and ProPublica declined to disclose how it had gained access to what it called a “vast trove of Internal Revenue Service data on the tax returns of thousands of the nation’s wealthiest people, covering more than 15 years.”
Biden heads for Europe to meet Putin, a pandemic and skeptical allies
President Joe Biden will touch down in Europe on Wednesday looking to repair relations with America’s closest allies in an effort to counter growing threats from China and Russia in his first big moment on the world stage since taking office.
In many ways, it will be familiar turf for Biden. Few presidents have had his level of foreign policy experience, from decades on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to his time as vice president. But the world has experienced dramatic changes in the more than four years since Biden was last on the front lines of American foreign policy.
Kamala Harris Tells Migrants ‘Do Not Come’ To U.S. Border In Guatemala Speech
Vice President Kamala Harris offered an optimistic outlook for improved cooperation with Guatemala on addressing the spike in migration to the U.S. after her meeting with Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei on Monday. She also delivered a direct warning to migrants considering making the trek: “Do not come. Do not come.”
Her comments, during a press conference after she met privately with Giammattei, underscored the challenge that remains even as Harris engages in substantive talks with the Guatemalan and Mexican presidents during a three-day visit to the region this week, her first foreign trip as vice president.
Biden’s Justice Department Has Decided To Defend Trump In E. Jean Carroll Rape Case Defamation Suit
President Joe Biden’s Justice Department has made the surprising decision to continue the previous administration’s efforts to defend Donald Trump against a defamation suit brought by woman he’d accused of lying about being raped by him. As a presidential candidate, Biden had criticized the agency’s involvement in the case.
In its latest brief on Monday, Justice Department lawyers continued to argue that Trump was just another employee of the federal government when he accused columnist E. Jean Carroll of lying — a move that led Carroll to file a defamation lawsuit against the then-president. Carroll wrote in a June 2019 New York Magazine article and reiterated in her lawsuit that Trump raped her in a Manhattan department store’s dressing room in the 1990s.
New Audio Shows Aggressive Giuliani Trying To Pressure Ukraine For Biden Investigation
Newly released audio shows how Rudy Giuliani repeatedly suggested Ukraine could have a “better relationship” with the United States if the country’s president opened an investigation into Joe Biden and his son in 2019.
CNN said Monday it obtained audio of the July 2019 phone call between Giuliani and U.S. diplomat Kurt Volker, and Andriy Yermak, a senior adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The audio shows how aggressive Giuliani, who was serving as President Donald Trump’s personal attorney, was in trying to secure the Ukrainian leader’s support for a bogus investigation into then-Democratic presidential candidate Biden.
Senate Report Details Sweeping Failures Around Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol Attack
A Senate investigation of the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol has uncovered broad government, military and law enforcement missteps before the violent attack, including a breakdown within multiple intelligence agencies and a lack of training and preparation for Capitol Police officers who were quickly overwhelmed by the rioters.
The Senate report released Tuesday is the first — and could be the last — bipartisan review of how hundreds of former President Donald Trump’s supporters were able to violently push past security lines and break into the Capitol that day, interrupting the certification of President Joe Biden’s victory.
Charlie Pierce: Mike Pence Wants the Votes of His Own Hangmen
It is said that, immediately before the ax fell, Sir Thomas More told the headsman not “to fear your office, you send me to God.” I always thought that was just a tad too generous, but hey, different strokes for different martyrs. Anyway, up in New Hampshire on Thursday, former Vice President Mike Pence took the opportunity to tell the mob that attacked the Capitol chanting that he should be hung that it was very impolite to have done so, and that he and his former boss disagree on whether the crowd should have been chanting for Mike Pence to be hung, but hey, what about that tax cut, huh?
VP Harris heads to Guatemala, Mexico to address migration and manage expectations for quick results
Vice President Harris will depart Sunday for Guatemala and Mexico, a two-day trip crafted to highlight the Biden administration’s efforts to remedy what it calls the “root causes” of mass migration from Central America to the United States.
Traveling abroad for her first time as vice president, Harris will arrive Sunday evening in Guatemala bearing gifts: pledges for hundreds of thousands of coronavirus vaccine doses, $310 million in regional humanitarian aid, and a $4 billion long-term plan to boost development and security across Central America. Those sweeteners may be used to offset what are expected to be tougher messages about battling corruption and upholding democratic norms.
Energy secretary says adversaries have capability of shutting down US power grid
Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm on Sunday warned in stark terms that the US power grid is vulnerable to attacks.
Asked By CNN’s Jake Tapper on “State of the Union” whether the nation’s adversaries have the capability of shutting it down, Granholm said: “Yeah, they do.”
“There are thousands of attacks on all aspects of the energy sector and the private sector generally,” she said, adding, “It’s happening all the time. This is why the private sector and the public sector have to work together.”
Liz Cheney: Trump inciting January 6 riot ‘the most dangerous thing’ a president has ever done
Wyoming Republican Rep. Liz Cheney accused former President Donald Trump of having committed the worst violation of a president’s oath of office by inciting the January 6 Capitol insurrection — and taking a jab at House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy over his subsequent visit to Trump at Mar-a-Lago.
“I was stunned. I could not imagine any justification for doing that,” Cheney said of McCarthy’s visit to Trump during an episode of David Axelrod’s “The Axe Files” podcast, which was taped Saturday afternoon as part of a University of Chicago alumni weekend event. “And I asked him why he had done it, and he said, well, he had just been in the neighborhood, essentially.”
Manchin says he’ll vote against Democratic elections bill, defends stance on filibuster
West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin, who holds the key Democratic vote in the evenly divided Senate, said Sunday he will oppose a sweeping election and campaign finance reform bill and instead encouraged his colleagues to pass voting rights legislation that can garner bipartisan backing.
In an op-ed for the Charleston Gazette-Mail published Sunday, Manchin said he plans to vote against the House-passed For the People Act, which is set to be taken up by the Senate at the end of June, because it is too partisan. Manchin’s decision not to support the bill effectively dooms its passage in the Senate, where Democrats and Republicans hold 50 seats each, and Vice President Kamala Harris casts tie-breaking votes.
Eric Boehlert: How Trump became an online flop in 2021
After less than a month of postings, Trump’s blog was officially taken offline this week, after drawing an embarrassingly small audience. Loyalists will no longer be able to check on “From the Desk of Donald J. Trump” to read his latest, bitter musings.
The sudden move to unplug the aging Florida blogger comes as Trump continues to struggle to attract an online audience after getting de-platformed by Twitter, Facebook and Instagram in the wake of the January 6, mob attack on the U.S. Capitol. The social media giants rightly accused Trump of inciting violence and of depicting the mob vigilantes as patriots. Once accustomed to seeing his tweets and Facebook posts garnering millions of likes and responses, Trump now finds himself lost in the online wilderness, ignored and rejected.
Read the rest of Eric Boehlert’s piece at and subscribe to PressRun
The Rude Pundit: A Couple of Observations on the Republican War on Democracy
Observation 1: Most religions have a great tautological scam going: Faith means believing in God, Jesus, Allah, or another invisible sky wizard even in the absence of evidence. Oh, sure, you can say that your book of faith that was written centuries ago by drunk monks proves some things, but it doesn’t, any more than comic books prove the existence of superheroes. And maybe you can point to a miracle or two, but even those are mostly easily debunked. Despite there being no tangible, demonstrative proof that the aforementioned sky wizard is real, people are still willing to fight each other over which sky wizard is bigger and more magical or to use their sky wizard to justify barbaric cruelties.
Joe Biden Makes Key Concession On Corporate Taxes In Attempt To Woo Republicans On Infrastructure
President Joe Biden made a key concession on corporate taxes during a meeting this week with Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), the top Republican negotiator on a legislative package aimed at overhauling national infrastructure.
Instead of raising the corporate tax to 28%, from its current 21%, to pay for new infrastructure projects, Biden proposed doing so by instituting a minimum corporate rate of 15% to address the fact that many of the largest corporations in America are able to avoid paying federal corporate income taxes entirely.
The news, first reported by The Washington Post, was confirmed by White House press secretary Jen Psaki during a Thursday press briefing.
Conservative Publication “National Review” Confirms ‘Startling’ Report On Trump’s Current Grasp Of Reality
A conservative writer has confirmed a report that former President Donald Trump is telling associates that he expects to be reinstalled as president this summer.
“The scale of Trump’s delusion is quite startling,” National Review senior writer Charles C.W. Cooke wrote on the magazine’s website.
Cooke said “an array of different sources” confirmed a report earlier this week by New York Times journalist Maggie Haberman, who said on Twitter that Trump has been sharing the popular new QAnon talking point.
DOJ investigating Postmaster General DeJoy over ex-employees’ political donations
The Department of Justice is investigating Postmaster General Louis DeJoy in connection with campaign contributions of former employees who worked for him when he was in the private sector, NBC News confirmed Thursday.
DeJoy’s spokesman, Mark Corallo, said in a statement to NBC that DeJoy, who has been a major Republican fundraiser and donor, has always been “scrupulous” in following campaign finance laws “and never knowingly violated them.”
Pence calls Jan. 6 a ‘dark day,’ says he may never see ‘eye to eye’ with Trump over it
Former Vice President Mike Pence delivered his strongest comments yet about the Jan. 6 pro-Trump riot attack on the U.S. Capitol on Thursday, saying he and former President Donald Trump may never see “eye to eye” on the event.
“January 6 was a dark day in the history of the United States Capitol,” Pence said at the Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, Republican Committee’s Lincoln-Reagan Dinner. “But thanks to the swift action of the Capitol Police and federal law enforcement, violence was quelled, the Capitol was secured. And that same day we reconvened the Congress and did our duty under the Constitution and the laws of the United States.”
White House prepared to announce next steps in global vaccination effort after months of debate
President Joe Biden has finalized his plan to distribute millions of coronavirus vaccinesworldwide after months of deliberation, according to multiple sources familiar with the plans.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken hinted earlier that an announcement was imminent, and the sources familiar with the plans said that officials could reveal it as soon as Thursday or Friday.
“In a few short days, in fact possibly as early as tomorrow, the President is going to announce in more detail the plan that he’s put together to push out 80 million vaccines around the world that we have at our disposal or soon will have at our disposal,” Blinken said Wednesday at the US Embassy in Costa Rica.
President Biden, Sen. Capito to continue bipartisan infrastructure talks Friday
President Joe Biden will reconnect with Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito on Friday to further discuss a possible bipartisan compromise on an infrastructure bill.
The two met in the Oval Office for just over an hour Wednesday afternoon to talk about the $928 billion GOP infrastructure proposal unveiled last week, but announced no major breakthroughs on how they plan to bridge their still substantive differences.
Kelley Moore, a spokeswoman for Capito, said the senator — who is leading negotiations on infrastructure — intends to connect with other Republicans working on the package before resuming talks with the administration.
Ominous Sign For Rep. Matt Gaetz As Investigation Reportedly Takes New Turn
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) is reportedly being investigated to see if he engaged in obstruction of justice during a phone call with a witness in an ongoing probe, Politico reported late Wednesday.
Citing two sources, Politico said Gaetz took part in a call with an ex-girlfriend and the witness. That witness later spoke with prosecutors, who are now exploring whether Gaetz suggested that the person lie or mislead investigators, which would be a crime.
Gaetz has not been charged and has denied all allegations.
Trump’s Justice Department Secretly Seized Phone Records Of NYT Reporters
The Trump administration secretly obtained the phone records of four New York Times reporters shortly after Donald Trump assumed office in 2017, the Justice Department, now under President Joe Biden, told the newspaper Wednesday.
Justice Department officials said the agency had seized phone records for Matt Apuzzo, Adam Goldman, Eric Lichtblau and Michael Schmidt for more than four months, from Jan. 14 to April 30, 2017. The Times noted the Justice Department did not say which articles the seizures were related to but added the reporters were focused at the time on then-FBI Director James Comey and his handling of the bureau’s investigations during the 2016 presidential election.
Meat Producer JBS Says Most Plants Will Be Working Wednesday After Ransomware Attack
The world’s largest meat processing company is getting back online after production around the world was disrupted by a cyberattack just weeks after a similar incident shut down a U.S. oil pipeline.
Brazil’s JBS SA said late Tuesday that it had made “significant progress” in dealing with the cyberattack and expected the “vast majority” of its plants to be operating on Wednesday.
“Our systems are coming back online and we are not sparing any resources to fight this threat,” Andre Nogueira, CEO of JBS USA, said in a statement.
Democrats Prepare To Investigate Capitol Riot After GOP Blocked Bipartisan Commission
Democrats are planning to press forward ― potentially on their own ― to investigate the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol after Senate Republicans voted Friday to block a bipartisan independent commission.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) held a call Tuesday with her fellow House Democrats in their first meeting since the Senate vote. The speaker said she is prepared to launch a House-led investigation despite Republican resistance and would continue to push toward finding the truth behind what happened on Jan. 6.
Pelosi proposed four options to launch an investigation after Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.) asked about next steps, according to a source on the call. She said Democrats can give the Senate another chance to vote on an independent commission, create a select committee in the House, allow existing House committees to continue investigating the attack, or assign a specific committee, such as Homeland Security, to “take charge of investigation.”
Joe Biden Becomes First U.S. President To Commemorate Tulsa Race Massacre
President Joe Biden delivered remarks from Tulsa, Oklahoma, on the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa race massacre on Tuesday, making him the first U.S. president to participate in the remembrance of one of the darkest days in America’s racist history.
“For much too long, the history of what took place here was told in silence, cloaked in darkness,” Biden said, speaking from Tulsa’s Greenwood Cultural Center. “But just because history is silent, it doesn’t mean that it did not take place. And while darkness can hide much, it erases nothing.”
“My fellow Americans, this was not a riot; this was a massacre,” he added, rejecting the “race riot” narrative long used to describe the events.
Democrat Melanie Stansbury wins N.M. special election, holding narrow U.S. House majority
Democratic state Rep. Melanie Stansbury won the New Mexico special congressional election Tuesday, beating back Republican challenger Mark Moores to fill the seat of Deb Haaland, President Joe Biden’s interior secretary.
The race to represent New Mexico’s 1st Congressional District, which includes Albuquerque, was called by The Associated Press after polls closed at 9 p.m. ET. Stansbury prevailed in a four-way contest after campaigning in support of major initiatives of the Biden administration. Her victory shores up the Democrats’ narrow 219-211 majority in Congress ahead of the 2022 midterm elections.
GOP embrace of $1 trillion infrastructure package could help make a deal: Buttigieg
Senate Republicans’ potential embrace of a $1 trillion infrastructure package is an encouraging sign a bipartisan deal could be reached, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week.”
“They seem to be embracing the idea that about a trillion is appropriate. So there’s movement in the right direction,” he told “This Week” co-anchor Martha Raddatz. “But a lot of concerns — about things that are not in their counteroffer — they’re really important.”
The White House recently presented a reduced infrastructure package totaling $1.7 trillion, slashing about $550 billion from President Joe Biden’s initial infrastructure proposal. Senate Republicans countered that new offer on Thursday with a $928 billion proposal.
Biden Proclaims Day Of Remembrance For Tulsa Race Massacre
President Joe Biden issued a proclamation on Monday marking 100 years since a “violent white supremacist mob” descended on the thriving Black neighborhood of Greenwood in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on May 31, 1921, wrecking businesses, destroying homes and killing hundreds of Black people.
In the proclamation, Biden pointed to the racist mob that “raided, firebombed and destroyed … the thriving Black neighborhood of Greenwood.”
“Families and children were murdered in cold blood. Homes, businesses, and churches were burned. In all, as many as 300 Black Americans were killed,” the proclamation reads. “Today, on this solemn centennial of the Tulsa Race Massacre, I call on the American people to reflect on the deep roots of racial terror in our Nation and recommit to the work of rooting out systemic racism across our country.”
Americans begin transition into post-pandemic life as more are vaccinated
With more than 40% of the country fully vaccinated, and the seven-day average of new COVID-19 cases falling to about 12,000 per day — numbers not seen since March 2020 — Americans are revving up for post-pandemic life.
The Indianapolis 500 became the largest sporting event since the pandemic began, with 135,000 fans in the stands on Sunday.
But as America starts to return to normal, there are reminders the pandemic isn’t over. Vietnam’s health ministry says it has detected a new variant that appears to be a hybrid of the India and U.K. COVID-19 mutations.
Texas Gov. Abbott says he’ll target legislator pay after Democrats block strict voting bill
Democrats vowed to continue to fight a Texas bill that would add restrictions on voting as Republican Gov. Greg Abbott threatened to cut off funding for the Legislature if they do so.
“I will veto Article 10 of the budget passed by the legislature. Article 10 funds the legislative branch,” Abbott tweeted Monday. “No pay for those who abandon their responsibilities. Stay tuned.”
Texas Democrats used every parliamentary tool at their disposal Sunday night to stop the bill, ultimately walking out to prevent a vote before the midnight deadline. Abbott said the bill would be added to a special session agenda to pass it. He did not announce a date for the special session.
Charlie Pierce: Republicans Create the Doubts, Then They ‘Investigate’ Them
Being our semi-regular weekly survey of what’s goin’ down in the several states where, as we know, the real work of governmentin’ gets done, and where they sing “Amazing Grace” all the way to the Swiss banks.
Audit Fever Sweeps Nation!
From the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel:
[State Assembly Speaker Robin] Vos in a Wednesday interview said he was giving the investigators a broad mandate to spend about three months reviewing all tips and following up on the most credible ones. In addition to the grant spending, he said they may look into claims of double voting and review how clerks fixed absentee ballot credentials.
Disgraced Rep. Matt Gaetz eyes presidential run in 2024 to deflect from troubles
Rep. Matt Gaetz, the Florida Republican who is currently the subject of a Justice Department investigation into whether he had sex with a 17-year-old girl and transported her across state lines in violation of sex trafficking laws, is considering a run for president in 2024.
Gaetz made that disclosure Wednesday in a text message to the New York Post.
“I support Donald Trump for president. I’ve directly encouraged him to run and he gives me every indication he will,” Gaetz told the paper. “If Trump doesn’t run, I’m sure I could defeat whatever remains of Joe Biden by 2024.”
New York Times: Intelligence officials said to have untapped evidence on Covid-19 origins
President Joe Biden’s instructions to the US intelligence community to redouble its efforts in investigating the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic came on the heels of intelligence officials informing the White House that they possessed unreviewed evidence necessitating greater computer analysis that could potentially provide answers, The New York Times reportedThursday.
The paper cited senior administration officials, who opted not to detail the new evidence or the computational analysis to be done. The disclosure raises the question of whether the government fully examined existing intelligence and public health information in seeking out the virus’s emergence.
Senate GOP moderates fume as McConnell prepares to block Jan. 6 commission
During Thursday’s Senate Republican lunch, Sen. Susan Collins made one last plea to her colleagues to advance a proposed independent commission to probe the Capitol riot, with changes she fought for. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell spoke right after her.
And the GOP leader is set to win the day, much to the consternation of a handful of his members who fear the party is making a mistake in voting down the House-passed commission bill sometime Friday. After an increasingly hard public and private push from McConnell, Senate Republicans are ready to make the independent investigation into the Capitol attack their first filibuster of the Biden administration.
Joe Biden Calls Out Republicans Who Voted Against Stimulus But Tout Its Benefits
President Joe Biden isn’t giving a pass to Republicans in Congress who voted against his pandemic relief package but are now touting its benefits to their constituents.
During remarks at a community college in Cleveland on Thursday, Biden held up a list of those lawmakers, calling them out for their hypocrisy around the American Rescue Plan.
“My Republican friends in Congress, not a single one of them voted for the rescue plan. I’m not going to embarrass anyone, but I have here a list,” the president said as he held up a piece of paper, prompting laughter from the audience. “Back in their districts, they’re bragging about the rescue plan. They touted the restaurant revitalization fund. … They touted grants to community health care centers.”
Republicans poised to quash creation of Jan. 6 commission
Senate Republicans are poised to quash an effort Thursday to establish a bipartisan, independent commission to study the Jan. 6 attacks on the U.S. Capitol that that left five people dead.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell announced his opposition last week — along with his House GOP counterpart, Kevin McCarthy — ahead of the House vote approving the measure with 35 Republicans joining Democrats. The high-profile GOP move has provided political cover for most Republicans in both chambers to reject the legislation.
Prosecutors investigating Trump tell witness to prepare for grand jury testimony
Manhattan prosecutors pursuing a criminal case against former President Donald Trump, his company and its executives have told at least one witness to prepare for grand jury testimony, according to a person familiar with the matter — a signal that the lengthy investigation is moving into an advanced stage.
The development suggests that the Manhattan district attorney’s office is poised to transition from collecting evidence to presenting what is likely a complex case to a grand jury, one that could result in the jury considering criminal charges.
Death toll rises in San Jose rail yard shooting
The death toll rose late Wednesday night from the morning shooting at a San Jose, California light rail yard.
Authorities initially said an employee killed eight co-workers and wounded several others when he opened fire, but later said a ninth victim had succumbed to his wounds after being hospitalized in critical condition.
Officials said the suspect, 57-year-old Sam Cassidy, shot himself to death as officers closed in.
Biden says he’s asked intelligence community to “redouble” efforts in examining origins of COVID-19
President Biden said Wednesday he has ordered the U.S. intelligence community to “redouble” its efforts to investigate the origins of COVID-19 after a new report fueled questions about whether the virus originated in a lab in Wuhan, China.
Mr. Biden said in a statement he is giving the intelligence community 90 days to “collect and analyze information that could bring us closer to a definitive conclusion” about where COVID-19 started and report back to him. As part of the requested report, the president asked for areas of additional inquiry that may be required, including specific questions for China. Mr. Biden said the effort will include work by Department of Energy’s National Labs and other government agencies to supplement the intelligence community in its investigation.
Dr. Irwin Redlener: Here’s How to Clear Up the CDC’s Communications Confusion
Last week’s guidance from the CDC that face masks and social distancing are no longer required for fully vaccinated people in most indoor and outdoor settings is based on multiple studies that confirm what we have long hoped for: the new vaccines offer robust protection against COVID-19. That is precisely the kind of science that Biden’s team rightly asserts must drive policies designed to control the pandemic.
But it turns out that public communications around these new policies have been confusing and challenging—leaving the public, businesses and organizations uncertain about where they stand. Fully vaccinated individuals, for instance, must still wear face masks and observe social distancing while in health-care facilities, at transportation hubs, or on public transportation, but not in crowded restaurants or in “filled to capacity” arenas or theaters.
Read the rest of Dr. Irwin Redlener’s piece at The Daily Beast
Senate Set To Vote This Week On Jan. 6 Commission
The Senate will vote Thursday on legislation creating a special commission to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by Donald Trump supporters.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Tuesday moved to open debate on the bill despite uncertainty over the outcome, with only a few Republicans signaling their support.
“We all know the commission is an urgent, necessary idea to safeguard our democracy,” Schumer said on the Senate floor. “What happened on Jan. 6 was a travesty, a travesty. It risked America in ways we haven’t seen in decades, maybe even our history altogether.”
Half Of U.S. Adults Now Fully Vaccinated Against COVID-19
Half of U.S. adults are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Tuesday.
The country crosses this milestone just five months after it first began distributing doses. Some 61% of American adults have received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine, putting the U.S. on track to meet President Joe Biden’s goal of that figure hitting 70% by July 4.
“Cases, hospitalizations and deaths are all declining because of the millions of people who have stepped forward and done their part to protect their health and the health of their communities, to move us out of this pandemic,” CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said at Tuesday’s White House COVID-19 briefing.
McCarthy condemns Marjorie Taylor Greene’s comparison of Covid rules to Holocaust
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy joined a quick chorus of outrage at Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., on Tuesday after she double-down on her comparison of Covid-19-related rules to the Holocaust.
“Marjorie is wrong, and her intentional decision to compare the horrors of the Holocaust with wearing masks is appalling,” McCarthy said in a statement, after larging trying to ignore the controversial lawmakers. “The Holocaust is the greatest atrocity committed in history. The fact that this needs to be stated today is deeply troubling.”
Prosecutors Convene Grand Jury That Could Weigh Potential Trump Charges: Reports
Prosecutors in New York have convened a special grand jury that may hear evidence against former President Donald Trump and potentially decide whether he will face charges, The Washington Post first reported Tuesday.
Trump and his businesses have been under investigation in the state for more than two years by the Manhattan district attorney’s office.
Jurors were convened “recently,” the Post said, citing two people familiar with the probe, and will be expected to sit three days a week for six months.
Blinken visits Middle East in bid to solidify fragile Israel-Gaza truce
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in Israel on Tuesday, beginning a tour of the Middle East aimed at solidifying the fragile cease-fire between Israel and Hamas. At least 253 Palestinians, including 70 children, and 14 people in Israel were killed during the 11-day conflict that was halted early on Friday by a tenuous truce agreement.
Blinken, the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit the region since President Joe Biden took office, told journalists after meeting Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu that Mr. Biden had sent him to reinforce America’s commitment to Israel’s security, to work for greater peace and stability in the region, and to address the urgent humanitarian needs and reconstruction in the Gaza Strip.
On Anniversary Of George Floyd’s Killing, Demonstrators Call For More Police Reform
It’s been one year since George Floyd was killed at the hands of police in Minneapolis, sparking a wave of protests around the world and a reckoning over systemic racism and law enforcement’s mistreatment of Black people in America.
Floyd’s family attended one of many remembrances on Sunday, gathering with activists, citizens and others who have lost loved ones to police brutality at a rally in Minneapolis.
“It has been a long year. It has been a painful year,” Floyd’s sister Bridgett said at the event, which took place in front of the courthouse in Minneapolis where ex-officer Derek Chauvin was convicted in Floyd’s death in May. “It has been very frustrating for me and my family for our lives to change in the blink of an eye. I still don’t know why.”
Fauci Addresses Reports Of Ill Wuhan Researchers, COVID Lab Theory
Dr. Anthony Fauci is skeptical of the theory that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, escaped from China’s Wuhan Institute of Virology.
Nevertheless, Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, told CBS’ Weijia Jiang that he would support a more thorough investigation into the origins of the virus, just as he always has.
“Dr. Fauci tells me that his opinion about the origins of COVID-19 have not changed: He believes that it is ‘highly likely’ that it first occurred naturally before spreading from animal to human,” Jiang, CBS’ senior White House correspondent, tweeted Monday. “Since no one is 100% sure, he’s open to a thorough investigation.”
DOJ partially discloses memo on why Trump wasn’t charged with obstruction
The Justice Department intends to appeal an order requiring the government to disclose a memo that was cited as a reason not to pursue obstruction of justice charges against former President Donald Trump, it said Monday.
William Barr, then the attorney general, cited the memo, written by the department’s Office of Legal Counsel, as one reason he did not intend to pursue obstruction charges after he received the report of special counsel Robert Mueller, who investigated interference in the 2016 presidential election and other matters.
A page and a half of the 2019 memo was released in a subsequent filing Monday night. The Justice Department is appealing a judge’s order over the rest of it.
Barbara McQuade: Two new reasons Trump should worry about the New York legal investigations. A lot.
The legal stakes have just skyrocketed for former President Donald Trump and his business.
New York Attorney General Letitia James’s investigation into the Trump Organization has suddenly evolved in two important ways: It is no longer “purely civil” but is also being conducted in “a criminal capacity,” and she is now working along with Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr.
Charlie Pierce: You Mean Liz Cheney Is Still…a Republican?
Wait a minute. What’s that I see? Is it the Liz Cheney bandwagon going over the cliff? Jonathan Swan of Axios was there at the brink to wave as the bandwagon plunged toward the rocks below.
“I think you have to look at the specifics of each one of those efforts. If you look at the Georgia laws, for example, there’s been a lot that’s been said nationally about the Georgia voter laws that turns out not to be true…Everybody should want a situation and a system where people who ought to be able to vote and have the right to vote can vote, and people who, you know, don’t, shouldn’t.”
Glorioski, you mean Liz Cheney is still…a Republican? Whatever will we tell the cable bookers.
Read the rest of Charlie Pierce’s piece at Esquire Politics.
In the U.S., new COVID cases and deaths drop to the lowest levels in nearly a year.
For the first time since June of last year, there are fewer than 30,000 new daily coronavirus cases in the United States, and deaths are as low as they’ve been since last summer. In much of the country, the virus outlook is improving.
Nearly 50 percent of Americans have received at least one vaccine shot, and though the pace has slowed, the share is still growing by about two percentage points per week.
Infrastructure negotiations snagged again as Republicans reject Biden’s counterproposal
Bipartisan negotiations on infrastructure hit a new snag Friday after Republicans flatly rejected a counterproposal on the multi-trillion dollar bill advanced by the White House.
The White House’s $1.7 trillion dollar offer on Friday was a pared down version of President Joe Biden’s American Jobs Plan, initially valued at $2.2 trillion.
Within moments of receiving the deal, Republican aides rejected it, telling ABC News that the price tag is too high for the GOP to stomach.
Biden to meet with George Floyd’s family 1 year after his death as policing bill stalls
President Joe Biden will mark the first anniversary of George Floyd’s death on Tuesday by meeting with members of the Floyd family at the White House as Congress is poised to miss the president’s deadline for passing police reform legislation named in Floyd’s memory.
Floyd died a year ago Tuesday after former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on his neck for over nine minutes, which Biden called “a wake up call to the country” and sparked protests around the world calling for police reform and an end to systemic racism.
Rudy Giuliani Reportedly Called Arizona Official About Getting Election Challenge ‘Fixed Up’
Rudy Giuliani called an Arizona county official after the presidential election last year to discuss getting challenges to Joe Biden’s win “fixed up,” the Arizona Republic revealed on Sunday.
Giuliani introduced himself in the Christmas Eve call to Maricopa County Supervisor Bill Gates as then-President Donald Trump’s attorney.
“Bill, it’s Rudy Giuliani, President Trump’s lawyer,” Giuliani said in a message left on Gates’ phone that was obtained by the newspaper. “If you get a chance, would you please give me a call? I have a few things I’d like to talk over with you. Maybe we can get this thing fixed up. You know, I really think it’s a shame that Republicans sort of are both in this, kind of, situation. And I think there may be a nice way to resolve this for everybody.”
Eric Boehlert: Now Politico’s just making stuff up
President Joe Biden is getting trashed by Democrats over the Middle East!
Vice President Kamala Harris isn’t acknowledging her Asian heritage!
Those were two breathless dispatches
Read the rest of The Rude Pundit’s piece at and subscribe to PressRun.
The Rude Pundit: I’m Losing My Capacity for Empathy Thanks to People Who Refuse to Get Vaccinated
I want to see things through other people’s eyes. I really do. I want to understand why they believe the fucked-up things they do. Those of us who truly understand the MAGA crowd, who have attempted to put their barbarism and belligerence in some kind of context that makes sense, who have considered their “economic anxiety” and their manipulation by nutzoid media and mad evangelicalism, we know that it all comes down to racism, whether they wanna admit it or not. And in moments of empathy, I get that they are victims as much as they are perpetrators, that decades of GOP fuckery in gutting and dumbing down the education system, not to mention an unending stream of lies spit at them from politicians and alleged “news” outlets, not to mention generations of ignorance being passed down as wisdom, the ultimate in bullshit taking the place of rational thought, that all of this has an effect on their brains, contorting them into a grotesque version of an engaged citizen, one that couldn’t give a fuck about the society as a whole, just themselves and their group of fellow racists.
Arizona Official Says Voting Machines Are Now Unusable Because Of Recount Firm’s Control
Arizona’s secretary of state informed Maricopa County officials Thursday that hundreds of the state’s vote-tabulating machines should no longer be used because of their handling by the inept, partisan company hired by Senate Republicans to recount ballots cast in November’s presidential election.
The machines should not be used again because there is no way of knowing whether they were tampered with while out of the county’s custody and under the control of Senate Republicans and the controversial Cyber Ninjas company conducting the recount, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security told Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, she said in a letter to the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors.
New machines reportedly could cost the state millions of dollars.
Trump’s Justice Department Secretly Got CNN Reporter’s Phone, Email Records, Network Says
The Trump administration secretly obtained the phone and email records of CNN’s Pentagon correspondent, the news network reported Thursday, the latest evidence of the former president’s efforts to target journalists who reported government leaks during his tenure.
CNN said Thursday that the Justice Department sought and obtained the records of Barbara Starr for a two-month period between June 1, 2017, and July 31, 2017. The DOJ informed Starr earlier this month that it had targeted her Pentagon extension, the CNN phone booth in the building and her home and cellphones, as well as her personal and professional email accounts.
Senate could vote next week on Jan. 6 commission as GOP filibuster looms
The Senate could vote as early as next week on House-passed legislation to create an independent commission to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
But it’s unclear whether at least 10 Republican senators will support the bill, the threshold needed to move it forward. It could be the first bill this year to be blocked by a filibuster.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., began taking steps Wednesday to speed the bill to the floor, saying he intends to hold a vote after the House voted 252-175 to pass the legislation.
Gaza truce takes hold after Israel, Hamas reach cease-fire to halt conflict
A bilateral cease-fire took hold on Friday as Israel and Hamas agreed to halt nearly two weeks of fighting that has left hundreds dead and parts of the impoverished Gaza Strip reduced to rubble.
In the countdown to the 2 a.m. (7 p.m. ET Thursday) truce, rocket attacks from the Palestinian militant group continued and Israel carried out at least one airstrike.
There were no reports of violations early Friday, though each side said it stood ready to retaliate for any attacks by the other. Egypt, which mediated the agreement, said it would send two delegations to monitor the cease-fire.
Anonymous statement on Capitol Police letterhead roils Jan. 6 riot commission debate
A statement released Wednesday on Capitol Police letterhead, said to be authored by multiple officers on the force, delivered a rare public rebuke of top Republicans for opposing a proposed bipartisan commission to investigate the Jan. 6 Capitol riot that injured scores on their force.
The unsigned missive was sent to the offices of every member of Congress hours before the House was set to vote on legislation creating the commission. Both House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said this week they oppose the proposed panel, which they dismissed as an attempt by Democrats to politicize the investigation into the Capitol siege.
Rep. Tim Ryan Unleashes Fury On GOP Lawmakers Opposed To Jan. 6 Commission
Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) has had it with the Republican members of the House who attacked a proposed bipartisan commission to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol that was carried out by pro-Trump insurrectionists.
After thanking those in the GOP who supported the measure ― 35 Republicans ultimately broke ranks and voted in favor of the commission ― Ryan lit into those who voted against it.
“Holy cow! Incoherence! No idea what you’re talking about,” Ryan said, his voice rising in anger as he pointed to the most obvious and glaring hypocrisy: the endless Republican-led investigations into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
‘Not a positive development’: What the new criminal probe could mean for the Trump Organization
New York Attorney General Letitia James’ decision to join forces with the Manhattan district attorney to investigate the Trump Organization “in a criminal capacity” doesn’t mean her office has found a smoking gun, legal experts said Wednesday.
But it doesn’t bode well for former President Donald Trump’s company, either.
“This is not a positive development for the lawyers representing the Trump Organization,” Dennis Vacco, a former New York attorney general, said in an interview Wednesday.
House Backs Jan. 6 Commission, but Path In The Senate Dims
A sharply divided House voted on Wednesday to create an independent commission to investigate the Jan. 6 Capitol assault, overcoming opposition from Republicans determined to stop a high-profile accounting of the deadly pro-Trump riot.
But even as the legislation passed the House, top Republicans locked arms in an effort to doom it in the Senate and shield former President Donald J. Trump and their party from new scrutiny of their roles in the events of that day.
The 252-to-175 vote in the House, with four-fifths of Republicans opposed, pointed to the difficult path for the proposal in the Senate. Thirty-five Republicans bucked their leadership to back the bill.
Chuck Schumer Dares GOP To Oppose Bill Forming January 6th Capitol Riot Commission
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) vowed Tuesday to hold a vote on legislation forming a commission to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, daring Republicans to oppose an effort that has bipartisan support in both houses of Congress.
“Republicans can let their constituents know, are they on the side of truth [or] want to cover up for the insurrectionists and for Donald Trump?” Schumer asked at a weekly press conference.
Last week, lawmakers reached a bipartisan deal in the House to form a 9/11-style bipartisan panel made up of unelected experts to probe the deadly attack on the Capitol by hundreds of supporters of the former president. Each party would choose an equal number of members, and any subpoena issued would need approval from both the chair and vice chair of the commission — a major concession by Democrats.
House approves bill to address anti-Asian hate crimes
The House approved a bill Tuesday to address the rise in hate crimes against Asian Americans during the coronavirus pandemic.
The COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act passed by a vote of 364 to 62, with all 62 “no” votes coming from Republicans. It was overwhelmingly approved last month by the Senate by a vote of 94 to 1. President Biden has previously expressed support for the bill, and is expected to sign it when it comes to his desk.
No charges for deputies in Andrew Brown Jr. shooting, district attorney says
No charges will be filed against North Carolina sheriff’s deputies who shot and killed Andrew Brown Jr., a 42-year-old Black man whose family claims he was “executed” as he sat in his car.
Elizabeth City, North Carolina, District Attorney Andrew Womble said at a news conference Tuesday morning that the three deputies who opened fire on Brown, a father of seven, were justified in their use of deadly force because Brown drove his vehicle toward them and allegedly made contact with one deputy twice before officers fired their weapons.
New York AG’s office opens criminal probe into Trump Organization
The New York attorney general’s office said Tuesday that it is pursuing a criminal investigation into the Trump Organization, in addition to the ongoing civil probe.
“We have informed the Trump Organization that our investigation into the organization is no longer purely civil in nature. We are now actively investigating the Trump Organization in a criminal capacity, along with the Manhattan DA. We have no additional comment at this time,” Fabien Levy, a spokesperson for the office, said in a statement.
Attorney General Letitia James has been at the forefront of legal action against former President Donald Trump’s family business.
Elie Mystal: The Supreme Court May Have Just Signed Roe v. Wade’s Death Warrant
The current constitutional rule regarding abortion holds that women have the right to choose whether to continue with their pregnancy before a fetus becomes viable. Fetal viability is the point after which a fetus is thought to have a chance of surviving outside a woman’s body, thus giving the government a legitimate state interest in the health and well-being of the fetus separate and apart from the parent. Fetal viability is believed to take place around 23 to 24 weeks.
Forced-birth activists have been incredibly successful at whittling away a pregnant woman’s right to bodily autonomy before fetal viability. And they’ve been incredibly successful at making it hard for women to access their rights—with the help of abortion providers and drugs—during the brief window many states will still allow them to have any. But fetal viability is more or less the legal line in the sand and has been since the landmark decision in Roe v. Wade in 1973. Before her fetus reaches viability, a pregnant woman is to be treated as a fully formed human being. After viability, Republican-controlled states are allowed to treat her as a malfunctioning incubator who can be forced to serve the state’s alleged interests against her free will.
GOP-dominated Arizona board of supervisors call for end to election audit
The Republican-dominated Maricopa County Board of Supervisors on Monday called for an end to the audit of the election results. The Republican-led Arizona state Senate has ordered a full hand recount and audit of the ballots and voting machines in Maricopa County, the state’s most populous county, despite that it will not change the outcome of the presidential election.
They also unanimously agreed to send a forceful response to claims made last week by Arizona’s Republican Senate President Karen Fann, who wrote to the board of supervisors last week alleging the county was not complying with legislative subpoenas, didn’t properly secure the chain of custody of ballots and deleted data.
Gaetz associate pleads guilty to sex trafficking charges
A Florida politician who emerged as a central figure in the Justice Department’s sex trafficking investigation into Rep. Matt Gaetzpleaded guilty Monday to six federal charges and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors as part of a plea deal.
Joel Greenberg, a longtime associate of Gaetz’s, appeared in federal court in Orlando. He pleaded guilty to six of the nearly three dozen charges he faced, including sex trafficking of a minor, and he admitted that he had paid at least one underage girl to have sex with him and other men.
Supreme Court takes up major abortion case next term that could limit Roe v. Wade
The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to take up a key abortion case next termconcerning a controversial Mississippi law that banned most abortions after 15 weeks, rekindling a potentially major challenge to Roe v. Wade at the majority conservative court.
Mississippi’s 15-week abortion ban, which then-Gov. Phil Bryant, a Republican, signed into law in 2018, made exceptions only for medical emergencies or cases in which there is a “severe fetal abnormality,” but not for instances of rape or incest. A federal judge in Mississippi struck down the law in November 2018, and the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals upheld that ruling in December 2019.
Biden expresses ‘support for a cease-fire’ to Netanyahu as Israel-Hamas conflict worsens
President Joe Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Monday afternoon, but made no direct call for an immediate end to violence as the deadly conflictbetween Israel and Hamas entered a second week with no signs of a nearing resolution.
The White House said that Biden “expressed his support for a cease-fire and discussed U.S. engagement with Egypt and other partners towards that end.”
Charlie Pierce: The Supreme Court Doesn’t Need to Overrule Roe v. Wade Entirely to Damage Abortion Rights
It was a very big day at the United States Supreme Court on Monday. The justices decided to turn the months before the 2022 midterm elections into the world’s largest minefield. And, in their decisions, they decided that you can indeed strain the quality of mercy. The last bit first.
CBS News Poll: 80% of Republicans agree with Liz Cheney’s removal
When House Republicans ousted Congresswoman Liz Cheney from her leadership post, it spoke to the direction of the Republican Party in at least one specific way: what should happen to those who publicly break with former President Donald Trump? So, we surveyed the nation’s self-identified Republicans to learn what they thought of the week’s events. They still very much want their party to show loyalty to Mr. Trump and adhere to the idea that President Biden didn’t legitimately win.
Their views on Cheney, in turn, now reflect those wishes.
Eighty percent of Republicans who’d heard about the vote agree with Cheney’s removal — they feel she was off-message, unsupportive of Mr. Trump, and that she’s wrong about the 2020 presidential election. To a third of them, and most particularly for those who place the highest importance on loyalty, Cheney’s removal also shows “disloyalty will be punished.”
GOP Arizona Election Official Blasts “Unhinged” Trump: “Insane Lies”
The Republican official who heads up the Arizona county elections department that is subject to an ongoing audit of the results from the 2020 presidential election has publicly lashed out against former President Donald Trump for spreading lies. Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer didn’t just criticize Trump, he also pointed the finger at other fellow Republicans who allow the misinformation to continue. Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer took to Twitter on Saturday to call a Trump statement that claimed the county had deleted an elections database as “unhinged,” assuring absolutely nothing had happened to the archive. “We can’t indulge these insane lies any longer. As a party. As a state. As a country. This is as readily falsifiable as 2+2=5. If we don’t call this out…” Richer wrote on Twitter.
Richer sent the tweet after Trump issued a statement in which he said there had been a “DELETION of an entire Database and critical Election files,” which he characterized as “unprecedented.” Richer said Trump’s statement amounted a “plain-as-day lie.”
Eric Boehlert: The media have no idea how to cover increasingly deranged GOP
Hours after Republican House members forced Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) to surrender her leadership role for the sin of denouncing Trump lies about his election loss, Republicans at a House Oversight Committee hearing addressing the Capitol Hill insurrection spent the same day spreading misinformation about Trump’s attempted coup.
Claiming that what transpired that day really wasn’t a riot but instead a collection of misguided enthusiasts voicing their concerns, Republicans made clear not only would they not assign blame to Trump for stoking the deadly assault, but they were going to defend the rioters and rewrite history about that ugly day on Capitol Hill.
Read the rest of Eric Boehlert’s piece at and subscribe to Press Run
The Rude Pundit: How Public Schools Failed Black and White Students in the South By Hiding the Truth
Ever since I heard about the Opelousas massacre of 1868, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. Also called the St. Landry or St. Landry Parish massacre, I asked friends of mine who, like me, grew up in Lafayette, Louisiana and were educated by public schools there. None of them had heard of it, including one who is a historian, although not of that particular subject. And that ignorance disturbs me on a very deep and personal level.
The first time I became aware of it was when I clicked on a tweet from the Equal Justice Initiative, an amazing civil rights organization based in Alabama. It featured a film by Jim Batt and Kim Boekbinder on the history of Reconstruction, the period after the Civil War, when Blacks, mostly freed slaves, were terrorized in the South even as the U.S. government attempted to secure their rights and safety before abandoning them in 1877. The short film, narrated by Tera DuVernay (Ava’s sister) and with illustrations by Molly Crabapple, was focusing on the rampant violence against Blacks when it brought up how, in Opelousas, Louisiana, in September 1868, an estimated 200 Black people were killed by white mobs over the course of a couple of weeks.
CDC’s mask guidance spurs confusion and criticism, as well as celebration
Federal health officials’ decision Thursday to rescind almost all masking and distancing recommendations for fully vaccinated Americans created as much confusion as it did celebration, sending states, businesses and individuals scrambling to figure out what rules, if any, are still appropriate and when.
Many, including President Biden, hailed the relaxation of restrictions by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a milestone in the nation’s return to normal. But with a majority of Americans unvaccinated, others questioned the sudden and blanket recommendation, worrying that the onus is now heavier on state and local governments, businesses and individuals to determine whether precautions are necessary.
House members announce bipartisan deal for Jan. 6 commission
The proposed 10-member commission, which emulates the panel that investigated the causes and lessons of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, would be vested with subpoena authority and charged with studying the events and run-up to Jan. 6 — with a focus on why an estimated 10,000 supporters of former president Donald Trump swarmed the Capitol grounds and, more important, what factors instigated about 800 of them to break inside. Trump’s critics in both political parties view it as a means to bring further public scrutiny to his role in inspiring the violence.
Gaetz associate admits to sex trafficking of a minor, agrees in writing to cooperate fully with prosecutors
Joel Greenberg, a former tax collector for Seminole County, agreed to plead guilty to six criminal charges — including sex trafficking of a child, aggravated identity theft and wire fraud — which come with a mandatory minimum sentence of 12 years and a statutory maximum potentially decades longer.
Stefanik poised to be voted into House GOP leadership, replacing Cheney
House Republicans are expected to choose Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) on Friday to fill the leadership post recently occupied by Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), replacing a harsh critic of former president Donald Trump with a lawmaker who has become one of his staunchest defenders.
The Friday morning vote will cap a tumultuous week for the party, which has established support for Trump’s false claims about the 2020 presidential election as a defining issue, and those who challenge his falsehoods have found themselves exiled.
Pelosi suggests ethics committee should investigate Marjorie Taylor Greene for “verbal assault” of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi suggested Thursday the House Ethics Committee should look into Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene for her alleged “verbal assault” of Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
The Washington Post first reported the conservative lawmaker from Georgia confronted Ocasio-Cortez and falsely accused her of supporting “terrorists” as the New York congresswoman was exiting the House Chamber on Wednesday. Pelosi called Greene’s alleged behavior “egregious” and “not in keeping with the behavior of a member of Congress.”‘
CDC says people fully vaccinated against COVID-19 can shed masks in most indoor settings
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says people who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 can forgo their masks and social distancing in many indoor situations.
“Today, CDC is updating our guidance for fully vaccinated people,” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said Thursday at a White House COVID-19 briefing. “Anyone who is fully vaccinated, can participate in indoor and outdoor activities, large or small, without wearing a mask or physical distancing. If you are fully vaccinated, you can start doing the things that you had stopped doing because of the pandemic.”
Anyone who is vaccinated but develops symptoms should mask up and get tested, she warned. Walensky also warned that there’s always a chance the pandemic situation could worsen, and the nation may need to return to pieces of the earlier guidance.
Colonial Pipeline Reportedly Paid $5 Million Ransom After Hack
The owner of the Colonial Pipeline paid hackers about $5 million in bitcoin to regain access to its data and end a standoff that forced one of the country’s largest energy pipelines offline, multiple media outlets reported Thursday.
Details of the payments were first reported by Bloomberg News and The New York Times, and cited sources familiar with the ransom. The ransom amounted to about 75 bitcoin, a hard-to-trace cryptocurrency.
The 5,500-mile pipeline was forced to temporarily shut down late last week after a cybersecurity attack that investigators said was launched by the international criminal gang known as DarkSide. Hackers from the group infiltrated the company’s network and infected it with ransomware, which demands a company pay to unlock the files or they will be released to the public.
Rep. Marjorie Greene aggressively confronts Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, causing New York congresswoman to raise security concerns
Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene aggressively confronted Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Wednesday and falsely accused her of supporting “terrorists,” leading the New York congresswoman’s office to call on leadership to ensure that Congress remains “a safe, civil place for all Members and staff.”
Two Washington Post reporters witnessed Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.) exit the House chamber late Wednesday afternoon ahead of Greene (Ga.), who shouted “Hey Alexandria” twice in an effort to get her attention. When Ocasio-Cortez did not stop walking, Greene picked up her pace and began shouting at her and asking why she supports antifa, a loosely knit group of far-left activists, and Black Lives Matter, falsely labeling them “terrorist” groups. Greene also shouted that Ocasio-Cortez was failing to defend her “radical socialist” beliefs by declining to publicly debate the freshman from Georgia.
Liz Cheney vows to fight on, but her ouster signals Trump’s hold on the party
In the end, the vote to remove Representative Liz Cheney from her leadership position Wednesday morning was swift and relatively unceremonious, taking about as long as it would to order a morning cup of coffee, around 15 minutes. But it’s far from certain that Republicans will be able to dispense with Cheney entirely as they look toward 2022, set on winning back control in Washington.
Cheney has repeatedly made it clear that while she lost the battle, she is not surrendering the larger fight and will seek public ways to push her message. To that end, she welcomed the chance to talk with reporters right after the vote to remove her.
Republican loyal to Trump claims Capitol riot looked more like ‘normal tourist visit’
Multiple Republican members of Congress on Wednesday offered a false retelling of the devastating events that occurred during the Capitol riot, with one calling the entire event a “bold faced lie” that more closely resembled a “normal tourist visit” than a deadly attack.
During a House Oversight Committee hearing on the Jan. 6 riot, Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., said the House floor was not breached and that the supporters of former President Donald Trump who stormed the Capitol behaved “in an orderly fashion.”
Colonial announces pipeline restart, says normal service will take ‘several days’
Colonial Pipeline, operator of the largest U.S. fuel pipeline, said Wednesday it is restarting operations after being shut down for five days due to a cyberattack.
The company shut down its entire operation Friday after its financial computer networks were infected by a Russia-tied hacker gang known as DarkSide, fearing that the hackers could spread to its industrial operations as well.
The shutdown led to widespread gasoline shortages and caused temporary price spikes. The U.S. saw the problem as serious enough to issue an emergency order that relaxed restrictions for drivers carrying fuel in affected states.
CDC director grilled over mask guidance in heated Capitol Hill hearing
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky was forced to defend her agency’s guidance and even its integrity on Tuesday as Senate Republicans grilled her over CDC messaging on masks and other restrictions, arguing it’s frustrating and unreasonable as more Americans get vaccinated.
Death toll grows to at least 40 as violence escalates between Israel, Hamas
More rockets were fired from Gaza into Israel on Wednesday, and Israel’s military said it was striking more targets as the violence that has so far killed at least 40 people continued, officials said.
Gaza’s health ministry said Wednesday that 35 people had been killed. An Israeli police spokesman said Wednesday that two people died in a rocket strike overnight, bringing their death toll to five.
The fighting between Hamas, a militant group that controls Gaza, and Israel has involved hundreds of rockets and airstrikes in the most intense exchange of fire since 2014.
Gas Stations Report Shortages As Pipeline Shutdown Drags On
More than 1,000 gas stations in the Southeast reported running out of fuel, primarily because of what analysts say is unwarranted panic-buying among drivers, as the shutdown of a major pipeline by a gang of hackers entered its fifth day Tuesday.
Government officials acted swiftly to waive safety and environmental rules to speed the delivery of fuel by truck, ship or rail to motorists and airports, even as they sought to assure the public that there was no cause for alarm.
Liz Cheney defiant as House Republicans to vote on her future in leadership for rebuking Trump
Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., remained defiant Tuesday just hours before Republicans are expected to remove her from House GOP leadership, warning that former President Donald Trump‘s continued attacks against the 2020 election threaten American democracy and risk inciting more violence.
Taking to the House floor in a near-empty chamber after several conservative colleagues railed against “cancel culture,” Cheney delivered a searing indictment of House GOP leaders seeking to expel her from their ranks after she voted to impeach Trump for inciting the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, and her continued denunciations of the former president.
McCarthy sets vote for tomorrow to remove Cheney from House Republican leadership
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy told House Republicans on Monday that there would be a vote to recall Wyoming Congresswoman Liz Cheney as chairwoman of the GOP conference on Wednesday, saying it’s “clear” there needs to be a change in the ranks of House Republican leadership.
“If we are to succeed in stopping the radical Democrat agenda from destroying our country, these internal conflicts need to be resolved so as to not detract from the efforts of our collective team,” he said in a letter to House Republicans obtained by CBS News. “Having heard from so many of you in recent days, it’s clear that we need to make a change.”
AP-NORC poll: Biden approval buoyed by his pandemic response
President Joe Biden is plunging into the next phase of his administration with the steady approval of a majority of Americans, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The survey shows Biden is buoyed in particular by the public’s broad backing for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
In the fourth month of his presidency, Biden’s overall approval rating sits at 63%. When it comes to the new Democratic president’s handling of the pandemic, 71% of Americans approve, including 47% of Republicans.
Pipeline shutdown could lead to price spikes, shortages — and problems for East Coast airports
While there seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel for the stricken Colonial Pipeline, as the company said Monday that it expects the outage to be resolved by the end of the week, oil analysts say drivers in the Southeast, from roughly Alabama to potentially as far north as the nation’s capital, could see brief supply disruptions.
Exactly where those sporadic shortages could occur are hard to predict, experts say, but they agree about what could make it much worse: panicking.
The Colonial Pipeline, which typically moves 2.5 million barrels of fuel per day, including gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, has been shut down since Friday, when the company’s technology infrastructure was targeted in a ransomware cyberattack.
FDA authorizes Pfizer vaccine for children 12 to 15
The Food and Drug Administration on Monday lowered the age that people can receive Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine in the United States to 12 — a move that is expected to make millions of more shots available.
The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was authorized for use in people ages 16 and up in December. The FDA has now amended the authorization to include children ages 12 to 15.
Last week, President Joe Biden said in remarks at the White House that the administration was “ready to move immediately to make about 20,000 pharmacy sites across the country ready to vaccinate those adolescents as soon as the FDA grants its OK.”
Charlie Pierce: This Weekend’s Shootings Were All Different, But Also They Were All the Same
Six people dead in Colorado Springs. At a birthday party. On Mother’s Day.
One dead and seven wounded in Phoenix. At a young people’s party. On Mother’s Day.
Three dead in a neighborhood in Baltimore.
Three different incidents in California.
Four people wounded in Newark, four more wounded in Milwaukee, two dead and three wounded in Missouri at a “neighborhood celebration.”
These unfortunate exercises of our Second Amendment freedoms were all different, but they also were all the same. The Baltimore incident was by far the most spectacularly violent.
Fauci: ‘There’s No Doubt’ COVID-19 Deaths Have Been Undercounted In U.S.
Dr. Anthony Fauci on Sunday said he has “no doubt” that the number of Americans killed by COVID-19 is much higher than what has been officially reported, after a recent study counted nearly double the amount recorded by federal health officials.
“We’ve been saying — and the CDC has been saying all along — that it is very likely that we’re undercounting,” Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, said in an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has placed the number of deaths in the U.S. at around 577,800. In comparison, a study from the University of Washington released Thursday tallied around 905,000 deaths.
House Minority Leader McCarthy Officially Backs Stefanik to Replace Liz Cheney in House Leadership
Representative Kevin McCarthy, the minority leader, on Sunday officially endorsed Representative Elise Stefanik in her bid to oust the No. 3 House Republican, Representative Liz Cheney, who has hemorrhaged support over her repudiation of former President Donald J. Trump’s lies about election fraud.
“Yes, I do,” Mr. McCarthy told the Fox News host Maria Bartiromo when she asked whether he supported Ms. Stefanik’s push to become the Republican conference chairwoman.
“We need to be united, and that starts with leadership,” Mr. McCarthy said. “That’s why we will have a vote next week.”
Hacked Pipeline May Stay Shut for Days, Raising Concerns About Fuel Supply
The operator of the largest petroleum pipeline between Texas and New York, which was shut down after a ransomware attack, declined on Sunday to say when it would reopen, raising concerns about a critical piece of infrastructure that carries nearly half of the East Coast’s fuel supplies.
While the shutdown has so far had little impact on supplies of gasoline, diesel or jet fuel, some energy analysts warned that a prolonged suspension could raise prices at the pump along the East Coast and leave some smaller airports scrambling for jet fuel.
It may be time to relax indoor face mask mandates, Fauci says
Dr. Anthony Fauci says federal guidance on wearing face coverings indoors may change soon.
Sunday on ABC News, Fauci was asked whether it’s time to start relaxing indoor masks requirements. Fauci replied, “I think so, and I think you’re going to probably be seeing that as we go along, and as more people get vaccinated.”
Eric Boehlert: Judge confirms Barr lied about Mueller report — will New York Times apologize for spreading that lie?
That’s how the New York Times in March 2019 famously described Attorney General William Barr’s supposed exoneration of Trump following Barr’s reading of Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation. Refusing to release the sprawling report, Barr instead put out a thin, four-page press release where he brazenly lied about Mueller’s contents, and claimed Trump was in the clear.
It was an audacious move by Barr, and it worked because the Beltway press eagerly played along, reporting that Trump’s Russia worries were not only over, but that Mueller’s unseen conclusions had given Trump’s re-election a “powerful boost.”
This week, Judge Amy Berman Jackson of the United States District Court in Washington confirmed Barr lied about the Mueller report
Read the rest of Eric Boehlert’s piece at and subscribe to PressRun
The Rude Pundit: Liz Cheney Demonstrates the Least You Can Do to Preserve Democracy
Among the lies that Republicans tell themselves to justify their continued deranged, perhaps even traitorous behavior in refusing to back down from the Big Lie that the 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump, one of the most persistent is that Democrats were always trying to “overturn” the 2016 election. You remember that one, right? Where Trump lost by 3 million votes but, because our democracy is a bullshit vestige of a time when our oh-so-wise founders decided to coddle slaveowners through the creation of the Electoral College, he still won? Sure, sure, when it was time for Congress to certify the electoral vote, a few Democrats in the House objected, but no senators signed on and there was never a question that then-Vice President Joe Biden was going to do the constitutional thing.
California ‘weeks away’ from reaching herd immunity, UCSF doctors say
California could reach herd immunity by June 15, according to projections by doctors at UCSF.
“I am predicting that Gov. Newsom was actually right,” said Dr. Monica Gandhi, an infectious disease physician with UCSF. “June 15th is when we’re going to be done…get to herd immunity.”
June 15 is about six weeks away. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced plans last month to fully reopen the economy on that date.
Moderna and Pfizer vaccines showing promising results against COVID variants
Moderna says early trial results show increased immunity against COVID-19 variants first found in Brazil and South Africa among people who took a booster shot or an experimental new vaccine. And a new study shows Pfizer’s original vaccine has proven highly effective against the variant first spotted in the United Kingdom.
Meanwhile Moderna said Thursday it will start seeking full approval of its vaccine from the Food and Drug Administration by the end of the month. It’s currently in use under an emergency authorization. Pfizer had already said it would begin trying for that full FDA approval by month’s end.
Both vaccines currently involve getting two shots.
Biden still ‘ready to compromise’ with GOP on infrastructure despite McConnell comments
Standing before an aging bridge in Lake Charles, Louisiana, Thursday afternoon, President Joe Biden once again said he’s ready to work across the aisle with Republicans to pass his $2.3 trillion infrastructure-focused American Jobs Plan.
“I’m willing to hear ideas from both sides,” Biden said. “I’m ready to compromise. What I’m not ready to do, I’m not ready to do nothing. I’m not ready to have another period where America has another infrastructure month and doesn’t change a damn thing.”
Jen Psaki Says She Will Likely Serve Just 1 Year As Press Secretary
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in an interview she plans to serve in her administration role for about a year before moving on to spend more time with her family.
Psaki made the comments during an hourlong interview with David Axelrod, her former colleague when they served under President Barack Obama, saying after a year of service, “I think it’s going to be time for somebody else to have this job. It’s not uncommon for the press secretary role to experience a high level of turnover: Former President Donald Trump had four, Obama had three and former President George W. Bush had four as well.
Liz Cheney Says ‘History Is Watching’ As GOP Leaders Try To Punish Her For Telling Truth
Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) wrote Wednesday that she believed the Republican Party was at “a turning point” amid a growing call from her colleagues that she be removed from her leadership post for rejecting former President Donald Trump’s lies about the 2020 presidential election.
In an opinion piece in The Washington Post, Cheney, the third-highest-ranking House GOP member, said efforts to punish her for telling the truth amounted to an attack on “truth and fidelity to the Constitution.” Cheney was one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump for his role in inciting the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, and she has continued to reject his false claims that the election was “stolen” from him. President Joe Biden won that race by more than 7 million votes.
Biden To Support Waiving Patents For COVID-19 Vaccines
The Biden administration plans to support a temporary waiver on patents and other intellectual property rules preventing developing countries from mass-producing generic COVID-19 vaccines, United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai announced on Wednesday.
A group of developing countries led by India and South Africa was pushing for the move, which comes as a relief for global public health advocates.
Mitch McConnell Says He’s ‘100%’ Focused On Stopping Biden’s Administration
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Wednesday that his biggest priority is stopping President Joe Biden’s proposed legislative agenda in Congress.
McConnell made the comment while side-stepping a question about GOP infighting over Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) and her imperiled future as the leader of the House Republican Conference.
“One hundred percent of my focus is on stopping this new administration,” McConnell said during an appearance in Georgetown, Kentucky. “I think the best way to look at what this new administration is: The president may have won the nomination, but Bernie Sanders won the argument.”
‘A total disgrace’: Trump lashes out at big tech companies after Facebook ban is upheld
Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday lashed out at three of the biggest tech giants after Facebook’s quasi-independent Oversight Board upheld the social media platform’s ban on him.
“What Facebook, Twitter, and Google have done is a total disgrace and an embarrassment to our Country,” Trump said in a statement.
“Free Speech has been taken away from the President of the United States because the Radical Left Lunatics are afraid of the truth, but the truth will come out anyway, bigger and stronger than ever before,” he continued. “The People of our Country will not stand for it! These corrupt social media companies must pay a political price, and must never again be allowed to destroy and decimate our Electoral Process.”
Facebook Oversight Board to decide today if Trump can return to the platform
The Facebook Oversight Board will announce its decision Wednesday morning whether to allow former President Donald Trump back on the platform, nearly five months after he was suspended following the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
If the board decides to let him on the platform, Facebook has seven days to unlock Mr. Trump’s account and turn it back over to him. The decision cannot be appealed.
GOP leader questions whether Cheney can do job after she blasts Trump’s ‘BIG LIE’ comment
House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy said on Tuesday a growing number of Republicans in the conference are taking issue with Rep. Liz Cheney and he signaled that her days as GOP Conference chair — the third-ranking Republican in the House — could be numbered.
“I have heard from members concerned about her ability to carry out the job as conference chair, to carry out the message. We all need to be working as one if we’re able to win the majority,” McCarthy said on Fox News.
While he did not explicitly state what her future will be within the party, all signals point to another possible vote to oust her from her position as conference chair.
Derek Chauvin’s legal team requests new trial, alleging jury misconduct
The legal team for former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who was convicted of murdering George Floyd last month, has filed a motion in a Minneapolis court requesting a new trial on multiple grounds, including jury misconduct.
In the filing, Chauvin’s attorney says the former officer should have a new trial in the “interests of justice; abuse of discretion that deprived the Defendant of a fair trial; prosecutorial and jury misconduct; errors of law at trial; and a verdict that is contrary to law.”
“The jury committed misconduct, felt threatened or intimidated, felt race-based pressure during the proceedings, and/or failed to adhere to instructions during deliberations, in violation of Mr. Chauvin’s constitutional rights to due process and a fair trial,” attorney Eric Nelson writes in the filing.
Biden lays out plan for shots in arms of 70% of Americans by July 4
President Joe Biden set a new goal for vaccinations in America, calling for 70% of the U.S. adult population to have at least one shot and 160 million Americans to be fully vaccinated by July 4 in remarks on Tuesday afternoon.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that, as of Tuesday, 105 million Americans are fully vaccinated, while 147 million have had at least one dose.
“That means giving close to 100 million shots — some first shots, others’ second shots — over the next 60 days,” Biden said.
Liz Cheney stokes GOP rift with ‘big lie’ rebuke of Trump
Rep. Liz Cheney on Monday escalated her feud with former President Donald Trump and his supporters in Congress, issuing a less-than-subtle swipe at the former president’s latest attempt to claim the 2020 election was stolen from him.
On Monday morning, Trump issued a statement from his Save America PAC proclaiming that the presidential election “will be, from this day forth, known as THE BIG LIE!” — an attempt to appropriate the label given to the false claim by Trump and his Republican allies that last November’s election was in fact won by the former president.
Pfizer COVID vaccine could be authorized for adolescents by early next week
The Food and Drug Administration is expected to authorize Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine for administration to adolescents by early next week, according to a federal health official with knowledge of the agency’s plans.
The move would allow many American middle- and high-school students to be vaccinated against COVID-19 well before the start of the next school year, using a shot Pfizer claims demonstrated “100% efficacy” in children as young as 12 years old with side effects similar to those that have been appearing in young adults.
After blowback, Biden again sets refugee cap at 62.5K this fiscal year
President Joe Biden has signed a memo to raise the maximum number of refugees allowed into the United States this fiscal year to 62,500.
His administration had first said in February it wanted the cap at that number, but in mid April, Biden backtracked and decided to leave a Trump-era cap of 15,000 in place.
Last month, when the president said he was going to leave the historically low cap in place, he faced fierce criticism from Democratic allies on Capitol Hill and refugee resettlement agencies across the country.
Bill And Melinda Gates Announce Separation
Bill and Melinda Gates, the chairs and founders of their eponymous research foundation, announced Monday they are ending their marriage.
The Microsoft co-founder and his wife, the company’s former general manager, have been married for 27 years.
“Over the last 27 years, we have raised three incredible children and built a foundation that works all over the world to enable all people to lead healthy, productive lives,” the pair said in a joint statement. “We continue to share a belief in that mission and will continue our work together at the foundation, but no longer believe we can grow together as a couple in this next phase of our lives.”
Charlie Pierce: The Republican Party Has Developed New Rites of Initiation… You Must Push the Big Lie
It appears that the cult driving modern conservatism—and the Republican Party, which is its outward manifestation—has finally developed its infallible litmus test for its initiates. The cult is still based on monomaniacal loyalty to a vulgar talking yam, but now it has an article of faith through which that loyalty can be demonstrated. The Washington Post has a helpful survey of how the rites of initiation are being celebrated all over the country.
Cindy McCain Blasts ‘Ludicrous’ 2020 Audit From Arizona GOP: ‘The Election is Over, Biden Won’
Cindy McCain, widow of the late Senator John McCain, bashed Arizona Republicans for their ongoing attempts to legally dispute the state’s 2020 election results.
The Arizona state Senate recently hired a Florida-based cybersecurity company, Cyber Ninjas, to conduct an audit of votes in Maricopa County. The county is the largest in the state, and President Joe Biden turned Arizona blue when he won there back in November.
Previous audits on the state’s election results have yielded no evidence of election fraud, and reports on the new audit suggest that its largely colored by conspiracy theories of widespread corruption. When Tapper spoke to McCain on State of the Union, he asked for her thoughts on the bizarre elements surrounding the audit.
Romney booed at Utah GOP convention before failed vote to censure him
“So what do you think about President Biden’s first 100 days?” Romney begins to say, as the jeers intensify.
Country optimistic after Biden’s 1st 100 days: POLL
President Joe Biden completes his first hundred days in office with a country that is more optimistic about the coming year, according to a new ABC News/Ipsos poll.
Nearly two-thirds of Americans (64%) are optimistic about the direction of the country in the poll, which was conducted by Ipsos in partnership with ABC News using Ipsos’ KnowledgePanel.
The last time the country came close to that level of optimism about the coming year was in December 2006, when 61% said they were optimistic about where the country was headed, according to previous ABC News/Washington Post polls. Shortly before the 2016 election catapulted Donald Trump to the Oval Office, only 42% of Americans were optimistic about the future, compared to 52% who were pessimistic.
Biden administration to return billions in border wall funding Trump diverted from Pentagon
The Biden administration is returning to the Pentagon billions in funds diverted by President Donald Trump to build the wall at the southwestern border, and plans to cancel all related construction contracts, an administration official told ABC News on Friday.
“Border wall construction under the previous administration tied up more than $14 billion in taxpayer funds, shortchanged our military, and diverted attention away from genuine security challenges, like human traffickers. Rushed and haphazard wall construction also resulted in serious life, safety, and environmental issues,” the official said.
Eric Boehlert: If Biden were a Republican, press would tout him as the new Reagan
Viewing the world through the prism of the GOP, Politico announced President Joe Biden’s speech to Congress Wednesday night, where he presented a sweeping, optimistic view for America’s rebound from Covid-19, was a big win…for Republicans. Pushing the absurd storyline that Biden’s speech hurt him because it highlighted his agenda (he’s been trying to keep it hidden?), Politico declared the GOP had seized the night. Or, as its headline announced, “Biden Gives Republicans What They’ve Been Waiting For.”
That is some tortured logic. Especially considering that people who watched Biden’s First 100 Days speech loved it, as he outlined new initiatives for cheaper childcare, smoother roads, faster internet, and promised to combat climate change.
Read the rest of Eric Boehlert’s piece at and subscribe to PressRun.
The Rude Pundit: An Open Letter to Tucker Carlson Regarding His Opinions on Masks
Dear Tucker,
Can I call you “Tucker”? I don’t really care because I’m sure as hell not calling you “Mr. Carlson,” like you’re the dad of someone I’m fucking back when I was in high school.
Anyways, I don’t watch your goddamn show because you’re an obnoxious, privileged, powdered pair of ass cheeks whose face veers between “serial killer who ejaculates while he stabs people” to “high school boy feeling a wet pussy for the first time.” Mostly, though, I don’t watch you because you’re a fucking liar. Sure, sure, you fool the Fox “news” rubes: all those shut-ins and elderly people who can be scammed by the crazed pillow dickhead and gun-fellating men who can’t get a hard-on to save their pathetic lives. Or marriages.
‘It’s, like, so unfair’: Trump defends Giuliani after FBI raid
Former President Donald Trump on Thursday denounced the raids by federal investigators on the Manhattan home and office of his personal attorney Rudy Giuliani, defending the former New York mayor as the victim of a politically biased Justice Department.
“Rudy Giuliani is a great patriot. He does these things — he just loves this country, and they raid his apartment,” Trump told Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo in an interview. “It’s, like, so unfair and such a double — it’s like a double standard like I don’t think anybody’s ever seen before.”
Rudy Giuliani’s Son Tries To Out-Rudy Him In Wild CNN Appearance
Andrew Giuliani, son of Rudy Giuliani, tried to take a page out of his father’s book during a CNN interview on Thursday night.
When asked by Erin Burnett about the FBI raid on his father’s apartment this week, Giuliani fired back with deflections and conspiracy theories ― including an accusation against the judge who signed the search warrant.
“Who appointed the judge? President Barack Obama!” he declared. “You have an Obama-appointed judge who has signed this warrant where no other judge would sign this warrant.”
Bombshell Letter: Matt Gaetz Paid for Sex With Minor, Wingman Says
A confession letter written by Joel Greenberg in the final months of the Trump presidency claims that he and close associate Rep. Matt Gaetz paid for sex with multiple women—as well as a girl who was 17 at the time.
“On more than one occasion, this individual was involved in sexual activities with several of the other girls, the congressman from Florida’s 1st Congressional District and myself,” Greenberg wrote in reference to the 17-year-old.
“From time to time, gas money or gifts, rent or partial tuition payments were made to several of these girls, including the individual who was not yet 18. I did see the acts occur firsthand and Venmo transactions, Cash App or other payments were made to these girls on behalf of the Congressman.”
India tops 200,000 dead as virus surge breaks health system
The health ministry reported a single-day record 3,293 COVID-19 deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing India’s total fatalities to 201,187, as the world’s second most populous country endures its darkest chapter of the pandemic yet.
Federal investigators search Rudy Giuliani’s apartment and office
FBI agents executed search warrants at Rudy Giuliani‘s Manhattan apartment and his office to seize electronic devices Wednesday, multiple sources familiar with the matter said.
The searches are a sign that prosecutors are ramping up their investigation into Giuliani, former President Donald Trump’s attorney.
Federal prosecutors had what they needed to seek a search warrant late last year, and it was just “a matter of timing,” a source familiar with the investigation said, a comment that suggests that the Justice Department might have wanted to wait until the administration changed hands.
GOP Sen. Tim Scott says Dems ‘are pulling us further apart’ in response to Biden’s address
Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) painted President Joe Biden as having broken his promises to seek to unify the country and slammed Democratic policymaking in his response to Biden’s first address to Congress.
“Our president seems like a good man. His speech was full of good words,” Scott said. “But President Biden promised you a specific kind of leadership. He promised to unite a nation. To lower the temperature. To govern for all Americans, no matter how we voted.
“But three months in, the actions of the president and his party are pulling us further apart,” he said
The Five biggest takeaways from Biden’s first big speech to Congress last night
In his first big speech to Congress on Wednesday, President Joe Biden repeatedly spoke off the cuff and made a populist pitch to “forgotten” voters, urging lawmakers to pass his multitrillion-dollar economic agenda.
Biden sought to strike a balance between optimism and pragmatism, celebrating the progress in the battle against Covid-19, attributed to the widespread availability of vaccines and economic aid to struggling Americans, while emphasizing the magnitude of the task that lies ahead.
“America is on the move again,” he said — but the nation has “more work to do” to beat the coronavirus, put people back to work and restore faith in democracy. “We’re at a great inflection point in history.”
U.S. pharmacies are told to offer second vaccine doses to people who got first shots elsewhere.
Federal health officials said on Tuesday that they were directing nearly all drugstores and grocery-store pharmacies to offer second doses of Covid-19 vaccines to people who received their first shot from a different provider.
Growing numbers of Americans who received a first shot of the two-dose Pfizer-BioNtech or Moderna vaccine are not getting their second shots, in part because of challenges with access. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that more than 5 million people, or nearly 8 percent of those who were partially vaccinated, have missed getting their second dose.
CDC says vaccinated people can ditch the mask outdoors in many cases
You can ditch the mask walking your dog or dining outside with friends if you are fully vaccinated from COVID-19. But keep it on for any outdoor crowded events like concerts, parades and sporting events.
Wearing a mask in public spaces indoors also remains a must.
That’s according to new guidance released Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for people considered fully immunized -– a milestone achieved two weeks after a person’s final vaccine shot.
NY Post Reporter Resigns, Says She Was ‘Ordered’ To Write False Kamala Harris Story
A New York Post reporter said Tuesday she had resigned after being ordered to write a false story that claimed migrant children were being given copies of a book authored by Vice President Kamala Harris in “welcome kits.”
The story, published last Friday, set off a days-long misinformation cycle among Republican leaders and on conservative media. The Washington Post debunked the claims Tuesday, demonstrating that the article appeared to be based entirely on one image of a single copy of Harris’ 2019 children’s book that was propped on a bed at a Long Beach, California shelter.
Biden to propose free preschool, community college in address to Congress tonight
President Joe Biden will announce a roughly $1.8 trillion plan to invest in universal preschool and free community college in his joint address to Congress on Wednesday night, as well as expanded access to child care, a senior administration official said.
The proposal, which the White House calls the American Families Plan, would also increase taxes on the wealthy to offset the cost over 15 years. It is the second phase of Biden’s two-part push to reshape the economy, following the $2 trillion American Jobs Plan, which he announced last month.
Andrew Brown Jr. was shot in the back of the head by North Carolina police, family attorney says
“My dad got executed just by trying to save his own life,” Khalil Ferebee told reporters during an afternoon press conference.
Family attorney Harry Daniels said Brown was shot in the back of the head, and he called for the officers involved in the shooting to be arrested “right now.”
CDC to update outdoor mask guidelines for vaccinated Americans
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected to announce updated guidelines for fully vaccinated Americans as early as Tuesday, according to several administration officials.
A federal official tells CBS News that the Biden administration will release new “interim public health recommendations” that will provide guidelines for activities that vaccinated people may resume, including recommendations related to health care settings and whether to wear masks outdoors. The language of the new guidance is still being finalized, the official said.
U.S. aims to share up to 60 million AstraZeneca vaccine doses with other countries after FDA review
Justice Department launches investigation into Louisville police department
The Justice Department is opening a pattern and practice investigation into the Louisville Metro Police Department, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Monday. This is the second such investigation into policing practices unveiled by the department in less than a week.
Last week, Garland announced a review of the Minneapolis Police Department the day after a jury in Hennepin County, Minnesota, found former MPD officer Derek Chauvin guilty in the death of George Floyd.
Charlie Pierce: You’d Have to Be a Supreme Court Justice to Think Americans Need to Be More Heavily Armed
The Supreme Court of the United States has watched the news, and judged the national mood, and read the national room, and decided this would be the perfect moment in history to render a decision that could result in a more heavily armed populace. So, next fall, the new conservative majority is primed to take on the one gun-law issue that the Court has ducked all these years.
Read the rest of Charlie Pierce’s piece at Esquire Politics.
Eric Boehlert: The week Fox News craved street violence in Minneapolis
An overwhelmingly majority of Americans support the guilty verdict that was reached in the Minneapolis trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin, who killed George Floyd one year ago, by kneeling on his neck for nine minutes while the Black man begged for his life. At Fox News though, the trial outcome was met with hysterical condemnations — it was an “attack on civilization,” Tucker Carlson warned. It was “mob justice,” announced Candace Owens.
The trial’s conclusion did not spark civil unrest. Instead, solemn scenes of candlelight tributes played out across the city. Robbed of the chance to demonize the Black Lives Matter movement — robbed of the chance of scaring viewers into thinking community activists would soon be banging down their doors and ransacking their Main Streets — Fox News reacted to the verdict with frustration and rage.
Read the rest of Eric Boehlert’s piece at and subscribe to PressRun.
‘Spineless Coward’: Kevin McCarthy Ripped For Defending Trump’s Riot Response
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) was called out on social media for defending former President Donald Trump’s failure to rein in his supporters as they attacked the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 insurrection.
McCarthy initially said Trump “bears responsibility” for the riot and admitted the then-president was too slow to respond.
“He should have immediately denounced the mob when he saw what was unfolding,” McCarthy said a week after the insurrection.
Oscars 2021: Chloé Zhao, ‘Nomadland’ make history at wobbly Academy Awards
The producers of the 93rd Academy Awards were handed an unenviable assignment.
They were tasked with putting on a lively show that resurrected both the rarefied glamor of vintage Hollywood and the comforting normalcy of life before the pandemic — all while abiding by a laundry list of Covid-19 safety protocols. If they succeeded, the thinking went, they just might be able to stave off a record-low ratings disaster and maybe even drive some Americans back to movie theaters.
It remains too early to say whether the crew behind the Oscars entirely succeeded in their head-spinning marching orders. But for viewers at home — spending the umpeenth night on their couches and perhaps only vaguely aware of the modestly scaled movies contending for best picture — the ceremony might have felt strangely half-formed, like an unfinished screenplay.
Biden receives positive marks at 100 days – CBS News poll
Approaching one hundred days in the presidency, President Biden maintains fairly strong approval ratings for what look like fairly straightforward reasons: most Americans like the way he’s handling the country’s top priorities, with especially strong marks on the pandemic and vaccine rollout; his major legislative pieces are popular so far. And then, more stylistically perhaps, a majority of Americans pick words to describe him like “presidential,” “focused” and “competent.”
At the same time they also say they’d generally like politics for the next four years to be “steady,” and “normal” (even though, we should note, they don’t expect it to be) more so than they want it “shaken up” or even “exciting.”
Millions Are Skipping Their Second Doses of Covid Vaccines
Millions of Americans are not getting the second doses of their Covid-19 vaccines, and their ranks are growing.
More than five million people, or nearly 8 percent of those who got a first shot of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, have missed their second doses, according to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That is more than double the rate among people who got inoculated in the first several weeks of the nationwide vaccine campaign.
Even as the country wrestles with the problem of millions of people who are wary about getting vaccinated at all, local health authorities are confronting an emerging challenge of ensuring that those who do get inoculated are doing so fully.
Frank Figliuzzi: Why Trump loyalists should fear the first Capitol riot confession
On Friday, we learned of the first publicly entered guilty plea from among the over 400 people charged in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. A guilty plea in such a sweeping and high-profile investigation is significant on its own. But when sealed documents in the case accidentally became visible in the federal court’s automated records system, it became clear that there is more to this plea than a defendant simply admitting his guilt.
The guilty plea contains a provision requiring the defendant Jon Ryan Schaffer — who admitted to the court that he was a “founding lifetime member” of the far-right, anti-government extremist militia group known as the Oath Keepers — to cooperate with the government. That means a long-time Oath Keepers veteran has been “flipped.”
D.C. statehood approved by House as Senate fight looms
A decades-long movement to reshape the American political map took a further step Thursday as the House of Representatives approved a bill to make the nation’s capital the 51st state.
Voting along party lines with minority Republicans in opposition, the House approved the bill 216-208. That’s likely the easy part, though. The proposal faces a far tougher fight in the Senate, where simple Democratic control of the chamber won’t be enough.
Senate passes hate crimes bill to address rise in attacks against Asians
The Senate voted 94-1 Thursday to approve anti-Asian hate crimes legislation aimed at expanding the federal government’s efforts to address the recent rise in these crimes.
The bill would identify a point person at the Justice Department who would quickly review hate crime incidents and provide more guidance to state and local entities to make it easier to report hate crimes. The legislation would also expand public education campaigns designed to increase awareness and outreach to victims.
Lawmakers hold “good discussions” on police reform in wake of Chauvin verdict
In a rare example of bipartisan momentum, members of Congress are moving forward with discussions over police reform legislation after negotiations stalled last summer.
Spurred by the guilty verdicts this week against Derek Chauvin, the Minneapolis police officer who kneeled on George Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes, a bipartisan, bicameral group of lawmakers have convened talks this week on measures to address police violence, as the nation’s eyes shifted from the Minneapolis courtroom where Chauvin was tried to Capitol Hill.
The CDC and FDA are leaning toward resuming use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, should announce today
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration are leaning toward resuming use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine with a warning about blood clots, sources told CBS News. A decision is expected Friday, more than a week after the vaccine’s distribution was paused following reports of rare but dangerous blood clots in eight people under the age of 50.
“I think too many people may be scared off by taking the vaccine. They shouldn’t be, but perception is everything when it comes to vaccines,” said Dr. Peter Hotez, who works at the Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development.
Police reform legislation has “more momentum” post Chauvin verdict
Lawmakers are looking to push forward with police reform after Derek Chauvin was convicted Tuesday of murdering George Floyd, with representatives and senators holding bipartisan discussions about next steps.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Wednesday that the guilty verdict in the Chauvin trial does not mean that the problem of police misconduct and brutality has been solved.
“The Senate will continue to work — that work as we strive that George Floyd’s tragic death will not be in vain. We will not rest until the Senate passes strong legislation to end the systemic bias in law enforcement,” Schumer said in a speech on the Senate floor.
Biden Hopes Tax Credit Will Encourage Vaccine-Hesitant Americans To Get One Anyway
President Joe Biden on Wednesday encouraged Americans who do not want a COVID-19 vaccine to get one anyway by reminding them that small businesses can take a full tax credit against paid time off they provide for the vaccination and, if need be, recovery afterward.
“I’m calling on every employer, large and small, in every state, to give employees the time off they need, with pay, to get vaccinated. And any time they need, with pay, to recover, if they’re feeling under the weather after the shot,” Biden said in brief remarks from the Eisenhower Executive Office Building next door to the White House. “No working American should lose a single dollar from their paycheck because they chose to fulfill their patriotic duty of getting vaccinated.”
Columbus police release more video, details in shooting death of 16-year-old girl
Police in Columbus, Ohio, released more body-camera video Wednesday showing an officer’s point of view as he pulled his weapon, opened fire and killed a 16-year-old girl while responding to a 911 call.
The body-worn camera of police Officer Nick Reardon recorded how he arrived at a reported disturbance late Tuesday afternoon.
Reardon drew his weapon as the altercation unfolded, the video showed. Police have said the video shows someone trying to stab a person on the ground, as well as a second person.
Earth Day: Biden will commit to halving U.S. emissions by 2030 as part of Paris climate pact
The U.S. will aim to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 as part of its new commitment to the Paris climate agreement, President Joe Biden will announce Thursday.
Biden will make the pledge, called the Nationally Determined Contribution, when he speaks at a two-day virtual climate summit attended by dozens of world leaders Thursday morning, the White House said. Biden rejoined the 2015 climate pact in February, reversing a decision by President Donald Trump to withdraw the U.S. from the global coalition to curb carbon emissions.
Dr. Irwin Redlener: Despite July 4 timeline, the US is a long way from herd immunity
As the rate of vaccinations continues at a record pace, Americans are increasingly emerging from their long and dark winter hibernation with a sense of cautious optimism and hope for a more ‘normal’ summer.
There are in fact signs of hope. More than one-third of U.S adults have now received at least one dose of the vaccine, marking a significant milestone on the march towards herd immunity. And with more than 78 percent of people over the age of 65 vaccinated (with at least one dose), mortality rates have plunged since their January high.
Tucker Carlson Goes Into ‘Meltdown’ Mode While Covering Derek Chauvin Conviction
Fox News host Tucker Carlson behaved strangely on the air Tuesday night.
Near the end of his show about the conviction of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd, Carlson laughed maniacally, then abruptly ended an interview with a guest who dared to criticize police use of excessive force.
Carlson, who spent months spreading lies about Floyd’s death and railing against the Black Lives Matter movement it reignited, invited former New York corrections official Ed Gavin on “Tucker Carlson Tonight” to speak after the verdict.
Rep. Val Demings Goes Off On Jim Jordan In Fiery Shouting Match About Policing
Rep. Val Demings (D-Fla.) blew up at Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) during a House Judiciary Committee hearing Tuesday when her colleague interrupted her as she was discussing law enforcement.
The committee was discussing the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, legislation that seeks to address the surge in hate crimes against Asian Americans. Demings was criticizing an amendment introduced by Republicans that would prevent the defunding of police departments, even though the legislation does not have any provision to strip funds from law enforcement.
Demings, a former police officer, said the amendment was “completely irrelevant.”
Biden calls guilty verdict in Derek Chauvin trial ‘a step forward’
President Joe Biden said Tuesday that the guilty verdicts in the trial of former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin were “a step forward,” but he also said the nation still has to reckon with systemic racism in all walks of life, including policing.
Biden said the guilty verdicts are “much too rare” and “not enough.”
Chauvin was convicted of second- and third-degree murder and manslaughter in Floyd’s death in Minneapolis in May. The video of Floyd pleading for help as Chauvin knelt on him for more than nine minutes was seen around the world last year, igniting a wave of protests over police brutality.
Derek Chauvin Trial: Chauvin Found Guilty of Murdering George Floyd
Derek Chauvin was found guilty of two counts of murder on Tuesday in the death of George Floyd, whose final breaths last May under the knee of Mr. Chauvin, a former Minneapolis police officer, were captured on video, setting off months of protests against the police abuse of Black people.
After deliberating for about 10 hours over two days following an emotional trial that lasted three weeks, the jury found Mr. Chauvin, who is white, guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter for the killing of Mr. Floyd, a Black man, on a street corner last year on Memorial Day.
Elie Mystal: How the Supreme Court Gave Cops a License to Kill
There is nothing unique or interesting about the defense strategy employed by the lawyers for Derek Chauvin. The trial has produced no made-for-television stunts or rhetorical flourishes. There’s no bloody glove, no rhyming couplets. Chauvin’s defense is so basic that an attorney straight out of law school could pull it off. His lawyers are simply arguing that cops have the right to kill people, if they think they need to.
That strategy might seem foolish to the untrained eye. After all, there is incontrovertible video evidence that Chauvin did not “need” to kill George Floyd. The video shows that Floyd posed no threat to the police or anybody else: He was prone and handcuffed while Chauvin slowly choked the life out of him over the course of eight minutes and 46 seconds. Any reasonable human being can see that Chauvin should have taken his knee off of Floyd’s neck.
Former Vice President Walter Mondale Passes Away at 93
Former Vice President Walter Mondale, who served under President Jimmy Carter, has died at 93 years old, Axios reports.
He led an accomplished life in politics serving as Minnesota attorney general, a Minnesota senator, Clinton’s ambassador to Japan, and Jimmy Carter’s vice president.
Mondale also ran for president in 1984 and became the Democratic nominee. He made history when he nominated the first female vice presidential nominee in any major American political party, Geraldine Ferraro.
Alleged gunman in FedEx shooting browsed white supremacist websites, police say
The alleged gunman who killed eight people at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis last week apparently browsed white supremacist websites a little over a year before the deadly shooting, police said.
On March 3, 2020, Brandon Hole’s mother went to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department seeking help after her son had purchased a shotgun with no bullets, according to new details in an incident report released Monday. The mother told police that her son became angry, struck her in the arm with a closed fist and told her to “shut up” when she had asked what he was going to do with the gun. The mother said her son told her that he was going to point the unloaded gun at police officers so they would shoot him, saying, “This is not the life I want to live, I’ll end it my way,” according to the report.
CDC examining ‘handful’ of additional severe cases possibly linked to J&J vaccine
The U.S. is looking into additional cases of severe side effects possibly linked to the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Dr. Rochelle Walensky.
“These have been a handful of cases, not an overwhelming number of cases,” Walensky said at a White House briefing on Monday. “We are working through and adjudicating them, and verifying whether they do, in fact, reflect a true case.”
Derek Chauvin trial: Minneapolis and a nation anxiously await verdict
Thousands of National Guard members and hundreds of police officers stood watch over the Twin Cities with jury deliberations underway in the trial of the former Minneapolis police officer charged with murder in George Floyd’s death.
A heavy and armed military presence could be seen Monday across Minneapolis in anticipation of unrest, especially near downtown government buildings. There were several protests and hundreds of arrests last week in nearby Brooklyn Center after a police officer killed Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old Black man, during a traffic stop.
Read the rest of the story at NBC News
Charlie Pierce: We Can’t Be Held Hostage to a Political Party That Has Lost Its Mind
Back in February, when the idea of a bipartisan commission to study the events of January 6 first arose, it was the opinion around this shebeen that the whole idea was as doomed as Caesar in the Senate, because the Republicans’ complicity in those events would make the “bipartisan” element of any proposed bipartisan commission at best a burlesque, and at worst a tragedy. The shebeen takes no joy in the fact that it was exactly correct in this regard. The idea is in fact as dead as Kelsey’s nuts.
Read the rest of Charlie Pierce’s piece at Esquire Politics.
Matt Gaetz’s father accused of calling in favors to keep Florida lawmakers silent about his son’s scandals: report
In a deep dive into the influence the father of Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., has had on his son’s political rise, a Florida political operative claimed that “Papa Gaetz” was using his considerable political influence to tamp down criticism of his embattled son.
According to Politico’s Gary Fineout, it is no secret in Florida political circles that state Sen. Don Gaetz — known as “Papa Gaetz” — has used his years lording over and wheeling and dealing in Panhandle politics, as well as his substantial wealth, to guide his son — referred to as “Baby Gaetz” — into the public eye and Congress.
Fauci says he doesn’t believe health officials will ‘just cancel’ Johnson & Johnson vaccine
Dr. Anthony Fauci said Sunday that he’s hopeful public health experts will provide a roadmap for the troubled Johnson & Johnson vaccine by the end of this week, saying he believes it will not be taken out of circulation altogether, although there may be new warnings attached.
Last week, officials recommended a temporary pause in the vaccine’s usage after a possible link to a handful of cases of rare blood clots. This Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaccine advisory committee will examine further data about those concerns.
Closing arguments set to begin in Derek Chauvin murder trial for death of George Floyd
The prosecution and defense in the murder trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for the death of George Floyd are set to take their final cracks on Monday at swaying jurors after calling more than 40 witnesses and presenting numerous videos of the 46-year-old Black man’s fatal 2020 arrest.
The attorneys will begin presenting their closing arguments in the high-profile case just after 10 a.m. local time, with prosecutors, who allege Chauvin killed Floyd on May 25, 2020, by holding his knee on the back of his neck for over 9 minutes, going first. Defense attorney Eric Nelson is expected to counter that Chauvin, a 19-year police veteran, was abiding by his police training when he and two other officers put a handcuff Floyd in a prone restraint and that a sudden heart attack and drugs in his system killed him more so than Chauvin’s knee.
Half of Americans over 18 have received at least 1 vaccine shot: CDC
Half of Americans over 18 have received at least one COVID-19 vaccination shot, according to data released Sunday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
There were close to 130 million adults in the country who received one shot, roughly 50.4% of the over-18 population, the agency reported.
At least 83.9 million adults, roughly 32.5% of the adult population, was fully vaccinated as of Sunday, the CDC said.
Eric Boehlert: How the media botched the J&J vaccine “pause” story
Concerned about six rare and severe blood clot reactions out of nearly seven million Americans who have received the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine, the CDC and the FDA on Tuesday announced a sweeping pause of the immunization in order to investigate the handful of cases.
The J&J vaccine, with its single-dose regimen, currently represents less than five percent of the 100 million-plus vaccines that have been administered this year. The government has more than enough Pfizer and Moderna vaccines to hit the goal of 200 million shots by the end of the month, according to the White House.
Read the rest of Eric Boehlert’s piece at and subscribe to PressRun.
The Rude Pundit: Shut the F*** Up and Get Your F***ing Vaccine
A bunch of fanatics are fucking up the vaccination program for everyone. Polls are showing that a significant percentage of people won’t get the vaccine. In places where people don’t get vaccinated, cases have been on the rise. There are YouTube videos, filled with conspiracy theories, exhorting people to avoid the vaccine. People spread the idea that the vaccine is a way to spy on them, and there has been violence directed against the distribution, with fear that not enough people will get it to eliminate the illness.
Yeah, that’s what’s going on in Afghanistan as health groups attempt to get people vaccinated for polio.
Fauci clashes with a combative Jim Jordan over when COVID restrictions should be eased
Dr. Anthony Fauci, pressed by a Republican lawmaker Thursday over when Americans will “get their liberties back,” gave his clearest explanation yet as to when COVID-19 restrictions could be safely lifted, saying the U.S. must get its infection rate under 10,000 new cases a day.
When asked by Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, at a congressional hearing to give an answer about when Americans can return to their pre-pandemic lives, Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, explained that the nation has a lot of work to do before it reaches that point.
Vaccinated Will ‘Likely’ Need Third Pfizer Jab Within 12 Months, Then Annual Shots
The CEO of Pfizer said it’s “likely” those vaccinated with the company’s COVID-19 inoculation will need a third shot sometime within 12 months after getting the initial two doses and will potentially need a new shot every year thereafter.
Albert Bourla, the head of the pharmaceutical giant, made the comments earlier this month in an interview with CNBC that was made public on Thursday. More than 102 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine have been distributed in the U.S. thus far, and more than 38 million people have been fully vaccinated.
Chicago Releases Video Of Police Fatally Shooting 13-Year-Old Adam Toledo
Chicago’s police oversight group released footage Thursday of an officer fatally shooting a 13-year-old boy more than two weeks ago.
Police pursued, shot and killed Adam Toledo early March 29 in the primarily Latinx neighborhood of Little Village on the southwest side of the city. Police said the shooting followed an “armed confrontation” and that the child had a gun. However, video footage shows no gun in Toledo’s hand and that he complied by putting his hands up.
As a seventh-grader, Toledo is the youngest person in years to be killed by Chicago police. The Civilian Office of Police Accountability released materials on Thursday that include 17 body camera videos, four third-party videos, police incident reports, one officer radio transmission, two 911 calls and six recordings from the ShotSpotter gunfire detection system.
At least 8 people killed in shooting at Indianapolis FedEx facility; suspect also dead
At least eight people were killed after a gunman opened fire at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis late Thursday before also killing himself, police said.
Multiple other people were transported to hospital with injuries, police said.
The shooting was reported at the FedEx facility shortly after 11 p.m. and officers arrived to an active shooter incident, police spokeswoman Officer Genae Cook told reporters.
She said the gunman killed himself at the scene. A search found eight people deceased with injuries consistent with gunshot wounds, she added.
Rep. Matt Gaetz’s Woes Deepen As New Report Details Associate’s Shady Venmo Payments
As details suggesting Rep. Matt Gaetz’s (R-Fla.) involvement in an alleged sex scandal continue to escalate, new reporting from The Daily Beast on Wednesday suggested his associate Joel Greenberg made scores of suspicious Venmo payments to dozens of young women, including a minor.
Greenberg, a former Seminole County tax collector in Florida and the suspected leader of a cash-for-sex network, reportedly made more than 150 payments to women on the cash transfer app, including in June 2017, when he sent $300 for “Food” to a girl who was 17 at the time.
Democrats to introduce bill to expand Supreme Court from 9 to 13 justices
Congressional Democrats will introduce legislation Thursday to expand the Supreme Court from nine to 13 justices, joining progressive activists pushing to transform the court.
The move intensifies a high-stakes ideological fight over the future of the court after President Donald Trump and Republicans appointed three conservative justices in four years, including one who was confirmed days before the 2020 election.
The Democratic bill is led by Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts and Rep. Jerry Nadler of New York, the chair of the House Judiciary Committee. It is co-sponsored by Reps. Hank Johnson of Georgia and Mondaire Jones of New York.
Johnson & Johnson vaccine remains on pause as CDC panel requests more information
An advisory panel to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declined to make any new recommendations on the use of the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine, which will remain paused as the investigation into rare reports of severe blood clots continues.
Many of the experts on the committee said they did not have enough information at this time to make a decision, particularly while the other two Covid-19 vaccines authorized in the U.S. are widely available and have no such safety concerns.
It will be at least a week until the panel is scheduled to reconvene.
‘It is time to end America’s longest war’: Biden announces full withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan
President Joe Biden announced Wednesday that he plans to fully withdraw troops from Afghanistan by Sept. 11, ending 20 years of United States military involvement in the country.
Speaking from the Treaty Room in the White House, Biden said that the U.S. “cannot continue the cycle of extending or expanding our military presence in Afghanistan hoping to create the ideal conditions for our withdrawal, and expecting a different result.”
“I am now the fourth United States president to preside over an American troop presence in Afghanistan. Two Republicans. Two Democrats,” Biden said. “I will not pass this responsibility onto a fifth.”
Matt Gaetz’s iPhone Is Seized; Associate Talks In Sex Trafficking Probe: Reports
New reports on the federal sex trafficking investigation into Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) have revealed more details about the extent of the probe, including the seizure of his iPhone by federal agents over the winter and an associate’s cooperation against him since last year.
Gaetz’s cellphone was seized when federal agents executed a search warrant, Politico reported Tuesday, citing interviews with three people who were told of the matter by the congressman, who changed his phone number late last year. His former girlfriend’s phone was also reportedly seized.
In another development indicating Gaetz’s intensifying predicament, Gaetz’s associate Joel Greenberg has reportedly been providing information since last year to investigators, according to The New York Times.
Former officer testifies Derek Chauvin was ‘justified’ in pinning down George Floyd
A use-of-force expert testified Tuesday that former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin was justified when he knelt on George Floyd’s neck as he tried to arrest him in May, contradicting testimony from other use-of-force experts and the police chief.
The defense witness, Barry Brodd, a former Santa Rosa, California, police officer, also said that he did not believe that the responding officers’ actions — pinning Floyd to the pavement while he was handcuffed facedown with Chauvin’s knee on his neck for what prosecutors have said was 9 minutes, 29 seconds — qualified as a use of force. He said that he believed it was a “control hold” and that he did not think Chauvin was inflicting any pain on Floyd.
Daunte Wright’s family, attorneys reject police explanation of fatal Taser ‘mistake’: ‘Don’t tell us it’s an accident’
Daunte Wright’s family on Tuesday rejected the police explanation that his killing during a traffic stop could be blamed on an officer’s accidental use of deadly force.
Wright, 20, was killed by a single bullet fired Sunday afternoon by Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, police Officer Kim Potter. Police Chief Tim Gannon, who resigned Tuesday along with Potter, said Potter, a 26-year veteran of the force, mistakenly grabbed her gun and not her Taser.
Wright family attorneys Benjamin Crump and Jeff Storms said they do not accept the police assertion that the deadly confrontation was an accident.
White House, Fauci defend health agencies’ call to pause Johnson & Johnson vaccine
White House Covid-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients and Dr. Anthony Fauci on Tuesday defended the decision by the FDA and the CDC to pause administering the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine, saying the federal agencies are following the science.
“We want the agencies to lead with science,” Zients told reporters in the White House briefing room of the surprise “pause” of the vaccine recommended by the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention while they investigate a potential link to very rare blood clots.
Six women between the ages of 18 and 48 developed the clots after receiving the Johnson & Johnson vaccination. One person died, and another is in critical condition, the FDA said.
Katie Hill: Matt Gaetz Defended Me When My Nudes Were Shared Without My Consent. Now He’s Accused of Doing Just That
Matt and I forged an unlikely friendship in Congress, and he was one of the few colleagues who spoke out after a malicious nude-photo leak upended my life. But if recent reports are true, he engaged in the very practice he defended me from—and should resign immediately.
Since I resigned from Congress, I’ve gotten used to my phone blowing up whenever another politician is accused of sexual misconduct. Supporters want to know, “How can this person still be in office but you’re not?” Reporters ask, “How does it make you feel that so-and-so refuses to resign?” My mom just says, “I love you and I hope you are doing okay,” because she already knows the answer.
CDC director says Michigan can’t vaccinate its way out of COVID-19 surge, says state must “close things down”
The answer to Michigan’s COVID-19 surge is “to close things down,” according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky, not an increase in vaccine supply that the state’s governor and other public health experts have called for.
“The answer is not necessarily to give vaccine because we know the vaccine will have a delayed response,” Walensky said. “The answer to that is really to close things down.”
Politico: Indicted Matt Gaetz Pal Paid Former Teen’s Legal Fees While Under Investigation
The indicted ex-tax collector friend of Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) paid for a lawyer for the underage teenager at the heart of sex trafficking charges against him, according to a bombshell WhatsApp chat obtained by Politico.
Politico reported that Joel Greenberg was in a “panic” just days before the federal indictment on 33 different charges including identity theft, financial crimes and sex trafficking.
In a chat with a friend who later discussed the messages with Politico, the former Seminole County tax collector referred to the unidentified young woman as “Vintage 99,” a name with her birth year that she reportedly used online.
George Floyd’s brother Philonise testifies in Derek Chauvin’s trial
George Floyd’s younger brother cried on the witness stand Monday as he remembered his brother as a sports-loving “mama’s boy” who always wanted to be the best during the trial of a former Minneapolis police officer accused of killing Floyd in May.
Floyd’s brother Philonise Floyd was among three witnesses to take the stand Monday, the 11th day of the trial of Derek Chauvin, who is charged with second- and third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. The prosecution is expected to rest its case this week.
In Minnesota, a grieving community desperate for change after officer killed Daunte Wright
America’s most recent high-profile killing of a Black man at the hands of police happened in the backyard of the one that set off protests across the country and globe nearly a year ago.
Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, a small city in Hennepin County where 20-year-old Daunte Wright was killed Sunday during a traffic stop, is about 10 miles from where George Floyd was killed by a Minneapolis officer in May and where a former officer charged with second- and third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter is currently standing trial.
Charlie Pierce: Ordinary Citizens Living Ordinary Lives Should Not Be Afraid of Police
The deep and profound problems with American policing got quite a workout over the weekend. As the trial of former Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin for the killing of George Floyd took a break until Monday, police in the adjoining suburb of Brooklyn Center pulled over a car driven by a 20-year-old Black man named Daunte Wright for what seems to have been a penny-ante traffic violation and, within minutes, shot him to death.
Gov. Whitmer pushes feds for more vaccine doses as COVID cases surge in Michigan
As Michigan grapples with a spike in coronavirus cases, Governor Gretchen Whitmer continued to push the Biden administration to send more vaccine doses to the state to combat its ongoing crisis.
“We are seeing a surge in Michigan despite the fact that we have some of the strongest policies in place, mask mandates, capacity limits, working from home. We’ve asked our state for a two-week pause,” Whitmer said in an interview on “Face the Nation.” “So despite all of that, we are seeing a surge because of these variants. And that’s precisely why we’re really encouraging them to think about surging vaccines into the state of Michigan.”
Republicans not pleased with Trump’s fiery Mar-a-Lago speech
Several Republican leaders on Sunday expressed concern at incendiary comments made by former President Donald Trump during a speech Saturday night at a Republican National Committee donor retreat.
“Anything that’s divisive is a concern and is not helpful for us fighting the battles in Washington and at the state level,” Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “In some ways, it’s not a big deal, what he said, but, at the same time, whenever it draws attention, we don’t need that. We need unity.”
Matt Gaetz Now Complains He’s A Victim Of The Deep State; Twitter Critics Can’t Even
Beleagured Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), who is desperately casting about for explanations and excuses for why he might be the target of a federal sex trafficking investigation, came up with a new one Saturday. He now claims to be a victim of the imaginary “Deep State.”
“I may be a canceled man in some corners,” began his tweet. “I may even be a wanted man by the Deep State,” Gaetz added. “But I hear the millions of Americans who feel forgotten, canceled, ignored, marginalized and targeted.”
Crowd protests overnight after officer near Minneapolis shoots motorist
Protests erupted against police when an officer fatally shot a young Black man after stopping his vehicle for a traffic violation on Sunday about 10 miles from where George Floyd was killed during an arrest in Minneapolis last May.
As angry crowds swelled into the hundreds outside the Brooklyn Center Police Department building on Sunday night, officers in riot gear fired rubber bullets and lobbed flash bangs at protesters and let off clouds of chemical irritants.
Eric Boehlert: Maggie Haberman, and when Trump access no longer matters
Nobody in journalism rode the Trump wave quite like New York Times White House correspondent Maggie Haberman, who was toasted by the media for her dogged sleuthing.
“She’s the queen of political journalism,” Vanity Fair proclaimed. She “may be the greatest political reporter working today,” Elle announced in a 5,000-word profile. And the Times itself worked hard branding Haberman, hyping
But the constant scoops that marked her Trump era work have dried up with his exit from the White House, a development that would confirm just how important access played to Haberman’s success during the GOP years. If she were the greatest reporter of her generation — if she was “regarded as the best-sourced reporter in Washington” — wouldn’t she be posting a conveyor belt of exclusives during the Biden era? Or did every one of Haberman’s sources leave town with Trump?
Read the rest of Eric Boehlert’s piece at and subscribe to PressRun.
The Rude Pundit: Conservatives Finally Just Say, “F*** Your Right to Vote”
As a slew of new voter laws slime their way through the legislatures of mostly Republican states where Democrats have a chance of winning, almost all based on the lie that there was mass election fraud in 2020, conservative commentators have decided that it’s not enough to come up with bullshit new procedures that inhibit voting. Apparently, their goal isn’t clear enough when they’re voting to allow “poll watchers” to video record people going to vote or drastically limiting the number of drop boxes. No, now they’re just flat-out saying, “Yeah, go fuck yourself with your right to vote.”
Biden announces executive actions to curb gun violence “epidemic”
President Biden unveiled his first attempts to curb gun violence on Thursday, announcing a set of modest moves designed to begin revamping federal gun policy by tweaking the government’s definition of a firearm and more aggressively responding to urban gun violence.
“Gun violence in this country is an epidemic, and it’s an international embarrassment,” Mr. Biden said in his remarks announcing the actions. He called high rates of gun violence a “blemish on the character of our nation.”
Floyd died of lack of oxygen, caught in “vise” between officers and street, expert says
George Floyd died from a low level of oxygen that damaged his brain and caused his heart to stop, a medical expert testified Thursday in the trial of Derek Chauvin, the fired Minneapolis officer charged in Floyd’s death. Dr. Martin Tobin, an expert who specializes in pulmonology and critical care, was the first witness called to the stand on the ninth day of the trial.
Tobin, a Chicago-based physician who is a renowned expert in medical issues involving the lungs and respiratory system, testified that Floyd’s “shallow breaths weren’t able to carry air through his lungs, down to the essential areas of the lungs that get oxygen into the blood and get rid of carbon dioxide.”
Anthony Fauci Sounds The Alarm Over ‘Disturbingly High’ Level Of New COVID-19 Cases
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, warned once again on Thursday about complacency in the battle against COVID-19 as he expressed concern over the “disturbingly high” level of daily new infections in the United States.
Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and top medical adviser of President Joe Biden, noted to CNN’s Anderson Cooper how deaths and hospitalizations from the coronavirus are currently falling.
“But the number that is disturbing, Anderson, is the number of cases each day,” he said. “When we had the big spike that we’ve discussed so many times that went way up to two to three or more hundred thousand cases per day, then it came back down. But now it’s plateaued at a disturbingly high level.”
Indicted Matt Gaetz Associate Likely Cooperating In Federal Investigation
The indicted friend of Rep. Matt Gaetz who is at the center of a federal investigation involving the congressman is in talks to potentially strike a plea deal, putting increased pressure on the Florida Republican accused of having sex with an underage girl and paying for her to travel with him across state lines.
At a court hearing on Thursday, federal prosecutor Roger Handberg and defense attorney Fritz Scheller said they expect a plea change in the case of Joel Greenberg, a former Orlando-area tax collector who was charged with sex trafficking last year. Handberg said that negotiations are ongoing, while Scheller requested a May 15 deadline for both sides to either reach a deal or proceed with a trial.
Biden says he welcomes debate on infrastructure: ‘Changes are certain’
Facing criticism from Republicans over his “American Jobs Plan,” President Joe Biden on Wednesday publicly challenged them to come to the table and hammer out a deal on infrastructure if they oppose what he’s laid out.
“We’ll be open to good ideas and good-faith negotiations,” Biden said in remarks following up on the rollout of his plan a week ago. “But here’s what we won’t be open to: We will not be open to doing nothing. Inaction simply is not an option.”
Expert: Derek Chauvin never took knee off George Floyd’s neck
Officer Derek Chauvin had his knee on George Floyd’s neck — and was bearing down with most of his weight — the entire 9 1/2 minutes the Black man lay facedown with his hands cuffed behind his back, a use-of-force expert testified Wednesday at Chauvin’s murder trial.
Jody Stiger, a Los Angeles Police Department sergeant serving as a prosecution witness, said that based on his review of video evidence, Chauvin applied pressure to Floyd’s neck or neck area from the time officers put Floyd on the ground until paramedics arrived.
Investigators in Matt Gaetz inquiry looking into Bahamas travel, sources say
Federal investigators are looking into Rep. Matt Gaetz’s travel to the Bahamas with women and specifically whether those women were paid to travel for sex, which could violate federal law, a law enforcement official and another person familiar with the matter said.
Investigators are also looking into whether Gaetz, R-Fla., and one of his associates used the internet to search for women they could pay for sex, the sources said.
Gaetz, who has not been charged with any crime, has repeatedly denied wrongdoing.
Biden to announce executive actions on gun control, name ATF nominee
President Joe Biden is expected to announce a series of executive actions Thursday on gun control and to nominate a prominent gun control advocate to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, White House officials said.
Biden has faced pressure from Democrats and gun control activists to take immediate action to address gun violence in the wake of recent mass shootings in Georgia, Colorado and California.
Biden is expected to direct the Justice Department to issue proposals to curb the proliferation of “ghost guns” and a proposal to better regulate stabilizing braces. He will ask the Justice Department to publish model “red flag” legislation for states to follow, as well.
Biden moves up deadline for COVID vaccine eligibility to April 19
President Biden announced Tuesday that the deadline for adult eligibility for COVID-19 vaccines nationwide is being moved up to April 19. Mr. Biden had previously called for states and territories to make all adults eligible for shots by May 1.
As of Tuesday, 36 states have opened eligibility for vaccinations to people ages 16 and older, while 12 more and the District Columbia are already set to do so by April 19. In other words, most states were already on track to match the president’s new April 19 deadline before he announced it.
Officers used excessive force against Floyd, training expert says
An expert witness testified in the trial of Derek Chauvin on Tuesday that officers used excessive force against George Floyd during his fatal May 2020 arrest. LAPD Sergeant Jody Stiger, an expert in tactics and de-escalation training, reviewed the case and testified for the prosecution.
“My opinion was the force was excessive,” Stiger said.
Stiger said Floyd initially actively resisted officers when officers were attempting to get him inside the police vehicle, and at that point, officers were justified in using force. However, once Floyd was placed in handcuffs on the ground and stopped his resistance, the former officers should have slowed down or stopped their force as well.
Atlanta Mayor Signs Order Meant To Fight Georgia’s Voting Restrictions
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms signed an executive order Tuesday meant to expand voting access in response to Georgia’s racist new vote restrictions.
The mayor’s order directs Atlanta’s chief equity officer to develop and implement a plan within the city’s authority to mitigate the effect of the state law, known as SB 202, that’s brought nationwide condemnation for significantly rolling back voting access and information, specifically in Black and brown communities.
Matt Gaetz sought preemptive pardon in final weeks of Trump’s presidency
Rep. Matt Gaetz privately sought blanket preemptive pardons for himself and his congressional allies during the final weeks of Donald Trump’s presidency, two people familiar with the discussions told The New York Times.
The Florida Republican’s request was viewed by White House officials as a nonstarter, the people told the Times, and was ultimately never granted.
But the effort fuels fresh scrutiny of Gaetz after it became public that the Justice Department is investigating him over allegations involving sex trafficking and prostitution, including involving a minor, according to a person familiar with the investigation.
Senate Democrats Gain Filibuster Workaround After Parliamentarian Ruling
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s attempt to give Democrats more opportunities to pass legislation with a simple majority of votes has been granted by the Senate parliamentarian, according to his office.
The favorable ruling by Elizabeth MacDonough, who oversees Senate procedure, means the New York Democrat will have an extra chance to pass a bill with 51 votes this year. The ruling is good news for Democrats’ agenda, much of which faces fierce GOP opposition.
Arkansas governor vetoes ban on gender-affirming care for trans minors
Gov. Asa Hutchinson vetoed a bill Monday that would have made Arkansas the first state to restrict gender-affirming medical care, such as puberty blockers, for transgender minors.
Calling the bill “a vast government overreach,” Hutchinson, a Republican, said at a news conference that the law would create “new standards of legislative interference with physicians and parents as they deal with some of the most complex and sensitive matters involving young people.”
‘Absolutely not resigning’: Gaetz blasts Justice Dept. probe — and critics – in unhinged rant
A defiant U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz said in an op-ed article published Monday that he’s “not a criminal” and is “absolutely not resigning” despite an investigation into sex trafficking allegations against him.
“Since I’m taking my turn under the gun, let me address the allegations against me directly. First, I have never, ever paid for sex. And second, I, as an adult man, have not slept with a 17-year-old,” the Florida Republican wrote in the Washington Examiner, where he described himself as the victim of a diverse group of enemies.
Derek Chauvin ‘absolutely’ violated policy, Minneapolis police chief testifies
Last June, nearly a month after the death of George Floyd, the chief of the Minneapolis Police Department issued a blistering statement about the officers involved in Floyd’s arrest.
Chief Medaria Arradondo, the first Black person to hold the position, described Floyd’s death as “tragic” and said it “was not due to a lack of training.”
“This was murder — it wasn’t a lack of training,” Arradondo said, adding that that was why he “took swift action” and fired the four officers involved in the incident a day after Floyd’s death.
Charlie Pierce: Our Capacity for Shock Is Finally Coming Back to Us
So there was another crazy event at the Capitol on Friday and two people died. Earlier in the week, we had our third mass shooting in two weeks, this one in Los Angeles, in which four people died including a nine-year-old boy. We don’t yet know if the driver who smashed into a barricade at the Capitol and was shot after killing a Capitol Police officer had a clear motive, but the Los Angeles gunman was a cold, methodical killer.
Trial in Floyd’s death expected to turn to ex-cop Chauvin’s training
The trial of a former Minneapolis police officer in George Floyd’s death is expected to turn toward the officer’s training on Monday after a first week that was dominated by emotional testimony from eyewitnesses and devastating video of Floyd’s arrest.
Derek Chauvin, 45, is charged with murder and manslaughter in the May 25 death of Floyd. Chauvin, who is white, is accused of pinning his knee on the 46-year-old Black man’s neck for 9 minutes, 29 seconds as Floyd lay face-down in handcuffs outside of a corner market.
Buttigieg: ‘Now’s our chance’ for infrastructure plan
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Sunday that President Joe Biden’s American Jobs Plan would pay for itself while upgrading infrastructure from decades past.
“Right now, we’re still coasting off of infrastructure choices that were made in the 1950s,” Buttigieg said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “Now’s our chance to make infrastructure choices for the future that are going to serve us well in the 2030s and on into the middle of the century.”
Florida Declares State Of Emergency Amid Risk Of Wastewater Reservoir Collapse
Florida’s governor has declared a state of emergency over concerns that a reservoir containing 400 million gallons of wastewater from a former phosphate mine may collapse and engulf the surrounding Tampa Bay area, prompting efforts to drain its contents into local waterways.
“We’re down to about 340 million gallons that could breach in totality in a period of minutes,” Manatee County’s Acting County Administrator Scott Hopes said at a press conference Sunday on current efforts to deplete the Piney Point phosphogypsum reservoir after a leak was discovered.
U.S. must confront Covid spike, noted epidemiologist warns
A leading epidemiologist said Sunday the nation has to accept that a new wave of Covid cases has hit the United States.
Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, echoed the warnings of CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, who said last week: “I’m going to reflect on the recurring feeling I have of impending doom.” She spoke about being “scared” about the possibility of a sharp increase in cases even as millions of Americans are being vaccinated.
Eric Boehlert: Fox News just went 30 hours without mentioning the Matt Gaetz scandal
In an extraordinary attempt at GOP damage control, Fox News failed to make any mention, for more than an entire day, of the exploding sex trafficking scandal that’s engulfing Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz (R-FL), a close ally of the network. Opting instead for a total blackout, Fox News tried and failed to quell the raging controversy, which on Thursday night hit new heights with another round of explosive revelations.
But at Fox News, it’s Gaetz who?
According to TVeyes, the 24-hour cable news monitoring service, Fox News mentioned “Matt Gaetz” just 17 times all day Wednesday and all day Thursday of this week. In fact, the network aired zero mentions of Gaetz on Thursday, and the final mention of him came Wednesday at 6:22 pm. That means for more than 30 hours, Fox News didn’t reference the Congressman a single time. During that same period, CNN mentioned Gaetz 70 times, MSNBC more than 80 times.
Read the rest of Eric Boehlert’s piece at (and subscribe to) PressRun.
The Rude Pundit: Would a Good Guy with a Gun Have Been Justified in Saving George Floyd?
The testimony coming out of the trial of Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd has been beyond heartbreaking and beyond enraging. Today, for instance, Floyd’s girlfriend revealed on the stand that his pet name for her was “Mama,” which is what he called out over and over as he died. It’s been this way throughout the testimony of the prosecution’s witnesses. Darnella Frazier, now 18 years-old, was 17 when she took the video that first catalyzed the response to Chauvin’s murder of Floyd, and she said on the stand, “When I look at George Floyd, I look at my dad, I look at my brothers, I look at my cousins, my uncles, because they’re all Black. I have a Black father. I have a Black brother. I have Black friends. I look at how that could have been one of them.” This is not to mention the brave condemnation to the faces of the cops by two black men: Donald Williams, who said to them, “Y’all murderers, dawg, y’all are murderers, dawg,” and 61 year-old Charles McMillan, who told Chauvin after Floyd’s limp body was taken away, “I don’t respect what you did.” Both men broke down crying on the stand over what they witnessed, what they’ve had to live with.
Gaetz showed nude photos of women he said he’d slept with to lawmakers, sources tell CNN
Rep. Matt Gaetz, the Florida Republican being investigated by the Justice Department over sex trafficking allegations, made a name for himself when he arrived on Capitol Hill as a conservative firebrand on TV and staunch defender of then-President Donald Trump. Behind the scenes, Gaetz gained a reputation in Congress over his relationships with women and bragging about his sexual escapades to his colleagues, multiple sources told CNN.
Gaetz allegedly showed off to other lawmakers photos and videos of nude women he said he had slept with, the sources told CNN, including while on the House floor. The sources, including two people directly shown the material, said Gaetz displayed the images of women on his phone and talked about having sex with them. One of the videos showed a naked woman with a hula hoop, according to one source.
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Derek Chauvin’s former supervisor testifies his restraint of George Floyd violated use-of-force policies
A former supervisor of the fired Minneapolis police officer charged in George Floyd’s death testified Thursday that the officer violated police use-of-force policies in his restraint of Floyd last May.
The sergeant, David Pleoger, who recently retired from the Minneapolis Police Department after a 27-year career in law enforcement, was called to the witness stand by the prosecution in Derek Chauvin’s trial on charges of second- and third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
Justice Dept. Inquiry Into Matt Gaetz Said to Be Focused on Cash Paid to Women
A Justice Department investigation into Representative Matt Gaetz and an indicted Florida politician is focusing on their involvement with multiple women who were recruited online for sex and received cash payments, according to people close to the investigation and text messages and payment receipts reviewed by The New York Times.
Investigators believe Joel Greenberg, the former tax collector in Seminole County, Fla., who was indicted last year on a federal sex trafficking charge and other crimes, initially met the women through websites that connect people who go on dates in exchange for gifts, fine dining, travel and allowances, according to three people with knowledge of the encounters. Mr. Greenberg introduced the women to Mr. Gaetz, who also had sex with them, the people said.
Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine is delayed by a U.S. factory mixup
Workers at a plant in Baltimore manufacturing two coronavirus vaccines accidentally conflated the ingredients several weeks ago, contaminating up to 15 million doses of Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine and forcing regulators to delay authorization of the plant’s production lines.
The plant is run by Emergent BioSolutions, a manufacturing partner to both Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca, the British-Swedish company whose vaccine has yet to be authorized for use in the United States. Federal officials attributed the mistake to human error.
Witness breaks down while watching body camera footage of George Floyd’s arrest: ‘I feel helpless’
A man who witnessed George Floyd’s arrest broke down on the stand as he watched composite footage from the encounter.
Charles McMillian, who lives near the Cup Foods, was driving by when he saw Floyd’s encounter with police, he said. McMillian can be heard talking to Floyd in the viral video taken by a bystander, telling him, “You can’t win, man.”
Prosecutor Erin Eldridge played new video in the courtroom — a composite of surveillance footage taken by a camera at Cup Foods and former Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin’s body camera that showed McMillian confront former Chauvin after Floyd was taken away in the ambulance.
Biden unveils sweeping $2 trillion infrastructure plan
President Joe Biden announced his $2 trillion infrastructure plan Wednesday, a sweeping proposal that would rebuild 20,000 miles of roads, expand access to clean water and broadband and invest in care for the elderly.
Speaking at a carpenters training facility in Pittsburgh, Biden urged Congress to act on his proposal, called the American Jobs Plan, arguing that failing to make the investments would contribute to a weakening middle class and leave the U.S. at a competitive disadvantage abroad.
“I am proposing a plan for the nation that rewards work, not just rewards wealth,” Biden said. “It’s a once-in-a-generation investment in America, unlike anything we’ve seen or done since we built the interstate highway system and the space race decades ago.”
With older Americans largely vaccinated, more new COVID-19 cases among younger adults
As more older Americans get vaccinated an increasing number of new COVID-19 cases are impacting younger adults, prompting warnings that Americans remain vigilant in an effort to prevent more people from becoming sick.
The number of new COVID-19 cases increased more than 10% in 26 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico since last week, a possible signal that the country is on the cusp of a new surge.
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‘The wish list’: Biden to launch effort to enact far-reaching infrastructure package
Nearly two years after Joe Biden began his presidential campaign at a union hall in Pittsburgh with the promise to “rebuild the backbone of the country,” the president will return to the Steel City to launch an effort to make good on that pledge.
In a speech Wednesday, Biden will to lay out the first part of a massive two-part, multitrillion-dollar infrastructure plan that is expected to include projects as varied as highways and “human infrastructure,” like child care. The kitchen-sink approach is designed to push the economy in a greener and more equitable direction, paid for with higher taxes on corporations and the wealthy.
Chauvin’s defense attempted to portray bystanders as angry mob that diverted officers’ attention
During his opening statement Monday, the attorney for the former Minneapolis police officer charged with murder in George Floyd’s death claimed that the crowd of onlookers who witnessed Floyd’s death last May had made the responding officers worry for their safety and diverted their attention from him.
On Tuesday, the defense attorney, Eric Nelson, doubled down. He asked four witnesses, including the teenager who recorded the widely seen video of Floyd being detained, whether they and others in the crowd were angry as they watched Floyd pinned on the pavement by the former officer, Derek Chauvin.
Matt Gaetz Under Investigation For Possible Sexual Relations With Teenager: Report
The Justice Department is investigating Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) for possible sexual relations with a 17-year-old girl, three people briefed on the matter told The New York Times on Tuesday.
The staunch conservative and Donald Trump ally is also under investigation for possibly paying for her to travel with him across state lines, which would violate federal sex trafficking laws because of her age.
According to the Times’ sources, the DOJ launched its investigation in the final months of the Trump presidency. Gaetz, 38, told the Times that the DOJ informed his legal team he was the subject of the probe but not the target, and added he believed there may be some bad faith accusations at play.
‘An inflection point’: Congress prepares for battle over massive voting rights bill
Congress is preparing for a heated battle over the way Americans vote, with the two parties set to clash over proposed federal election standards and Republican-led state restrictions.
At issue is the fate of the House-passed For the People Act that would remake American elections from start to finish. It would force states to offer at least 15 days of early voting, universal access to mail-in voting and same-day registration for federal races. It’d make Election Day a national holiday, too.
The divisions between the two parties are sharp. President Joe Biden and Democrats say federal intervention is needed to stop Republicans from reviving racist Jim Crow-style restrictions that make it harder for minorities to vote. Republicans say Democrats are executing a power grab to remove necessary protections on the voting process and usurp authority from states.
Suez Canal reopened after Ever Given ship successfully refloated
The giant container ship that blocked traffic in the Suez Canal for the last week resumed its journey on Monday after being successfully refloated.
“The efforts to float the delinquent Panamanian container ship Ever Given are successful,” Lt. Gen. Osama Rabie, chairman of the Suez Canal Authority, said in a statement.
The crucial waterway will now reopen after days of intense salvage efforts to free the ship.
George Floyd family members, leaders hold prayer service on eve of trial
National civil rights leaders appeared alongside several family members of George Floyd at a prayer service Sunday night, hours before opening statements were set to begin in the murder trial of the former Minneapolis police officer charged in his death.
Several dozen attendees congregated in the benches at Greater Friendship Missionary Church, where preachers led worship and a choir sang.
The speakers called for justice in George Floyd’s death, mirroring the words spoken by leaders during a protest earlier Sunday in downtown Minneapolis.
Dr. Deborah Birx: U.S. Death Toll Could Have Been Much Lower If Trump Administration Had Acted Faster
Dr. Deborah Birx, who served as former President Donald Trump’s coronavirus response coordinator, said the White House could have saved hundreds of thousands of lives if it had coordinated better during the onset of the pandemic.
Birx was one of the nation’s top doctors featured in a CNN documentary that broadcast Sunday night about the country’s initial response to the coronavirus, which has left more than 548,000 people dead in the U.S. alone. When pressed by host Sanjay Gupta on whether the country could have focused more on mitigation strategies, Birx acknowledged many lives could have been saved.
