ACCORDING TO AXIOS, THE Emir of Qatar will meet with President Biden Monday at the White House in part to discuss contingency plans to supply natural gas to Europe in the event of a Russian invasion of Ukraine. Russia provides 40% of Europe’s natural gas needs. In addition to whatever possible interruption of supply might be caused by actual hostilities, gas supplies are a key lever Russia could use in any tit for tat of sanctions or economic hostilities that could follow a land invasion. The global economy is already struggling with pandemic driven supply chain woes and inflation which is driven in significant part by high energy prices. A cut off of fuel supply to Europe or more likely just a major price shock could wreak havoc on the global economy when it is already highly strained and vulnerable. Qatar is one of the world’s top producers of natural gas. So it’s uniquely positioned to ramp up supply to ward off or cushion any supply shocks.
Continue reading “Ukraine Notes #1”Alex Jones Says His Lawyer Had Him Plead The 5th Almost 100 Times In Front Of Jan. 6 Panel
A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things.
His Lawyer Thanks Him
The right-wing conspiracy-theorizing broadcaster told his audience on Tuesday that his attorney told him to invoke the Fifth Amendment that many times during his interview with the House Jan. 6 Committee, which took place on Monday.
- Jones said it was a good thing he didn’t answer all of the committee’s questions because he’s “the type that tries to answer things correctly, even if he doesn’t “know all the answers.”
- But Jones apparently didn’t out-5A former Trump legal adviser John Eastman, who pleaded the Fifth 146 times during his interview with the panel, an attorney working for the committee revealed on Monday.
Missouri School Board Bans Toni Morrison Novel
The Wentzville School Board in Missouri yanked “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison from high school libraries in the district last week in another victory for conservatives’ crusade to censor schools from discussing racism and other “divisive” topics.
Oath Keepers Founder Pleads Not Guilty To Sedition Charge
Stewart Rhodes, the founder of the far-right militia group, and nine of the other alleged co-conspirators who were charged with seditious conspiracy against the U.S. in the same indictment pleaded not guilty on Tuesday. The 11th defendant in the criminal case wasn’t at the hearing and hasn’t formally entered a plea yet.
- The defendants will go to trial in July, tentatively.
- There are “ongoing discussions” with their defense attorneys about potential plea deals, the prosecutors stated during the hearing.
Pelosi Doesn’t Mention Bid For Speaker In Reelection Announcement
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) announced on Tuesday that she would be running for reelection, but she notably didn’t say anything about running for speaker again (Pelosi indicated in 2018 that she would be done with the role after that term).
Biden Admin Scraps Vaccine Mandate
The Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration is withdrawing its requirement that workers at large businesses either get the COVID-19 vaccine or get tested weekly after the Supreme Court’s 6-3 majority struck down the mandate.
Gingrich’s Ex-Aide Subpoenaed By Jan. 6 Panel
Insider points out that Newt Gingrich’s unhinged threat that the members of the House Jan. 6 Committee would be facing jail — jail! — if the GOP takes back the House should be seen alongside the fact that one of the ex-Republican leader’s longtime aides was among those subpoenaed earlier this month.
- The aide, Ross Worthington, was also a Trump adviser and, according to the committee, helped draft Trump’s speech that day, which was delivered immediately before the insurrection.
- He had been subpoenaed by the Jan. 6 panel to talk about the drafting of that speech.
- Gingrich’s rant on Sunday, Insider notes, came the day before the ex-aide’s deadline to comply with the subpoena.
Texas Dem Seeking Reelection Despite FBI Probe
Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX), whose home and campaign office was raided by the FBI last week as part of a federal investigation, declared on Tuesday that he was still going to try to keep his seat anyway. Not much is known about the investigation so far, only that it’s focused on Azerbaijan and several U.S. businessmen with ties to the country, according to ABC News, NBC News, and CBS News.
Cuellar insisted in his announcement yesterday that the probe would show there was “no wrongdoing” on his part.
13 Percent Of Hill Staffers Don’t Make Living Wage
About 1 in 8 staffers, particularly staff assistants, on Capitol Hill make less than a living wage, according to payroll data analysis by Issue One, a government transparency group, reported by Roll Call.
Puerto Rico Conquistador Statue Toppled Ahead Of Spanish King’s Visit
Spain’s King Felipe VI was greeted with a toppled statue of Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León when he traveled to San Juan on Monday.
Game Of Thrones Explainer Makes It Into DOJ Jan. 6 Case Doc
This Justice Department sentencing memo for an alleged Jan. 6 insurrectionist cites the defendant allegedly posting a quote by Cersei Lannister from “Game of Thrones.” Those of you who don’t watch the show might not know who she is or why a quote from a fantasy TV show is relevant, so the feds are happy to tell you in full detail:
The filing also helpfully defines “lmfao”:
Don Jr. Owns Women With Dyed Hair Le Epic Style
The ex-president’s eldest son posted this devastating burn about, uh, women who like to put colors in their hair:
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Texas Dem Rep Announces Re-Election Bid Amid Federal Probe
Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) on Tuesday announced that he plans to continue his re-election campaign, following the FBI’s raid of his home in Laredo, Texas last week.
Continue reading “Texas Dem Rep Announces Re-Election Bid Amid Federal Probe”Where Things Stand: FDA Halting Use Of Some Monoclonal Antibodies Treatments Bursts GOP’s Anti-Vax Bubble
But some Republicans are already using the Biden administration’s new, common sense decision to pour gasoline on their baseless federal overreach fights.
The Food and Drug Administration removed two monoclonal antibody therapies from its list of approved treatments for COVID-19 this week, at least temporarily. Citing clinical data, the FDA said in a statement that it has found two of the treatments “are highly unlikely to be active against the omicron variant, which is circulating at a very high frequency throughout the United States.” HHS sent out a letter to state officials this week, alerting them that the federal government would stop handing out the treatments made by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and Eli Lilly to states for now, according to the Washington Post which obtained a copy of the letter.
Continue reading “Where Things Stand: FDA Halting Use Of Some Monoclonal Antibodies Treatments Bursts GOP’s Anti-Vax Bubble”Deputy Attorney General Says DOJ Looking Into Fake Trump Electors
The deputy attorney general on Tuesday acknowledged that the department is looking into fake Electoral College certificates submitted by Trump supporters in the wake of the 2020 election.
Continue reading “Deputy Attorney General Says DOJ Looking Into Fake Trump Electors”New Doc From Durham Hints At Probe’s Direction
Special counsel John Durham left more hints on Tuesday of where his investigation may be headed.
Continue reading “New Doc From Durham Hints At Probe’s Direction”Nashville’s Dem Rep Announces Retirement After GOP-Drawn Map Carves Up His District
Rep. Jim Cooper (D-TN), who represents a very blue congressional district in the Nashville area, on Tuesday announced that he will not seek re-election in the aftermath of the state Republicans’ redrawing of Tennessee’s congressional map.
Continue reading “Nashville’s Dem Rep Announces Retirement After GOP-Drawn Map Carves Up His District”Some Early Indications Of What Texas’ Restrictive Voting Law Will Mean
Matt Shuham’s article on the chaos unfolding in Texas right now is worth a read from beginning to end.
In short, in the wake of the state’s new voter restriction law, voters are confused and election administrators are overwhelmed. March primaries are approaching, and the Texas secretary of state’s office seems to be providing little in way of guidance.
For example: Houston’s elections administrators only learned of a key state database for voter information after an Austin official held a press conference to speak out in frustration. Another example: the secretary of state’s online instructions for absentee voters remained out of date until shortly after TPM contacted the office, asking about them.
Officials Scramble To Contend With Texas’ New Restrictive Voting Law Ahead Of Primaries
When Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) signed the state’s big new election bill, SB 1, into law in September — part of a Trumpian wave of new election restrictions across the country — the governor said the bill would help rebuild “trust” in the state’s elections.
Continue reading “Officials Scramble To Contend With Texas’ New Restrictive Voting Law Ahead Of Primaries”Judge Bats Away John Eastman’s Attempt To Hide Trump-Related Work Emails
A federal judge rejected ex-Trump legal adviser John Eastman’s attempt to quash the House Jan. 6 select committee’s subpoena to Chapman University requesting his work emails from when he was a law professor at the school — where he worked as he was trying to help then-President Donald Trump steal the 2020 election.
Continue reading “Judge Bats Away John Eastman’s Attempt To Hide Trump-Related Work Emails”