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Democracy Dies in Darkness
Cloudy, rain 65/44 • Tomorrow: Cloudy, windy 50/32 B8
Witnesses tell of fear, despair as Floyd died
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 31 , 2021
INFRASTRUCTURE, JOBS ON TO-DO LIST Lawmakers jockey over scope, $2.25 trillion price
H OLLY B AILEY
minneapolis — The teenager who filmed the viral video of Derek Chauvin kneeling on George Floyd’s neck tearfully recalled Tuesday how the Black man begged for his life and the “cold look” on the face of the White police officer accused of killing him. In deeply emotional testimony, Darnella Frazier, who was just 17 when she came across Floyd being restrained by the police, testified of the lingering anxiety and guilt she feels about Floyd’s death and not doing more to intervene. Frazier told the jury of looking at her father, her brother, her cousins and friends and the anguish she felt knowing it “could have been one of them” on the ground and how it had added to her guilt. “It’s been nights I stayed up apologizing and apologizing to George for not doing more and not physically interacting and not saving his life,” Frazier tearfully said. But, Frazier added, referring to Chauvin, who sat a few feet away in the courtroom, “it’s not what I should have done. It’s what he should have done.” Frazier was one of several eyewitnesses called to the stand SEE CHAUVIN ON A10
The Critique: A witness who would not be described as angry. A2
Nurses, others cite how those tied to Cuomo got VIP testing A MY B RITTAIN, J OSH D AWSEY AND S ARAH E LLISON BY
New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s relatives and other wellconnected New Yorkers were among those given preferential treatment at state coronavirus testing centers. State troopers were on standby to rush their samples to a lab to be expedited. And those with priority status got results within hours or a day, compared with the wait of up to a week that other New Yorkers faced at the time. Seven individuals with firsthand knowledge of testing practices said that some people with access to power were able to largely bypass the overburdened resources available to the general public when the pandemic first gripped New York last year. State officials strongly disputed that people were given special treatment because of ties to Cuomo (D). They said priority testing was available to many New York residents involved in the state’s pandemic response, as well as members of the general public, SEE CUOMO ON A4
. $2
Details on Biden plan set o≠ clash
A Black Lives Matter activist in Va. exposed two police officers’ role in the U.S. Capitol riot. The division didn’t take long to form.
Teens recall crowd begging Chauvin to stop and officer’s ‘cold look’ BY
SU V1 V2 V3 V4
BY J EFF S TEIN, J ULIET E ILPERIN AND A LYSSA F OWERS
JAHI CHIKWENDIU/THE WASHINGTON POST
A small town’s neighbors take sides over politics and race
BY K IMBERLY K INDY IN ROCKY MOUNT, VA.
A photograph of two local police officers popped up on Bridgette Craighead’s cellphone after a long day at her beauty shop. The two men peering out at her from the selfie image had befriended her while on duty at a Black Lives Matter protest she led months before. They stood beside her and held her homemade signs that read “Silence is Violence” and “No Justice. No Peace.” Now, there they were, proudly posing inside the nation’s Capitol during the Jan. 6 insurrection — amid a mob of people, many bearing symbols of white supremacy as they sought to over-
turn the presidential election to keep Donald Trump in power. What happened next is inflaming a culture war in this southwest Virginia town of 5,000 people, a microcosm of the schisms across America as explosive disagreements over the election, race and the role of police are fracturing relationships between relatives, friends and neighbors. People are quarreling over who was treated with kid gloves — Black Lives Matter protesters or the largely White throng that stormed the U.S. Capitol. They are arguing over the fairness of the presidential election and whether the former president should still be in office. And there’s a simmering standoff
Young runners jog past the Franklin County Courthouse in Rocky Mount, where a Confederate monument stands. Voters last year opted to preserve the statue.
SEE SMALL TOWN ON A6
G. GORDON LIDDY 1930-2021
Convicted operative at heart of Watergate
GOP attacks idea as government intrusion, but no mandate planned
M ICHAEL D OBBS
G. Gordon Liddy, the undercover operative whose bungling of the Watergate break-in triggered one of the gravest constitutional crises in American history and led to the resignation of President Richard M. Nixon, died March 30 at his daughter’s home in Fairfax County, Va. He was 90. His son Thomas P. Liddy confirmed the death but did not give a cause, saying only that it was unrelated to the coronavirus. A theatrical personality whose event-filled career included more twists and turns than a fictional potboiler, Mr. Liddy was at various times an FBI agent, jailbird, radio talk-show host, best-selling author, candidate for Congress, actor and promoter of gold investments. The role for which he is best remembered was in the plot to bug the Democratic Party headquarters in the Watergate complex in June 1972.
A NNIE L INSKEY, D AN D IAMOND AND T YLER P AGER
BY
ASSOCIATED PRESS
G. Gordon Liddy was convicted in 1973 of conspiracy, burglary and wiretapping of the Democratic Party’s D.C. headquarters in 1972.
Mr. Liddy’s combination of can-do ruthlessness, loyalty to Nixon and ends-justify-themeans philosophy made him a natural fit in a White House determined to get even with its political enemies.
In the News THE NATION
RACHEL WOOLF FOR THE WASHINGTON POST
Officer honored Boulder, Colo., policeman Eric Talley, slain as he responded to a mass shooting, was remembered at a service. A2 Pandemic’s origin Most scientists discount a viral leak from a Chinese lab, but the WHO’s chief said the possibility bears more study. A8
Department of Homeland Security officials allowed journalists inside a Texas border tent, where they saw extreme overcrowding of minors. A3 Attorney General Merrick Garland announced an internal Justice Department review of hate-crime tracking and prosecutions. A10 The Justice Department is investigating Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) over an alleged relationship with a teen girl. Gaetz says his family is being extorted. A26
Major, one of President Biden’s two dogs, bit a person at the White House in a second such incident for the German shepherd. A26 THE WORLD
Cuba, with its history of biotech skill, could become a coronavirus vaccine powerhouse. A12 The Federal Court of Canada held a hearing on deportation proceedings against a death squad interpreter, the country’s last known Nazi suspect. A13 China sharply cut the number of directly elected Hong Kong legisla-
At the same time, he was viewed by his superiors as “a little nuts,” in Nixon’s phrase. “I mean, he just isn’t well screwed on, is he?” the president complained to chief of staff H.R. Haldeman a SEE LIDDY ON A22
tors and delayed the city’s election in the latest erosion of its democratic institutions. A15
Republicans are opening a new front in the pandemic culture wars, attacking efforts by the Biden administration to develop guidelines for coronavirus vaccination passports that businesses can use to determine who can safely participate in activities such as flights, concerts and indoor dining. The issue has received an increasing amount of attention from some of the party’s most extreme members and conservative media figures, but it has also been seized on by Republican leaders like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is considered a potential 2024 presidential candidate.
Scammers are using fake apps to circumvent rules on Apple’s muchlauded App Store to steal from users. A17 SpaceX’s Starship, a prototype of a rocket that founder Elon Musk hopes will someday fly people to the moon and Mars, exploded during a landing attempt. A19
nority communities. B1 Virginia reached agreements on a $3.7 billion package to expand passenger rail. B1 President Biden announced his first judicial nominees, choosing U.S. District Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to fill the seat vacated by Merrick Garland. B1 The Virginia State Police will investigate the fatal shooting of a Black man by Virginia Beach police, after demands for an outside probe. B1
THE REGION
SPORTS
THE ECONOMY
The state of Maryland is turning to primarycare physicians to broaden access to vaccines, especially in mi-
SEE INFRASTRUCTURE ON A18
Political gamble: Higher taxes would pay for Biden’s plan. A18 Left behind: Millions may miss out as the economy rebounds. A20
Latest front in covid culture wars: Vaccination passports
Nixon ally called himself ‘the captain of the ship when she hit the reef’ BY
The White House on Wednesday is expected to unveil a plan to spend $2.25 trillion on a jobs and infrastructure package that could form a cornerstone of President Biden’s economic agenda, two people familiar with the matter said. Biden’s plan will include approximately $650 billion to rebuild the country’s infrastructure, such as its roads, bridges, highways and ports, the people said. The plan will also include in the range of $400 billion toward home care for the elderly and the disabled, $300 billion for housing infrastructure and $300 billion to revive U.S. manufacturing. And it will include hundreds of billions of dollars to bolster the nation’s electric grid, enact nationwide high-speed broadband and revamp the country’s water systems to ensure clean drinking water, among other major investments, the people said. The people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to reveal internal deliberations, cautioned that White House officials were still making last-minute adjustments to the plan and that details
The NFL adopted a 17-game schedule, the first adjustment to the length of its season in more than 40 years. D3
“We are not supporting doing any vaccine passports in the state of Florida,” DeSantis said Monday. “It’s completely unacceptable for either the government or the private sector to impose upon you the requirement that you show proof of vaccine to just simply be able to participate in normal society.” Other Republicans have used more inflammatory rhetoric, with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) calling the passport idea “Biden’s Mark of the Beast” and some conservative activists comparing it with Nazi policies to identify Jews. The hyper-charged rhetoric is directed at a nascent initiative between the Biden administration and private companies to develop a standard way for Americans to show they have received a coronavirus vaccination. The idea behind the passports or certificates is that they would be a way to ensure that people could return to normal activities without risking further spread of a SEE VACCINE ON A9
Inside FOOD
Pandemic Easter with easy brunch A seasonal salad, a fun bread and a creamy berry dessert won’t strain the cook or the budget. STYLE
Just itching to paint the town red With hope — and vaccinations — on the horizon, Americans are eager to party again. C1 BUSINESS NEWS........................A17 COMICS ....................................... C6 OPINION PAGES ........................ A23 LOTTERIES...................................B3 OBITUARIES ................................ B6 TELEVISION .................................C5 WORLD NEWS............................A12
CONTENT © 2021 The Washington Post / Year 144, No. 116
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H A P P EN I N G T O DA Y For the latest updates all day, visit washingtonpost.com.
Time not specified | President Biden visits Pittsburgh to speak about his economic vision. For developments, visit washingtonpost.com/politics. All day | Russian President Vladimir Putin visits Egypt. For details, visit washingtonpost.com/world. 7 a.m. | John F. Kerry, the State Department’s special envoy for climate, participates in an International Energy Agency online forum about the accelerating momentum behind clean energy. Visit washingtonpost.com/ national for developments. 10 a.m. | The Supreme Court hears arguments in National Collegiate Athletic Association v. Alston and American Athletic Conference v. Alston, cases regarding compensation for student-athletes. For details, visit washingtonpost.com/politics.
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CO RRECT I O N
A March 30 Health & Science article about the filtering capabilities of various materials used for cloth masks during the pandemic incorrectly described the conditions under which laboratory tests were conducted. The tests were conducted at 99 percent relative humidity — similar to that generated by a person’s breath — not 20 percent relative humidity. l
The Washington Post is committed to correcting errors that appear in the newspaper. Those interested in contacting the paper for that purpose can: Email: [email protected]. Call: 202-334-6000, and ask to be connected to the desk involved — National, Foreign, Metro, Style, Sports, Business or any of the weekly sections. Comments can be directed to The Post’s reader advocate, who can be reached at 202-334-7582 or [email protected].
Upcoming Washington Post Live events All programs will be streamed live at washingtonpostlive.com, on Facebook Live, YouTube, and Twitter. Email postlive@washpost. com to submit questions for our upcoming speakers. Wednesday, March 31 | 11 a.m. A Conversation with Henrietta Fore Henrietta Fore, executive director, UNICEF Moderated by Frances Stead Sellers
THE WASHINGTON POST
RE
. WEDNESDAY,
MARCH 31 , 2021
The witness refused to be seen as angry The witness Donald Williams was trained in mixed martial arts. He had experience Robin working in Givhan security — and THE CRITIQUE alongside police officers — and handling potentially unruly crowds. He also described himself as an entrepreneur and a father. But during his hours of testimony over two days in the trial of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer who is charged in the death of George Floyd, there is one thing that Williams made clear he was not: an angry Black man. That he could not afford to be. He was not allowed to be. He could cry for Floyd. He could despair for him. But he was not supposed to be angry, even if that was what Floyd’s death demanded. Defense attorney Eric Nelson has made anger central to his argument for Chauvin’s acquittal. In his version of events, the anger of the growing crowd on the street that May afternoon distracted Chauvin from the man he had pinned under his knee. Floyd, who had been accused of circulating a counterfeit $20 bill, was in Chauvin’s custody, which meant that he was also in his care. But the crowd — that dangerous, unruly mob, according to Nelson — had distracted Chauvin so that he could not attend to Floyd’s well-being. He could only concern himself with his detainment. To that end, according to several witnesses, including Williams, the White police officer adjusted his knee to apply more pressure, to ensure that Floyd’s Black body remained immobile — until his immobility turned into unconsciousness. The defense’s narrative makes use of one of the culture’s most damaging and enduring stereotypes about Black men — and women, too. These people ooze anger, and Black anger is inherently menacing. It isn’t justified or understandable or controlled, even when it is all of
JOSHUA LOTT/THE WASHINGTON POST
A man plays the guitar Monday at the intersection in Minneapolis where George Floyd was killed last spring.
those things. It most certainly is not righteous. And when it rises, it must be tamped down, defused and crushed. Nelson, bespectacled and bearded, and with an affinity for florid neckwear, worked hard to have the jury see Williams as enraged — as a man who was yelling at Chauvin and threatening fellow officers. Nelson detailed the many expletives and insults that Williams directed at Chauvin. He portrayed Williams as a man who was advancing toward the police with his chest thrust forward and spoiling for a fight. “It’s fair to say you grew angrier and angrier?” Nelson asked. “I grew professional and professional. I stayed in my body,” Williams replied. “You can’t paint me out to be angry.” Williams said he was speaking loudly so that he could be heard, so that he wouldn’t be ignored. He was imploring Chauvin to relent. He was calling Chauvin a bum and lacing his speech with expletives because the situation was too dire for polite conversation. What Williams saw was, on its face, enraging. He had happened upon the sight of Floyd facedown on the ground with Chauvin on top of him for more than nine minutes. He heard Floyd cry for help and cry out for air. A young bystander saw him turn “purple”
and described him as looking “really limp.” Kids saw this horror. Children. The gathered crowd all watched as their pleas to render aid to Floyd went ignored. Anger is surely the natural human reaction, along with alarm and concern, but Nelson
“I grew professional and professional. I stayed in my body. You can’t paint me out to be angry.” Donald Williams, a witness in the trial of Derek Chauvin, a former Minneapolis police officer charged in the death of George Floyd
has characterized that as a wholly unnatural response to Floyd’s dire circumstances, as if he was not worthy of any of those emotions. Should the crowd simply have stood silent? History would probably have excused their anger. So many
other people of color — unarmed and stopped for minor offenses or for nothing at all — have died during encounters with police officers. They have been deprived of air, riddled with bullets; they’ve been killed without consequences because their death was deemed reasonable. When does fury become moral and decent if not in the face of all that? Williams seemed to understand the perilousness of leading with anger. He refused to let it be his abiding message on Tuesday afternoon in a Minneapolis courtroom as Nelson tested him. No, his words weren’t getting angrier that awful day in May, he said, “they grew more and more pleading — for life.” Williams was so alarmed by what was unfolding before him that he even called 911. He called the police on the police because he had not given up on law enforcement. He still had faith that they had the capacity to protect and to serve. He trusted in their outrage even if society demands that he deny his own. The phrase resonated. “I stayed in my body.” Williams remained in control. He maintained focus. He was attuned to his movements and gestures. He didn’t let emotions take hold. He didn’t relinquish his soul. As he spoke from the witness stand, Williams’s deep voice rumbled from a body that was both solid and still. On his second day of testimony, he wore an open-collared dress shirt in a sea-foam green. His hair was cut close. He didn’t fidget or appear nervous. He didn’t look imposing, but he often looked perplexed. When Nelson questioned his emotions, pressed him about the expletives he’d used and took a sharp tone, Williams cocked his head sideways and furrowed his brow. Then a slight smile flashed across his face. Williams did not display a hint of fury. Outrage can be a burden, but it can also be a source of power. If Williams had any anger, he was keeping it in reserve. [email protected]
Wednesday, March 31 | 3 p.m. Oscar Spotlight: “Crip Camp” Nicole Newnham, director, writer, producer, “Crip Camp”
Download The Washington Post app Stay informed with award-winning national and international news, PLUS complete local news coverage of the D.C. metro area. Create customized news alerts, save articles for offline reading in My Post, browse the daily print edition and scroll through our the Discover tab to find stories that interest you. Free to download on the App Store and Play Store, subscribers enjoy unlimited access.
Jim LeBrecht, director, writer, producer, “Crip Camp” Moderated by Ann Hornaday Presenting Sponsor: T. Rowe Price Thursday, April 1 | 9:00am ET Coronavirus: Leadership During Crisis Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont (D) Moderated by Karen Tumulty
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Service honors father of 7 who was killed while responding to shooting BY A MANDA M ILLER AND J ENNIFER O LDHAM
boulder, colo. — More than 500 law enforcement vehicles followed Eric Talley’s black hearse to Flatirons Community Church in Lafayette on Tuesday for a public memorial to the Boulder police officer slain in a supermarket last week. The 90-minute procession filled the facility’s lot as firefighters in dress uniforms saluted. Overhead, an oversized American flag floated in the cold, steady wind. Officers from as far as Ohio and New Jersey filed into the cavernous church past an honor guard. A large display of personal items, including a tin pail filled with golf balls, photos of Talley with his children and several children’s books were nestled amid rose wreaths at the front of the sanctuary. It took more than 30 minutes for the crowd of hundreds to be seated. A uniformed color guard marched past Talley’s coffin, draped with an American flag. Six officers carried the coffin to front of the sanctuary, saluting as they moved away. Throughout the almost threehour service, religious leaders, police officers and friends remembered Talley, 51, as an optimistic, energetic and selfless family man
RACHEL WOOLF FOR THE WASHINGTON POST
Local law enforcement officials line up during the procession for the hearse carrying the casket of slain Boulder police officer Eric Talley at Flatirons Community Church in Lafayette, Colo., on Tuesday.
and public servant. A golf lover who drank lots of Mountain Dew. A technical whiz on everyone’s speed dial. Talley left a career as an IT professional in 2010 to join the force, eventually becoming a patrol officer and a founding member of the Boulder Police Department’s drone team. Boulder Police Chief Maris Herold remembered his enthusiasm for his job and for helping the community. “I lost my father when I was 13.
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There is not a day that goes by that I don’t think about him, and the thing I remember most about my father is that he was kind,” Herold said, addressing Talley’s seven children. “Your father was kind. Your father died a hero. There is no doubt, because of his bravery and quick action, dozens of lives were saved.” Gov. Jared Polis (D) described Talley as a “kind of man who went out of his way to brighten someone else’s day.” Talley was remembered for helping a community resident whose water main broke, rescuing a duck and her ducklings, and collecting police items for a boy being treated for cancer. He spent evenings at the senior center playing games with residents; he and his family owned more than 450 board games. A poem his seven children wrote him at Christmas 2019 decorated the program. It read, in part: “Dad, our unsung hero / You never count the cost / Whatever we need is never too much / But our praises have not been enough.” Talley was one of 10 people killed on March 22 in the country’s second mass shooting in less than a month. He was the first officer to run into the King Soopers supermarket in Boulder and almost immediately confronted the gun-
man. The 11-year Boulder Police Department veteran died along with shoppers and employees as dozens of others ran from the store and scores of armored law enforcement officers broke the building’s windows and landed helicopters on the roof. A private memorial for Talley was held Monday at Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Denver, where hundreds gathered to remember the devout Catholic. An additional 1,400 watched the service online. On Tuesday, Officer Talley’s direct supervisor, Sgt. Adrian Drelles, remembered him as an effervescent employee always willing to learn new skills, with an “unbelievable sense of humor.” He joked that he recently reprimanded the officer, telling him he was “only allowed to call me 10 times a shift.” He recalled an excruciating ride over to the Talley family house on March 22 to tell them about Eric’s death. “It was the longest, most emotional car ride of my life,” Drelles said. “I had no idea how I was going to comfort Leah and the kids. But when we got there, Eric’s kids jumped into action and started making phone calls, and instead they gave me comfort.” [email protected]
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 31 , 2021
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THE WASHINGTON POST
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Politics & the Nation
Reporters allowed into border tents Journalists describe extreme overcrowding of minors at Texas facility BY
N ICK M IROFF
The Biden administration allowed reporters for the first time Tuesday to go inside the crowded border tents where record numbers of migrant teenagers and children have been held in recent weeks after crossing into the United States without their parents. Department of Homeland Security officials permitted the Associated Press and a camera crew to tour the Donna, Tex., temporary processing facility run by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, where 3,400 unaccompanied minors were in custody Tuesday along with 700 members of migrant families. The reporters allowed inside described extreme levels of overcrowding, including one detention “pod” with 516 minors despite a pandemic-rated capacity of 32 people. Another pod had 676 minors, and a third had 567, officials said. The Biden administration is on pace to take in more than 17,000 unaccompanied minors this month, far higher than the previous record of 11,861 in May 2019. DHS officials said the decision to allow a small reporting crew known as a “pool” into the facility was intended to limit the risk of coronavirus exposure. The Washington Post was not included but received a report. Oscar Escamilla, a Border Patrol official who accompanied
the reporters during a two-hour tour, said 14 percent of the minors have been testing positive for the coronavirus when they are transferred to Health and Human Services shelters. CBP does not test the minors in its custody unless they show symptoms, he said. Earlier this month HHS said the positivity rate inside its shelter facilities was 4.5 percent, a figure that appears to indicate significantly more teenagers and children may be acquiring infections in the cramped CBP tents. Images of the extreme overcrowding were released this month by Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Tex.), Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) and other lawmakers who were allowed inside. The Biden administration has faced mounting criticism for its handling of the an influx of migrants arriving at the border, as well as its strict limits on media access to detention sites, shelters and border areas where thousands of migrants have been arriving daily. The Donna site is CBP’s largest emergency processing center along the Mexico border. Escamilla told reporters the site costs $16 million a month to operate, excluding medical services and caregiver contracts. He said this influx of minors is different from what he has seen in other years. “There’s a pull factor. They know that we’re releasing them,” Escamilla said. “They know that right now there’s nothing stopping them. We’re not going to deport them back to their country so they keep coming.” CBP data obtained by The Post shows the facility has been even more overcrowded on recent days. The Biden administration
DARIO LOPEZ-MILLS/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Minors lie inside pods at a facility run by Customs and Border Protection in Donna, Tex., on Tuesday. Reporters allowed in CBP’s largest emergency processing center on the Mexico border found hundreds of youths in pods designated to hold just dozens.
is setting up at least nine temporary shelter sites run by FEMA and HHS to accommodate the record numbers of minors in government care. The addition of thousands of emergency beds this week is expected to alleviate the crisis-level conditions the Biden administration has faced for weeks. “As I have said repeatedly, a Border Patrol facility is no place for a child,” DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement. “We have been working around-the-clock, in coordination with HHS, to quickly move unaccompanied children out of these crowded Border Patrol sta-
tions and into the care of HHS so they can be placed with family members or other sponsors.” “We are seeing progress, but it takes time,” Mayorkas continued. “In the meantime, the CBP workforce has done heroic work under difficult circumstances to protect these children. Let me be clear: the border is not open, people should not make the dangerous journey, and we will continue to expel individuals and families.” Mayorkas was referring to the Title 42 pandemic health order the government has used since last March to rapidly turn back or “expel” migrants crossing ille-
gally. The Biden administration has declined to use the order to return unaccompanied Central American minors to their home countries, and by law they are supposed to be transferred to the HHS refugee office within 72 hours. The unprecedented number of minors arriving this month has resulted in a prolonged, flagrant violation of the law. More than 2,000 of the minors at the Donna site have been held in excess of 72 hours, Escamilla said, including 39 who have been in the tents for at least 15 days. One minor has waited 20 days, he said, and on average, teens
and children are spending 133 hours in the facility before HHS placement, roughly twice the legal limit. The reporters in the pool said they saw about 60 minors waiting for admission to the site at the time of the tour. During the tour, reporters were also shown a large supply room stocked with tampons, diapers and snacks, a “tender-age” section designated for the youngest children that had a large playpen area and sleeping mats. There, a 17-year-old cared for a newborn and a 11-year-old boy cared for his 5-year-old sister. [email protected]
Ex-Texas deputies indicted on manslaughter charges in tra∞c stop death BY
A RELIS R . H ERNÁNDEZ
A Texas grand jury indicted two former sheriff’s deputies on manslaughter charges Tuesday related to the 2019 death of Javier Ambler, a Black man whose death in law enforcement custody was captured by a television film crew. Travis County District Attorney José Garza announced the charges against former Williamson County deputies James Johnson and Zachary Camden, who resigned earlier this year. Both men were being held on $150,000 bond and prohibited from seeking any law enforcement or security work. This is the second high-profile indictment against Texas law enforcers in March for Garza’s office, which also secured first-degree murder charges against an Austin police officer in the 2020 shooting death of Michael Ramos. That was the first murder indictment ever
returned against an Austin city police officer stemming from a use-of-force incident. Tuesday’s indictments came the same week arguments began in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who is charged with killing George Floyd. The deaths of Black men at the hands of American law enforcement precipitated a summer of protest last year and calls for change in Austin, Travis County and around the world. “The expectations of our communities are changing, and that has been on clear display in multiple forms not just here in Travis County but all over the state and all over the country,” said Garza, who won a landslide victory last fall over the longtime incumbent while advocating for criminal justice reform during the protests against police violence. “Our community has been real-
ly clear over the last 18 months that they will not tolerate violence against members of our community no matter who commits it, regardless of the person’s job title, stature or the uniform they wear,” he said. The indictments, Garza said, are part of his work to restore trust and “build a criminal justice system that meets the aspirations of the people in our community.” Ambler’s family is pursuing a lawsuit against the sheriff’s office after the March 28, 2019, encounter that killed the 40-year-old former postal worker. Deputies tried to stop Ambler’s Honda Pilot that night for failing to dim its headlights. Inside the patrol vehicle were members of the film crew for “Live PD,” the hugely popular but now-canceled cable television show. Ambler sped off rather than stop, authorities said.
Don't Replace... REFACE!
With cameras rolling, the deputies pursued Ambler for 22 minutes. His vehicle collided three times with fixed objects on and off the road until it finally crashed and stopped across the county line in neighboring Austin. Deputies struggled to arrest Ambler, according to body-camera footage. They shocked Ambler with a stun gun four times during the arrest while he complained of suffering from heart problems. He can be heard on video obtained by local news outlets, saying he had “congestive heart failure” and “could not breathe.” Ambler stopped moving after deputies secured his hands. He was pronounced dead at a hospital an hour later. The grand jury declined to return charges against Austin police officer Michael Nissen, who also responded that night.
The manslaughter charges point to what prosecutors think was reckless behavior on the part of deputies who had a TV crew embedded with them for several weeks. Texas law prohibits prosecutors from talking about the evidence, but Garza said he has not seen the raw footage that is at the heart of the case. Robert Chody, the former Williamson County sheriff who lost his reelection bid, was indicted last fall on felony charges of evidence tampering and is accused of helping to destroy the original video of Ambler’s arrest. The deadly encounter was preceded by a series of complaints and news coverage about overly aggressive behavior from deputies. County commissioners were concerned that the glare of the cameras was having a bizarre impact on deputies and tried to shut
down Chody’s arrangement with the show’s production company, Big Fish Entertainment. But the sheriff defied them by signing a new contract. On the night of Ambler’s death, Big Fish said in a lawsuit filed this week, deputies and Austin police illegally seized the company’s equipment. The footage never aired. The company said it expected subpoenas but that they never arrived. The video was then destroyed. The sheriff’s office’s internal investigation under Chody cleared deputies of any wrongdoing. Garza said the people of Travis County disagreed. “Unfortunately what happened in this case is not dissimilar from what’s happened far too many times in communities across the country,” he said, “particularly in communities of color.” [email protected]
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THE WASHINGTON POST
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MARCH 31 , 2021
N.Y. medical staffers saw VIP covid-test access as unfair CUOMO FROM A1
such as those who were at high risk. But people familiar with the efforts said they were also told to treat individuals differently because of their connections to the governor. The individuals — who spoke at length to The Washington Post on the condition of anonymity out of fear of retribution by Cuomo’s office — described the behind-the-scenes operations and their feelings of discomfort with a system that they believed at times prioritized political connections over medical need. During the early frenetic weeks in March 2020, officials working at testing sites rapidly assembled a system that gave special treatment to people described by staffers as “priorities,” “specials,” “inner circle” or “criticals,” according to five people, including three nurses, who described how resources were redirected to serve those close to the governor and other cases that were fast-tracked. At one of the first pandemic operations hubs in the state, the testing priority status of more than 100 individuals were logged in an electronic data sheet that was kept separate from a database for the general public, according to a person with direct knowledge of the practice. Two individuals said clothing and footwear designer Kenneth Cole, the governor’s brother-inlaw, was among those who benefited from priority testing. And a top state physician whose pandemic portfolio involved coordinating testing in nursing homes was dispatched multiple times to the Hamptons home of CNN host Chris Cuomo, the governor’s brother, in testing visits that sometimes stretched hours, according to two people with knowledge of the consultations. After initial reporting on the practice by the Albany Times Union and The Post, the office of New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) on Thursday urged New York’s Joint Commission on Public Ethics to open an investigation of the testing protocol. Separately, James is leading a probe of allegations that Gov. Cuomo sexually harassed subordinates. “The recent reports alleging there was preferential treatment given for COVID-19 testing are troubling,” according to a statement from the attorney general’s office, noting that it does not have the jurisdiction to investigate. Walter McClure, a spokesman for the ethics commission, said the panel “cannot comment on anything that is or might be an investigative matter.” Cuomo administration officials said the state raced to ramp up testing in the early days of the pandemic and offered priority access to people involved in the immediate response to the public health emergency. “There was no ‘VIP’ program as the Washington Post describes — when priority was given, it was to nurses, guardsmen, state workers and other government officials central to the pandemic response and those they were in direct contact with, as well as individuals believed to have been exposed to COVID who had the capability to spread it further and impact vital operations,” Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi said in a statement. “Without these men and women, the COVID response operation would have been severely crippled,” he added. “We’ve worked day and night for more than a year to fight this pandemic and it’s absurd and offensive that blind sources are twisting and distorting the facts.”
JOHN MINCHILLO/ASSOCIATED PRESS
SPENCER PLATT/GETTY IMAGES
TOP: Police direct motorists in March 2020 at a coronavirus testing site at Glen Island Park in New Rochelle, N.Y. ABOVE: Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo (D) speaks to reporters the same day at the mobile testing center. People with ties to Cuomo were said to have received priority treatment at state-run testing sites.
New York State Department of Health spokesman Gary Holmes said in a statement that the premise that New Yorkers got preferential treatment because of their connections to the governor “is not factually accurate.” “From a public health perspective ‘where have you been,’ and ‘how many people might you have exposed’ are the questions that guided who was given priority — not ‘who you know,’ ” Holmes said. “Those were the questions we were asking in the early days of the pandemic when we thought we could contain this virus on a case by case virus. We helped as many New Yorkers as we could then, just as we do now, while simultaneously building a nation-leading testing infrastructure that has led to more than 44 million processed tests.” In response to a request for comment on the visits to the home of Chris Cuomo, CNN spokesman Matt Dornic said, “As we have already said, we generally do not comment on employees’ medical care and we have nothing more to add.” A spokeswoman for Cole did not respond to requests for comment. A senior Cuomo administration official who spoke to The Post at the request of the governor’s office said he was involved in running multiple test sites and never saw any preferential treatment for individuals based on their political connections. That official said
priority testing was often arranged for essential personnel and staffers on-site through expedited processing at a lab in New Jersey. But other medical staffers who worked at state testing sites said they were told to provide special access for people with ties to Gov. Cuomo, an arrangement they said made them deeply uncomfortable. “I’m trained that there is no such thing as a preferential medicine. We don’t say, ‘This person is more important, so their results are more important.’ That’s just not fair,” said one nurse who worked at two state-run testing sites. “Yet here we have somebody who is being pushed to the front of the line for no reason. It was like, ‘Oh, your test matters.’ And we know why. It’s because of who you are, not because of anything medical.” The nurse described being dispatched from an operations center in New Rochelle — an early hub used to mobilize state resources — with instructions to test patients in private residences and hotel rooms who they were told were part of Cuomo’s orbit. The nurse said the situation felt morally problematic, especially as many New Yorkers were waiting to get tested. “We would always hear, ‘This is coming from the governor’s chamber,’ ” the nurse said. “What the hell does that mean?” Members of Cuomo’s extended
family received favored treatment at a state-run testing center in late spring 2020, according to one nurse who witnessed a frantic effort to prepare for their arrival and get their samples to the Wadsworth Center, a state lab in Albany. “I remember them being like, ‘They’re coming, they’re coming,’ ” the nurse said, describing how site leaders announced when the family was approaching. “And they would say, ‘Have the state trooper ready. . . . Have it ready to go to Wadsworth.’ There was a lot of anxiety over those samples getting to the right place.” “They were treated like royalty,” the nurse said of Cuomo’s family. “I didn’t understand why they were able to jump the line.” Another nurse recounted how staffers at the site quickly mobilized to assist Cole, the fashion designer who is married to Cuomo’s sister Maria, by arranging a priority test and rushing his sample to a state trooper to be driven to Wadsworth. When asked about Cuomo family members receiving special treatment at testing centers, Azzopardi said in an email, “To the extent this occurred, the Governor was not aware.” Last week, a New York State Department of Health spokesman declined to address whether the governor’s relatives received special treatment, citing medical privacy laws and ethics. Two individuals who worked at the New Rochelle operations hub described how the priority system evolved at the start of the state’s pandemic response efforts. Initially, it began with staffers simply passing along scraps of paper or sticky notes with testing information that was coded to shield the identity of priority patients, they said. Those paper requests went to the top of the priority line, surpassing even those people in the separate general database, stored in Microsoft SharePoint, who were listed as “1” for top priority because of exposure to a covid-19 patient or other medical criteria, according to accounts from the two people with direct knowledge. “It concerned me,” said one of those people. That person said staff tasks — including scheduling testing, entering results and contacting patients to share those results —
were regularly interrupted to assist those with priority status. The identities of those who were part of the system were closely held by a top assistant to Howard Zucker, the state health commissioner, according to the two individuals. Holmes, the Department of Health spokesman, did not respond to questions about the role that Zucker or his assistant played in the process. Azzopardi said that any priority system “was built by those in charge of running the sites and the Governor had no knowledge that tests were being prioritized at those sites.” The initial paper system to flag priority cases evolved in the spring of 2020 into a separate electronic data sheet that logged people by initials or numerical codes, according to one person with direct knowledge of how the system worked. Altogether, there were at least 100 people prioritized through the effort during the first month of pandemic response efforts at the New Rochelle operations center, according to the individual with visibility into the process, including knowledge of some of the names on the list. Among them were people “who had the resources and educational wherewithal” to go to private doctors, said the person, who because of health privacy laws declined to share names of those individuals. The person added, “There is no reason why state testing teams should have been diverted to these people.” Nurses were instructed to conduct the tests of VIP patients and then immediately walk the samples over to state troopers who were standing by, according to accounts from three nurses. Then, troopers would drive the tests to the Wadsworth Center, where results could be expected by the day’s end. “The word was ‘priority,’ ” one nurse said. “They would say, ‘We have a priority at 10 o’clock, a priority at 11 o’clock.’ I can’t say that I know that they were all important to the governor, but that is what we were told.” Beau Duffy, a spokesman for the New York State Police, told The Post last week that “thousands” of samples were transported to a state lab for testing during
the early months of the pandemic. He said most of the samples came from state testing sites, nursing homes, drive-in sites and county offices. Duffy said he did not know whether there were specific special requests for family members or other VIPs. “I’m not sure there were specific records kept,” he said. At times, Wadsworth employees worked late into the night to process results of priority cases, two people said. The specimens were shrouded in secrecy, marked only by initials or numbers. Initially, Wadsworth was the only New York state facility granted authority to run tests for the coronavirus, and it had limited capacity amid huge demand as the virus spread. In mid-March, the state announced that 28 in-state labs would be authorized to conduct tests and separately entered into a contract with BioReference, a New Jersey-based lab, to process tests collected at state-run sites. At the time, results would often take a week after tests were sent to New Jersey through BioReference couriers, according to nurses and other individuals with knowledge of turnaround times. Priority tests continued to be sent to Wadsworth, according to people familiar with the practice. Among Cuomo relatives, Chris Cuomo’s family received attention that appeared to go beyond that of others, receiving multiple visits at their Hamptons home from Department of Health physician Eleanor Adams, according to two people familiar with the visits. At the time, Adams had a senior role in the state response, coordinating testing issues for high-risk settings such as nursing homes. Chris Cuomo’s home in Southampton is roughly 90 miles from New York City. Adams, who is now a senior adviser to Zucker, did not respond to repeated requests for comment. Zucker hung up on a Post reporter last week and has declined to address the descriptions of preferential testing. Holmes, the DOH spokesman, said in a statement last week, “You’re asking professionals who took an oath to protect a patient’s privacy to violate that oath and compromise their integrity.” Azzopardi, the governor’s spokesman, declined to comment on the number of trips Adams took to Chris Cuomo’s residence. In a statement last week, CNN defended Cuomo, saying that “in the earliest days of a oncein-a-century global pandemic, when Chris was showing symptoms and was concerned about possible spread, he turned to anyone he could for advice and assistance, as any human being would.” Two people with knowledge of the situation said that Cuomo inquired with Adams about getting access to an antibody test — a relatively limited commodity at the time. During an April 7 show, Cuomo also quizzed Zucker about the availability of antibody tests and where one could go to get such a test. Zucker explained that he had spoken with the Food and Drug Administration commissioner about ramping up the Wadsworth lab’s ability to get thousands of those tests done each day. Later in that show, Cuomo shared stories of those who had died of covid-19 and expressed gratitude for his own situation: “Now look, me, I’m one of these — I’m one of the lucky ones. I got everything I need to get better on this.” [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Alice Crites contributed to this report.
DI GEST NEW YORK
Brother of Honduran president sentenced The brother of Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández was sentenced to life in prison Tuesday after he was convicted on drug charges. Juan Antonio “Tony” Hernández, a former Honduran congressman, was sentenced in Manhattan federal court by U.S. District Judge P. Kevin Castel, who also ordered him to forfeit $138 million. Hernández was convicted in October 2019 of charges that carried a mandatory minimum sentence of 40 years in prison. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Laroche told the judge that Hernández for 15 years fueled a flood of cocaine shipments into the United States by paying millions of dollars to top Honduran officials like his brother. His brother served as the leader of Honduras’s congress
before assuming the presidency in January 2014. Prosecutors allege that among those bribes was $1 million from notorious Mexican capo Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán to Juan Orlando Hernández. President Hernández has repeatedly denied any ties to drug traffickers. — Associated Press
FLORIDA
Man guilty of setting store on fire in unrest A Florida man was convicted Tuesday of setting fire to a sporting goods store and shopping center in Tampa during unrest that followed protests over the death of George Floyd last year. Terrance Lee Hester Jr., 20, pleaded guilty in Tampa federal court to damaging or destroying by fire a building used in interstate commerce, according to court records. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of
five years and up to 20 years in prison, the Justice Department said in a news release. Hester was identified in surveillance video as throwing a flaming piece of cloth into a Champs Sports store through a broken window last May, according to a criminal complaint. The damage to the store and other businesses in the plaza was estimated at $1.25 million. The Champs store was one of several businesses in a commercial district of Tampa that were damaged or looted following what had been a peaceful protest over the May 2020 death of Floyd, who died after a Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee against Floyd’s neck for several minutes. Hester surrendered to federal authorities in Oswego, N.Y., last July. That month, a state prosecutor in Tampa filed rioting and looting charges against dozens of people for ransacking stores, causing destruction and fighting with police officers the
same night as the Champs fire. — Associated Press
IOWA
Bosnian fugitive held in 1994 military killing A former Bosnian soldier who fled custody while awaiting trial for murder in the 1994 killing of a fellow military officer has been arrested and jailed in Iowa after living in the United States for decades. Federal agents arrested Dzevad Pajazetovic, 58, in Des Moines on March 1 following a formal extradition request from BosniaHerzegovina, court documents show. He remains in custody and a status conference in his case is scheduled for Wednesday. Pajazetovic had been living a quiet life for years in the Des Moines area, most recently in the fast-growing suburb of Waukee, where he and his wife purchased a new $290,000 home in 2019. He has adult children, worked at a tire factory, and he became a
naturalized U.S. citizen and registered to vote in 2004. Bosnian authorities say Pajazetovic used to be a member of a military unit responsible for guarding the border with Croatia during the Bosnian War. They say he tried to illegally bring fuel from Croatia into Bosnia in 1994 and was confronted by a Bosnian military police officer, Dervic Okic, whose duties included trying to prevent cross-border smuggling. Okic demanded that Pajazetovic surrender 10 percent of the fuel for the military brigade. Pajazetovic refused and the two began arguing, authorities say. Okic fired three warning shots into the ground, then Pajazetovic shot and killed Okic. The killing took place during the 1992-1995 Bosnian War in which the country’s three main ethnic factions — Muslim Bosniaks, Catholic Croats and Orthodox Christian Serbs — fought for control after the breakup of Yugoslavia.
Pajazetovic was released from custody in 1996 while awaiting trial and fled to the United States. He was later tried in absentia, convicted in 1999 and sentenced to 15 years in prison. The Supreme Court of Bosnia upheld the conviction in 2000 but reduced his sentence to 11 years. — Associated Press California redwood falls on car, kills couple: A towering
California redwood tree fell on a car as a couple drove on a scenic highway of the state’s northern coast, killing the parents of five children. SFGate.com reported Monday that Jessica and Jake Woodruff were taking the drive to celebrate her 45th birthday on March 25 when the 175-foot-tall tree fell on Highway 199 in an area heavily forested with the trees near Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park. A GoFundMe page has been established to support the family from the small California city of Yreka. — Associated Press
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 31 , 2021
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THE WASHINGTON POST
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. WEDNESDAY,
Capitol riot splits a small Va. town SMALL TOWN FROM A1
between activists such as Craighead who see this as the moment to redress injustices, and those who believe the activists are fomenting racial tensions by pushing too hard and too fast. Some see no need for change, no problem to be solved. Minutes after receiving the photo of the officers in a private Facebook message three days after the riot, Craighead, who is Black and the mother of a young son, made it public on her own page. “I can’t believe someone I trusted was a part of that animalistic behavior at the CAPITOL!!” wrote Craighead, who is 30. Jeff Bailey, who is White and has an auto-detailing shop kittycorner from Craighead’s beauty shop, reposted the photo the next day with his own message, directed at the two officers. “Glad to see someone with a backbone in our town of Rocky Mount! Keep standing up for yourselves and us and we stand with and for you!!!” said Bailey, who — like Craighead — was born and raised in Rocky Mount, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. People in the community jumped in, taking sides. Some said the officers betrayed their sworn oaths and should be fired. Others said they understood why Thomas “T.J.” Robertson and Jacob Fracker were at the Capitol that day and wanted them to remain on the job. As the online fighting ensued, Craighead staged a protest with about a dozen people outside a town council meeting, calling on its members to fire Robertson and Fracker. Her group was met by counterprotesters, several wearing sweatshirts and other gear with symbols of a far-right, anti-government militia-style group called the Three Percenters. Bailey didn’t attend, but he launched his own counterprotest. He lined a fence at his business — the one facing Craighead’s beauty shop — with a row of flags, including a pro-police Blue Lives Matter flag and a Trump flag, which still flap in the breeze in Rocky Mount’s historic downtown. “They are ex-military,” Bailey, 47, said of the officers. “They were taught to fight for their country against any enemy, foreign or domestic. The election was stolen. They did what they were taught to do. Bridgette shouldn’t stick her nose in other people’s business. These are family men.” The town of Rocky Mount, which is the seat of Franklin County, placed Robertson and Fracker on paid leave a day after Craighead posted the photo, then fired them two weeks later. They are two of five sworn law enforcement officers charged by the U.S. attorney’s office with breaching the Capitol, and among 36 former and current service members who have been charged. Fracker was with the Marine Corps and served in Afghanistan. Robertson was with the Army and served in Iraq. Both declined to comment, citing their pending court case on federal charges, which include one count each of “knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority” and one count each of “violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.” In Facebook posts, Robertson and Fracker said they did nothing wrong and did not engage in any acts of violence. Capitol Police officers invited them in, they said, and offered them water. “They were part of something where people died,” Craighead said in an interview. “They were at our Black Lives Matter protest to make sure it was peaceful, but then they joined in something that was anything but peaceful. It felt like a slap in the face.” She understands that her protests and social media posts have pushed to the surface racial and political tensions that have long gripped Rocky Mount — a threehour drive from Richmond, the former capital of the Confederacy. “They hate me for it,” Craighead said. “They think I’m stirring things up, that there weren’t any issues until I brought them up. They are there. They don’t want to see them.” It was video last year of former
JAHI CHIKWENDIU/THE WASHINGTON POST
“She had no reason to jump on those officers. She should have just left them alone.” Jeff Bailey, who owns an auto-detailing shop in Rocky Mount, of local Black Lives Matter activist Bridgette Craighead
JAHI CHIKWENDIU/THE WASHINGTON POST
“What bothered me was when he went on Facebook and said I was a cop hater and I was a veteran hater. That is what got under my skin.” Bridgette Craighead, of Jeff Bailey, whose auto shop faces her beauty salon
Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin pressing his knee into George Floyd’s neck as Floyd cried for his mother that prompted some Black people, like Craighead, to start speaking anew about injustices they saw in Rocky Mount. It made many in the community uncomfortable, including some older Black residents who feared a backlash. Macarthur McGhee, 52, who is Black and has spent his life in Rocky Mount, said rumors start-
ed to spread that White people were planning to “snatch up” Black children if things didn’t “settle down.” It reminded him of when he was at Franklin County High School in the late ’70s. The original television series about slavery, “Roots,” had just come out, he said, and White students started freely calling Black students the “N word.” Back then, he said, they didn’t fight it. They waited for it to pass, believing the racial strife would subside
BRIDGETTE CRAIGHEAD
more quickly if they held their tongues. That’s not what has happened this time around. “I don’t want to see a race war,” McGhee said, standing in a parking lot that separates Craighead’s and Bailey’s shops. “I hope it doesn’t come to that.” Craighead led the town’s first Black Lives Matter protest last June, a week after the video went viral of Chauvin hunched over Floyd’s body. It was held at the farmers
market, and Robertson and Fracker were captured on video and in photos dancing with her, holding up her homemade protest signs in what seemed like a show of unity. Some people honked their car horns in support as they passed by. Others rolled down their windows and glared. But with the officers and her 4-year-old son, Bronsyn, beside her, Craighead saw a new future for herself, the town and the region. “I felt like Franklin County
FBI
LEFT: Officers Thomas “T.J.” Robertson, second from left, and Jacob Fracker, third from left, with Bridgette Craighead, right, at a Black Lives Matter rally in Rocky Mount in June. RIGHT: Fracker, left, and Robertson at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.
MARCH 31 , 2021
was an example of how the world needs to be,” she said. “For me, this was epic.” A few weeks after Craighead’s first rally, the sole Black member of the local school board saw her effort to ban students from wearing clothing with displays of the Confederate flag renewed by a new White board member. Penny Blue had tried and failed to pass the ban in 2019. “There is always a tipping point,” Blue said in an interview from a booth inside the Hub restaurant, a few yards from a boarded-up hole in the back wall through which Black residents once were required to pick up food orders. “This tipping point was George Floyd,” she continued. “That’s the spark, and things have taken off. We are in the moment. And, as always, the power structure is going to try to maintain that power.” The school board voted 6 to 0 in favor of the Confederate flag dress-code ban in early June, with two members abstaining. At the same time, down the street at the Franklin County Board of Supervisors, a debate was raging over a citizens’ petition that sought to remove a Confederate statue in front of the downtown county courthouse. Aaron Hodges — founder of a local militia-style group that had started to show up at Black Lives Matter events in town — addressed the supervisors a week after the school board vote, saying he was there to “give you guys more of a warning.” Hodges said he was seeing “a lot of mistakes being made.” “If you keep giving in and if you keep feeding the beast, when it comes for you, don’t complain,” Hodges said. “Me and my people, we are going to be just fine. If you want to keep on doing this, you go right ahead giving in.” Hodges, who was in the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps with Fracker in high school, did not respond to requests for comment. Craighead held several protests in front of the statue of the Confederate soldier with dozens joining in each time. Again came the sounds of horns honked in support, as well as glares — and this time epithets. In late July, county supervisors said that before they took a public stand on the Confederate monument, they would ask county voters to weigh in. They placed a referendum on the November ballot in a county where about 8 percent of registered voters are Black. (Voter registration among Black people in Rocky Mount is higher, about 22 percent.) The results — in both the county and Rocky Mount — were not close. Two-thirds said they wanted to keep the statue at the courthouse. Two-thirds wanted Trump to remain president. In the final months of the presidential campaign, Jackie and Chris Fields started flying three flags on the 20-foot-tall pole in the front yard of their home in Rocky Mount. An American flag at the top, followed by a Trump flag and then a Confederate flag. A Rocky Mount police officer came by Jackie’s job at the Dollar General, located next door to their home, and told her the flags have “caused a lot of controversy in this town” and were making the family a target. The couple worried that Craighead and other Black Lives Matter members might protest in front of their home, but the two sides never talked, and no faceoff ever happened. To Chris Fields, the Confederate flag is about having “Southern pride.” He does not equate it with the Confederacy’s fight to preserve slavery. The Fieldses say they are confused about why — more than 150 years after the end of the Civil War — abolishing Confederate symbols from public buildings has become a hot-button issue in their small town. They understand why the officers’ presence in the Capitol on Jan. 6 is politically charged but do not see why it is also racially charged. Regardless, they believe the younger generation is responsible for making it so. “People like Bridgette Craighead are making the divide,” Jackie said. “People around here just want to get along. These younger people, they are so wrapped up in social media, they are taking it too far.” Joe Stanley, a White local activist who secured the photo of Robertson and Fracker that Craighead ultimately posted, said the reason people are bucking Craighead’s and Blue’s efforts is the same today as it was generations ago, when Macarthur McGhee said he and his Black classmates let insults pass in the hope that racial strife would subside. To explain, he sings lines from CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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a song, “Mississippi Goddam,” by the singer and civil rights activist Nina Simone: “All I want is equality/ For my sister my brother my people and me . . . I don’t trust you any more/ You keep on saying, ‘Go slow!’ ” As he sings, Stanley is driving by Franklin County High School, now free of Confederate symbols. Yet an unloaded 9mm gun is in the back seat of his beat-up BMW, a weapon given to him by a friend for protection about a month ago. He’s received veiled threats in response to public records requests he’s filed with the town government and the police department. “They tell you, it will happen in all due time,” he said. “If it’s meant to happen, it will happen. Don’t rush. Don’t stir things up. They try to encourage you to not make waves, to not try to achieve the change.” Yet neither the pace of change nor the need for it finds agreement here. The Fieldses and Bailey said they don’t believe racism exists in Rocky Mount. Racial and political tensions would subside, they say — if Craighead would stop “stirring things up.” “She had no reason to jump on those officers. She should have just left them alone,” said Bailey, who has concluded that Robertson and Fracker should not have entered the Capitol, but who also believes that they should not have been fired until the federal case is resolved. The two have pleaded not guilty, and no trial date has been set. “She’s a troublemaker,” he said. “If people like her would stop talking about racism, there wouldn’t be any racism.” Craighead is not slowing down, not going silent. She has her eye on much more for herself and her young son, whose safety she worries about if Rocky Mount does not change. She walked to Bailey’s autodetailing shop recently to talk about their dueling Facebook posts, but they failed to reach any common ground. They both acknowledge the encounter quickly devolved into an argument over who was to blame for the strain between the two of them,
JAHI CHIKWENDIU/THE WASHINGTON POST
Daquan Newbill, left, visits with Chris Fields Jr., center, and Chris Fields Sr. The Fields family has a hybrid U.S.-Confederate flag in their front yard that replaced separate U.S., Confederate and Trump flags.
for a conflict that has bled out into the town. After a few minutes, Craighead walked away. Bailey thinks it’s about his flags: “She wants to have a voice in this community. Well, those flags are my voice. I get to have a voice, too.” Craighead said the flags are not the issue. “What bothered me was when he went on Facebook and said I was a cop hater and I was a veteran hater. That is what got under my skin,” she said. “I
support and love all my officers and military veterans. What I don’t support is what happened on January 6th.” A few Saturdays ago, standing in front of her beauty shop as Bailey looked on from his flaglined fence, Craighead gathered enough signatures to get on the ballot: She has announced a run for a seat in the Virginia House of Delegates. She acknowledges that some may see her as just some “small-town cosmetologist” and may believe her effort is
“a joke.” “I know protesting wasn’t going to cut it. In order to really create change, I have to be in there, inside the walls where all the laws are being written,” she said. “I want to make sure that the laws are for everyone. Not for the benefit of some people and the suppression of others. I want to make sure they are fair for my son.” [email protected] Julie Tate contributed to this report.
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the coronavirus pandemic
New life for idea lab was start point WHO head says theory on Chinese facility as source not fully probed BY S HANE H ARRIS, E MILY R AUHALA, B EN G UARINO AND C HRIS M OONEY
Shortly after evidence emerged that a new coronavirus was spreading in the Chinese city of Wuhan in January 2020, speculation mounted about the origins of the lethal pathogen. Right-wing news outlets in the United States published tendentious and thinly sourced reports that the virus may have come from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, famous in the scientific community for researching coronaviruses in bats. In April, President Donald Trump suspended U.S. funding for the World Health Organization, which he accused of being subservient to Chinese officials, and said that the U.S. government was investigating the lab as a potential source of the virus. “A lot of people are looking at it — it seems to make sense,” he said. Since then, more information has accumulated that the virus may have first infected humans after moving through animals, and the “lab-leak theory” usually has been framed as a political distraction, promulgated by a president deflecting attention from his administration’s response to the pandemic, and not as a serious scientific question. No consensus has emerged on where the virus originated, and there are far more scientists who think it developed naturally than who entertain the possibility that it came from a lab. That made it all the more surprising when, on Tuesday, the head of the WHO said that his agency hadn’t sufficiently examined the lab scenario. “Although the [WHO] team has concluded that a laboratory leak is the least likely hypothesis, this requires further investigation, potentially with additional missions involving specialist experts, which I am ready to deploy,” Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a news conference marking the release of a highly anticipated report on the virus’s origins, which concluded that the virus probably jumped from an infected animal into a human. Tedros voiced frustration with the level of access Chinese authorities gave the WHO, an unusually public rebuke from an agency that has been mostly solicitous to Beijing. In recent interviews, some members of the WHO team that flew to Wuhan to gather information have acknowledged that they lacked the expertise, resources or mandate to determine whether the virus may have emanated
from a lab. The lab-leak theory is far from proved, but Tedros’s openness was applauded by those who have argued that some circumstantial evidence points to the Wuhan lab as a possible source. “Making these assertions despite the incredible pressure being placed on him and the WHO represented a bold defense of the organization’s integrity in the face of Chinese government efforts to manipulate and restrict the covid19 origins examination process,” said Jamie Metzl, a National Security Council staffer in the Clinton administration and a member of a WHO expert advisory panel, who had helped organize an open letter calling for more scrutiny of the Wuhan lab, unrestricted by Chinese authorities. Officially, the Biden administration is open to the possibility of a lab leak. A State Department document, published five days before Trump left office, and which has not been retracted, alleged that “several researchers” at the lab became sick in the fall of 2019 with covid-like symptoms, before the first identified case of the disease, and claimed that the lab “has engaged in classified research, including laboratory animal experiments, on behalf of the Chinese military since at least 2017.” Versions of the lab-leak theory imagine that an infected worker may have unknowingly passed the virus to others in Wuhan or that an infected animal may have escaped or been sold. Lab officials have said they possessed no samples of the virus, SARS-Cov-2. And Shi Zhengli, a renowned coronavirus researcher at the lab, has said none of the staff were infected and that the Chinese military has no connection to the institute. The WHO report states there
HECTOR REMATAL/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE/GETTY IMAGES
Thea Fischer, left, Peter Daszak, right, and others in the World Health Organization team investigating the origins of the coronavirus that sparked the global pandemic arrive at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in Wuhan in China’s central Hubei province on Feb. 3.
was no direct infection of workers but does not go into detail or recommend further research on this or other topics. From the outset, the WHO investigation was unlikely to unearth much evidence that the virus emanated from a lab. When a joint internationalChinese team convened in Wuhan in the final days of the Trump administration, their itinerary was focused on exploring possible paths of transmission between human and animals — and even a theory pushed primarily by the Chinese government about transmission via frozen seafood — rather than the lab hypothesis. The group visited the Wuhan Institute of Virology for a few hours, hearing about the lab’s research and safety record and getting assurances that scientists there were not working with viruses closely related to SARSCoV-2, according to interviews
New coronavirus cases, deaths and vaccine doses in the U.S., by day
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CASES Total 30,351,787
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Yesterday 61,533
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DEATHS Total 551,516
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Yesterday 853
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June July
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0 Feb. March 30 4m
VACCINE DOSES ADMINISTERED Total 147,602,345 Yesterday 1,789,510
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with three foreign scientists on the team and a summary included in the annexes of the WHO’s report. At a post-trip news conference, Peter Ben Embarek, a Danish food safety expert serving as the WHO lead, described the conversation with staff at the lab as “long, frank and open,” and he appeared satisfied with the short visit and Chinese assurances. “They’re the best ones to dismiss the claims and provide answers to all the questions,” he said, surprising some experts and U.S. officials, who were reluctant to take the staff’s word at face value. The international team’s level of interest in exploring the lab theory seemed low, either because they saw it as a politically motivated hoax, thought the evidence pointed in other directions, or did not believe the team had a mandate — or the appropriate staffing — to investigate a Chinese lab. Dominic Dwyer, an Australian microbiologist and infectiousdisease expert on the mission, said he didn’t think the possibility of a lab accident could be ruled out but stressed that the team wasn’t equipped to investigate the hypothesis. “So, I mean, yes, we did a threehour visit, and it was sort of managed in the sense that there’s a lot of people there and we did a tour,” he said. “But we did get to ask questions and so on.” Hung Nguyen-Viet, a Vietnamese expert on livestock and human health on the team described the institute as a “nice lab and well organized” and the discussions with Chinese scientists there as spirited but collaborative. Hung emphasized that the team agreed that a lab leak was the least likely path of the virus and therefore put their time and energy into exploring other hypotheses. “You would need another team and set of people who really have expertise” to investigate the hypothesis further, he said.
The WHO report also addressed suspicions that the Wuhan institute may have been experimenting with a virus related to SARS-Cov-2 before the outbreak, which in turn might have set the stage for an accidental release. At a mine in Mojiang, in China’s southern Yunnan province in 2013, scientists discovered the closest known relative to the coronavirus, called RaTG13. It shares 96 percent of its genetic identity with SARS-Cov-2. That’s hardly close enough to mean that RaTG13 itself could have sparked the pandemic. That 4 percent gap would take decades of evolutionary time to bridge. Still, RaTG13 may be an important clue to the coronavirus’s origins. Yet oddly to some observers, when lab staffers first showed how closely RaTG13 is related to the novel coronavirus, in an article in the journal Nature in early 2020, they did not highlight that it came from the mine. Nor did they note that in 2012, several mine workers who had been tasked with cleaning bat feces there were sickened with a respiratory illness that some have since argued resembles covid-19. Three died. The Wuhan institute scientists later acknowledged that the cases of the sickened miners initially drew them to conduct extensive research, since they “suspected that the patients had been infected by an unknown virus.” The new WHO report, however, says institute staffers told investigators the miners’ illnesses “were more likely explained by fungal infections acquired when removing a thick layer of guano,” or bat feces. The report does not elaborate on that suggestion, which is mentioned briefly in one of the report’s annexes under a category titled “Conspiracy Theories.” Meanwhile, there is a larger body of evidence that SARS-CoV-2 emerged in nature. “My view is: This is another example of a bat virus jumping
into humans, either directly or through an intermediate host,” said Tony Schountz, an expert in bat-borne viruses at Colorado State University. When asked whether a lab accident may have been responsible for the Wuhan outbreak, Schountz said it was possible “but, you know, tomorrow I could win the lottery.” Other virus specialists described WHO’s exploration as sufficient. “I’m not particularly disappointed that they didn’t dig deeper into the Wuhan Institute of Virology,” said Joel Wertheim, an associate professor of medicine at University of California at San Diego. “I don’t think that idea merited as much investigation as looking for the earliest cases.” Wertheim and his colleagues, in a paper published recently in the journal Science, suggested that the first case of covid-19 may have emerged as late as mid-October to mid-November 2019, before a large cluster of cases linked to a seafood market in Wuhan. In their models, Wertheim and his co-authors also found coronavirus outbreaks were much more likely than not to fizzle out, especially in rural communities with fewer connections between people. “It’s not fair to characterize this virus as sort of the perfect vessel for human-to-human transmission,” he said. The pathogen seemed to need a denser, urban area to become a pandemic. “Even if you believe this came through the lab, what you’d have to then show is that the lab had a virus that was very close to SARSCoV-2. They haven’t found that,” said David Robertson, head of viral genomics and bioinformatics at the University of Glasgow. If laboratory scientists “did have it, I don’t think they would have hidden it. It wouldn’t have occurred to them.” [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]
WHO chief, world leaders criticize China over access for virus researchers Concerns over Beijing’s influence have clouded report on outbreak BY
E MILY R AUHALA
The head of the World Health Organization, the U.S. government and 13 other countries on Tuesday voiced frustration with the level of access China granted an international mission to Wuhan — a striking and unusually public rebuke. The comments came as the team tasked with probing the origins of the coronavirus pandemic issued a report on its roughly month-long visit to the central Chinese city. The report, obtained by The Washington Post on Monday, offers the most detailed look yet at what happened in the early days of the outbreak, but it leaves key questions unanswered and has been overshadowed by concern about Chinese influence. WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a briefing to member states on Tuesday that he expected “future collaborative studies to include more timely and comprehensive data sharing” — the most pointed comments to date from an agency that has been solicitous toward China through most of the pan-
demic. He said there is a particular need for a “full analysis” of the role of animal markets in Wuhan and that the report did not conduct an “extensive enough” assessment of the possibility the virus was introduced to humans through a laboratory incident. The report, officially released Tuesday, concludes that the role of markets is unclear and that the idea it could have leaked from a Wuhan lab does not warrant further investigation. The United States, Britain, South Korea, Israel, Japan and others issued a joint statement Tuesday expressing concern. “Together, we support a transparent and independent analysis and evaluation, free from interference and undue influence,” it reads. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said at a news conference that the mission was denied access to crucial data and therefore presented “a partial and incomplete picture.” China, she said, has “not been transparent, they have not provided underlying data. That certainly doesn’t qualify as cooperation.” Though neither Tedros nor the joint letter named China directly, the message was clear — and is sure to be met with anger and deflection from Beijing. Chinese officials did not respond directly to the criticism on Tuesday, but the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on
DURSUN AYDEMIR/BLOOMBERG NEWS
World Health Organization Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus speaks Tuesday during a virtual news conference.
the report more generally, saying, “China has always been a supporter for global scientific research on the source of the virus and its transmission routes.” It added: “Study of origins is also a global mission that should be conducted in multiple countries and localities.” China has repeatedly defended its handling of the outbreak and praised the work of the mission to Wuhan. “Since the outbreak of COVID-19, how many lies and rumors and lies against China have been told by certain politicians, leaders and lawmakers in the U.S. and Europe, including those about China’s lab leak and making of the virus?” spokesperson Hua Chunying asked rhetori-
cally at a regular news briefing on Tuesday. “When some on the U.S. side pointed fingers at our laboratory in Wuhan, we openly invited the WHO mission for a visit and provided full cooperation. We have also given media access to foreign journalists. But can the U.S. side do the same, and invite international experts and media for a visit in an open and aboveboard manner?” The terms of reference for the Wuhan mission called for a collaboration between Chinese and foreign scientists, not an independent investigation or audit. Much of the data was collected by Chinese scientists ahead of the visit and then analyzed by the
joint team. Among the key findings is that the market linked to early cases was not necessarily the source of the virus, as some once believed, but may have been the site of an early outbreak as a virus that was circulating in December 2019 spread among stalls selling a variety of seafood and meat. The report notes that the earliest reported case, from Dec. 8, did not have any link to the Huanan market. The report also recommends further study of the possible path of transmission between species and through frozen food — a once-fringe theory favored by Beijing. Tedros said Tuesday that mission team members raised concerns to him about access to raw data needed for the report, according to a WHO transcript of his remarks. “The team reports that the first detected case had symptom onset on the 8th of December 2019. But to understand the earliest cases, scientists would benefit from full access to data, including biological samples from at least September 2019,” he said. The international team has defended its work, arguing that participants did important research under tough circumstances and calling for patience as scientists slowly sift through clues. “We have only scratched the surface of the complex set of
studies that need to be conducted,” Peter Ben Embarek, the WHO lead, said at a news conference Tuesday. In interviews, several members of the team stressed that it often takes years, if not decades, to identify the source of new viruses. The team concluded that it is extremely unlikely that the virus leaked from a lab — a theory many scientists dismiss for lack of evidence but that others are not ready to rule out, especially without additional proof of the means of transmission. Scientists on the trip made a single visit to the Wuhan Institute of Virology, a facility known for working with bat coronaviruses. They got a tour of the facility in the presence of staff members and officials, heard about the lab’s safety protocols, and were told the lab was not working with viruses close to SARS-CoV-2, as the novel coronavirus that causes covid-19 is officially known. The report appears to take assurances from staff members at the lab at face value. Tedros reiterated Tuesday that “all hypotheses remain on the table.” “Although the team has concluded that a laboratory leak is the least likely hypothesis, this requires further investigation,” he said, “potentially with additional missions involving specialist experts, which I am ready to deploy.” [email protected]
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the coronavirus pandemic
GOP stokes ‘passport’ fears VACCINE FROM A1
virus that has killed more than 550,000 Americans. Unlike some of the recent attacks from conservatives focused on cultural or economic issues that centered on children’s books and “Satan Shoes,” this one focuses directly on the Biden administration and taps into a longstanding warning from the right: that a powerful federal government will try to control the population. “There’s been this pent-up opposition to lockdowns and mask mandates and so this is building on that,” said David Boaz, executive vice president of the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank. “Now there’s this suggestion that if you don’t get a vaccine, you might not be able to do — we’re not quite sure what. I can see how there’s a market for that concern.” The attacks also focus on an area that’s been a strength for Biden: his handling of the pandemic. Under Biden’s watch, vaccine distribution has significantly ramped up and, according to federal survey data, reports of vaccine hesitancy are decreasing. Covid-19 deaths have also plummeted from January highs, in part because larger portions of older Americans have been inoculated. But there’s been an uptick in infections in recent days as states have relaxed coronavirus restrictions. Now the effort by some Republicans to create doubt about a vaccine passport program threatens to define the Biden administration effort while it’s still in the earliest phase, blunting its ability to roll out an idea that could be a popular project and putting the administration on the defensive. The discussion around a passport has been led by various industries, including airlines, entertainment venues and sports leagues. Biden administration officials have repeatedly said there will be no national mandate. Matt Gorman, a Republican strategist, said the fierce opposition from many in the party spawned organically and called the news that the White House is working with the business community on vaccine passports or certificates “a trial balloon that went over like a lead balloon.”
“A healthy distrust of government when it comes to health care is nothing new,” said Gorman, who used to work for the National Republican Congressional Committee. “It’s a line of messaging that has been very successful to Republicans going back to Obamacare and the like.” Paul Matzko, a historian and author of “The Radio Right,” a volume on how the conservative movement grew via talk radio, said a Democrat in the White House typically coincides with conspiracy theories growing on the right. The current fervor over a vaccine passport feeds into existing conservative narratives that Democratic administrations try to track and control the population. “This is a very old concern — this idea of globalized elites with a sinister plan for the world who are going to take away American sovereignty,” Matzko said. “They want us to be seen, we can’t escape them, we have a mark, whether it is a passport, or a chip or a bar code,” Matzko added, explaining the various manifestations of this theory. “It’s kind of outlandish.” The conservative attacks were launched after the White House took on a more significant role coordinating a private-sector-initiated vaccine passport effort — with administration officials preferring to refer to it as “vaccine verification” — as aides work with dozens of federal agencies to identify what vaccination data is available and how the passports could best be deployed, said five officials with knowledge of the efforts who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the private deliberations. Some federal agencies are actively working to help provide vaccine passports to their staff or people who use their services. The Department of Veterans Affairs, which provides health care to millions of military veterans, is “implementing a VA-issued vaccine credential,” according to slides obtained by The Post. The passport plan builds off work led by the Department of Health and Human Services to ensure that in-development passport data systems meet privacy and accessibility standards and are protected against fraud.
A wide range of private-sector and nonprofit organizations, including Microsoft and the World Health Organization, have been pursuing a range of possible systems, with IBM working with the state of New York to pilot one passport. Biden administration officials have said they’re trying to strike a delicate political balance: help coordinate the ongoing push for vaccine passports without it being perceived as governmentdriven or as White House overreach. “From a Federal perspective, vaccines and vaccine credentials are matters of individual choice — there is no mandate for either,” according to internal HHS slides obtained by The Washington Post. But the ubiquity of vaccine passports, driven by the private sector, “could become perceived as a Federal mandate even though there is none.” White House coronavirus coordinator Jeff Zients echoed some of those points Tuesday in a call with governors, according to a recording obtained by The Washington Post. “We’re not going to have any federally mandated, universal vaccine credential, and there will not be a federal database,” Zients said in response to questions by North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D), promising more information in the coming weeks. Officials also have been holding calls with business leaders, seeking to gauge their interest in vaccine passports and understand new concerns as the issue has become increasingly politicized. Asked about the project Monday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki described the administration effort as “focused on guidelines.” Psaki also noted that there will not be a centralized federal database showing who in the country has received vaccinations and there are no plans for any federal mandate that all citizens have a vaccination credential. She declined to provide any timeline about when federal guidance on the issue might be released. A growing number of travel and entertainment businesses have said they will require customers to prove they have been
DEMETRIUS FREEMAN/THE WASHINGTON POST
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said there are no plans for a mandatory vaccine credential and that there would be no centralized federal database showing who has received vaccinations.
vaccinated, but some major businesses have said they remain undecided. Carnival Corp. spokesman Roger Frizzell said the cruise-line giant was “encouraged” by recent vaccination breakthroughs but closely monitoring the “evolving situation” before imposing vaccine requirements. Carnival’s fleet includes the Diamond Princess and the Grand Princess, both of which became epicenters of coronavirus clusters in 2020. DeSantis has promised an executive order barring Florida from participating in any vaccination credentialing efforts and is urging the state’s legislature to act as well. The governor has become a leading opponent of pandemic restrictions and has often dismissed the advice of public health experts who have criticized his downplaying the importance of masks and other precautions. Some Republicans are supportive of a passport program. Longtime GOP pollster Frank Luntz said he’s working with the Bethesda, Md.-based de Beaumont Foundation, a public health organization, to survey voters on their reactions to vaccination passports, identify which mes-
sages were resonating and understand whether “passports” is the right term to describe the credentials. “It’s been politicized in two different directions,” said Luntz, arguing that liberals worry that a passport would widen inequities around who has access to vaccines and that conservatives fear it would limit their freedoms. Luntz said the growing politicization around the passports also threatened the entire initiative. “Unless the Biden administration tempers both sides down right now, they will find within days it becomes impossible to do. I’ve seen this movie and it doesn’t have a good ending,” he said. Some Democratic pollsters also acknowledge the issue could have some resonance, depending on how Biden handles the situation. Republicans do have concerns that Democrats, particularly in coordination with large technology firms, are seeking broad control over the citizenry, said Stan Greenberg, a Democratic pollster. “This will fit that narrative,” Greenberg said. “But that’s not America as a whole.” He said it’s unclear where conservatives will wage battles over
vaccination requirements, and he noted that schools and employers probably will require proof of vaccination. “I just think it puts them into an incredibly marginal position,” Greenberg said. One key to where the party goes on the issue of passports will probably be whether former president Donald Trump weighs in on the issue. Barry Bennett, a former Trump adviser, said the paranoia is probably overblown, and instead likened the passport idea to the yellow fever vaccination card he shows when traveling to countries in Africa. “For someone who travels international a great deal, I want to be able to prove in a secure format that I’ve been vaccinated so I can go see my clients,” Bennett said. “If you’re talking about having to show papers to get into 7-Eleven to get a Slurpee, I think that’s paranoia. I think people are talking past each other, which is typical Washington.” [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Isaac Stanley-Becker contributed to this report.
Michigan’s governor asks White House to rush vaccine doses to hot spots BY
I SAAC S TANLEY- B ECKER
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D), battling a surge of coronavirus infections in her state, appealed on Tuesday to White House officials to shift away from a strict population-based formula for vaccine allocation and instead rush more doses to hard-hit parts of the country. “I know that some national public health experts have suggested this as an effective mitigation tool,” she said during the White House coronavirus response team’s weekly call with governors, according to a recording of the conversation obtained by The Washington Post. “And I know we’d certainly welcome this approach in our state.” The inquiry reflects growing unease among state officials on the front lines of what health experts say could be a new wave of the virus already afflicting parts of Europe.
On call, Biden’s virus coordinator says formula for allocations will stand And it illustrates the pressure President Biden is under, even from his own party, to show he is taking steps to address disquieting trends after a prolonged period of declining infections. The accelerating pace of inoculations has not been sufficient to fend off case increases as more-transmissible variants circulate in the United States, especially among young people who have fallen sick in outbreaks tied to schools. As of Monday, Michigan’s seven-day average of new daily cases stood at 5,157, a 58 percent increase from a week ago and the steepest increase nationwide, according to Post data.
The state, where restrictions were recently relaxed, also reported the largest growth in that same time frame in coronavirus hospitalizations, which rose by more than 47 percent. But Jeff Zients, the White House’s coronavirus coordinator, told Whitmer the Biden administration is not inclined to change its formula for allocating vaccines. The federal government sends all three authorized vaccines to states and other jurisdictions based on the size of their populations, while setting aside separate portions for retail pharmacies, federally run mass vaccination sites and community health centers. “We have to make sure that everything is thought through and on the table,” Zients said, advising Whitmer to work with experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to ensure the increasing supply of shots is used most
effectively to protect vulnerable populations. Zients said a record weekly allocation to states of more than 21 million doses would provide governors with additional tools to curtail the virus. He also echoed Biden’s call for state and local leaders to reinstate mask mandates and pause their reopening plans. The formula for vaccine allocation was inherited from the Trump administration, though Biden’s team has significantly expanded the number of retail pharmacies where shots are available and has also deployed federal personnel to stand up about two dozen mass vaccination sites. Biden promised another 12 in remarks on Monday. These sites are chosen because they serve residents disproportionately burdened by the pandemic, officials say. As manufacturing continues to ramp up, some experts have sug-
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gested further changes to how vaccines are distributed. Citing outbreaks in particular states such as Michigan, Scott Gottlieb, a former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, said over the weekend that the Biden administration should “surge vaccine into those parts of the country.” With “the incremental vaccine that’s coming onto the market, I think the Biden administration can allocate to parts of the country that look hot right now,” he said on CBS News’s “Face the Nation.” By diverting some of the expanded supply to hot spots, the government could avoid cutting any current allocations to states, he told The Post on Tuesday. Arnold Monto, an epidemiologist at the University of Michigan and the chairman of the FDA’s vaccine advisory committee, said the government may also need to ad-
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just its formula to reflect waning demand for the shots in some parts of the country while others face continued scarcity. “I’m not sure what the solution is, but clearly there are some problems with distribution,” he said. Earlier this month, Whitmer loosened capacity limits for restaurants and other businesses, and eased restrictions on gatherings. Joneigh Khaldun, the state’s chief medical executive, told reporters last week that there was no single metric officials were using to decide whether to reimpose restrictions. In response to a question about whether the governor would heed Biden’s call to halt reopenings, a spokesman said Whitmer was monitoring trends and juxtaposed her gradual approach with moves made in some other states. isaac.stanley-becker @washpost.com
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Garland launches Justice review of hate-crime tracking Initiative part of Biden response to violence against Asian Americans BY
D AVID N AKAMURA
Attorney General Merrick Garland on Tuesday announced that the Justice Department will conduct a 30-day internal review to determine how the agency can bolster the tracking and prosecutions of hate crimes and bias incidents motivated around race, gender and other factors. In his first executive memo to staff since taking office, Garland said hate crimes have a “toxic effect” on society and emphasized that reports of rising discrimination and violence aimed at Asian
Americans during the coronavirus pandemic required “renewed energy and emphasis” from the federal law enforcement agency. Among the aims, he said, would be improving hate-crime data collection, prioritizing investigations and prosecutions, and using civil authorities to target unlawful acts of bias that do not meet the federal definition of a hate crimes. The Justice Department “will continue to seek justice for the victims of the hate-filled mass murders that we have seen too many times in the past several years,” Garland said, in the wake of mass shootings this month in Atlanta and Boulder, Colo. The Atlanta suspect, Robert Aaron Long, who is White, is charged with killing eight, including six Asian women, at three spas. The Boulder suspect, Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, is a native of Syria
who is charged with killing 10 at a grocery store. The move came as part of a broader Biden administration response Tuesday to mounting pressure from Asian American advocates. In a separate announcement, the White House said it would reinstate an initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) and allocate nearly $50 million in new grants at the Department of Health and Human Services to assist survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault with new AAPI outreach. “The AAPI community has endured a difficult, heart-wrenching year,” Sen. Tammy Duckworth (DIll.) said in a statement. “There is no doubt that our community is still at risk. I applaud President Biden for recognizing our community’s pain and taking concrete actions to protect AAPI individu-
als from violence and root out anti-Asian bias while also supporting the victims of hate crimes.” Five federal hate-crime statutes cover attacks motivated by race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or disability. A total of 47 states have a patchwork of their own hate-crime provisions. Under a 1990 law signed by President George H.W. Bush, the Justice Department has been required to track hate crimes nationwide every year, but the FBI’s count has been plagued by inconsistent reporting from more than 18,000 local law enforcement agencies. Last fall, the FBI reported 7,314 hate crimes nationwide in 2019, the most in a decade — but experts said the statistics were woefully inadequate because too few local
law enforcement agencies fully participate in federal data collection efforts. The FBI said that 15,588 law enforcement organizations participated in the 2019 hate-crimes study, but 2,172 agencies reported the total number of incidents contained in the report. Asian American community groups have begun tallies of their own through self-reporting portals. Stop AAPI Hate, a Californiabased collective founded after the start of the pandemic, announced it has logged nearly 3,800 incidents. Of those, 70 percent were slurs and name-calling, and about 11 percent constituted assaults. Some civil rights advocates have called for the Justice Department to tie federal grant funding to improved training and tracking of hate crimes. But legislation that would allocate more money for such initiatives stalled in the Sen-
ate last year amid opposition from Republicans after passing the House on a bipartisan vote. Many GOP lawmakers have said they believe hate-crime laws are redundant. Other civil rights advocates have cautioned against some efforts to bolster hate-crime units among local police, citing the potential for increased racial profiling and abusive tactics that could disproportionately harm African American communities. Police investigating the Atlanta shooting have said there is no evidence yet that Long was motivated by racial grievance. A patron of the spas, Long reportedly told investigators that he wanted to eliminate sexual “temptation.” But Asian American members of Congress and community leaders have called the shooting a hate crime. [email protected]
Chauvin lawyer spars with firefighter who says she was trying to help Floyd CHAUVIN FROM A1
Tuesday, including four girls who were under 18 when they saw Floyd being held to the ground by Chauvin and two other officers during a May 25 police investigation into an alleged counterfeit $20 bill. The jury also heard from firefighter Genevieve Hansen, who was off-duty and came across the scene while on a walk. Hansen burst into tears as she recounted begging officers to check Floyd’s pulse but being rebuffed. In hours of testimony, during which some jurors looked uncomfortable and shocked, the teenagers testified about their feelings of helplessness and, in some cases, fear as they confronted the Minneapolis officers detaining Floyd while he moaned and begged for his life and ultimately became unresponsive. “It wasn’t right,” Frazier told prosecutor Jerry Blackwell. “We all knew it wasn’t right.” The teens testified in open court, but their images were not shown on the courtroom live stream because they are minors. Prosecutors had expressed concern about further traumatizing the girls, all of whom testified in nervous, childlike voices about seeing the Black man die before their eyes — a horror that came as they were out buying snacks or running errands on a late-spring evening. One of the witnesses — Alyssa Funari, 18 — described how she had driven to Cup Foods, the store where the incident happened, to buy a charging cord for her phone and found Floyd moaning under the pressure of Chauvin’s knee. Like Frazier, she began filming — and watched as Floyd’s eyes rolled back in his head and he stopped moving. “It was difficult because I felt like there wasn’t really anything I could do,” Funari said tearfully, pausing several times to regain her composure. “I knew time was running out or that it had already
. . . that he was going to die.” Kaylynn Ashley Gilbert, 17, said she drove up to the scene with a friend, who had testified earlier, and eventually got out of the car. She saw Floyd “unconscious,” she said, Chauvin kneeling on his neck — “kind of digging in his knee” and “putting a lot of pressure on his neck that wasn’t needed.” Floyd “wasn’t talking anymore, and when we pulled up, he was talking,” Gilbert said. “His eyes were closed. He wasn’t moving.” She recalled asking officers: “Why are you guys still on top of him? He’s not doing anything wrong.” For a second straight day, the jury was presented with bystander video of Floyd’s death — including cellphone footage shot by Frazier, Funari and Hansen — with Floyd’s moans punctuating the quiet downtown Minneapolis courtroom. The former officer, who is charged with second- and thirddegree murder and second-degree manslaughter, often averted his eyes, but he showed no emotion as the footage was played on courtroom screens. Frazier testified that she began filming the scene because she sensed that what was happening to Floyd “wasn’t right.” She described Floyd as “terrified, scared, begging for his life.” “It seemed like he knew it was over for him,” Frazier said. “He was suffering.” The girls described how as Floyd stopped moving, the small group of bystanders that had formed began yelling for Chauvin to get off Floyd and for Chauvin or one of the other officers at the scene — J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas K. Lane and Tou Thao — to check his pulse. “(Chauvin) just stared at us, looked at us. He had like this cold look, heartless. He didn’t care. It seemed as if he didn’t care what we were saying,” Frazier testified. As the crowd became more
emotional and yelled louder for the officers to check on Floyd, Chauvin reached for his mace, and two of the girls recalled feeling “scared” at what the officer might do. “I felt like I was in danger when he did that,” Frazier told the jurors, as several looked toward her sympathetically. “I felt threatened.” A few seconds later, prosecutors asked her to identify Chauvin, who stood and removed his mask so that Frazier could see him. The former officer, who looked uncomfortable, briefly glanced her way before taking his seat again. Frazier, in a choked voice barely above a whisper, described him at one point as “the officer that was kneeling on George Floyd’s neck.” Later, Hansen described how she became concerned when she saw Floyd unresponsive with three officers atop him. Floyd’s face looked “puffy and swollen, which would happen if you are putting a grown man’s weight on someone’s neck,” she said. She also recalled seeing what looked like fluid coming from his body and how it reminded her of patients who “release their bladder when they die.” She recalled trying to intervene and being pushed back by Thao, who expressed skepticism that she was really a firefighter. She said Chauvin ignored her pleas and kept his knee on Floyd’s neck. “In my memory, he had his hand in his pocket,” she said. “He looked so comfortable.” Chauvin’s defense successfully argued to limit Hansen from saying she could have saved Floyd’s life. But the firefighter came close, describing what she would have done if officers had “granted” her access to the scene. “I would have checked his airway. I would have been worried about a spinal cord injury because he had so much weight on his neck,” she said. “I would have checked for a pulse. And when I didn’t find a pulse, if that was the case, I would have started com-
COURT TV/POOL/REUTERS
pressions.” Hansen testified that she was mystified at why emergency workers didn’t respond to the scene more quickly, pointing out there was a fire station three blocks from the scene. She said she later called 911 to report the officers. “I should have called 911 immediately, but I didn’t,” she said. Under defense cross examination, she sparred with attorney Eric Nelson, who pressed her on whether it was proper for someone to interfere with the police and how she, as a firefighter, would react to someone telling her how to do her job. “I know my job, and I would be confident in doing my job, and there’s nothing anybody could do to distract me,” she shot back. Nelson pointed out that she became “angry” at the scene — which Hansen didn’t dispute, adding that she also felt “desperate” to save Floyd’s life. “I don’t know if you’ve seen anybody be killed but it’s upsetting,” Hansen said. The tense back and forth led Hennepin County Judge Peter A. Cahill to dismiss the jury and admonish Hansen to not argue with Nelson. “You will not argue with the court,” Cahill said. “You’ll not argue with counsel. They have the right to ask questions. Your job is to answer.” Hansen’s testimony will continue Wednesday. Proceedings resumed Tuesday with the continued testimony of Donald Williams II, a former wrestler turned mixed martial arts fighter, who testified that he tried to intervene because he believed Chauvin was holding Floyd
JOSHUA LOTT/THE WASHINGTON POST
TOP: Judge Peter A. Cahill admonished firefighter Genevieve Hansen not to argue with the defense lawyer, who pressed her about interfering with police after she said she tried to intervene and help George Floyd. ABOVE: Floyd’s brother Rodney Floyd, left, and nephew Brandon Williams outside the Minneapolis court.
using a move called a “blood choke,” which cuts circulation to a person’s neck and can be dangerous if held too long. Nelson questioned him extensively on martial arts moves, including whether he had ever seen someone choked unconscious and then awaken ready to fight — an implication that the officers had reason to restrain the handcuffed Floyd even after he stopped moving. Nelson, who has argued that Chauvin and the other officers felt threatened by the bystanders around them, asked Williams about his increasing anger at the scene and accused him of threatening the officers. “You can’t paint
me out as angry,” Williams responded, adding that he was in control and displaying “professionalism.” At one point, he winked at Nelson as the men verbally sparred. Williams explained he was increasingly upset because Chauvin and the officers “were not listening to anything I was telling them” and that someone had to “speak out for Floyd.” He later called 911 to report Chauvin, giving the operator the officer’s badge number. “I believed I witnessed a murder,” he testified. [email protected] Hannah Knowles and Paulina Villegas contributed to this report.
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The World Cuba could become a vaccine powerhouse With a history of biotech skill, the communist island is developing inoculations that could be shared with other nations — and would serve as a PR coup AND
BY A NTHONY F AIOLA A NA V ANESSA H ERRERO
Cuban leader Fidel Castro vowed to build a biotech juggernaut in the Caribbean, advancing the idea in the early 1980s with six researchers in a tiny Havana lab. Forty years later, the communist island nation could be on the cusp of a singular breakthrough: Becoming the world’s smallest country to develop not just one, but multiple coronavirus vaccines. Five vaccine candidates are in development, two in late-stage trials with the goal of a broader rollout by May. Should they prove successful, the vaccines would be an against-the-odds feat of medical prowess — as well as a public relations coup — for an isolated country of 11 million that was added back to the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism in the final days of the Trump administration. Cuban officials say they’re developing cheap and easy-to-store serums. They are able to last at room temperature for weeks, and in long-term storage as high as 46.4 degrees, potentially making them a viable option for low-income, tropical countries that have been pushed aside by bigger, wealthier nations in the international scrum for coronavirus vaccine doses. They could also make Cuba the pharmacist for nations lumped by Washington into the “axis of evil” and “troika of tyranny.” Iran and Venezuela have inked vaccine deals with Havana. Iran has agreed to host a Phase 3 trial of one of Cuba’s most promising candidates — Soberana 2 — as part of a technology transfer agreement that could see millions of doses manufactured in Iran. “We have great confidence in Cuban medical science and biotechnology,” Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza told The Washington Post this week. “It will not only be fundamental for Venezuela, but for the Americas. It will be the true solution for our people.” That could bring prestige to a government under fire for a crackdown in recent months on free-speech protests led by artists, poets and gay rights activists, known as the San Isidro movement. “In the public eye, it would soften the image of a country that’s being accused of doing some pretty bad things,” said Eric Farnsworth, a critic of the Cuban government and vice president of the Council of the Americas and the Americas Society. “It undermines the message that Cuba is a broadly authoritarian country that can’t produce anything good.” If Phase 3 trials are positive, Cuban authorities said this week, they would move to a vast “intervention study” that would inoculate almost all the residents of Havana, or 1.7 million people, by May. By August, they would aim to reach 60 percent of the national population, with the rest getting doses by year’s end. If reached, that ambitious target could rank Cuba — a country
RAMON ESPINOSA/POOL/ASSOCIATED PRESS
The Soberana 2 coronavirus vaccine is tested on volunteers in Havana earlier this month. Five vaccine candidates are in development in Cuba. Two, including the Soberana 2 inoculation, are in late-stage trials, with the goal of a broad rollout in May.
where the average scientific researcher earns about $250 a month — among the first nations in the world to reach herd immunity, putting it in a position to lure vaccine tourists and to export surpluses of what officials claim could reach 100 million doses by year’s end. “The main contribution will be to immunize the entire Cuban population and control the transmission of the virus,” Eduardo Martínez Díaz, president of BioCubaFarma, the state conglomerate overseeing Cuba’s vaccine development, said in a written response to questions from The Washington Post last week. “The country will be able to return to normality and it will be safe for those who want and decide to visit the island.” For Cuba, it would happen at a critical time. Following relatively low infection rates last year, the island’s coronavirus numbers have been spiking in recent weeks, making it one of several new hot spots in hard-hit Latin America. But some critics warn the government might be moving too fast, pushing an experimental vaccine on a broad populace in an effort to quickly regain lost tourist dollars. “This is not a proven vaccine,” warned Norges Rodríguez, cofounder of YucaByte, a website on Cuban affairs. “They are using the people to try this out, and then have tourists come and get it. It’s very odd they want to do this on such a large scale so soon.” Cuba is an authoritarian, oneparty state with strict curbs on free speech, political activism and economic freedoms. But investments in education and health care planted the seed of what is today an unusually sophisticated
RAMON ESPINOSA/POOL/EPA-EFE/SHUTTERSTOCK
A nurse in Havana takes a doctor’s blood pressure after he received a dose of the Soberana 2 vaccine.
biotechnology apparatus for a small developing country, with at least 31 research companies and 62 factories with over 20,000 workers. Cuba expanded its ambitions in the early 1980s, when Castro — known for devouring bimonthly briefings on the New England Journal of Medicine — became intrigued by the notion of producing interferon to fight an outbreak of dengue fever. Today, Cuba produces eight of the 11 vaccines mandated domestically, and it exports them to more than 30 nations. In 2017, clinical trials of Cuba’s Cimavax immunotherapy treatment against lung cancer launched at the Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in New York. “Even by Western standards, there are some really nice labs in Cuba,” said former Cuban lab researcher Amilcar Pérez Riverol, now a fellow at the São Paulo State University in Brazil. “The problem is always other things.
Like Internet connections. Problems with parts and equipment.” Cuba’s most advanced coronavirus vaccine candidates — Soberana 2 and Abdala — require two to three doses. “The levels of immunity that both vaccines are generating are high,” Martínez said. He said Cuban scientists were in the midst of preparing clinical data on their vaccines for international release. Jarbas Barbosa, assistant director of the Pan American Health Organization, suggested this week that it could take up to six months for World Health Organization approval of the Cuban vaccine candidates — that is, if they prove effective. “We welcome all the developments of vaccines, but all vaccines in the world … need to achieve the same criteria to ensure quality, safety and efficacy,” he told reporters. Should Cuba’s vaccines succeed, its researchers will have overcome even more hurdles
than their peers in Western labs — including shortages of equipment, spare parts and other supplies, due in part to U.S. sanctions. Franco Cavalli, president of MediCuba Europe, a cluster of nonprofit organizations that assist Cuba’s biotech research, said the group provided Havana last year with a $500,000 piece of equipment it needed to assess coronavirus vaccine effectiveness. “There are times when even we have problems buying anything for them as soon as we tell [suppliers] it’s for Cuba,” Cavalli said. “Even in Europe, after Trump, anything we tried to do for Cuba got harder.” A successful vaccine could become a vital new source of revenue for Cuba, which has been suffering a brutal economic crisis that has citizens waiting hours in line to buy scarce food, soap and toothpaste. The economy worsened under Trump-era sanctions that tightened the long-standing U.S. economic embargo of Cuba by curbing remittances, scaling back U.S. flights, ending cruise ship passenger traffic and further complicating Cuba’s access to the global financial system. President Biden has called for renewed detente, but he has made no such moves yet. A coronavirus vaccine could also prove a literal shot in the arm for other nations under U.S. sanctions, particularly Venezuela and Iran. Iran’s supreme leader announced in January that he had banned the import of U.S.- and British-made coronavirus vaccines, calling them “completely untrustworthy.” Iranian officials nevertheless ordered more than 4 million doses of AstraZeneca’s vaccine, while omitting mention of the vaccine’s British ties in
public announcements. BritishSwedish pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca jointly developed its coronavirus vaccine with Oxford University. Days later, Cuba and Iran jointly announced that Havana’s top vaccine candidate would be tested on 55,000 Iranian volunteers as part of a wider agreement to scale up immunization in both countries. A spokesman for Iran’s health ministry said the agreement would allow technology transfer to Iran and joint production of doses. Iranian health officials have suggested as many as 40 million doses could result. Asked about Cuba’s vaccine alliance with Iran, the U.S. State Department said in a statement that “the United States supports the rapid rollout of any effective vaccine that meets standards of efficacy, safety, and manufacturing quality as part of national and global strategies to combat the pandemic,” but it cautioned that “robust regulatory and scientific reviews are critical to the confidence of the global community.” Cuba has suggested it will provide its vaccines free or at cost to poorer nations. But it could charge a premium to others, making money in a manner similar to the profits it reaps from its medical brigades, or emergency teams of doctors and nurses experienced in combating global outbreaks and dispatched in large numbers last year to aid hard-hit countries in the coronavirus fight. Ronald Sanders, ambassador of Antigua and Barbuda to the United States, says Western vaccines have been priced out of the reach of smaller nations, and Covax, the multilateral effort to develop and distribute coronavirus vaccine doses, hasn’t moved fast enough. “We would do a bilateral arrangement with Cuba,” he said. “Europe, the U.S. and Canada bought up the all the vaccines already. So if Cuba does pass its trials, and the WHO does approve it, yes, we will be in line for it, and gratefully so. And I would be surprised if the Cubans charged us more than cost and a minor amount of money.” Having a population almost fully vaccinated — and offering doses to foreign visitors — could also help Cuba offset a dramatic drop in tourism receipts during the pandemic. A vaccine triumph could also elevate Havana’s diplomatic clout, engendering goodwill with nations that receive its vaccines. The names of its most advanced vaccines — Soberana 2 suggesting Cuban sovereignty, Abdala taken from a poem by the Cuban independence hero José Martí — appear intended to stir Cuban hearts and minds. “Cuba thinks that this vaccine will give them political credit,” said Michel Matos, a member of the San Isidro movement. “If anything, this will serve as [more] propaganda.” [email protected] [email protected] Kareem Fahim in Istanbul contributed to this report.
DI GEST MEXICO
Crowd holds troops in killing of Guatemalan About 300 residents of a remote stretch of the MexicoGuatemala border held 15 Mexican soldiers captive for hours after one of the soldiers fatally shot a Guatemalan citizen at a checkpoint. Mexican Defense Secretary Luis Cresencio Sandoval said Tuesday that the events stemmed from “an erroneous reaction on the part of military personnel” who fired on a vehicle reversing away from a checkpoint on Monday. The soldiers were released after Mexican officials agreed to economic reparations and legal proceedings against those responsible. Guatemala’s Foreign Ministry said a Guatemalan citizen living in the Mexican border town of Mazapa de Madero was the victim. The killing came two days after police in the Mexican Caribbean resort town of Tulum killed a Salvadoran woman while trying to arrest her in a case that echoed that of George Floyd in the United States.
Mexican prosecutors said that an autopsy showed police had broken the woman’s neck and that they would be charged with femicide. The confrontation Monday in Chiapas state began at a military checkpoint in the town of Motozintla, an area where authorities say fuel smuggling is an issue. The victim’s vehicle went into reverse after approaching the checkpoint, and a soldier opened fire. Sandoval said soldiers tried to treat the wounded person, but he died. Troops then detained the vehicle, two other passengers and the soldier who fired. Two hours later, about 300 area residents, both Mexicans and Guatemalans, arrived demanding justice. — Associated Press
MYANMAR
More air raids as junta targets minority in east Violence in eastern Myanmar, including air raids that drove thousands of members of the Karen ethnic minority to seek shelter across the border in Thailand, deepened Tuesday with new air attacks by the military, which seized power from an
BRUNA PRADO/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Commuters wearing masks to protect against the coronavirus crowd a bus in Rio de Janeiro. Brazil is logging daily record highs in new cases. At an average of 2,400 deaths a day, the country accounts for a quarter of daily covid-19 fatalities worldwide, data shows.
political body representing the Karen minority, confirmed that the raids Tuesday left six civilians dead and 11 wounded. The KNU said the attacks were the latest breach of a cease-fire accord by the military. The group has long been fighting for greater autonomy for the Karen people. The attacks mark a further escalation amid the crackdown by Myanmar’s junta on protests over its Feb. 1 takeover of the country. At least 510 protesters have been killed since the coup, according to Myanmar’s Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, which says the actual toll is probably much higher. Protests continued Tuesday despite the deaths of more than 100 people on Saturday alone. — Associated Press ICC holds reparations ceremony for Timbuktu mausoleums: The
elected government last month. Thailand’s leader denied that his security forces had forced back to Myanmar villagers who had fled the military airstrikes over the weekend, saying they returned home of their own accord. “We won’t push them back,”
Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said. “If they are having fighting, how can we do so? But if they don’t have any fighting at the moment, can they go back first?” Saw Taw Nee, head of the foreign affairs department of the Karen National Union, the main
International Criminal Court made a symbolic reparations payment of 1 euro to Malian officials, after paying for the restoration of historic mausoleums in Timbuktu that were destroyed by Islamist extremists. Authorities say the destruction of the World Heritagelisted sites also was a financial
blow to Timbuktu residents, crippling tourism in the fabled desert city. The extremists seized control of Timbuktu and other towns across northern Mali in 2012. Later that year, they destroyed the mud-brick mausoleums that covered saints’ tombs, condemning them as totems of idolatry. A French-led military operation forced the extremists from power in Timbuktu the following year, though they later regrouped. Russia jails Jehovah’s Witness for alleged extremism: A court in
Russian-controlled Crimea sentenced a member of the Jehovah’s Witnesses to 61/2 years in prison after finding him guilty of organizing extremist activities. The verdict comes amid a crackdown on the group, which Russia has branded as extremist and banned from operating in the country in 2017. The court did not disclose the defendant’s name. Nor did it say what he had done to be charged. A Jehovah’s Witnesses office in Brussels identified the man and said the case, like “many similar cases against Jehovah’s Witnesses, contains a testimony of a secret witness.” — From news services
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A MANDA C OLETTA
toronto — Helmut Oberlander and his wife disembarked from the Arosa Kulm in Quebec in 1954 and began building a new life together. The couple settled in Waterloo, Ontario, where Oberlander became a successful real estate developer. They started a family and gained Canadian citizenship in 1960. World War II appeared to be in the rearview mirror. But decades later, the past would come back to hover over them. During the war, Oberlander served as an interpreter for a roving Nazi death squad that killed at least 20,000 people in the eastern occupied territories. Canada stripped him of his citizenship 20 years ago for concealing those activities from immigration authorities. Now, prosecutors are in a race against time to deport the 97-year-old, whose removal case is the country’s last dating to World War II. On Tuesday, Oberlander’s legal battle entered a new — and potentially final — phase, after the Federal Court of Canada held a hearing on his motion to end the deportation proceedings because of an “abuse of process.” Justice Denis Gascon reserved his decision. Oberlander claims he was conscripted and never killed anyone. He says he spent his time doing menial tasks such as shining officers’ boots and guarding grain barges. He has never been charged with a crime. “Mr. Oberlander has been unjustly persecuted for 24 years by the Government of Canada,” Oberlander’s family said in 2019. “The Government of Canada has never produced a shred of evidence against Mr. Oberlander. No such evidence exists because he has never directly or indirectly contributed to any crime.” Critics say the late-starting and much-delayed effort to deport Oberlander illustrates Cana-
da’s poor record of bringing accountability for the atrocities of the 20th century. Irwin Cotler, chair of the Raoul Wallenberg Center for Human Rights in Montreal and a former Canadian justice minister, has followed the proceedings closely. “The Oberlander case must be seen against the backdrop of a failed policy that failed to bring war criminals to justice to begin with,” he said. Fears that Canada was a haven for Nazis ebbed and flowed after the war. Outcry surged in 1985 amid reports that scores of Nazis, including Josef Mengele, the doctor who conducted horrific medical experiments on prisoners at death camps, had slipped into Canada, or tried to. Prime Minister Brian Mulroney tapped Judge Jules Deschênes to chair a commission to investigate. The panel reported in 1986 that it had established “beyond a reasonable doubt” that Mengele had never entered Canada and dismissed as “grossly exaggerated” estimates putting the number of Nazi war criminals in the country in the thousands. But it also said that Canada, like many Western peers, had “devoted not the slightest energy” to their search or prosecution. It traced that apathy to 1948, when Britain dispatched a secret telegram to several dominions, including Canada, suggesting that as many cases as possible involving suspected Nazi war criminals be “disposed of ” by the end of August. “In our view, punishment of war criminals is more a matter of discouraging future generations than of meting out retribution to every guilty individual,” Britain’s postwar government said. It asked for comment; Canada said it had none. Cotler, a lawyer, represented the Canadian Jewish Congress as counsel before the commission. “Those of us advocating for bringing Nazi war criminals to justice knew about the government’s inaction,” he said. “We didn’t know the extent to which there had been complicity in that inaction.” Oberlander, an ethnic German, was born in southeastern Ukraine. Fluent in German, Rus-
CENTER FOR ISRAEL AND JEWISH AFFAIRS
Helmut Oberlander, now 97, was an interpreter for a Nazi death squad in World War II. He maintains that he never killed anyone.
sian and Ukrainian, he was 17 years old when he became an interpreter with the Einsatzkommando 10a, a subgroup of the Einsatzgruppen death squads, in 1941. “Helmut Oberlander was never a Nazi and never subscribed to the Nazi ideology,” his daughter Irene Rooney wrote in the Waterloo Region Record in 2015. “ . . . We should never forget the atrocities that happened in the Second World War. However, holding Helmut Oberlander responsible for the crimes of the Nazi regime is intolerable.” Oberlander was questioned by German officials in Toronto in 1970 in a separate war crimes investigation. He told them that he didn’t know his unit’s name or that it was responsible for executing Jews. In 2000, Federal Court of Canada Judge Andrew MacKay said there was no evidence he took part in those atrocities, but it was “implausible” that he was unaware of EK 10a’s name. He found that Oberlander had obtained Canadian citizenship “by false representation or by knowingly concealing material circumstances.” The federal cabinet revoked Oberlander’s citizenship in 2001, 2007 and 2012. He won appeals of those decisions. The cabinet revoked Oberlander’s citizenship a fourth time in 2017, and it was upheld. “The Applicant’s work as an interpreter facilitated the screening process for executions and
served as an important step toward the realization of EK 10a’s criminal purpose,” Federal Court Judge Michael Phalen wrote in 2018. An admissibility hearing before the Immigration and Refugee Board, which could deport Oberlander, was scheduled last month. It appeared to be a final chapter in the case, but was temporarily stayed after a judge agreed that Oberlander’s hearing disability and the resulting communication difficulties — made worse by the pandemic — compromised “procedural fairness.” Deschênes, the chair of Mulroney’s commission, listed remedies for dealing with alleged war criminals: Extradition; criminal prosecution, which would require amendments to the law; and denaturalization and deportation. The last of these should be a “last resort,” he wrote, because it’s “cumbersome” and doesn’t address the “substantive issues of war crimes” — it merely sends the suspect to another country. The commission drafted a list of cases. It recommended that most be closed because suspects had died or moved, or there was insufficient evidence. It marked 218 others for further investigation and recommended Ottawa take “urgent action” in 20 cases. No names were listed in the public report. Oberlander’s name appeared in a secret report, obtained through a public records request, among the urgent action cases. The commission said allegations
against him first appeared in communist publications in the 1960s. It reviewed records — photos, service records, sworn witness statements — from West Germany, Israel and the United States. They confirmed that Oberlander was an interpreter for the EK 10a. No witness “[recalled] his participating in particular shootings,” the commission said. One witness, Leo Maar, another interpreter in the unit, recalled an operation in which Jews were stripped of valuables in a house. Oberlander interpreted for a young girl who was crying, Maar told the Munich prosecutor’s office, and was told to tell her that she was Russian, not Jewish, and free to go. The District Court of Munich closed Oberlander’s file in 1970 due to “insufficient evidence” that he was a direct participant in war crimes. The commission said it was “improbable” Canada would find other evidence against him and advised against prosecution. But it did recommend revoking his citizenship for failing to disclose his membership in those groups to immigration officials. Oberlander’s lawyers claim in filings that the government never disclosed the “highly probative” secret report and its recommendation against prosecution, which they called an abuse of process. Meva Motwani, a Justice Department lawyer, argued at Tuesday’s hearing that Oberlander had failed to show he hadn’t received the report and that its findings were not “exculpatory.” Ottawa passed war crimes legislation in 1987. But in 1994, the Supreme Court of Canada upheld the acquittal of a former Hungarian gendarmerie captain accused of deporting thousands of Jews to concentration camps, allowing the defense of “obedience to superior orders” in some circumstances. That made prosecuting alleged war criminals “impractical,” according to the Justice Department, so Canada shifted its strategy to revoking citizenship and deporting those who hid their wartime activities from officials.
Justice Department spokesman Ian McLeod said Canada has taken action in 27 cases tied to World War II since the 1980s. Ten resulted in revocations of citizenship; four criminal prosecutions were unsuccessful. Several suspects died before proceedings ended or were deported. Canada replaced its war crimes law in 2000. Its program now focuses on contemporary conflicts, including in Rwanda, Iraq and the former Yugoslavia. Fannie Lafontaine, a law professor at Laval University, said the law was supposed to “revive” criminal prosecutions, but has fallen short of expectations. It has led to two prosecutions, both linked to the Rwandan genocide. One defendant was acquitted. In 2016, the Justice Department published an evaluation of the war crimes program based on interviews with people involved in Canada and around the world. It praised the admissibility screening processes, but some questioned the country’s preference for cost-effective immigration remedies over prosecutions. The Justice Department reported that the program had operated with the same $12.4 million annual budget per year since 1998 and was showing signs of “financial strain,” impacting its ability to carry out prosecutions. McLeod said the program prioritizes cases based on “available resources” and factors such as the gravity of the offenses, the availability and accessibility of evidence and the presence of diaspora groups in Canada that might have been victims. Since 2011, Germany has been reopening some old cases and prosecuting low-level Nazi officials such as guards and switchboard operators as accessories to a murderous system even if there’s no evidence linking them directly to specific killings. “This whole system — the concentration camps and the prisoner of war camps and the Einsatzgruppen — would not have been possible without a lot of people that were working there,” said Thomas Will, a German prosecutor. [email protected]
Oscar Spotlight ®
“Crip Camp” Nominated for the Academy Award® for Best Documentary Feature Wednesday, March 31 3:00pm Washington, D.C. To register, visit: wapo.st/cripcamp
Film directors, producers and writers Nicole Newnham and James Lebrecht discuss their Academy-Award® nominated documentary that follows the birth of the disability rights movement, “Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution.” The film starts in 1971 at Camp Jened, a camp for teens with disabilities and focuses on how those campers become activists in their fight for accessibility legislation.
Nicole Newnham
Jim Lebrecht
Director, Writer, Producer “Crip Camp”
Director, Writer, Producer “Crip Camp”
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Inquiry defends police actions at vigil BY
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london — London police did not act in a heavy-handed manner at a vigil for Sarah Everard, an independent watchdog concluded, although it acknowledged that the event was a public relations disaster. A report by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services published Tuesday found that Metropolitan Police officers “did not act inappropriately” and were “justified in adopting the view that the risks of transmitting COVID-19 at the vigil were too great to ignore.” Like officers in the United States, police in Britain are under heightened scrutiny over their handling of large demonstrations in the pandemic era, including Black Lives Matter protests and vigils for Everard. Just last week, protesters in the English city of Bristol clashed with police during a gathering to denounce legislation that would give authorities more powers to clamp down on rallies. Matt Parr, who led the team that looked into the Everard vigil, said in a statement, “After reviewing a huge body of evidence — rather than a snapshot on social media — we found that there are some things the Met could have done
But London event for slain woman is called a PR ‘disaster’ for the force better, but we saw nothing to suggest police officers acted in anything but a measured and proportionate way in challenging circumstances.” He said that some armchair critics were too quick to judge the situation. Shortly after images and video footage of scuffles at the vigil circulated online, figures from across the political spectrum criticized the police actions. “Condemnation of the Met’s actions within mere hours of the vigil — including from people in positions of responsibility — was unwarranted, showed a lack of respect for public servants facing a complex situation, and undermined public confidence in policing based on very limited evidence,” Parr said. The killing of Everard, a 33year-old marketing executive who disappeared while walking home on March 3 and whose remains were found a few days later, sparked a national outcry over gender-based violence. Wayne
Couzens, a police officer, has been charged in Everard’s death and is scheduled to stand trial later this year. Gatherings in Everard’s memory were officially canceled after talks between organizers and police broke down over disagreements about the legality of groups congregating amid lockdown restrictions. But on March 13, people began gathering at a bandstand in London’s Clapham Common, a park Everard may have walked through on her way home. Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, was among the hundreds who came to the park during the day to place flowers. In the report, the inspectors said the scene began to turn around 6 p.m., after the crowd held a minute’s silence. That was followed by a “rally, complete with microphones, a public address system, placards and a dense crowd. Police made nine arrests as they moved to disperse the crowd,” the report said. Images from the scene went viral, including those of a woman shouting as officers held her hands behind her back. The optics of officers arresting women at a vigil for a woman alleged to have been killed by an officer caused an
Germany limits use of vaccine People under 60 won’t receive AstraZeneca shot because of clot concerns BY L OVEDAY M ORRIS AND L UISA B ECK JOSHUA BRATT/EPA-EFE/SHUTTERSTOCK
Police enforcing covid-19 restrictions lead away a woman during the March 13 vigil for Sarah Everard, who was abducted and slain.
uproar. The inspectors reviewed hundreds of documents and bodycamera footage from police, and they conducted interviews with a number of groups. The inspectors said that an officer was told “I hope you get raped,” another was punched in the face, and another had a baton taken. One police supervisor told the watchdog: “This felt like two events running at the same time, in the same place, with the crowd partaking in a protest whilst people on the outside (were) having a respectful vigil.”
The report also criticized the Met Police for some of their public statements after the vigil. “The media coverage of this incident led to what many will conclude was a public relations disaster for the Metropolitan Police. It was on a national and international scale, with a materially adverse effect on public confidence in policing,” the watchdog said. While the inspectors cleared the police of wrongdoing, they said that “a more conciliatory response might have served the force’s interests better.” [email protected]
What the Ever Given taught us about the world On Monday afternoon in Egypt, the tide turned. An ISHAAN armada of THAROOR tugboats, dredgers and salvage crews had toiled for days to move the Ever Given — a massive container ship that managed to get stuck between the Suez Canal’s banks last Tuesday — out of its rut. The mishap choked off the Suez Canal, a man-made strait that sees more than a tenth of all global shipping pass through every year, for almost a week. While it provided no end of memes and mirth on social media, the blockage cost an estimated $9.6 billion in daily delays and served as a reminder of the extent to which the global economy still moves on sea — that is, about 70 percent of all international trade. It also could take close to another week to unsnarl the traffic jam of hundreds of other ships and tankers left waiting. The supply-chain effects of these disruptions may play out over many months to come. Today’s WorldView considers other lessons from this latest Suez crisis: It’s a global story. Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sissi hailed the freeing of the vessel as a national success. “He portrayed the efforts as a patriotic victory that assured the world that Egypt could be trusted with overseeing the 13 percent of all global trade that passes through the crucial waterway,” my colleagues noted. Yet the dramatis personae of the whole episode represented a veritable floating — or in this instance, perhaps, “refloating” — United Nations. Consider the mammoth container ship itself: owned by a company in Japan, operated by a container shipping firm based in Taiwan, managed by a German company and registered in Panama. On the ship’s journey, it was set to convey goods from Asia to Europe, specifically the Dutch port of Rotterdam. It ran aground amid a Middle Eastern
Today’s WorldView
NIC BOTHMA/EPA-EFE/SHUTTERSTOCK
Container ships sit Tuesday in Table Bay, off Cape Town, South Africa. The week-long blockage of the Suez Canal prompted new thought about other routes, including around the southern tip of Africa.
sandstorm and was rescued by a multinational coalition that included Japanese and Dutch salvage teams and local Egyptian tugboat operators. And the ship’s 25 crew members were all Indian nationals, part of a legion of close to 2 million seafarers — many from impoverished backgrounds in South and Southeast Asia — who keep international trade moving. Thanks to coronavirus-era border restrictions, hundreds of thousands of sailors have languished aboard their often cramped ships beyond the terms of their contracts, invisible workers in what one captain described to the Financial Times as the “shadow sector” of the global economy. The ship’s ordeal also highlighted the fragility of the global economy. A century and a
half ago, the opening of the Suez Canal heralded an era of global fast shipping that has only accelerated in the decades since. Over the past half-century, meanwhile, capacity on cargo
ships has mushroomed by about 1,500 percent, expanding the range of available consumer goods and lowering prices around the world, as Peter Goodman of the New York Times observed. But those increases in size are creating bottlenecks in highly trafficked arteries such as the Suez Canal. “The ships today are bigger than they used to be,” a pilot working for the Suez Canal Authority told my colleagues, saying that navigating vessels such as the Ever Given through the canal was becoming more taxing. “This is something new. We haven’t seen this before.” The vulnerabilities of an interdependent world, where one product may be produced and delivered through supply chains threading multiple continents, are also on show. “For global trade, already reeling under soaring freight rates, equipment shortages and space crunch on ships in the wake of disruptions triggered by the pandemic, the grounding of the ‘Ever Given’ could not have come
at a worse time,” journalist P. Manoj wrote in the Hindu, an Indian newspaper. “The disruptions from the closure of the Canal could last for months and port congestion, equipment shortages and capacity shortages on ships are set to intensify.” The incident also revived talk of other routes — from the old, far longer and more costly journey around the southern tip of Africa to the promise of a northern passage in the Arctic as melting ice at the roof of the world opens new pathways. “The incident in the Suez Canal should make everyone think about diversifying strategic sea routes amid the increasing scope of sea shipping,” Nikolai Korchunov, Russia’s envoy for international cooperation in the Arctic, said Friday. A world of choke points. The blockage of the Suez Canal offered a potent reminder of how important a handful of key maritime passages is to the whole global economy, as well as the strategic calculations of regional powers. A crisis there —
or in the Panama Canal, or the Strait of Malacca or the Strait of Hormuz — would roil global markets and, depending on the context, trigger potential standoffs between rival navies. Some analysts saw in the relative farce of the Ever Given’s foundering a glimpse of thornier crises to come. China is dependent on vast imports of oil and iron ore and has arguably structured the bulk of its foreign policy — including its ambitious Belt and Road Initiative — to secure its far-flung trade networks. “Unlike the U.S., which is a net exporter of crude these days, China imports nearly threequarters of the oil it consumes, as well as about four-fifths of the iron ore it uses to fuel its frantic pace of infrastructure build-out — not to mention most of the goods exports it uses to obtain hard currency to pay for these commodities,” David Fickling and Anjani Trivedi of Bloomberg Opinion wrote. They added, “That makes it peculiarly vulnerable to maritime blockades.” In other words, choke points such as the Suez Canal are bound to be even greater sites of geopolitical rivalry and tension. All the more reason, argued James Stavridis, a retired U.S. admiral and former supreme allied commander at NATO, for world powers to figure out a collective system for administering them. “In all of these locations we should put significant focus on creating international authorities who manage them with an appreciation for their international character (the Suez and Panama canals both have well run authorities); conduct frequent drills and exercises to practice for disasters like the one that has just occurred in the Suez Canal; have internationally funded resources to make sure they can remain open in crisis (as was done on an ad hoc basis in Suez); and have an international regime with regulatory powers inspect all of them frequently,” he wrote in Time magazine. [email protected]
Brazil is rocked by political turmoil as pandemic outlook darkens BY H ELOÍSA T RAIANO AND T ERRENCE M C C OY
rio de janeiro — Six cabinet members are out. The military’s top leaders are also gone. And it’s only Tuesday. First came the Monday morning exit of Brazil’s foreign minister, a right-wing ideologue blamed for failing to secure enough coronavirus vaccines. Then the defense minister was gone. Then the justice minister was replaced. Tuesday morning brought still more tumult: the departures of the navy, army and air force chiefs. The exits have sent political shock waves across Latin America’s largest country, precipitating the most politically uncertain moment of President Jair Bolsonaro’s two-year-plus tenure. Brazil must now face what public health analysts say could be the darkest weeks of the pandemic with a raft of new officials and an incoherent national strategy. The sudden moves — some ex-
pected, others not — suggested mounting political desperation in the presidential palace. Health systems have collapsed. Some 2,600 people are dying of the coronavirus every day. And Brazilians are increasingly looking to blame the failures of the pandemic on Bolsonaro, who has never appeared more vulnerable. Earlier this month, the leader of the congress implied the president may face impeachment. “These are defensive actions,” said Ricardo Ismael, a political scientist at the Catholic Pontifical University in Rio de Janeiro. “There is a fragility to him.” That impression has only deepened since the return to the scene of Bolsonaro’s greatest political rival, former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, out of prison and now cleared by the supreme court to run in the 2022 presidential election. If Bolsonaro is to have any shot at maintaining power, quieting calls for impeachment and eventually winning reelec-
tion, he has to start making changes, analysts said. “He’s feeling the heat,” said Matias Spektor, an associate professor of international relations at Fundação Getúlio Vargas in São Paulo. “He knows things will get worse in the next months, and he needs to prepare for that and get ready for the next election.” Bolsonaro has somewhat moderated his messaging on the virus, which he earlier dismissed as little more than an annoyance Brazilians had to work around. Long a mask skeptic, he began wearing one. He also embraced vaccines, which he previously fretted could turn people into alligators. He dismissed his health minister, a general, and replaced him with a cardiologist. And finally, he booted the foreign minister, the rightwing hard-liner castigated by the powerful center bloc of congress for not wrangling enough vaccines from foreign powers. Those moves were expected. Then came ones that weren’t.
MARCH 31 , 2021
Bolsonaro replaced the justice minister with a close family ally. Then he sacked the defense minister, Fernando Azevedo e Silva, who had taken the virus more seriously and had reportedly chafed under the president’s leadership. Bolsonaro, a former army captain, has repeatedly said the military was on his side in political disputes. Earlier this month, he called it “my military.” Azevedo e Silva disagreed — and was gone by the end of Monday. “During this time, I preserved the Armed Forces as institutions of state,” Azevedo e Silva wrote in his departure statement. “I leave in the certainty of a mission accomplished.” On Tuesday, the three top commanders of the armed forces — who had joined Azevedo e Silva in a November statement reinforcing the separation of military and politics — also announced they were leaving. It’s unclear whether they resigned or were forced out. In a country that spent decades
under a military dictatorship — and is now led by a president who has frequently lamented its collapse — the departure of the top military officials has caused widespread consternation and fanned fears about Bolsonaro’s authoritarian impulses. “He has the idea that, as soon as he was elected, he is the state,” said Carlos Melo, a professor at São Paulo University’s Insper education and research school. “That the institutions are subordinate to him and not to the state.” Politicians and former allies across the country echoed the concerns about the strength of Brazilian democracy. “Bolsonaro is increasingly similar to Chávez and Maduro,” said Rodrigo Maia, a former congressional president, referring to past and current Venezuelan presidents. “An authoritarian will always be an authoritarian.”
berlin — German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday said the country will halt the use of AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine for people younger than 60 because of concerns that it is causing rare but occasionally fatal blood clots. Merkel said the government “cannot ignore” a recommendation for such a move by the country’s vaccine committee or new data about blood clots developing after inoculation with the vaccine developed by the Swedish-British pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca and Oxford University. Germany’s medical regulator, the Paul Ehrlich Institute, said earlier that it had recorded 31 cases of cerebral venous thrombosis, a rare brain clot that can result in hemorrhaging, among 2.7 million people in the country who have received the AstraZeneca vaccine. All were younger than 63, and all but two were women. Nine people have died. “We all know that vaccination is the most important tool against the coronavirus,” said Merkel, but she said there were other options for younger people. “We are not faced with the question of AstraZeneca or no vaccine,” she said. “Instead we have several vaccines at our disposal.” AstraZeneca said that “patient safety remains the company’s highest priority” and that a causal relationship between the vaccine and blood clots had not been established by British and European regulators. “Regulatory authorities in the UK, European Union, the World Health Organization have concluded that the benefits of using our vaccine to protect people from this deadly virus significantly outweigh the risks across all adult age groups,” AstraZeneca said in its statement. Younger Germans will still be able to receive an AstraZeneca shot if they consult with a doctor and sign a waiver. Some other countries that had paused AstraZeneca doses earlier this month had been more cautious about restarting vaccinations. France limited its use to people older than 55. Norway, where regulators say four people died of blood clots among about 120,000 people who received the AstraZeneca vaccine, has continued its pause. Sweden has resumed AstraZeneca use for people older than 65. The vaccine is not yet cleared for use in the United States, where the independent medical board overseeing its trials took the unusual move last week of accusing the company of providing an “incomplete view” of efficacy data in its U.S. trials. After an initial review this month, the European Union’s medical overseer, the European Medicines Agency, had deemed the vaccine “safe and effective” but said it was continuing to investigate a possible link between the vaccine and blood clots. The agency said the benefits outweighed the risks, and it added a clot warning to the product about two weeks ago. At the time, it said 25 cases were being investigated among 20 million inoculations across Europe. Germany had resumed use of the AstraZeneca shot following the recommendations, having recorded three deaths before pausing. But there have been increasing calls from parts of the medical community to reassess. Of particular concern has been the risk for younger women, who have made up the majority of the clot cases in Germany. While the EMA continues its investigations, experts in Germany and Norway who have treated patients suggest that the clots are caused by an immune response triggered by the vaccine. Regulators in Britain, where the majority of AstraZeneca shots in Europe have been administered, said they had found five cases of clots as of March 14 but have not been updated on numbers since. “There is a time lag between reports received and publication to allow us time to fully evaluate the data before we issue any conclusions on it,” it said. [email protected] [email protected]
[email protected] McCoy reported from Madison, Wis.
Amanda Coletta in Toronto contributed to this report.
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19 civilians killed in Mali, U.N. says BY
D ANIELLE P AQUETTE
dakar, senegal — At least 19 civilians died after French fighter jets dropped bombs on a January gathering in central Mali, according to a new investigation from the United Nations, raising fresh concerns about an increasingly deadly conflict. France’s Defense Ministry said its forces had targeted a group of extremists in the West African nation, which has battled an Islamist insurgency for the past eight years. Lengthy surveillance had ruled out the presence of women and children before the attack, officials said in a Tuesday statement. Witnesses in the village of Bounti have pushed back on that claim, asserting the men — young and elderly — had congregated for a wedding, they told the The Washington Post in the weeks following the airstrike. The 36-page report released Tuesday by the U.N. Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali, a peacekeeping force known as MINUSMA, supported their testimonies.
Twenty-two people died as a result of the airstrike, the authors found. Three were suspected members of an extremist organization. “The group affected by the strike was overwhelmingly composed of civilians who are persons protected against attacks under international humanitarian law,” the MINUSMA authors wrote. “This strike raises significant concerns about respect for the principles of the conduct of hostilities.” The French Defense Ministry disagreed in a statement Tuesday, saying the targets were known to be militants: “The Ministry of the Armed Forces maintains and reaffirms with force that on January 3, the French armed forces carried out an air strike targeting an armed terrorist group identified as such.” Fighters linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State have overrun huge swaths of Mali — a country twice the size of Texas, with 20 million people — staging regular attacks on military posts and rural communities.
China dilutes voters’ influence in Hong Kong BY E VA D OU AND T HEODORA
YU
seoul — China has sharply reduced the number of directly elected legislators in Hong Kong and delayed the city’s elections until December, in the latest erosion of its democratic institutions. The electoral changes announced Tuesday cut the number of directly elected seats in Hong Kong’s legislature to 20 out of 90, from the current 35 of 70. A new committee to vet candidates for public office will give national security authorities sway over who can run. Members of the district coun-
cils — the only fully democratic body in Hong Kong — will be excluded from the committee that selects Hong Kong’s chief executive. “This is shocking and difficult to comprehend for Hong Kong people,” said Lo Kin-hei, chairman of the city’s Democratic Party. It’s the latest move by China’s central government to tighten its grip over Hong Kong after a series of massive pro-democracy protests. Dozens of Hong Kong activists were arrested earlier this year under the national security law, essentially neutralizing the city’s long-cherished democratic movement.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE/GETTY IMAGES
An aerial view shows the area around the village of Bounti in central Mali, where French Defense Ministry leaders said an airstrike targeted militants. The U.N. said the strike killed 19 civilians.
French forces thwarted an insurgent takeover of the nation in 2013, but the militants regrouped and spread across West Africa. Extremists have gained influence with insidious tactics, rooting into villages and using civilians as shields, residents in Bounti said.
“They control our area,” a teacher who witnessed the airstrike told The Post in January. “Some of our young people have joined them. But that does not mean the whole village is jihadists. That does not make us jihadists.” The Jan. 3 bombing came days
after five French soldiers died in Mali. The French military claimed responsibility for an airstrike near Bounti in the Mopti region, saying that two Mirage 2000 fighter jets had dropped three explosives on “a gathering of armed terrorist group members”
The overhaul of Hong Kong’s legislature will mean easier control for China’s central government, with only a minority of seats directly elected by the population. Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam said Tuesday that Hong Kong unwaveringly supports the amendment. Referring to the pro-democracy movements since 2014, Lam said the government needs to deal with the “chaos” of the past few years that was enabled by “loopholes in the legislation” and restore order in the Legislative Council. The move drew sharp criticism from Western officials Tuesday. In a post on Twitter, British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab called the electoral changes a “clear breach” of China’s commitments under the Sino-British Joint Declaration signed in 1984 ahead of the 1997 handover of Hong Kong
to China. Layla Moran, a member of Britain’s Parliament, called for the British government to act. “Words of condemnation have done nothing to protect Hong Kong’s democracy,” she said. The new vetting procedure for public office candidates includes initial screening and background checks by the Hong Kong police’s national security department. Lo, of the Democracy Party, said police involvement essentially means they can choose who can run for public office. Lam said the vetting committee does not aim to bar pro-democracy candidates from running for these public positions. “As long as they can prove to be [patriots], and not be disloyal or collude with foreign forces . . . and as long as they want to serve the Hong Kong citizens, they can still [run],” she said. Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen,
president of Hong Kong’s Legislative Council, announced Tuesday that the election will be delayed several months until December. The move was cheered by Chinese state media. State broadcaster CGTN said Tuesday that the legislative changes would provide “much-needed stability” in Hong Kong and prevent future violent protests. A former British colony, Hong Kong was returned to China in July 1997 after Beijing pledged that the city’s way of life would remain unchanged for 50 years. This meant Hong Kong enjoyed a high degree of autonomy and democratic government and much greater free speech than mainland China. But under President Xi Jinping, the Chinese central government has significantly increased control over Hong Kong’s affairs, especially after a series of massive pro-democracy protests in the
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in an area known to be dominated by them. The French armed forces said the attack killed about 30 men — all militants. The Malian government publicly sided with that assessment. Local groups disagreed, expressing outrage on social media. That prompted MINUSMA to send a team of investigators to Bounti and other towns where witnesses were known to have scattered. They interviewed 215 people from Jan. 4 to Feb. 20, according to the report. “MINUSMA is able to confirm the holding of a wedding celebration,” the authors wrote, “which brought together around 100 civilians at the site of the strike, including five armed people.” The armed guests were suspected members of Katiba Serma, an al-Qaeda affiliate, they added. The civilian victims were all men, the report found, ages 23 to 71. People in Bounti feel vindicated by the U.N. investigation, said Hamadoun Dicko, head of the Jeunesse Tabital Pulaaku, a local advocacy group. They condemn the kind of extremism that has shattered calm in Mali. “There is no perfect army in the world,” Dicko said. “It is high-time for France to admit that it made a mistake.” Borso Tall contributed to this report.
city. The passage of the Hong Kong national security law last year put the city under similarly oppressive speech restrictions as in the mainland. Dozens of activists were arrested in January under the national security law and charged with “conspiracy to commit subversion.” Many were either candidates in or helped facilitate a primary in July designed to select pro-democracy candidates who would run in the upcoming legislative election. Tuesday’s overhaul of Hong Kong’s legislature has been expected, with China’s rubberstamp national parliament voting in mid-March to make these amendments to Hong Kong’s Basic Law. [email protected] Yu reported from Hong Kong. Pei Lin Wu in Taipei, Taiwan, and Lyric Li in Seoul contributed to this report.
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Three Afghan polio workers are killed Women carrying out vaccination campaign shot dead in two attacks BY
S HARIF H ASSAN
kabul — Three Afghan women carrying out polio vaccinations were shot dead Tuesday in two separate attacks in eastern Afghanistan, the latest in a string of targeted killings sowing unease in government-held towns and cities despite ongoing peace talks to end decades of war. One woman was killed in Jalalabad, Nangahar’s provincial capital, and two others were shot farther to the west, according to spokesmen for the governor and the Ministry of Public Health. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attacks. Targeted killings in Afghanistan began last year as peace talks were launched between the Afghan government and the Taliban, and they are now a near-daily occurrence in cities such as the capital, Kabul and Jalalabad.
The Afghan government blames the Taliban for the attacks, but the movement denies involvement, and nearly all the killings go unclaimed. Dozens of people have been killed, including government employees, journalists, civil-society activists, doctors, professors and religious figures. Earlier this month, three female journalists working for a local television network were gunned down in the same province, Nangahar, in two attacks that officials believe were coordinated. Both the Taliban and the Islamic State are active in the province, which has long contained pockets of territory beyond government control. The United States is pushing for a quick peace deal between the Taliban and the Afghan government ahead of a May 1 withdrawal deadline for U.S. troops. A conference is planned in Turkey next month to accelerate talks in Qatar that have been stalled for months, but no date has been set, and it is unclear who will attend. The women killed Tuesday were part of a five-day nationwide polio vaccination campaign
GHULAMULLAH HABIBI/EPA-EFE/SHUTTERSTOCK
People attend a funeral in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, for one of three female workers killed Tuesday amid a polio vaccination campaign.
that began Monday, aiming to vaccinate 9.6 million children across Afghanistan, according to the Health Ministry. Tens of thousands of Afghans volunteered to take part in the vaccina-
tion drive. The work requires volunteers to go door-to-door to ensure all families have been vaccinated. “An attack on health workers is an attack on the entire people [of
Afghanistan], and we strongly condemn it,” said Ghulam Dastagir Nazari, the spokesman for the ministry. Afghanistan and Pakistan are the only two countries in the
world where polio remains endemic. Just this year, 24 polio cases have been registered in Afghanistan, according to the ministry. [email protected]
In report, Biden administration formalizes declaration of genocide in China BY
J OHN H UDSON
The Biden administration declared China’s treatment of Uyghur Muslims a genocide in an annual human rights report Tuesday, formalizing its dire assessment of a campaign of mass detention and sterilization of minority groups in the Xinjiang region. The move comes amid a sharp plunge in relations between the world’s two largest economies following a tense meeting of top diplomats in Alaska and underscores the Biden administration’s willingness to spotlight atrocities regardless of the impact on sensitive bilateral relations. “Genocide and crimes against humanity occurred during the year against the predominantly
Muslim Uyghurs and other ethnic and religious minority groups in Xinjiang,” reads the report. In unveiling the document, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said human rights were going in the “wrong direction” in “every region of the world,” calling out attacks on freedoms in Russia, Uganda, Venezuela, Ethiopia, Belarus and elsewhere. Blinken sought to demonstrate a clear break with the Trump administration’s approach to human rights by sharply rebuking a commission set up by thenSecretary of State Mike Pompeo that prioritized religious liberty and property rights while dismissing LGBTQ and abortion rights. “There is no hierarchy that makes some rights more impor-
tant than others,” Blinken said. “Past unbalanced statements that suggest such a hierarchy, including those offered by a recently disbanded State Department advisory committee, do not represent a guiding document for this administration.” Blinken also reversed a Trumpera decision to scrap the report’s sections on abortion rights, saying they will appear in the future. The China section of the report says that genocide against minority groups in Xinjiang continues and includes “the arbitrary imprisonment or other severe deprivation of physical liberty of more than one million civilians; forced sterilization, coerced abortions, and more restrictive application of China’s birth control policies; rape; torture of a large number of
those arbitrarily detained; forced labor; and the imposition of draconian restrictions on freedom of religion or belief, freedom of expression, and freedom of movement.” Beijing has vociferously denied the accusations of genocide and sought to underscore the mistreatment of Black Americans and Washington’s destabilizing wars in the Middle East. Pompeo first officially declared a genocide in Xinjiang during the waning days of the Trump administration. Blinken affirmed Pompeo’s assessment during his confirmation hearing, but the word’s inclusion in Tuesday’s report formalizes the outlook as an official U.S. government assessment. “Using the term ‘genocide’ in the report indicates profound
concern in the administration about appalling Chinese government human rights violations against Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz and other Turkic communities,” said Sophie Richardson, a China expert at Human Rights Watch. The move may also put further pressure on the Biden administration to punish China for its alleged actions. “The next step is to map out a strategy to back an independent investigation, gather evidence and pursue accountability,” Richardson said. Blinken’s relationship with his Chinese counterpart, Yang Jiechi, got off to a rocky start during a two-day meeting in Alaska on March 18 and 19. Before the first formal discussions even began, the U.S. and Chinese delegations harshly criticized each other in
extended improvised remarks, which resulted in both sides claiming a breach in diplomatic protocol. During the report’s unveiling at the State Department, Blinken was asked if his condemnations of China and Russia could come at the expense of cooperation from the two powers on other issues, such as the military crackdown in Myanmar. Blinken suggested that no trade-off was necessary. “Whether it’s China or Russia or anyone else, we’re not standing against any of those countries,” Blinken said. “We’re not trying to, for example, contain China or keep it down. What we are about is standing up for basic principles, basic rights and a rules-based international order.” [email protected]
A Conversation with
Henrietta Fore Executive Director, UNICEF Wednesday, March 31 at 11:00am ET To register, visit: wapo.st/henriettafore UNICEF’s executive director addresses the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the world’s children, and the organization’s work in the rollout of vaccines.
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Fake apps are circumventing Apple’s rules to rob users Recent scams have cast light on holes in the much-lauded safety net of the App Store, which the company bills as ‘the world’s most trusted marketplace’ BY
R EED A LBERGOTTI
Phillipe Christodoulou wanted to check his bitcoin balance last month, so he searched the App Store on his iPhone for “Trezor,” the maker of a small hardware device he uses to store his cryptocurrency. Up popped the company’s padlock logo set against a bright green background. The app was rated close to five stars. He downloaded it and typed in his credentials. In less than a second, nearly all of his life savings — 17.1 bitcoin worth $600,000 at the time — was gone. The app was a fake, designed to trick people into thinking it was a legitimate app. But Christodoulou is angrier at Apple than at the thieves themselves: He says Apple marketed the App Store as a safe and trusted place, where each app is reviewed before it is allowed in the store. Christodoulou, once a loyal Apple customer, said he no longer admires the company. “They betrayed the trust that I had in them,” he said in an interview. “Apple doesn’t deserve to get away with this.” Apple bills its App Store as “the world’s most trusted marketplace for apps,” where every submission is scanned and reviewed, ensuring they are safe, secure, useful and unique. But in fact, it’s easy for scammers to circumvent Apple’s rules, according to experts. Criminal app developers can break Apple’s rules by submitting seemingly innocuous apps for approval and then transforming them into phishing apps that trick people into giving up their information, according to Apple. When Apple finds out, it removes the apps and bans the developers, the company says. But it’s too late for the people who fell for the scam. Crypto scams are also common on Google’s Android and on the Web. But their presence on the Apple App Store is more surprising because Apple says it curates the store and checks each app, which creates high levels of consumer trust. The 15 to 30 percent commission Apple collects on all sales on the App Store goes to fund the “highly curated” customer experience, the company has said. “User trust is at the foundation of why we created the App Store, and we have only deepened that commitment in the years since,” said Apple spokesperson Fred Sainz. “Study after study has shown that the App Store is the most secure app marketplace in the world, and we are constantly at work to maintain that standard and to further strengthen the App Store’s protections. In the limited instances when criminals defraud our users, we take swift action against these actors as well as to prevent similar violations in the future.” The ability of apps to morph into something else entirely after they are approved by the App Store raises questions about the effectiveness of Apple’s review process to stop scammers. Apple wouldn’t say how often these scams appear, or how often it removes them. But it did say it removed 6,500 apps for “hidden or undocumented features” last year. Apple touts user safety as its defense against accusations from lawmakers, regulators and com-
DADO RUVIC/REUTERS
A representation of the virtual currency bitcoin. A fake app called “Trezor” on the Apple App Store recently scammed users out of thousands of dollars’ worth of bitcoin by circumventing the company’s controls. Such scams are also common on Google’s Android.
petitors that the company uses its monopoly over app distribution on iPhones anti-competitively. “Apple frequently pushes myths about user privacy and security as a shield against its anti-competitive App Store practices,” said Meghan DiMuzio, executive director of the Coalition for App Fairness, which was formed to fight Apple’s power over its App Store. “The truth is, Apple’s security ‘standards’ are inconsistently applied across apps and only enforced when it benefits Apple.” Apple acknowledged there have been other cryptocurrency scams on the App Store but wouldn’t say how many. Apple wouldn’t say whether fake Trezor apps had sneaked into the App Store in the past, or whether new apps called “Trezor” will be flagged as potentially fraudulent in the future. Coinfirm, a U.K.-based company that specializes in cryptocurrency regulations and conducts fraud investigations, says it has received more than 7,000 inquiries about stolen crypto assets since October 2019. Fake apps in Google’s Android Play Store and Apple’s App Store are common, said Pawel Aleksander, the company’s chief information officer. Coinfirm said five people have reported having cryptocurrency stolen by the fake Trezor app on iOS, for total losses worth $1.6 million. There have been three reports of fake Trezor apps on Android that stole a total of $600,000 in cryptocurrency. Apple would not name the developer of the fake Trezor app or provide the developer’s contact information. Apple wouldn’t say whether it was turning over the name to law enforcement or whether it investigated the developer further. Apple also wouldn’t say whether that developer had
developed any other apps in the past or had connections to other developer accounts under different names. “We don’t allow apps that mislead users by impersonating another app, developer or company, and when we discover an app that violates our policies, we take appropriate action,” said Google spokesperson Colin Smith. Google said it knows of two fake Trezor apps that have appeared on the Google Play store. It removed both. It didn’t say how the Trezor apps made it onto the store. The company didn’t say whether it notified law enforcement, or how many other scam apps it has found on the store. It didn’t say whether it investigated the developers. Analytics firm App Figures was able to find eight fake Trezor apps that have appeared on the Play Store. Of all the Internet scams, the theft of cryptocurrency is one of the most lucrative for thieves. Millions of dollars in digital currency can be pilfered in a splitsecond, and high-profile crypto heists have netted thieves as much as $530 million, which occurred in the Coincheck hack in 2018. In 2014, Apple banned crypto wallets on the App Store but then restored them the same year. Apple does not allow cryptocurrency mining apps, and it places extra restrictions on crypto wallet apps. To better secure their investments, people who own cryptocurrencies transfer their investments to “hardware wallets,” which are like USB thumb drives that store the secret and sensitive information a thief would need to steal someone’s cryptocurrency. Hardware wallets plug into a computer via a USB connection. By typing in a PIN and sometimes an additional passphrase,
the hardware wallet can be accessed and used to make transactions. If a hardware wallet is lost or destroyed, the information can be restored with a secret “seed phrase.” Some people keep the seed phrase in a safe-deposit box, hoping they’ll never have to use it, or etched on durable metal that can survive a fire. Scammers use phishing to trick people into giving up their seed phrases. Trezor, based in the Czech Republic and owned by a company called Satoshi Labs, is a wellknown maker of hardware wallets. Trezor doesn’t have a mobile app, but crypto thieves created a fake one and put it on Apple’s App Store in January and the Google Play Store in December, according to those companies, tricking some unsuspecting Trezor customers into entering their seed phrases. Kristyna Mazankova, a spokeswoman for Trezor, said the company has been notifying Apple and Google for years about fake apps posing as a Trezor product to scam its customers. Trezor has never had a mobile app, though the company is working on one. She said the process of reporting the apps is “painful” and that representatives of Apple and Google haven’t been in contact. Mazankova said Trezor notified Apple about a copycat app on Feb 1. Apple removed the app on Feb. 3, but it appeared again days later, according to Christodoulou, before it was removed again. The fake Trezor app got through the app store through a bait-and-switch, according to Apple. Though it was called Trezor and used the Trezor logo and colors, it represented itself as a “cryptography” app that would encrypt iPhone files and store passwords, according to Apple. The developer of the fake Trezor app told Apple’s review team it
“is not involved in any cryptocurrency.” Apple approved the app and it appeared in the App Store on Jan. 22, according to mobile analytics firm Sensor Tower. Some time later, unbeknown to Apple, the Trezor cryptography app changed itself into a cryptocurrency wallet. Apple does not allow these sorts of changes, but Apple says it does not know when they occur. It relies on users and customers to report it when it happens, the company said. After Trezor reported the fake app to Apple, Apple says it removed the app and banned the developer. Two days later, another fake Trezor app appeared. Apple removed that app, too. Apple did not say how it found out about the fake apps, but said it removed them because they were fraudulent. Sensor Tower said the Trezor app was on the Apple App Store from at least Jan. 22 to Feb. 3 and appears to have been downloaded about 1,000 times. The app was downloaded about 1,000 times on Android, but Sensor Tower did not collect data on exactly when it became available. James Fajcz, a reliability engineer at a paper company who lives in Savannah, Ga., also had his cryptocurrency stolen by the fake Trezor app, he says. In December, as he saw prices of the digital tokens rising, he purchased about $14,000 worth of Ethereum and bitcoin on Coinbase and Binance with money from his savings. He wanted to make sure his investment was secure, so he purchased a Trezor Model T hardware wallet and downloaded an app on his iPhone called Trezor, which asked for his seed phrase. The app didn’t connect to his Trezor wallet, and he figured it didn’t work. Weeks later, he purchased
more Ethereum on Coinbase. He plugged in his Trezor device, but nothing was there. He went on the Trezor support forum on Reddit for answers. A Reddit poster informed him: There is no Trezor app. “My jaw dropped to the floor. My heart sank,” he said. “I realized what I did.” Fajcz said he called Apple’s support line. An Apple representative said the company was not responsible, Fajcz says. “This was a trusted app on the App Store claiming to be the best and most trusted app store on any system anywhere,” he said. “And this nefarious app gets on the platform? I feel Apple should be held partially or fully responsible for that.” Over a few years, Christodoulou had amassed 18.1 bitcoin. At the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, each was worth about $5,500. By October, the price was starting to skyrocket, topping out at $60,000 early this year. Christodoulou had hoped his bitcoin holdings would help save his dry-cleaning business, which was decimated during the pandemic. On Feb. 1, he wanted to be able to check his bitcoin balance using his phone, instead of a computer. So he checked the App Store, downloaded the fake Trezor app and entered his seed phrase. Immediately afterward, he plugged his Trezor hardware wallet into his computer and logged in to check his balance. It was all gone. That evening, Christodoulou went into the App Store again to look more closely at the reviews. Before it was removed, the Trezor app had 155 reviews on the App Store for a rating of close to five stars, according to App Figures, the analytics firm. When Christodoulou opened up the written reviews, he read complaints from other people who had been scammed in the same way. The five-star ratings that helped make the app seem legitimate must have been fake, he concluded. Christodoulou called Apple customer support and a representative said he would escalate it to a supervisor. He said he also notified Apple and filed a report with the FBI. Lauren Hagee Glintz, an FBI spokeswoman, declined to comment on the report. Chainalysis, a commercial blockchain analysis firm, reviewed documents provided by Fajcz and Christodoulou and confirmed that their cryptocurrency was moved from their wallets to a suspicious account. Both thefts appeared related, said Madeleine Kennedy, a spokeswoman for Chainalysis. “There’s evidence this is a substantial scam bringing in hundreds of thousands of dollars,” she said. Only one of Christodoulou’s 18.1 bitcoin was spared because he transferred it to a bitcoin savings service called BlockFi. At the time of the theft, his 17.1 stolen bitcoin were worth $600,000, but they soon went up in value to $1 million. Christodoulou says he’s taking medication and seeing a psychiatrist. “It broke me. I’m still not recovered from it,” he said. He still hasn’t heard from Apple. [email protected]
DI GEST ECONOMY
Consumer confidence jumped in March U.S. consumer confidence surged in March to the highest reading in a year, helped by increased coronavirus vaccinations and more government economic support. The Conference Board said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index rose to 109.7 in March, the best showing since it stood at 118.8 in March 2020 as the pandemic was beginning to hit the United States. The index stood at 90.4 in February. The current situations index, based on consumers’ assessment of current business and labor market conditions, rose to 110.0, up from 89.6 in February. The expectations’ index, based on consumers outlook for income, business and labor market
conditions also improved, rising to 109.6 in March, up from a reading of 90.9 in February. Conference Board senior indicators director Lynn Franco said the significant improvement in the index and its two major components was a good sign for future economic growth. “Consumers’ renewed optimism boosted their purchasing intentions for homes, autos and several big-ticket items,” Franco said. But he noted that concerns about inflation had also risen, likely because of rising gasoline prices, and this could temper spending in the months ahead. — Associated Press
GLOBAL ECONOMY
IMF upgrades its forecast on growth The head of the 190-nation
International Monetary Fund says prospects for global growth have brightened since January. But she warns that uneven progress in fighting the pandemic could jeopardize the economic gains. IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said Tuesday when the IMF releases its updated economic forecast next week, it will show the global economy growing at a faster pace than the 5.5 percent gain it projected at the start of the year. In remarks hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations, she said that the $1.9 trillion support package that President Biden signed into law on March 11 along with rising confidence from increased vaccinations in many advanced economies were primary reasons for the upgrade. But she said economic prospects are “diverging dangerously” with the global
economy now in a multispeed recovery increasingly powered by the United States and China, while other countries fall behind. — Associated Press
ALSO IN BUSINESS DraftKings has bought VSiN, a multiplatform broadcast and content company delivering sports betting news, analysis and data to U.S. customers, DraftKings announced Tuesday. The acquisition provides more content for DraftKings, which has retail or online sports betting operations in 14 states. Terms of the deal were not released. VSiN, based in Las Vegas, develops, produces and distributes up to 18 hours of live sports-betting content each day. In addition to its 24/7 stream, VSiN’s original content is accessible through multiple video and audio channels. Spotify has acquired Betty Labs,
the creator of Locker Room, an app that lets sports fans and experts chat in real time. Spotify will operate Locker Room as a separate business, according to a statement Tuesday. It will rename the service and broaden its offerings beyond sports. The price wasn’t disclosed. The company will seek to merge what makes the app Clubhouse popular — spontaneous conversations about a TV show or the politics of the day — with what many of those apps lack: a place to archive conversations for later consumption. Bank of America pledged an additional $250 million toward its push to advance racial equality, adding programs that advocate for Asian Americans to its existing initiatives. The lender will commit $1.25 billion over five years, expanding an earlier pledge of $1 billion over four years, to support investments
that address racial justice and advocate for equality for people and communities of color, including those of Asian descent, the bank said Tuesday in a statement. Texas moved to stop the city of Austin and others from imposing a ban on natural gas in new homes and building. The Texas House of Representatives passed a bill Tuesday that would bar cities and towns from restricting natural gas hookups in new construction or utility services. The measure passed along with bills designed to prevent a repeat of last month’s blackouts that left millions in the dark for days and killed more than 100. COMING TODAY 10 a.m.: National Association of Realtors releases pending home sales index for February. — From news services
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Wrangling precedes infrastructure proposal’s unveiling INFRASTRUCTURE FROM A1
were subject to change. The roughly $2 trillion in new spending is spread out over eight years, according to the blueprint laid out to congressional allies Tuesday afternoon ahead of the unveiling. White House press secretary Jen Psaki has said the proposal will be paid for in new tax hikes. These hikes will be particularly focused on corporations, seeking to reverse much of President Donald Trump’s 2017 tax law, the people familiar with the plan said. The new tax hikes would offset spending in the plan over a 15-year period, according to Senate officials familiar with White House calls to brief Congress on Biden’s plan. A White House spokesman declined to comment on the new details that have emerged. The plan, which Biden will introduce in Pittsburgh on Wednesday, forms one part of the “Build Back Better” agenda that the administration aims to introduce. Psaki has said the administration within weeks will introduce a second legislative package. That second package is expected to include an expansion in health insurance coverage, an extension of the expanded child tax benefit, and paid family and medical leave, among other efforts aimed at families, the officials said. White House officials have not explained whether they will seek to have both efforts pass at the same time or try to get Congress to approve one first. The combined price tag of the plans could top $4 trillion. The jockeying around these efforts has already begun, as Biden’s allies push for inclusion of their priorities in the next major legislative effort. Centrist Democrats have said the package should be targeted to win Republican votes, seeking a return to bipartisan policymaking after a contentious and partisan vote over Biden’s $1.9 trillion relief plan. But liberal lawmakers and some economists are pressing the administration to use Democrats’ narrow majorities in Congress to confront some of the nation’s biggest problems, such as climate change, with solutions they say are necessary to address the scale of the crises. Senior White House officials briefed Senate leadership as well as Democratic and Republican leaders of relevant committees Tuesday afternoon about the details of the plan, according to multiple Senate officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to reveal internal plan-
DEMETRIUS FREEMAN/THE WASHINGTON POST
President Biden plans to introduce his infrastructure proposal Wednesday in Pittsburgh. It forms one part of his “Build Back Better” agenda, and officials say a second package would include an expansion in health insurance coverage and other efforts aimed at families.
ning. White House officials Brian Deese, director of the National Economic Council, and chief congressional liaison Louisa Terrell did not lay out a preferred legislative strategy during the briefings with senators, according to those familiar with the calls. Rather, both Deese and Terrell spoke in broad terms about the president’s infrastructure proposal, emphasizing general principles of the plan rather than drilling down on specific dollar figures, said the people briefed on the calls. During the calls, Democratic senators such as Patty Murray (Wash.) lobbied administration officials to ensure that provisions such as paid leave and college affordability are addressed in the broader White House plan, although that package won’t come until April. Congressional aides expect a bruising legislative battle that will prove significantly more difficult than the relatively quick passage of Biden’s relief plan, in which Democrats were held to-
gether in part by the need to combat the pandemic. Despite some objections, almost every Democrat in both chambers voted for Biden’s plan. “I’m getting a little confused about how we’re going to get anything done. It’s only going to get more difficult from here on out,” said Jim Manley, who served as an aide to former Senate majority leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) “There’s not only more divisions over where to go, but there’s a certain sense of spending fatigue setting in on Capitol Hill.” On Monday, Sen. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) unveiled a climate and infrastructure plan that called for $10 trillion in spending over the next decade. Biden’s initial campaign pledge to invest $2 trillion over four years was already inadequate to confronting climate change, and his coming proposal may be even less so, said Robert Pollin, an economist at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, who helped craft the Markey-Dingell
plan. Pollin said a $3 trillion investment amounted to only about 1.3 percent of the country’s gross domestic product. Climate experts have warned the world faces devastating consequences if it does not reverse global warming. “That was itself skirting on the edge of being inadequate relative to the climate goals and infrastructure goals,” Pollin said of Biden’s initial plan. Leah Stokes, an assistant professor of political science at the University of California at Santa Barbara, said in an interview that the amount of money designated for the power sector per reports on Biden’s proposal represents less than what is needed to extend renewable energy tax credits and lower consumers’ bills as utilities shift to cleaner energy sources. “We need more spending on climate change if we want to meet this crisis at the scale that’s necessary,” Stokes said. “We definitely need more spending on the electricity grid and on rebates for home retrofits for electrifica-
tion.” Still, Josh Freed, who runs the climate and energy program at the center-left think tank Third Way, argued in an email that the emerging proposals could shift the nation’s climate trajectory. He noted that the Energy Department is now spending about $12 billion on energy innovation, so the plan would mark a major boost in that area. “Our analysis shows that the federal investment could end up being matched by an equal amount of private capital, which would go a long way to getting us to our climate goals,” he said. “This [is] a bold set of investments that does get the grid, homes, and clean energy innovation on track to meet the goal of net-zero by 2050, and it creates a lot of jobs now to put us on the path to a real economic recovery.” Other challenges to the effort have emerged. For example, on the campaign trail Biden called for a major investment in home-based care services, aiming to clear massive backlogs in states for disabled
and elderly people on Medicaid in need of caretaking assistance. While details on the plan are unclear, some Democrats have called for a much bigger expansion of home care than Biden contemplated as a presidential candidate. Biden’s team is also eyeing as much as $3 trillion in new tax hikes to pay for the two programs, primarily on wealthy investors, rich people and businesses. Those have already come under heavy criticism from congressional Republicans, who say such hikes will damage U.S. competitiveness and drain the nation of vital economic activity as it struggles to rebound from the pandemic. Biden’s tax plan is expected to raise the corporate tax rate from 21 percent to 28 percent, end federal subsidies for fossil fuel companies and increase the global minimum tax paid from about 13 percent to 21 percent, as well as other measures aimed at taxing corporations that shelter profits offshore to avoid taxes. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said this month that Republicans would not support tax increases to pay for infrastructure. “I don’t think there’s going to be any enthusiasm on our side for a tax increase,” McConnell said. However, some Democrats are already saying they will vote against Biden’s package unless it includes tax changes that Republicans also oppose. Rep. Thomas Suozzi (D-N.Y.) said in a statement Tuesday that he will oppose any deal that does not reverse the limitation on state and local tax deductions imposed by Republicans in their 2017 tax law. That threat could be backed up by other lawmakers in high-tax states who have sought to reverse the GOP provision, although tax experts have said such a change would benefit primarily highearners. The White House is pressing forward despite the emerging divisions. “After all the jokes about infrastructure weeks, we’re going to have a real serious effort to get both infrastructure spending on roads and bridges and programs like broadband,” said Howard Gleckman, a tax expert at the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center think tank. “I think there’s pretty broad bipartisan support is a big infrastructure plan. There is not bipartisan support for paying for it.” [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Seung Min Kim contributed to this report.
Biden’s big gamble: Historic infrastructure investment — and a tax hike Looming battle over massive package could help decide midterms BY A SHLEY P ARKER AND T YLER P AGER
President Biden is preparing to make an enormous political gamble: betting that Americans will support as much as $3 trillion in new tax hikes — mostly on wealthy individuals and corporations — to help pay for a jobs and infrastructure package costing up to $4 trillion over the next decade. Biden is set to announce the first phase of the package during a visit to Pittsburgh on Wednesday, kicking off a legislative battle that could help decide which party controls both the House and the Senate after the 2022 midterms. The undertaking will mark the first major test of the Biden administration’s ability to shepherd a traditional legislative spending package through a Congress narrowly held by Democrats — while presenting the administration with an enormous political challenge in persuading lawmakers to pass a package that would represent the largest tax hike in generations. The legislative push also comes on the heels of a $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package that Biden signed into law earlier this month. The rescue plan — which provides money for vaccines and $1,400 stimulus payments to many Americans — remains popular among a majority of Americans, according to polling. But it could complicate Biden’s appeal to the American people to support another highdollar package in such short order — especially one that costs even more, will require tax hikes to pay for it and will promise results that are less immediate.
If successful, Biden’s package would mark the largest spending bill in sheer dollars in the nation’s history. But as a percentage of gross domestic product on a yearly basis, the overall 10-year package is actually much smaller than other major economic packages, including the most recent stimulus package, according to Richard Kogan, a senior fellow at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Biden allies and advisers argue that the infrastructure proposal represents the policies and promises that the president campaigned on and that it will prove popular with the public, if not necessarily Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill. They say the lessons they learned from the coronavirus relief package — as well as President Barack Obama’s mixed success in selling his 2009 stimulus bill — is that the real risk is not being sufficiently ambitious. But they are also prepared for a more complicated legislative process than they faced with the relief bill, with more negotiation and attempted compromise with their Republican counterparts. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Biden’s speech Wednesday will lay out his vision for fixing the nation’s infrastructure challenges, which she characterized as something the entire country should be able to agree on. “Fundamentally, we don’t believe that making a historic investment in American workers and rebuilding our infrastructure across the country to help us compete with China is controversial,” Psaki said. “And while the president will lay out a plan for paying for it over time, we’re also open to having a discussion about alternatives.” Republicans, who have so far struggled to effectively undercut Biden’s early moves on the pandemic and vaccines, are hoping the infrastructure package gives them a new attack line against
Democrats as they head into the midterms. They are especially optimistic that they can use the expected tax increases as well as the Democratic priorities in the legislation — such as an expected $400 billion in clean-energy credits and another $400 billion toward care for the elderly and people with disabilities — to paint the Democrats as out of touch and hostage to their liberal base. Speaking on the Senate floor Monday, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said he expected the infrastructure bill to be “a Trojan horse for massive tax hikes and other job-killing leftwing policies.” Chris Hartline, spokesman for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said Republicans see a political opportunity in the legislation because of its cost and its reach beyond building roads and bridges. “It’s one thing to do a big spending bill on covid,” Hartline said. “The public’s view on this will be different for a bill this big that is not directly related to covid and, to be honest, a bill that’s not directly related to infrastructure.” The administration’s plan to pay for the package, including through taxes on high-income individuals and companies, is likely to negatively impact even everyday Americans, Hartline said. “I don’t see how this doesn’t include taxes for small businesses, workers — all the people Joe Biden said he’d never raise taxes on,” he said. During the campaign, Biden vowed that Americans making less than $400,000 a year would not pay higher taxes, a stance he has reaffirmed since taking office. But the White House has already found itself grappling with the potential land mines in discussing raising taxes, after Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg had to quickly walk back comments last week he made about a potential mileage
tax or higher gas taxes. White House officials are signaling to allies on Capitol Hill that they want to take a substantively different approach to the legislative process than they did when they jammed through the stimulus package earlier this month. They are gearing up for more negotiations and potentially significant changes to the bill, and say they will be more open to input and alternative proposals from members of Congress in both parties. A White House aide, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the administration’s thinking, said the administration wants Congress to make progress on the legislation before Memorial Day and will consider breaking the legislation up into more parts if necessary. Jonathan Alter, the author of “The Defining Moment” — a book about President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s first 100 days in office that Biden and some members of his team have read — said the backdrop of crises could help Biden extend his ability to pass bold Democratic prescriptions on a range of issues. “When there’s a crisis, all this talk about small government and ‘Get the government out of my pocket’ goes away, and people need the government to stay afloat,” Alter said. The results, not the process or price tag, is what ultimately matters, he said. When Roosevelt was once asked about the political philosophy behind the Tennessee Valley Authority — an immense public power project that he signed into law — Alter summarized the former president as quipping, “It’s neither fish nor fowl, but it sure does taste good to the people of the Tennessee Valley.” Republicans, however, are skeptical of the administration’s promises that this legislation will be more collaborative. Several have pointed to the relief package, saying the White House
merely feigned interest at bipartisanship before steamrolling Republicans and pushing through their original proposal, largely unchanged. “There isn’t a Republican in Washington holding his or her breath,” said one Senate Republican aide, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to candidly discuss the process. “Democrats showed us their playbook on their so-called covid-relief package: Take an issue with bipartisan support, stuff it full of trillions of dollars’ worth of unrelated farleft priorities, and then jam it through on a party-line vote. We were paying attention. Regardless of what they call it, that isn’t negotiating. And it isn’t bipartisan.” Democrats are also seeking to avoid a situation like in 2009, when Republicans pounced on the Obama administration for alleged wasteful spending in the administration’s stimulus package. In one example, Solyndra, a clean-energy company, misled the federal government to obtain millions of dollars in loans and then filed for bankruptcy. Democrats say the Biden administration will also need to be careful to explain the details of the new package, especially as Americans will not see the immediate effects of the spending as they did when stimulus payments hit their bank accounts. Many Democratic lawmakers in swing districts or purple states say they are willing to support the large price tag — but only if the final package reflects critical infrastructure projects rather than what they view as auxiliary Democratic goals, such as efforts aimed at mitigating climate change. John Anzalone, Biden’s top pollster on the campaign, said the president’s high approval ratings on the coronavirus relief package should buoy Democrats in their efforts to pass another expansive package, especially one in which Biden will clearly
outline how he will pay for much of the spending. Anzalone also brushed aside criticism from Republicans about the federal debt or raising taxes, saying the party approved freewheeling spending under past Republican administrations and pointed to polling showing that most Americans think the wealthy and corporations should pay more. “The American people feel they get screwed constantly and they’re the target of taxes, and they believe the wealthy and big corporations should pay their fair share,” Anzalone said. House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn (D-S.C.), a close Biden ally, said the massive price tag on Biden’s proposal simply reflects the severity of the nation’s crumbling infrastructure and the need for historic investment. “I don’t know why people think you’re going to get broadband into American homes by clipping coupons from the Sunday papers,” he said. “That’s not going to happen. You’re not going to fix the roads and bridges that we all know need to be fixed in this country by praying about it. You got to spend the money.” Clyburn said he is confident that Democrats will fall in line behind tax increases on the rich despite early warnings from some moderates. Democratic Reps. Bill Pascrell Jr. (N.J.), Josh Gottheimer (N.J.), Mikie Sherrill (N.J.) and Thomas Suozzi (N.Y.), for instance, have said they will oppose any change to the tax code unless Biden lifts a cap implemented by President Donald Trump on the deduction for state and local taxes. Democrats’ slim majority in the House — they can only afford three defections — gives them little wiggle room. “People are already going to grumble about taxes,” Clyburn said. “They are going to grumble no matter what.” [email protected] [email protected]
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Another fiery setback for SpaceX Starship’s test landing Rocket prototype sees fourth explosion after successful launches BY
C HRISTIAN D AVENPORT
Elon Musk’s latest attempt to land the prototype of a rocket that he hopes will someday fly people to the moon and Mars exploded Tuesday, sending debris crashing to the ground in the latest fiery setback in a test campaign designed to push the limits. The SpaceX Starship spacecraft lifted off from its launchpad in South Texas around 9 a.m. Eastern time in dense fog and cruised to an altitude of about six miles under the power of three engines. As it had done previously, the rocket prototype then shut off its engines, flipped horizontally and started falling back to Earth. The spacecraft, dubbed Serial Number 11, or SN11, was supposed to then reorient itself, restart its engines and touch down softly on a landing pad. But at some point, the vehicle blew up, and John Insprucker, SpaceX’s principal integration engineer, said the company “lost all the data from the vehicle.” He added, for viewers watching a frozen image of the spacecraft’s engines on the screen: “Starship 11 is not coming back. Don’t wait for the landing.” On a webcast provided by NASAspaceflight.com, a space news website that carries the Starship flights, debris could be seen crashing down. And SpaceX CEO Musk tweeted, “At least the crater is in the right place!” He added that “a high production rate solves many ills,” meaning the next prototype should be ready before too long and the company would try again. To ensure people’s safety in the event of an explosion, the Federal Aviation Administration requires SpaceX to evacuate the nearby village and keep people miles away from the launch and landing site. Nearby roads are closed,
GENE BLEVINS/REUTERS
Spectators stand in the fog on South Padre Island on Tuesday to try to catch a glimpse of the rocket near the South Texas launchpad. To ensure safety in the event of an explosion, SpaceX must evacuate the nearby village and keep people away from the launch and landing site.
“Starship 11 is not coming back. Don’t wait for the landing.” John Insprucker, SpaceX’s principal integration engineer
and local law enforcement officials help secure a wide safety zone around the area. There were no reports of injuries. The landing attempt was SpaceX’s fourth try since December, when a series of Starships launched successfully, fell back toward the landing site, but exploded on the ground. The test campaign is designed to push the limits and gather a lot of data quickly so the company can iterate and try again. Musk has said he wants Star-
ship to reach orbit by the end of this year. NASA has awarded SpaceX a $135 million contract to help develop Starship so that it might fly astronauts to the moon as part of its Artemis program. The flight came days after Rep. Peter A. DeFazio (D-Ore.), chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Wash.), chairman of the aviation subcommittee, wrote in a letter that they were concerned about “the pressure exerted on the FAA during high profile launches. While the commercial space transportation sector is crucial to our Nation’s future, at no point should a commercial space launch jeopardize public safety.” They were referring to a tweet by Musk in January, when he took aim at the FAA, saying it moves too slowly and is too bureaucratic. “Unlike its aircraft division, which is fine, the FAA space
division has a fundamentally broken regulatory structure,” he wrote. “Their rules are meant for a handful of expendable launches per year from a few government facilities. Under those rules, humanity will never get to Mars.” In December, SpaceX had sought a waiver from the FAA that would have allowed it “to exceed the maximum public risk allowed by federal safety regulations,” the agency said at the time. The waiver was denied, but SpaceX proceeded with the flight anyway, violating its launch license and, industry officials said, potentially putting the public at risk. The FAA directed SpaceX to conduct an internal investigation. But in the letter to Steve Dickson, the administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, DeFazio and Larsen wrote they were “disappointed that the FAA declined to conduct an independent review of the event and, to the
best of our knowledge, has not pursued any form of enforcement action.” They urged the agency to “resist any potential undue influence on launch safety decisionmaking” and “establish explicitly a strict policy to deal with violations of FAA launch and reentry licenses, which must include full enforcement of agency regulations and civil penalties.” Three previous Starship prototypes exploded in massive fireballs that sent smoke billowing into the air. In December, SN8 crash landed in what Musk called an “awesome test.” But that touched off the tussle with the FAA. After the FAA approved SpaceX’s remedies, it granted the company approval to launch again. That flight, of Starship SN9, also hit hard and exploded. Still, it was “another great flight,” Insprucker said during a broadcast of the event. But, he
added, “we need to work on that landing a little bit.” A month later, SpaceX was at it again with SN10. This time, it reached its apogee, or highest point, of about six miles, shut off its engines and fell gracefully in a “belly flop” or horizontal position. Then, shortly before reaching the ground, it flipped back to vertical and fired its engines. It landed, bounced, but appeared to stick the landing — at least for a while. “Third time’s a charm, as the saying goes,” Insprucker said on the broadcast. “A beautiful soft landing on the landing pad.” But the vehicle was visibly leaning, and after a little more than eight minutes, it exploded. After all of the explosions, the FAA, which is charged with promoting the space industry but also protecting people and property on the ground, oversaw investigations with SpaceX. The investigation into the SN10 “mishap,” as the FAA calls it, remains open, the agency said Friday. But it found “no public safety concerns in the preliminary SN10 mishap report that would preclude further launches,” so SpaceX was cleared to proceed with the flight test Friday. As the commercial space industry grows and embraces a culture of testing to failure and then iterating quickly to remedy errors, the FAA has been busy. So far, it has investigated six mishaps this fiscal year, Dickson said this week. That includes the Starship crashes, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that missed its landing site on an autonomous boat in the ocean, as well as an aborted flight from Virgin Galactic and a launch in Alaska by start-up space company Astra that just missed making orbit in December. Some of the mishaps “ended in spectacular fireballs and went viral on social media,” Dickson said. “But all six of these were successful failures because we were able to protect public safety.” christian.davenport@ washpost.com
Cardona extends pause in payments to more student borrowers in default Department allows relief for more than 1 million with federal loans BY D ANIELLE D OUGLAS- G ABRIEL
Building on efforts to expand student debt relief, the Education Department said Tuesday it will extend the suspension of payments to 1.14 million borrowers in default on federal loans held by private companies. “Our goal is to enable these borrowers who are struggling in default to get the same protections previously made available to tens of millions of other borrowers to help weather the uncertainty of the pandemic,” Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said in a statement. While 95 percent of people with federal student loans have had their payments automatically paused for the past year, millions of others with federal debt have been shut out of the moratorium. Those borrowers have been excluded because their loans, origi-
nated through the defunct Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program, are held by private companies. People with what are known as commercial FFEL loans are still being subjected to collections and wage garnishment when they default. And the economic upheaval caused by the coronavirus pandemic has resulted in more than 100,000 of these borrowers falling severely behind on their debt, according to the Education Department. With Tuesday’s announcement, the department will halt collections on people who have been behind on their commercial FFEL loans for nearly a year. Among those borrowers are about 800,000 people who were at risk of having their federal tax refunds seized to repay a defaulted loan. All relief is retroactive to March 13, 2020, when President Donald Trump declared a national emergency. The department will return any tax refunds seized or wages garnished over the past year. The agency has previously struggled to turn off the collections system, waiting for employers to cease garnishment while borrowers
continued to have their paychecks shorted. A senior department official said the agency will urge employers to act quickly. People who have made voluntary payments on any of their defaulted commercial FFEL loans since the start of the pandemic can request a refund. Interest paid on these loans will also be refunded. Each month in which the debt payments are suspended will count toward student loan rehabilitation, a federal program that erases a default from a person’s credit report after nine consecutive payments. A year ago, the Trump administration gave borrowers the option of postponing payments for at least 60 days as the coronavirus pandemic battered the economy. Congress later codified the reprieve in the stimulus package known as the Cares Act and made it automatic. The Trump administration twice extended the moratorium before leaving office, and President Biden continued it through Sept. 30. From the outset of the payment and collection pause, consumer groups have pleaded with the department and Congressional lawmakers to provide all federal bor-
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rowers relief. Policymakers have said the federal government’s authority over debt owned by private entities is limited. The Education Department said it has direct control over defaulted commercial FFEL loans because of the way the debt is handled. When someone defaults on those loans, the federal government has to reimburse the owner and essentially acquires the loan. The federal government actually holds some loans in repayment from the FFEL program, and that debt has been eligible for the suspension. The distinction within the FFEL portfolio is a consequence of the program’s demise. For years, the federal government was essentially a silent partner in a $60 billion program. Private lenders used their own money to finance the loans, but behind the scenes, the government paid a portion of the interest to make the debt more affordable. And to entice lenders, the government guaranteed the debt, taking on the risk of default. But after lenders were caught stealing from the government and paying off financial aid officers, the FFEL program lost favor on Capitol Hill.
The 2008 recession threatened the liquidity of private lenders, though, so the Education Department swooped in to buy some of their FFEL loans to keep the program going. By the time the Obama administration moved solely to direct lending in 2010, the portfolio of bank-based loans had been divided up among the department and companies such as Navient and Nelnet. While advocacy groups welcomed the Education Department’s decision Tuesday, they continue to urge the Biden administration to help an estimated 5 million other people who are still making payments on their commercial FFEL loans. “This is not enough,” said Persis Yu, a staff attorney and director of the National Consumer Law Center’s Student Loan Borrower Assistance Project. “The millions of FFEL borrowers who have not yet defaulted but who may be struggling to make their student loan payments often at the expense of other vital necessities need relief.” In a letter the NCLC and Student Borrower Protection Center sent the department in February, the advocacy groups estimate that the typical commercial FFEL bor-
rower will likely make $5,700 in federal loan payments by the time the moratorium ends in September. That’s roughly four months of rent for the median two-bedroom apartment in the country, or more than 13 months of the average utility bill. “Borrowers with commercial FFEL loans need Washington to stop drawing arbitrary lines that leave them without any protection or assistance,” said Seth Frotman, executive director of the Student Borrower Protection Center. “The Department has the legal authority to protect all federal student loan borrowers during the pandemic and provide real relief — it is long past time for them to use it.” Tuesday’s announcement from the Education Department is the latest step the Biden administration has taken to support student loan borrowers. The administration on Monday waived income reporting requirements for disabled borrowers approved for debt cancellation. It also scrapped a Trump administration plan earlier this month to give only partial debt relief to students defrauded by their colleges. [email protected]
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. WEDNESDAY,
MARCH 31 , 2021
Stimulus deposits by April 7 for Social Security, most other federal beneficiaries The IRS and the Treasury Department finally have a payment date for the millions of Michelle Social Security Singletary recipients and most other federal THE COLOR beneficiaries who OF MONEY do not have to file tax returns. The majority of their stimulus payments will be sent electronically, with an official payment date of April 7, according to the announcement Tuesday. Stimulus relief payments to federal beneficiaries who do not have recent tax returns on file with the IRS or who did not use the IRS online “non-filers tool” had been delayed, resulting in criticism and concern among would-be recipients. In total, about 127 million payments worth $325 billion have been distributed over the past three weeks. The American Rescue Plan provides for payments of up to $1,400 for eligible individuals and $2,800 for couples filing joint returns. Dependents, regardless of age, also receive $1,400 each.
The IRS had said it would automatically send economic impact payments, which is what the agency calls the stimulus payments, to people who did not file returns but who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Social Security retirement, survivor or disability (SSDI), Railroad Retirement, or Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits. But many of these federal beneficiaries, including nearly 30 million Social Security and SSI benefit recipients, have been waiting for news about their payments. “I am a 69-year-old widow living on SSI widow’s benefits,” a Florida woman said by email. “I can use the extra money, and I hear on the news every day how many people in my area have received their third stimulus payment. What is going on? I can really use this money.” The wait is coming to an end if all goes as planned, the IRS and Treasury said. Now that the IRS has the information it needs from the Social Security Administration, the majority of stimulus payments to federal beneficiaries will be disbursed electronically — through direct deposits or to existing Direct Express cards, which are prepaid
debit cards used to deliver federal benefits. However, stimulus payments for VA beneficiaries, who do not regularly file tax returns, could be delayed until mid-April. The agency said it is reviewing data for VA benefit recipients and expects to determine a payment date and provide more details soon. “We know how important these payments are, and we are doing everything we can to make these payments as fast as possible to these important individuals,” IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig said in the statement. Here’s a roundup of other announcements the IRS has made over the past several days. l Stimulus payments for federal beneficiaries. The
payments are automatic, so there’s nothing beneficiaries have to do. However, some federal benefit recipients still may need to file 2020 tax returns to claim the economic impact payments for qualified dependents. The IRS otherwise will not know to disburse the payments for the dependents. Also, be aware that the form of payment may be different from in earlier stimulus rounds. So, be
sure to check your mail for either a check or prepaid debit card. Eventually, with updates from the IRS, you should be able to check the status of your stimulus payment by using the “Get My Payment” tool at irs.gov, which is available in English and Spanish. l
Covid masks now covered.
Personal protective equipment — such as masks, hand sanitizer
“I am a 69-year-old widow living on SSI widow’s benefits. I can use the extra money. . . . What is going on?” Florida resident
and sanitizing wipes used to prevent the spread of the coronavirus — is now deductible as a medical expense, the IRS announced last week. The IRS said taxpayers can use funds in their health savings accounts (HSAs) or flexible spending account (FSAs) to buy paper and cloth masks. Hand
sanitizer and surface cleaners that are used to prevent the spread of the virus also are eligible. With an FSA and HSA, you can set aside money, pretax, to pay certain qualified health expenses. The contribution limit for an employee who chooses to participate in an FSA is $2,750 for 2021. Contributions are not subject to federal income tax, Social Security tax or Medicare tax. Health savings accounts are linked to high-deductible health plans (HDHPs), and, like FSAs, they also can be used for various out-of-pocket expenses. The maximum amount you’re allowed to contribute to an HSA for 2021 is $3,600 as an individual or $7,200 as a family. People 55 or older can contribute an extra $1,000 annually to an HSA. l IRA contribution deadline extended. In other news, the IRS
said it is giving individuals additional time to make 2020 contributions to their individual retirement accounts, such as an IRA or Roth IRA. The deadline is now May 17, as the IRS has extended the tax season for individuals to May 17.
The annual IRA contribution limit for 2020 is $6,000, plus an additional $1,000 for taxpayers 50 and older. People funding health savings accounts and Coverdell education savings accounts also have until May 17 to make 2020 contributions. Assuming you meet the income requirement for a Coverdell ESA, the annual contribution limit is $2,000 per beneficiary. l Covid-related student financial aid not taxed. The IRS
announced Tuesday that emergency financial aid grants made by a federal agency, state, Indian tribe, higher education institution, or scholarshipgranting organization will not have to be included in a student’s gross income if related to the pandemic. l Unclaimed refunds. By law, taxpayers have just three years to claim refunds. For 2017 returns, that would have been April 15. But now people have until May 17 to file 2017 returns and claim any refunds due. There’s a lot going on this tax season. I highly recommend you regularly check irs.gov for updates. [email protected]
Economy’s expected rebound will still leave out millions Federal Reserve’s plan for low interest rates may stifle employment BY
R ACHEL S IEGEL
A major reason the Federal Reserve insists Americans shouldn’t fret about the risk of runaway inflation boils down to a letter Alexia Figueroa received from the hotel she worked at for 15 years. Figueroa was furloughed from her job as a restaurant hostess and server at the Kimpton Nine Zero Hotel in Boston last March, and she’s waited for the call to come back ever since. The job helped her family buy a house and provided health insurance for her two children. Then last week, Figueroa learned that she and dozens of others had been fired. “The recovery looks like it is coming soon, but when they sent me the letter saying I don’t have the job, it’s like they are keeping me away from the recovery,” Figueroa, 39, said. “To find another hospitality job is hard for me in this moment.” By many accounts, the economy is projected to grow at its fastest pace in four decades this year, bolstered by President Biden’s $1.9 trillion stimulus package and more widespread vaccinations. The rosier picture has economists debating whether such a forceful turnaround will overheat the economy and trigger cycles of inflation unseen for decades. The Fed isn’t worried. Its explanation typically includes academic debates about what constitutes inflation or what the mathematical link is between unemployment and prices. But the answer this time is also much simpler: Despite the headline numbers, the economy is still in bad shape for millions of Americans. And for many workers like Figueroa, jobs may not come back even if the economy booms again. The bleak reality is coming into sharper focus as the Biden administration prepares to unveil an at least $3 trillion infrastructure and jobs package on Wednesday, one that’s designed to confront global climate change and rebuild America’s roads, bridges and other infrastructure. The package could provide additional support to the economy in the years to come, but there are more imminent challenges, especially as coronavirus cases rise again across the United States. All the while, the scars of pandemic are far from healed. The leisure and hospitality sector — which largely employs people of color and women — is down almost 3.5 million jobs, or roughly 20 percent of its pre-pandemic level. Workers who had been in the bottom 25 percent of earners faced an unemployment rate of around 22 percent in February, compared with the overall rate of 6.2 percent, according to a speech last week by Federal Reserve Governor Lael Brainard. Economists say many of the 9.5 million jobs still missing from the labor market will gradually return. But it’s unclear how long it will take, and which jobs will vanish forever in the meantime. Businesses are increasingly looking to technology and automation to cut the cost of labor,
MARY ALTAFFER/ASSOCIATED PRESS
With the Federal Reserve’s higher tolerance for inflation, and businesses turning to automation and technology to cut labor costs, millions of jobs may disappear from the labor market forever, resulting in long-term unemployment.
Share of prime-age adults who have jobs Employment-population ratio of those 25-54 years old by race or ethnicity
80%
White Asian 75
Hispanic Black
70
65 Jan. 2016 Source: Labor Department
compounding the risks of longterm unemployment for some of the country’s most vulnerable workers. The bleak picture shows the darker side of the Fed’s plan to keep interest rates near zero for quite awhile. Historically, the Fed raised rates and slowed the economy to keep inflation from creeping too high, even at the cost of higher unemployment. Now the Fed goes by a new playbook, one that tolerates higher inflation if that means more people can get a job. But if all of that growth leaves behind people like Figueroa, the Fed’s path to getting as many people back to work as possible will be even harder to forge. “Although the outlook has brightened considerably, the fog of uncertainty associated with the virus has yet to lift completely, and current employment and inflation outcomes remain far from our goals,” Brainard said last week. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome H. Powell has long said that getting the pandemic under control
Feb. 2021 THE WASHINGTON POST
is the best way to heal the economy. Vaccinations help people return to jobs that depend on person-to-person contact, Powell says. As people spend money on long-awaited vacations and entertainment, hotels and concert venues will be able to bring workers back on the payroll, for example. But some jobs may never return. In her speech, Brainard cited a December survey that found roughly half of chief financial officers from large firms and about one-third of those from small firms, said they were “using, or planning to use, automation or technology to reduce reliance on labor.” Many companies already had plans to automate jobs before the pandemic. But Robert Kaplan, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, told The Washington Post that the pandemic accelerated that shift. Kaplan said it’s hard to think of a business in his district — which spans Texas and parts of Louisiana and New Mexico — that doesn’t mention automation and ways to trim costs in
their conversations. Restaurants are using technology for online preorders and pickups, Kaplan said. Package delivery and logistics centers are on a similar path. Call centers that were already exploring ways to automate will probably ramp up those efforts, Kaplan said. In other cases, businesses say they can’t predict how quickly customer demand will rebound as the pandemic winds down, making them hesitant to rehire. “What I’m hearing from small businesses, medium-sized businesses and large business is that wherever possible right now, they’re looking for ways to use technology more than in the past to run leaner, and to be more efficient,” Kaplan said. Such permanent shifts in the labor market could pose a crucial test for the Fed. The central bank is supposed to guard against inflation — the annual change in the price of goods and services — and get the economy to full employment. Its main policy lever rests in interest rates, which the Fed can raise or lower depending on what’s happening in the economy. Inflation has tracked well below the Fed’s 2 percent target for years, even as unemployment fell in the years after the Great Recession. That dynamic challenged the long-held view that as the labor market tightened and employers raised wages to compete for scarce workers, prices would rise as businesses passed high labor costs onto consumers. Inflation is expected to pick up quickly this year, but Powell says any price increases will be temporary and won’t pulse through the entire economy. Still, economists and Wall Street investors are trying to pin down how much inflation the Fed will tolerate before it raises rates. Just as important will be how the Fed judges progress in the
labor market, particularly for low-wage workers and people of color who didn’t benefit until the tail end of the expansion that followed the Great Recession. Raphael Bostic, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, described the uneven recovery as “the signature characteristic” of the pandemic’s economic fallout. In a speech last week, Bostic highlighted disparities across wage levels, gender, race and industry and said eliminating persistent gaps “is essential if we are to generate stronger economic growth.” When it comes to monetary policy, Bostic said looking to the
“Wherever possible right now, they’re looking for ways to use technology more than in the past to run leaner.” Robert Kaplan, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, discussing how businesses of all sizes are turning to automated labor.
overall unemployment rate won’t be enough. “I’m going to be committed to pushing back against the notion that we’re all fine if the aggregate number is at a certain point, but some of these targeted populations are still in significant distress, or in a more of a crisis type of period,” Bostic told reporters last week. Many economists say the official unemployment rate leaves out millions of workers. They say a more precise gauge is the employment-to-population ratio, which measures the number of people currently employed against the total working-age
population. The ratio for Black prime-age workers is 7.2 percentage points lower than for White workers, which is 77.8 percent. The ratio is 6.2 percentage points lower for Hispanic workers than for White workers — an increase in each gap of about three percentage points from pre-pandemic lows in October 2019, according to Brainard’s speech. Measuring how many people are still out of work is one challenge. Making sense of this unusual and complex crisis is yet another. Abigail Wozniak, a labor economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, says there are still “a lot of asterisks” when assessing the health of the U.S. economy. Three rounds of stimulus checks, enhanced unemployment benefits and a host of other relief measures have all helped families stay afloat over the past year. The unprecedented levels of fiscal support make it hard to draw clear-cut conclusions about the labor market, for example. At the same time, Wozniak notes that not all Americans have been able to access aid, blurring the picture even more. “The unemployment rate is dramatically worse than we’ve seen in the past, but the level of support is dramatically better,” Wozniak said. “And so when we try to create this picture of overall well-being, we’re just in a very new territory.” Eventually, the flood of support from Congress will wear off. Businesses that experiment with leaner staffs or automation may decide to stick with it. And economists fear that the longer people are out of the workforce, the harder it is to get back in. “While there’s some exuberance, rightfully so, that the economy is going to rebound and rebound fast, and we’re going to see a lot of growth, the way that will be experienced by workers is going to be just as uneven and unequal as the recession was,” said Molly Kinder, who focuses on low-wage workers and women at the Brookings Institution. That is Figueroa’s worry too. Figueroa, who is from El Salvador, said she’s depended on stimulus payments and extended unemployment benefits to help support her family. Her husband also works in hospitality as a server, but he is only employed two days per week. She fears what losing her job means for her family’s financial stability and worries about paying her mortgage. The Unite Here Local 26 Union, which represents much of Kimpton Nine Zero’s staff, said the company violated its contract and did not have grounds to fire its employees. In a statement, the hotel said its actions “comply with the union contract that has been in place for years.” Other Boston hotels have committed to recalling their own workers if business returns, making it more difficult for her to find a position. Figueroa says she has the training, but she needs the job. “We are here, ready to work,” Figueroa said. “We already know our job, so we don’t have to train as much. We know what we do, and we love what we do.” [email protected] Andrew Van Dam contributed to this report.
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Operative was defined by loyalty to Nixon, ends-justify-the-means view LIDDY FROM A1
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leased after 52 months behind bars. By his own account, the Liddy of the Watergate break-in was a product of the culture wars of the 1960s. “The nation was at war not only externally in Vietnam but internally,” he said in his 1980 autobiography “Will,” which sold more than 1 million copies. “I had learned long ago the maxims of Cicero that ‘laws are inoperative in war’ and that ‘the good of the people is the chief law.’ ” George Gordon Battle Liddy was born in Brooklyn on Nov. 30,
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level in the White House and ratcheting them up to even more extreme action.” Desperate to contain the scandal during the run-up to the 1972 election, Nixon’s aides launched a coverup with the personal approval and involvement of the president. Mr. Liddy refused to cooperate with prosecutors and Congress, and was sentenced in March 1973 to a 20-year prison term for conspiracy, burglary and illegal wiretapping. President Jimmy Carter commuted Liddy’s sentence in 1977 and he was re-
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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: G. Gordon Liddy in 1987, after he found success as a screen villain with the role of Capt. William “Mr. Real Estate” Maynard on the NBC police drama “Miami Vice,” and made cameo appearances in other TV shows. Mr. Liddy with Lt. Gov. John H. Hager of Virginia in 2001. He reveled in his status as the man who helped bring down a president and his reputation for carrying out “dirty tricks.” Mr. Liddy takes a call on his radio talk show in 1996. It was carried by more than 270 stations across the country and reached about 10 million listeners. When callers asked how he was doing, he replied, “Virile, vigorous and potent.”
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week after the break-in. With his intense stare, cannonball head, bristling mustache and machine-gun style of speaking, Mr. Liddy looked like the archetypal bad guys he later depicted in television shows including “Miami Vice.” His friend and fellow Watergate conspirator E. Howard Hunt described him as “a wired, wisecracking extrovert who seemed as if he might be a candidate for decaffeinated coffee.” Mr. Liddy often boasted of his transformation “from a puny, fearful boy to a strong, fearless man” through a regime of intense exercise and physical bravado such as eating rats and holding his hand over a candle until the flesh burned. “The trick is not minding,” he once explained of the pain, echoing a line used by Peter O’Toole in the 1962 movie “Lawrence of Arabia.” He also developed an early fascination with Nazi Germany, saying that he felt an “electric current” surge through his body when he listened to Adolf Hitler on the radio. To the young Liddy, Hitler embodied the “power of will.” Although Mr. Liddy frequently boasted of his impeccable tradecraft, he made elementary mistakes that allowed his former FBI colleagues to connect the breakin to the White House and ultimately to a small circle of Nixon aides. He accepted personal responsibility for the fiasco, declaring that he was “the captain of the ship when she hit the reef.” “If someone wants to shoot me, just tell me what corner to stand on, and I will be there,” he told presidential counsel John Dean. Detractors viewed the gun-loving, hippie-hating Liddy as a threat to American democracy and the man responsible for many of the “dirty tricks” of the Nixon administration that led to the resignation of the president on Aug. 9, 1974. Supporters admired his war against “radicals” and “subversives” and his refusal to betray his fellow Watergate conspirators in return for a reduced prison term. Opinions differ about whether the Watergate scandal would have exploded without Mr. Liddy. Historian Stanley Kutler of the University of Wisconsin described him as a lowly “spear carrier” following the wishes of his commander in chief who will merit no more than a footnote in the history books. The director of the nonprofit National Security Archive, Tom Blanton, said Mr. Liddy “brought out the worst” in Nixon and his aides, “raising the testosterone
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1930, and grew up in Hoboken, N.J. He was named for a prominent lawyer and Tammany Hall leader. His Irish-Italian family raised him as a strict Catholic in parochial schools. “The nuns introduced me to authority,” he recalled. “First, God. And then: The flag.” The son of a lawyer, he was inspired by the example of his uncle, one of J. Edgar Hoover’s original G-men, who claimed to have been involved in the killing of the gangster John Dillinger. After graduating from Jesuitrun Fordham University in 1952, Mr. Liddy spent two years in the Army as an artillery officer but was exempted from service in Korea for medical reasons. He returned to Fordham to study law, completed his degree and joined the FBI in 1957. That same year, he married computer instructor Frances Purcell, whose striking appearance, he wrote in his memoir, reminded him of a “legendary Rhine maiden.” His wife died in 2010. Survivors include five children and a sister. Mr. Liddy wrote that he left the FBI in 1962 because he wanted to secure a more comfortable life for his family. According to former FBI officials quoted by journalist and author J. Anthony Lukas, Mr. Liddy was pushed out because he was a “wild man” and a “superklutz.” Leaving the FBI turned out to be a good career move. Mr. Liddy worked several years in patent law with his father’s firm and, in 1965, became an assistant district attorney in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. He became a local conservative folk hero through his involvement in the 1966 arrest of Timothy Leary, a former Harvard professor conducting unorthodox drug research. Narrowly defeated in a GOP congressional primary, he took charge of the Nixon-Agnew campaign in Dutchess County, N.Y., in 1968 and was rewarded with a post as special assistant to the secretary of the treasury. Mr. Liddy’s efforts at the Treasury Department fighting drug traffickers put him in touch with White House aide Egil “Bud” Krogh Jr., who had set up a special investigations unit nick-
named “the Plumbers” to combat leaks after the unauthorized release of the Pentagon Papers by military analyst Daniel Ellsberg. In September 1971, Mr. Liddy teamed up with Hunt, a former CIA agent, to hire a group of anti-Castro Cubans to burglarize the Beverly Hills, Calif., office of Ellsberg’s psychiatrist, in the hopes of finding compromising material. After the Plumbers disbanded, Mr. Liddy was transferred to the Committee to Reelect the President (popularly known as CREEP), to organize intelligence activities against the Democrats. He proposed a million-dollar sabotage and intelligence plan known as “Gemstone,” which was
Mr. Liddy often boasted of his transformation “from a puny, fearful boy to a strong, fearless man” through a regime of intense exercise and physical bravado such as eating rats and holding his hand over a candle until the flesh burned. eventually pared back to a $250,000 scheme that included the bugging of the Democratic headquarters. He also volunteered to assassinate newspaper columnist Jack Anderson, who he thought was responsible for compromising a top U.S. intelligence source. His superiors vetoed the idea. Unable to find anyone proficient in bugging, Mr. Liddy recruited the CREEP security chief, James W. McCord Jr., whose links to the White House were easily traceable. McCord’s arrest, along with four Cubans, inside the Democratic headquarters shortly after 2 a.m. on June 17, 1972, led to
the rapid identification of Mr. Liddy and Hunt. Mr. Liddy refused to testify before the grand jury investigating Watergate, saying he had not been raised to be “a snitch or a rat.” But his silence failed to prevent the disintegration of the coverup after Nixon’s reelection in November 1972. When McCord began to cooperate with investigators in March 1973, Dean and other Nixon aides concluded that it was every man for himself and negotiated their own immunity deals. As a federal prisoner, Mr. Liddy relished facing down the wardens and gangs who ruled the penitentiary. In his autobiography, he claimed that he responded to racial epithets from African American prisoners by singing the Nazi “Horst Wessel” anthem that he had learned as a boy, celebrating Aryan superiority. “I don’t believe there was a man there who understood one word of what I sang,” he wrote. “But they got the message.” After his release from prison, Mr. Liddy finally broke his silence about his role in Watergate with the publication of “Will,” which was well-received by many of his former antagonists. Washington Post investigative reporter Bob Woodward described the book as the “self-portrait of a zealot,” but he also noted that it contained “an embarrassment of riches” growing out of “his blustery conceit and his freedom from any guilt about what he did. . . . His story rings true,” Woodward wrote in his review. In an unusual twist, Mr. Liddy teamed up with Leary, his former nemesis, for a series of debates on college campuses. The men were the unlikely co-stars of the 1983 documentary film “Return Engagement,” in which they traded compliments as well as barbs. Mr. Liddy deplored Leary’s “very dangerous” ideas while praising his “marvelous elfin sense of wit and Irish humor.” Leary depicted Mr. Liddy as “intelligent,” “highly educated” and “deeply idealistic” but attacked him for “turning America into a banana republic.” “He’s Darth Vader to my Luke Skywalker,” said Leary, who served more than three years for possession of marijuana following the Poughskeepsie drug bust. Mr. Liddy’s career as a screen villain took off in the early 1980s with the role of the dreaded Capt. William “Mr. Real Estate” Maynard on the NBC police drama “Miami Vice,” which was followed by cameo appearances in other shows. On the old Nashville Network cable channel, he co-starred as a crime boss in the short-lived series “18 Wheels of Justice,” a program that he boasted had “no redeeming social value.” Success on the lecture circuit led to the “G. Gordon Liddy Show,” a radio talk show that was carried by more than 270 stations across the country and reached an estimated 10 million listeners. He found a wide following for his brand of macho wit. His standard reply to callers asking how he was doing: “Virile, vigorous and potent.” To those asking for his views on the Second Amendment, he replied: “I believe in gun control. Hold the gun steadily and hit what you aim at.” In recent years, he hawked the “Stacked and Packed” wall calendar, which he claimed featured “America’s most beautiful women, heavily armed.” As a felon, Mr. Liddy lost the right to own a gun, but he found an easy way around the law. He told interviewers that he owned no guns, “but Mrs. Liddy owns 27, some of which she keeps on my side of the bed.” Unlike other Watergate defendants, Mr. Liddy reveled in his celebrity status as the man at the center of a scandal that brought down a president and his reputation for carrying out those dirty tricks. His black Volvo sported the personalized tag H20GATE. He acknowledged that he probably would have ended up as an unsung “Washington political hack moving in and out of power” had it not been for Watergate. “Things are very, very good for me,” he told the Los Angeles Times in 1991. “I’m very appreciative. I was an accident of history.” [email protected] Dobbs is a former Washington Post reporter and author of a forthcoming book about Nixon and Watergate, “King Richard: An American Tragedy.”
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Our next fight: Vaccine passports he first thing to know about vaccine passports is that they’re not passports. They’re more like certificates, likely emerging in the form of scannable smartphone codes, that declare one thing and only one thing about their bearer: that they have gotten stuck in the arm the requisite number of times. The second thing to know about vaccine passports is that they don’t even exist yet, at least not at any appreciable scale. The White House is working with private companies to develop standards for whatever products emerge, but the government isn’t crafting a little blue book with an N95-clad eagle embossed in gold that all civilians must carry wherever they go. Vaccine passports have little to do with international travel (that’s another conversation) and more to do with everyday life right here where we already are: in our bars, ballparks and other businesses that want to open their doors wide again without risking outbreaks. The Post reported on Sunday that 17 initiatives for covid credentials are in the works. This suggests the problem is less likely to be centralized surveillance of the citizenry and more likely to be a shambolic hodgepodge of protocols too confusing for businesses to enforce. The next thing to know about vaccine passports is they’re about to start a war anyway. All the usual marks of cultural crusading have already appeared: the claims about constitutionality puffed full of confidence but empty of context, the accusations of hypocrisy that are themselves hypocritical, the comparisons that defy critical thought. “Let me get this straight,” tweeted Donald Trump Jr. “Some Democrats want American citizens to have a Vaccine Passport to travel freely within the United States but not an ID to vote?!? Clowns!!!” Three clown emojis followed for emphasis. Democrats ask the same question but in reverse. Republicans turn hysterical over people carrying a card to the grocery store to stymie a deadly disease, but they insist on people carrying a card to the polling place to prevent systemic fraud that hasn’t been proven to exist? Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.), meanwhile, reached into his lib-trolling grab-bag to pull out two pieces of historical hyperbole: The passport proposals “smack of 1940s Nazi Germany.” And President Biden “shares more commonalities with Leninism than liberalism.” The liberals-not-Leninists shoot back again, exaggerating the utility of a concept that doesn’t yet have much proof. These passports won’t infringe on privacy, and they won’t prove coercive, their argument goes. They will deliver us all from this plague. The reality, as usual, is somewhere in between. These non-passport passports won’t emerge as a mandate from the Oval Office or Congress, and the biggest of Big Government won’t be tracking our individual vaccination status, what we’ve done with our newfound immunity or where we’ve done it. Mostly, private companies will want to know whether we’re jabbed so that they can finally make as much money as they used to with as little hazard as that used to involve. But public health guidelines permitting large indoor gatherings only among the inoculated will inform some of those private companies’ decisions, and creating scannable codes such as those New York just started piloting will require some verification against state records. (The concerns about equity, too, are real, as long as disenfranchised people get fewer shots and own fewer smartphones.) Similarly, signing up will be a choice — but when everything fun in the world is conditioned on that sign-up, the concept of choice turns fuzzy. This is coercion. Yet coercion may be exactly what the doctor ordered for those hesitant to face the needle but desperate to dance at a wedding. None of us know yet where, when and to whom we might be required to present this handy-dandy credential, so people instead invent the scenarios that either most enrage or most soothe them. Maybe we’re barred from anywhere and everywhere, unable even to step into the grocery store for tomorrow’s breakfast. Or maybe we’re only turned back from the punk show where we had hoped to throw ourselves against thousands of strangers. Vaccine passports are the new masks. Depending on where you are, what you read and how you vote, they are either the badge of the oppressor or the brand borne by the righteous. They will either solve everything or nothing. They are the new lockdown and the new quarantine: both terms we continue to use for our current condition even though most of us are only semi-isolated and fully free to romp where we please. No one cares about the in-between. We want extremes, and where there aren’t any we create them. Vaccine passports don’t even exist yet, but that won’t stop our riven country from turning them into exactly what we’re always looking for: a reason to get mad at the other guy.
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Why the ship that got stuck in the Suez Canal is like the long journey to a covid shot Here’s the summary of the incident:
Now, the same map with better labels: Vaccination point
Suez Canal
Ship stuck
Ships that crossed earlier
Me, stuck
People I envy
People worse off than me
Ship traffic jam
Countries worse off than ours
Ships that gave up waiting
Another way to put it...
At a closer look, you can really see my point. Me
Weight I gained
Stuff I bought online
Stuff I actually need
Pre-pandemic clothing size
Credit rating
But the path ahead isn’t always straightforward.
I can imagine how it felt when the ship got unstuck.
Single-dose vaccine
Life VIEW FROM ABOVE
Vaccine day! Weee!
Me Friends cheering me up
Two-dose vaccines
And, for most ships, including mine, there is still a long, slow path to normality.
Lucky bastard
Even when the vaccination line starts to move...
... a shot somehow remains elusive for most of us. Good social distancing
Too close Bored
Me
The good news about racial sentencing disparities ow many more months in prison do federal courts give Black drug offenders as opposed to comparable White offenders? The correct answer, through fiscal 2018, is: zero. The racial disparity in federal drug-crime sentencing, adjusted for severity of the offense and offender characteristics such as criminal history, shrank from 47 months in 2009 to nothing in 2018, according to a new research paper by sociologist Michael Light of the University of Wisconsin. For federal crimes of all types, there is still a Black-White discrepancy, but it, too, has shrunk, from 34 months in 2009 to less than six months in 2018. This remarkable but unheralded progress reflects 15 years of reforms by the courts, Congress and, most important, the Justice Department. As the trial of ex-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for the death of George Floyd last year gets underway, the nation is reliving the horrible events that galvanized a movement for change in the criminal justice system. Light’s analysis of federal sentencing suggests that among all the other feelings that supporters of reform experience this week, hope should be included. What went right? Basically, decisionmakers unwound policies that had provided much higher maximum penalties for trafficking crack cocaine than the powdered variant and, crucially, had encouraged federal prosecutors to seek those maximum penalties. Supreme Court rulings, in 2007 and 2009, gave federal judges latitude to impose more-lenient sentences for crack dealing. The 2010 Fair Sentencing Act reduced the crack vs. powder punishment disparity, from a maximum of 100 times as much prison time to 18. And starting that same year, the Obama administration Justice Department actively sought to diminish the disparity. As part of this effort, Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. instructed federal prosecutors in 2013 not to seek the maximum penalty for drug trafficking by low-level, nonviolent defendants. The upshot was that the average federal drug sentence for Black offenders fell 23 months, while that for White offenders rose 23 months, possibly due to the growing prevalence of opioids and methamphetamine in White communities. For all federal crimes, sentences for White offenders rose from 47 months to 61, while those for Black offenders fell from 81 to 67. The United States has now restored the racial parity in federal sentencing that — perhaps surprisingly — existed before the war on crack’s start in the late 1980s. As of the mid-1980s, Black and White offenders had received roughly 26 months in prison. The reform that Light credits as the most beneficial — Holder’s instructions to prosecutors — was also the most easily reversed. One of the Trump Justice Department’s first actions in 2017 was to rescind them, in favor of a renewed emphasis on pursuing maximum penalties. However, this has been undone by the Biden administration — and probably did not reverse previous gains in racial equity anyway. Under Trump, imposition of mandatory minimum sentences rose slightly — but White defendants were more likely to be affected than Black defendants, according to Light’s study. The federal system holds only about one-eighth of the 1.4 million prisoners doing time in the United States. Still, racial disparities in incarceration, though large, have also been diminishing in the states. From 2000 to 2016, the ratio of Black offenders under the supervision of criminal justice (in prison, in jail, on probation or on parole) to White offenders declined from 8.3-to-1 to 5.1-to-1, according to a study by the Council on Criminal Justice, a nonpartisan think tank. The disparity decreased most for drug crimes. More broadly, and perhaps not coincidentally, overall incarceration has fallen 11 percent since the peak of 1,615,500 prisoners in 2009. The imprisonment rate fell twice as fast for Black and Latino people than for White people during this period. Light’s analysis suggests that the lesson of recent federal experience is to avoid apparently race-neutral policies that have a foreseeably racially disparate impact. Sens. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) have introduced bipartisan legislation to further reduce mandatory minimums for certain nonviolent drug offenses. Yet as important as statutory changes may be, the choices that police and prosecutors make about how to enforce the laws may matter more. Even without changes to sentencing, “nearly all” of the Black-White sentencing gap in drug cases would have been eliminated between 2009 and 2018, Light argues, simply because the Justice Department modified prosecutions. “The substantial and unexpected reduction of the black-white sentencing gap over the last decade will necessarily translate to greater racial parity in the federal prison system. Whether this shift also translates to changes in the perception of the federal courts or racial divisions in the broader society remains unknown,” Light writes. “Much of it depends on the extent to which people notice.”
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MICHAEL DE ADDER
AN INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER EDITORIALS
Obamacare comes into its own Democrats are making the Affordable Care Act work. Republicans should stop fighting it. HIS HAS been a landmark year for the Affordable Care Act. For the first time, because of the covid-19 epidemic, the safety net that Congress created 11 years ago has had to catch large numbers of Americans as they lose their jobs and their healthcare insurance. Thankfully, President Biden wants the law to succeed, unlike his predecessor. Mr. Biden announced last week that the government will allow people to enroll in ACA health-care plans through Aug. 15, extending a special enrollment period that the president opened in February. Some 200,000 people bought ACA coverage during the first two weeks of the period, a strikingly high number. The government typically limits enrollment to a brief window to prevent people from signing up for insurance only when they get sick. But Congress just approved enhanced federal subsidies that help people buy private plans on the ACA marketplace, making the coverage far more affordable up and down the in-
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come scale. With these subsidies just coming online, and the pandemic still raging, Mr. Biden was wise to make an exception. The need is acute. Two million or more people may have lost employer-based health insurance during the pandemic. Nearly all are now eligible for Medicaid or subsidies to buy private ACA healthcare plans. During past economic crises, many Americans have lost their health insurance with no recourse. The ACA may limit the damage this time. Even so, the ACA’s promise to ensure that no one goes without health care remains stubbornly unfulfilled. A major reason: Republicans ripped a big hole in the law, denying coverage to more than 2 million low-income people. The ACA expanded the state-federal Medicaid program for the poor and near-poor, with the federal government picking up nearly the whole tab, but 12 Republicanled states refused to extend Medicaid coverage as the law anticipated. Some 2.2 million people remain locked out of
the Medicaid program and unable to buy private coverage in these states, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. In its latest covid-19 relief package, Congress sweetened the deal for states that have refused to extend their Medicaid programs, boosting substantially the health funding they would get if they expanded. According to Kaiser, these 12 states stand to net nearly $10 billion from the federal government, even after accounting for their share of the cost of larger Medicaid rolls. It is clearer than ever that refusing to expand is not only hardhearted but also fiscally irrational. Some holdout states appear to be reconsidering. Alabama’s governor and Wyoming’s legislature have recently expressed interest in Medicaid expansion. But Florida and Texas account for about half of those stuck in the Medicaid coverage gap. Without movement in Tallahassee and Austin, more than 1 million low-income Americans will lack coverage that the federal government wants to provide them.
China holds the key The WHO report raises more questions than answers regarding the coronavirus’s origins. HE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION joint investigation with China into the origins of the coronavirus looked into a dark chasm and saw darkness. The report offers theories about pathways of a zoonotic spillover from animals to people, but not a single animal source among thousands has tested positive with SARS-CoV-2. The investigators did not conduct a forensic probe into the possibility of a laboratory leak. The origins of the pandemic remain obscure. Finding the answer is as important and elusive as ever. Overshadowing the whole exercise is the unspoken power of the Chinese party-state to determine the outcome. China has strenuously denied that the virus may have leaked from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which was carrying out risky gain-of-function experiments on bat coronaviruses. This involves modifying viral genomes to give them new properties, including the ability to infect lung cells of laboratory mice that had been genetically changed to respond as human respiratory cells would. According to the WHO-China report, during the team’s visit to the institute on Feb. 3, “rumours of a leak from the laboratory were refuted categorically by the laboratory director.” The director said the laboratory handled some 13,000 samples over three years. “No infection was ever reported.” All staff are tested and the results all negative, he said. A member of the WHO team, Dr. Dominic Dwyer of Australia, told reporters Tuesday, “I think we were satisfied that there was no obvious evidence of a problem.” But he conceded the team had not conducted a forensic investigation of a possible laboratory leak. Will China now permit one? China’s reluctance only fuels suspicions of something to hide. The joint investigation — 17 Chinese and 17 international scientists working over 28 days in January and February — ran into many frustrating unknowns. In search of clues from early cases in Wuhan, 233 health institutions checked 76,253 health records of respiratory conditions in October and November 2019 and identified 92 that might be SARSCoV-2. Upon testing, none were. The
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CHRISTOPHER BLACK/WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION/REUTERS
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in Geneva in January.
Huanan food market in Wuhan sold seafood and wild animals, but “no firm conclusion” can be drawn about its role because there were also virus cases with no connection to the market, the report says. Viral genomes and epidemiological data showed “no obvious clustering” by “exposure to raw meat or furry animals.” The report adds, “Through extensive testing of animal products in the Huanan market, no evidence of animal infections was found.” More than 80,000 wildlife, livestock and poultry samples were collected from 31 provinces in China and none tested positive for the virus before or after the outbreak. The Chinese and WHO scientists in-
sisted the most likely pathway of the virus was a zoonotic spillover, either directly or indirectly from an animal species to humans. They called a laboratory leak “an extremely unlikely pathway.” But the WHO director-general, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, disagreed with the team, saying the laboratory leak “requires further investigation.” He declared that all hypotheses remain on the table, and he is ready to deploy specialists to probe further. China has a responsibility to open its doors. This is not a blame game, but an essential investigation into the cause of this pandemic to make another one less likely.
How Congress can help combat cybercrime Ransomware attacks are crippling cities, schools and hospitals. Lawmakers should act. HE CORONAVIRUS pandemic has taken a toll on the economy, but members of at least one profession are making out better than ever: cybercriminals. The average ransom paid by hacked organizations nearly tripled last year over the previous year; the highest reported ransom paid, $10 million, also was double the previous year’s high. Worse, many of the victims are those most essential to keeping communities safe, healthy and in good working order: state and local governments, schools and hospitals. Ransomware attacks use malicious software to lock a target out of its files — until the target pays to regain access to its own computers. The extortion will continue as long as it is profitable, and today too many of those paralyzed by these intrusions fork over the cash to get back to business as usual. The Treasury Department last fall issued an advisory that paying ransom could violate sanctions laws, if the ransom is paid to a designated cybercriminal. Congress should eventually go even further and prohibit these payments altogether. Yet that’s a lot for legislators in Washington
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to demand of a small town, college or clinic without providing ample support for protection and resilience. These places need help, and lawmakers must ensure they get it. The federal government already disrupts operations and disables networks of bad actors when it can. It can also assist public-sector facilities around the country in hardening their infrastructure to deprive opportunists of any opening, as well as in recovering when infiltrators take advantage of whatever vulnerabilities remain. Acting Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency director Brandon Wales said last week that blocking such extortion has become a top priority for his division in the Department of Homeland Security. Already, CISA offers resources to state, local and tribal governments. But many of those governments don’t even know that, others don’t know how best to harness the aid they’re given, and for even more these tips just aren’t enough. Out of 11 bills mentioning ransomware last year, one lonely piece of legislation passed as a provision in the larger National Defense Authorization Act,
tasking CISA with establishing state cybersecurity coordinators. That’s good, but state and local governments also need to be able to afford best practices. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas recently announced an increase in the amount of money dedicated to cybersecurity in existing FEMA grants; a bill pending in the House of Representatives would create additional grants for implementing robust cybersecurity plans. Some senators, led by Gary Peters (D-Mich.) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio), seek to expand DHS’s mandate to work with states and localities on cybersecurity. These worthwhile endeavors could be modified to address ransomware explicitly. So could attempts to build out DHS’s incident response teams — essentially digital ghostbusters for crippling hacks. Right now, the country’s most crucial services are also cybercriminals’ most tempting targets, because the criminals know three things: that we can’t live without them, that they are unprotected and that people are willing to pay to release them from attack. That first part won’t change, but the next two must.
LETTERS TO TH E ED ITOR [email protected]
A long way to go for HBCUs The March 25 Metro article “Hogan signs off on funding for HBCUs” evoked deja vu. Though the infusion of financial resources is necessary, as U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake noted, Maryland’s public institutions of higher education have “a shameful history of de jure segregation” and “practices of unnecessary program duplication that continue to have segregative effects.” The settlement Gov. Larry Hogan (R) announced makes no mention of program duplication. More than a half century has elapsed since what was then the Office for Civil Rights in the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare (now the U.S. Education Department) called on Maryland and other states that maintained racially segregated institutions of higher education to take meaningful steps to provide historically Black colleges and universities the resources and programs to desegregate and prosper. Sadly, in Baltimore and other places throughout the South, HBCUs have been thwarted as nearby White public institutions have expanded exponentially. I suspect that this omission may be what attorney Michael D. Jones was referring to when he stated that “there is still a bit of work left to do” to finalize the deal. Undoubtedly, former Morgan State University president Earl S. Richardson knows whereof he speaks when he referred to his unsuccessful efforts of “cajoling, compromising [and] lobbying.” Despite a substantial infusion of financial resources, Maryland still has a long way to go to achieve an equitable system of public higher education. Burton M. Taylor, Rockville The writer was director of postsecondary education for the Office for Civil Rights in the Department of Health, Education and Welfare.
The Georgia ‘voting law’ The March 26 news headline “Georgia enacts sweeping voting law” was wrong. Let me be very clear on this: That was not a voting law that Gov. Brian Kemp (R) signed; it was a voter-suppression law. Lisa Friedmann, Germantown The 15th Amendment states that the “right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” And it further states that “Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.” In light of the voter-suppression laws signed by the governor of Georgia and similar laws on their way to enactment in many other states, it is clearly time for Congress to do its job, to “enforce [the 15th Amendment] by appropriate legislation.” If the Senate is faced with the choice between keeping the filibuster and enforcing the 15th Amendment, then the imperatives of the Constitution must take precedence over a Senate rule that was used in the 1950s and 1960s to thwart the Constitution. Senate Republicans need to look to their consciences. All Senate Democrats need to have the courage to look to what matters the most. David S. Fishback, Olney I love to golf and watch golf, especially the Masters. In light of the frightening new Georgia voting rights legislation, I am asking all professional golfers to boycott this year’s tournament. Right or wrong, golfers get pigeonholed as socially conservative, money-driven individuals. I
don’t want to believe this is true, and professional golfers have the chance to show this is not the case. My plea to all professional and the invited amateur golfers: Make a unified and very public stand in support of social and racial justice and boycott this year’s Masters. David Kennedy, Arlington Kudos to the wise Georgia politicians who have stepped up to prevent the heinous act of offering water to people standing in long lines in the Georgia sun [“No water for this poison pill,” editorial, March 28]. This has obviously been one of the United States’ greatest existential threats, so it’s good to see patriotic legislators willing to devote their time and energy to dealing with it. I expect they are very proud of themselves and their accomplishment. Bob Hudson, Silver Spring
A change in foreign policy Since the end of the Cold War in 1991, U.S. foreign policy has been overtaken by a series of domestic priorities wherein national security interests have been buried under slogans. The “endless wars” in the Middle East have tested the patience of the electorate, while public “red-blue” division reminds one of the “blue-gray” divide that nearly cost the republic its sovereignty. In his March 25 op-ed, “Biden’s Trumanesque China policy,” George F. Will reminded us of how the Truman administration confronted a divided public after history’s greatest war and renewed the logic that national security is an eternal pursuit that requires finesse, integrity and vigilance. Truman and his team had to confront an aggressive Soviet Union with 12 million soldiers poised on the East German border. The United States, as in 1919, was on the verge of another withdrawal. Within 15 weeks, Truman and others turned an “Arsenal of Democracy” into history’s most powerful, generous and consistent superpower. Truman began America’s Cold War foreign policies and a world order still dominant today. Mr. Will said the Biden administration is trying something similar in Asia with the “Quad” (United States, Japan, Australia, India) to contain the ambitious and dangerous intentions of Communist China. Not only did containment stop Soviet potential and develop the prosperity of today’s European Union, it also inaugurated a period of U.S. bipartisan political consensus that lasted throughout the remainder of the century. Overdue and most welcomed. John Tierney, Washington
Embrace debate The March 23 Metro article “Jewish leaders protest Israel critic’s VCU speech” should remind all of us of what we lose when we forget what it means to be Jewish. The article reported that “Jewish Community Federation of Richmond leaders have shared their concerns with university officials” over a planned speech by Peter Beinart, who was scheduled to speak at Virginia Commonwealth University about his 2013 book, “The Crisis of Zionism.” Mr. Beinart was correct when he said efforts by Jewish communal leaders to restrain open academic inquiry are “bad for American public discourse and contrary to the Jewish principle of open and provocative debate ” Leonard White, Potomac
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The blame machine is running at full throttle
Authoritarians want to control the Internet
o one likes the blame game — except the blamer. Now that covid-19 is spiking again in the midst of massive vaccination efforts, the blame machine is running at full throttle. During CNN’s documentary interviews with Anthony S. Fauci and Deborah Birx this past weekend, the two scientists pointed a finger or two at former president Donald Trump for missteps that led, in Birx’s estimation, to thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of unnecessary American deaths. Trump responded in kind, blaming Birx and Fauci for terrible ideas which, he said, he prudently ignored. But facts are facts, and there’s no disputing that Trump’s actions and attitudes during the first and second waves of the pandemic were often driven by politics instead of medicine. Birx pointed to the time last April when Trump tweeted, “Liberate Minnesota,” “Liberate Virginia” and “Liberate Michigan,” encouraging protesters to fight state orders in direct contradiction to what the federal government, via the coronavirus task force (namely Birx and Fauci), was recommending. Birx was careful to avoid saying that Trump threatened her when she spoke up last fall urging rural residents to take the virus seriously. The president called her afterward to reprimand her in a conversation Birx described as “uncomfortable” and “hard to hear.” “Uncomfortable” is an apt way to describe how Birx routinely looked during those regular White House news conferences with Trump during the pandemic’s peak. Her colorful trademark scarves were inadequate to distract from body language that conveyed disbelief if not alarm at what the president was saying. Memorably, last April, Trump suggested that injecting disinfectants into human beings might kill the virus and turned toward Birx for affirmation. “You’re going to look into that, aren’t you?” he said. If she wasn’t suppressing a scream, I was. Why doesn’t she say something? I heard myself shouting at the screen. Why, during all those months, as thousands were dying, didn’t she say, “Enough! This is ridiculous!”? Fauci, too, conveyed a stoic’s resolve to reveal nothing of his professional or personal thoughts as Trump often rambled through the daily data. Fauci told reporters in late January that he felt liberated by Trump’s departure from the White House. That’s nice, but shouldn’t Fauci have been more outspoken in disrupting Trump’s stream-of-consciousness mental meandering? Quitting a job to speak freely seems nobler than being trapped in the frame with a president so plainly out of his depth. Trump had special words for Fauci, too, after the CNN interview. In the documentary, Fauci described his decision to go “all out” for the vaccines as “the best decision that I’ve ever made.” Trump insisted that he was responsible for expediting development of the vaccines. From Trump’s perspective, he saved the economy from collapse by minimizing the urgency of shutdowns; his science advisers’ view is that the shutdowns prevented out-of-control contagion and massive death. Both views have merit, but economies are more easily revived than lives lost. Among other facts we’ve learned, thanks to Trump’s interviews with The Post’s Bob Woodward, Trump knew in early February how deadly the virus was and that it was transmitted through the air. Fauci also must have known since he joined Trump’s coronavirus task force on Jan. 29, 2020. Yet, for weeks thereafter, the government’s best advice was “wash your hands” and “don’t touch your face.” Given the threat of a deadly airborne virus, the task force’s prescription was akin to telling children in the 1950s and 1960s to get under their desks in case of a nuclear attack. Birx told CNN that the first 100,000 deaths were nobody’s fault because no one understood what was happening initially. After that, however, a lack of federal policy caused subsequent deaths that could have been “mitigated or substantially reduced.” Those are strong words aimed directly at Trump. But shouldn’t Birx also accept some responsibility for minding her tongue and allowing the president’s pandemic to flourish? When does knowing better but doing nothing become tantamount to complicity? Interviews are interesting, but carefully crafted guilt notes aren’t helpful to the challenges ahead. Blame reaps no harvest. What Americans need now is clarity and fealty to facts. The recently proposed National Coronavirus Commission Act is an important step in that direction. Bipartisan and bicameral, the legislation would create an independent body to investigate the nation’s preparedness and response to the pandemic in the fashion of the 9/11 Commission. What I fear they’ll find is that American lives were sacrificed to feed the appetite of an insatiable narcissist who, like the virus he minimized, cares only about selfpropagation.
hina’s top diplomat had an interesting rejoinder to Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s call in Anchorage this month to “strengthen the rules-based international order.” Such an order already exists, answered Politburo member Yang Jiechi. It’s called the United Nations. Many people have grown used to thinking of the United Nations in recent decades as an annoying talk shop, created with the noblest intentions but increasingly a morass of bureaucracy and mutual back-scratching. But for China and Russia, the United Nations is increasingly the venue for unsubtle power plays — often ignored by the United States — that could shape the new world order that’s emerging. Yang’s March 18 riposte in Anchorage is worth studying, because it reveals a broader strategic design: “What China and the international community follow or uphold is the United Nations-centered system and the international order underpinned by international law, not what is advocated by a small number of countries of the so-called rules-based international order.” The United Nations can be a pain, like one of those community meetings that become dominated by die-hards who are willing to stay later and talk louder than their neighbors. But it’s a game that the United States has to play, and skillfully, lest our adversaries hijack global institutions that retain some legitimacy. Cyberspace is the best example of a domain where authoritarian nations, led by China and Russia, are using the United Nations to craft new rules that could undermine Western norms of openness and democracy. Here’s how the process works: In December 2019, while a Donald Trumpdistracted world was looking the other way, Russia won approval from the U.N. General Assembly to begin drafting a global treaty to combat cybercrime. The United States said back then that it had “very serious concerns” that such a treaty would “stand against fundamental American freedoms,” but it lost the vote, 79 to 60. Work on the new U.N. treaty hasn’t started yet because of the coronavirus pandemic. The first drafting meeting is scheduled for May. If completed and ratified, the treaty would replace the 2001 Budapest Convention on Cybercrime. That document was crafted by the Council of Europe and ratified by 65 nations, including all the leading democracies — but never endorsed by Russia or China because they considered its provisions too intrusive. Another example of gaming the U.N. system is Russia’s creation (with Chinese support) of a U.N. cyber discussion body called the Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG), with all 193 U.N. member states, intended to work in parallel with the smaller, 25-member Group of Governmental Experts that had been issuing reports on complex tech issues. Andrei Krutskikh, a top cyber adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin, crowed at an OEWG meeting last month that the group represented “the triumphant success of Russian diplomacy,” according to a March 13 report by Tass, the state-owned Russian news service. He accused unnamed nations of “whipping up of the international situation in the field of information” — presumably a reference to American allegations about Russian hacking in the 2016, 2018 and 2020 U.S. elections and Moscow’s role in the devastating SolarWinds hack. Russia may hope that the Open-Ended Working Group eventually supplants the smaller experts group, which could turn what should be technical discussions about Internet and telecommunications security into a political stalemate. The Russians (again with Chinese help) had tried to take over Internet governance through the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) back in January. This putsch to depose the private consortium of experts known as the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, or ICANN, was backed by former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev, who claimed in an Aug. 12, 2020, statement that “the U.S. fully controls the Domain Name System used to resolve IP-addresses.” The ITU, thankfully, ignored the Russian proposal. On such obscure U.N. battlegrounds lies the dreary but essential work of protecting the “rules-based order” for promoting an open and secure Internet. The raiders are mobilizing. In a little-noticed March 26 statement, Putin announced Russia’s intent to dominate oversight of cyberspace. “Largely thanks to our efforts, information security has become an item on the U.N. General Assembly’s agenda,” Putin boasted in a statement to Russia’s Security Council. “We believe it is necessary to conclude universal international legal agreements designed to prevent conflicts and build a mutually beneficial partnership in the global cyberspace.” That language is chilling, when you realize he’s talking about rules written largely by China and Russia. It’s breathtaking, really. The nations that have subverted the Internet most aggressively now want to police it, setting their own standards. Fighting back in this case requires patience and persistence — and a willingness to sit through endless meetings where the order that the United States and its global partners created a generation ago is under slow, relentless attack.
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A member of the Philadelphia Fire Department administers a coronavirus vaccine in Philadelphia on Monday.
The coming vaccine free-for-all must be handled equitably BY H ARALD S CHMIDT, L AWRENCE O . G OSTIN AND M ICHELLE W ILLIAMS
resident Biden’s announcement that all U.S. adults will be eligible for coronavirus vaccines by May 1 is, in many ways, good news. But opening the gates does not mean that the debate about equitable and fair allocation is over. Far from it. To ensure equitable allocation and to mitigate the pandemic’s disproportionate impact on disadvantaged communities, three things are central: prioritizing more vulnerable communities; conveying that doing so is good for both public health and equity; and making clear that equity is not the enemy of efficiency. These steps will matter as much once we open up vaccine eligibility to the general population as they do now. State policies on who gets the vaccine have been the subject of much controversy over the past few months. Kitchen tables across the country have featured a recurrent question: “When is it my turn?” By May 1, these questions will end. At least 50 million people who were not included in any of the previous priority groups will qualify. But they will be competing for doses against those who were eligible for vaccines earlier, and who, for one reason or another, remained unvaccinated. This includes people who wanted a vaccine but weren’t able to get one, as well as those with reservations about the injection. Surveys suggest this group includes at least 30 percent of those in all priority groups, or about 70 million people. In other words, at least 100 million people will likely still not be vaccinated on May 1. Getting shots into those arms will take time, and although we will no longer have priority groups based on age or profession, it is imperative to
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still prioritize those for whom vaccines matter the most. For many who have not yet been vaccinated, waiting another month or longer will be an inconvenience that can be handled safely. But others will continue to be at greater risk of the virus and may no longer be able to withstand the pandemic’s economic impact. We also know that because of structural racism, that latter group will include much larger shares of people of color, who not only lag behind in vaccination coverage but also have suffered far higher rates of unemployment, infections and deaths, as well as structurally curtailed economic opportunities. Data bear out that the worse-off people are, the more dramatic the consequences of covid-19. A recent study using the Social Vulnerability Index — a measure developed by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention that compiles a bunch of factors (such as income, quality of housing and education) into a single score for a region’s overall vulnerability — found that an increase of 0.1 point in the SVI score was associated with a 14.3 percent increase in covid-19 incidence and a 13.7 percent increase in mortality rate. Such disadvantage indexes can and should be used to guide allocations within and across states. Encouragingly, in a review we conducted with colleagues in November 2020, we found that 19 states used an index such as the SVI. By late January 2021, this number had increased to 29, allowing state planners to identify where to place vaccination sites; to tailor communication and outreach strategies so that they are responsive to the specific communities; and to monitor and adjust allocations as needed to make sure disadvantaged groups are not left out. Such data prove that promoting equity and protecting public health are
flip sides of the same coin: Meaningful herd immunity is not achieved by simply vaccinating the largest number of people, but by vaccinating more of those people who are most likely to get and spread the infection. The increasing uptake by states is promising, and hopefully will become universal. It also demonstrates the false dichotomy that equity comes at the expense of efficiency. For example, adjusting allocation quotas in a spreadsheet so that disadvantaged areas receive larger amounts of vaccine doses can be done in an instant. All it takes is intentionality and attention to details. It is understandable that most people take a first-person approach to the pandemic. But the pandemic is not just about us as individuals; rather, it is about all of us as an interconnected collective. Twenty-eight states have already expanded their eligibility to all adults, or will do so before the second week of April. Yet 17 of these states are below average in terms of the population share that has received vaccines. And in general, vaccination rates are lower in counties that have been hit harder by covid-19 and have higher poverty rates or larger shares of Black and Hispanic populations. We all stand to benefit if those states and regional health departments use data to ensure, at minimum, that vaccination rates among the nation’s most vulnerable are not lower than among the more privileged groups — both for public health reasons and for social justice. Harald Schmidt is an assistant professor of medical ethics and health policy at the University of Pennsylvania. Lawrence O. Gostin is a professor and director of the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University Law Center. Michelle Williams is dean of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
KAREN TUMULTY
Can Democrats beat the midterm curse? epublicans have ample reason to be optimistic about taking back the House next year. A first-term president’s party nearly always loses seats in the midterm elections, and Republicans need flip only a handful of seats to regain the majority. Add to that the GOP’s outsize advantage in the once-a-decade reapportionment that will take place between now and then, and it would appear that gale-force winds are at their backs. But it is also instructive to look at exceptions to the pattern — the only two elections since the Civil War era when a new president’s party actually picked up seats. Those two came in 1934 and 2002. The electoral advantage that Franklin D. Roosevelt and George W. Bush, presidents of different parties separated by nearly seven decades, had in common was that they were both governing at moments of national crisis. During the Great Depression and in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, the public approved of how these men were handling the challenges they faced, and were leery of changing course. So if, a year from now, the economy has rebounded as vigorously as forecasters are saying it will, and the covid-19 pandemic is safely in the rearview mirror, Democrats may well reap the benefits. That is, if they can inoculate their most vulnerable incumbents from the type of attacks that proved so effective in 2020, when they lost seats in the House, despite Joe Biden’s victory at the top of the ticket. Then-President Donald Trump’s effort to paint Biden as a “Trojan horse for
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socialism” didn’t stick, because voters knew the Democratic nominee, a Senate veteran and former vice president, well enough not to buy it. Not so for more than a dozen moderate House members who were washed out of Congress under a barrage of similar attacks. Many of the advertisements that were aired against them claimed falsely that they supported the Green New Deal, open borders, banning fracking, defunding the police and Medicare-for-all. “In every single ad that was put up, they would distort my record,” says former congressman Joe Cunningham, who fell short in his bid for reelection in South Carolina by a single percentage point. “I’m not certain there was a broad and deep recognition of the danger of these messages,” adds Kendra Horn, who lost her seat in Oklahoma. “We have to make sure there are better conversations happening.” Cunningham and Horn are among seven defeated Democratic incumbents and two losing 2020 candidates who have signed on as advisers to a new super PAC being launched by the centrist think tank Third Way. They hope to raise $26 million to pour into early ads aimed at preempting GOP attacks on moderate House Democrats — members such as Tom Malinowski (N.J.), Abigail Spanberger (Va.) and Cindy Axne (Iowa) — in the swing districts that are mostly likely to determine which party controls the House. In 2020, “the charges were so absurd, they were not taken seriously enough until it was too late,” says Third Way
President Jon Cowan. So they are calling their new fundraising operation “Shield PAC.” The ads that it plans to begin running early next year will primarily be positive, focused on making sure voters are acquainted with the actual records of endangered Democratic incumbents. That Republicans plan to rerun the playbook that worked so well for them in 2020 is not in doubt. “We will relentlessly hold House Democrats accountable for their socialist agenda and ensure voters understand the damaging impact policies like defunding the police, government-run health care and ending the Keystone XL pipeline will have on Americans’ everyday lives,” Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, declared in February. Some House Democrats are also beginning to eye the exits as they ponder what is likely to happen to their districts under reapportionment. The NRCC is already running digital ads against Rep. Conor Lamb (D-Pa.), whose already challenging district could turn redder, which might lead Lamb, in turn, to run for the Senate. One thing that also appears likely, if not certain, is that next year’s congressional elections will look different from recent cycles. Because the stakes are so high, and the margin in the House so narrow, unprecedented amounts of money will be pouring into a relatively small number of races. A lot will happen, of course, between now and November 2022. But while it is still early, both sides are already picking their shots.
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Electric-vehicle negotiations test Biden’s climate agenda Automakers, unions and green groups all have stake in gasless future BY J ULIET E ILPERIN AND S TEVEN M UFSON
Phasing out the internalcombustion engine is critical to President Biden’s vow to retool the American economy for a lowcarbon future. In a massive infrastructure plan set to be unveiled Wednesday, Biden is expected to signal just how far he is willing to go to achieve his climate goals. Environmentalists say Biden must set an aggressive deadline — as early as 2035 — for when all new vehicles must be carbon-free. But car manufacturers are demanding generous federal incentives to speed the transition to electric engines. And union leaders are warning that the switch is virtually certain to cost their members jobs. Serious negotiations are just beginning. Over the weekend, Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), a former auto industry executive who represents a union stronghold southwest of Detroit, convened a discussion among the rival factions, urging them to unite behind Biden’s vision of a robust market for electric vehicles, in part by establishing a nationwide network of charging stations. “We’ve got to stop pitting people against each other,” Dingell said in a phone interview. “We have to protect jobs in this country, and the goal of protecting our environment and addressing climate change is critical.” Meanwhile, many warn that the United States risks losing jobs and its share of the world auto market unless it embraces change now. “The biggest vulnerability that we have is not moving fast enough,” said Fred Krupp, president of the Environmental Defense Fund. “Then other countries create the manufacturing facilities and then produce the vehicles that people want.” The immediate question the Biden administration faces is what sort of mileage and greenhouse-gas standards to set for cars and SUVs between now and the 2026 model year, after the Trump administration weakened targets set under President Barack
RONNY HARTMANN/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE/GETTY IMAGES
A Volkswagen ID.3 electric car, left, and an ID.4 electric SUV on display at the automaker’s facility in Wolfsburg, Germany, last week. A Biden infrastructure package is expected to include incentives for U.S. plants manufacturing advanced electric-vehicle batteries.
Obama. A year ago, the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration finalized a rule to improve average fuel efficiency by 1.5 percent per year, compared with a nearly 5 percent annual increase set to take effect under the Obama rules. But five automakers — Ford, Honda, Volkswagen, BMW North America and Volvo — have struck a deal with California that raises it about 3.7 percent annually. California, the world’s fifthlargest economy, has significant leverage with industry because it was given authority under the Clean Air Act to establish its own limits on tailpipe emissions, which more than a dozen other states follow. Next month the Biden administration plans to restore that authority, which was revoked under President Donald Trump. The division among the automakers makes a deal with the Biden administration more complicated. The companies that struck an accord with California do not want the other companies,
including General Motors, to be effectively rewarded for their embrace of the looser Trump rules. In September, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed an order barring the sale of new gasoline and diesel-powered cars and trucks by 2035. Stanley Young, communications director for the California Air Resources Board, said in an email that the state “continues to advocate for the most rigorous vehicle standards possible,” consistent with that goal. John Bozzella, chief executive of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, which represents carmakers, told reporters Tuesday in a phone call that his industry is open to near-term levels at “a rough midpoint” between the Obama and Trump standards. While the administration has set a July deadline to resolve that issue, the more fundamental question is how it will manage the transition to a carbon-free fleet that will not materialize for years, probably after Biden leaves the White House. The last time a Democratic administration struck a deal to set greenhouse-
gas emissions standards for cars and light trucks, labor unions did not play a prominent role. But now they have a major voice as the president weighs decisions that could overhaul the industry. “Workers will disproportionately suffer if we do not get it right,” United Auto Workers President Rory L. Gamble said in a statement. “Currently, EV batteries are mostly made by suppliers in other countries, with China in the lead. And where automakers are entering battery production, they are often doing so through joint ventures with battery companies that have an unknown track record on providing quality jobs.” The new infrastructure package calls for support for retooling auto plants and incentives for manufacturing advanced batteries in the United States, according to two individuals briefed on the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity because it had not been released yet. On Monday, the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, the UAW and the Motor and Equipment
Manufacturers Association sent a letter to Biden outlining a halfdozen tax credits they are seeking, as well as several grant programs and loan guarantees to help transform the nation’s auto fleet. While they support the president’s vision, they wrote, the reality remains that electric vehicles make up just 2 percent of the U.S. market and government help is needed to expand the market. But ambitious funding plans largely depend on Congress. Bozzella said he was optimistic Republicans could support many of them. Meanwhile, automakers are concerned about the scarcity of materials and parts needed for manufacturing electric vehicles. “It takes seven years to build a lithium mine and 2½ years to build a battery plant,” said Simon Moores, managing director of Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, a London-based analytical firm that specializes in lithium-ion batteries. After that, he warned, the companies “will hit a wall of demand” in the United States while trying to get up to speed.
Still, experts said the U.S. government has to chart the path for the industry now, because motorists typically keep their vehicles on the road for 15 years or so. And environmentalists argue that the nation cannot meet its climate goals without working back from a point where carbon-emitting cars and trucks are no longer sold. “Even if there were sentiment from consumers, it’s incredibly difficult to replace the vehicles on the road,” said David Keith, a professor at MIT. “Those cars will be on the road for the next 15 to 20 years.” Some major U.S. automakers are already planning to phase out gasoline- and diesel-powered cars. GM has pledged to accomplish this by 2035, while Ford Motor Co. doubled its investment in electric vehicles to $22 billion by 2025, adding that the majority of its vehicles would be electric and that gasoline and diesel cars would be hybrids or plug-in hybrids. FedEx plans to electrify all its delivery vehicles by 2040, the year it plans to become carbonneutral. Biden’s national climate adviser, Gina McCarthy, has not yet had extensive negotiations with automakers about tightening emissions standards or whether the government should set a timetable to phase out internal-combustion engines. But heavy lobbying by automakers at the state level suggests how they plan to deal with the Biden administration. In Virginia, for example, the Alliance for Automotive Innovation pressed hard for the state to commit $720 million over the next five years to building charging stations and provide $2,500 cash incentives to customers who buy electric vehicles. The automakers also sought, with only modest success, to weaken legislation under which Virginia would mimic a California program that penalizes companies that fail to deliver enough electric vehicles. This month, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) signed all but one bill in a four-bill automobile package, providing the $2,500 cash incentives, with an additional $2,000 per car for those who qualify as low-to-moderate-income. Northam also signed a measure that would make Virginia the 15th state to seek an EPA waiver to implement a tailpipe emissions program like California’s. [email protected] [email protected]
Rep. Gaetz under federal scrutiny over alleged relationship with teen girl Floridian denies any such liaison, says instead that he is being extorted BY M ATT Z APOTOSKY AND D EVLIN B ARRETT
The Justice Department is investigating Rep. Matt Gaetz — a Florida Republican considered a close political ally of former president Donald Trump — over an alleged sexual relationship with an underage girl, according to people familiar with the matter, though the probe has been complicated by the congressman’s assertion that his family is being extorted. The investigation into Gaetz began some time last year, when Trump was still in office, after a criminal case against a different Florida politician led investigators to allegations that the congressman had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl and paid for her travel, a person familiar with the matter said on the condition of anonymity to discuss
an ongoing investigation. As that probe was underway, the person said, Gaetz’s family raised allegations that the congressman was being extorted, and the FBI separately is exploring those claims. The Justice Department activity, which had been conducted in secret for months, burst into the open Tuesday when the New York Times published a report on the investigation into the alleged sexual relationship, and Axios published an in- Rep. Matt terview in Gaetz (R-Fla.) which Gaetz confirmed the probe but said the allegations against him were “rooted in an extortion effort against my family.” Gaetz repeated his extortion claim in a statement and then on Fox News, saying someone had been “seeking $25 million while threatening to smear my name.” He said that his father, Donald Gaetz, a former president of the Florida Senate, had received a
text message on March 16 demanding a meeting, and that on Wednesday, his father was supposed to contact a former Justice Department official “so that specific instructions could be given regarding the wiring of $4.5 million as a down payment on this bribe.” Gaetz said his family had contacted the local FBI about the matter. Gaetz identified the former Justice Department official as attorney David McGee, a former federal prosecutor in Florida now at the firm Beggs & Lane. In an interview, McGee disputed that he was part of any effort to extort Gaetz or that he was connected to the Justice Department’s investigation of possible sex trafficking by the congressman. He said Gaetz’s father had “called me and asked to talk,” though McGee declined to say what the conversation entailed. “It is completely false. It’s a blatant attempt to distract from the fact that he’s under investigation for sex trafficking of minors,” McGee said, adding, “I have no connection with that case at all, other than, one of a thousand people who have heard the ru-
mors.” Gaetz asserted that his family had been cooperating with the FBI and that his father had even worn a wire to record interactions. He said that at the Justice Department’s request, his father had made a recording at the Beggs & Lane firm, and the congressman called on the FBI to release the tapes. “I know that there was a demand for money in exchange for a commitment that he could make this investigation go away, along with his co-conspirators,” Gaetz told Fox News. McGee said he would welcome the release of a tape of his conversation with Gaetz’s father. “If there is a tape, play the tape,” McGee said. “There is nothing on that tape that is untoward. It is a pleasant conversation of a dad concerned about his son and the trouble his son was in.” The Justice Department and the FBI declined to comment. Efforts to reach Donald Gaetz were not successful. Matt Gaetz also alleged on Fox News that those trying to extort him “claimed to have specific connections inside the Biden White
House” and were “promising that Joe Biden would pardon me,” though Gaetz insisted the allegations were false. “No part of the allegations against me are true, and the people pushing these lies are targets
“The people pushing these lies are targets of the ongoing extortion investigation.” Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), in a statement
of the ongoing extortion investigation,” Gaetz said in a statement. Gaetz has not been charged, nor has anyone been accused by the Justice Department of trying to extort him. The investigation into Gaetz’s alleged relationship with the 17year-old grew from a federal case against a different Florida Republican: Joel Greenberg, a former Seminole County tax collector
who was charged last summer with sex trafficking of a child and a medley of other offenses. According to an indictment in the case, Greenberg abused his access to a statewide database, using it to look up the personal information of people with whom he was in “sugar daddy” relationships, including the minor, and to help produce fake identification documents to “facilitate his efforts to engage in commercial sex acts.” He was also accused of seeking to undermine a political opponent by surfacing fabricated evidence of racism and misconduct. Greenberg, who pleaded not guilty and is scheduled to go to trial in June, did not respond to a message seeking comment left at what appeared to be a phone number listed for him in public records. He resigned his political office after he was charged. The Washington Post was unable to learn immediately how Greenberg’s case connected to the allegations against Gaetz, or any details about the 17-year-old with whom Gaetz was alleged to have had a relationship. [email protected] [email protected]
Biden’s dog bites person at White House, second such incident this month Nip during walk did not result in an injury, spokesman says
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BY A MY B W ANG C LEVE R . W OOTSON J R.
Major, one of President Biden’s two German shepherds, was involved in another biting incident at the White House this week, his second in less than a month, the White House said Tuesday. The incident involved a National Park Service employee on the South Lawn on Monday afternoon, according to CNN, which first reported the story. “Major is still adjusting to his new surroundings and he nipped
someone while on a walk,” Michael LaRosa, press secretary for first lady Jill Biden, said in a statement. “Out of an abundance of caution, the individual was seen by [the White House Medical Unit] and then returned to work without injury.” It’s not the first time Major has gotten negative press since Biden’s election, despite the much-heralded return of dogs to the White House after a drought of presidential canine companionship during the Trump administration. In November, Biden slipped while playing with Major and injured his foot, necessitating the temporary use of a walking boot. Earlier this month, Major, who is about 3 years old, reportedly nipped at a Secret Service agent’s
hand at the White House. The bite didn’t break the agent’s skin, and there was no bleeding, according to a White House official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe a sensitive subject. Major returned to Biden’s home in Delaware for a brief time after the first biting incident, and as his absence was noticed, questions arose about what would become of the German shepherd. The White House was initially silent on the biting incident but later offered a partial explanation — the equivalent of saying Major was taking time away from official duties to spend time with family. “With the first lady traveling for three days, Champ and Major went to Delaware to stay with
family friends,” LaRosa said then. A fuller explanation came a short time later, when White House press secretary Jen Psaki was asked about it at a news briefing and responded with what appeared to be a prepared statement, defusing the darkest theories about the pet’s fate. “Champ and Major, the president and first lady’s dogs, are members of the family and still getting acclimated and accustomed to their new surroundings and new people,” Psaki said then, reading from her notes. Major, she added, had been “surprised by an unfamiliar person and reacted in a way that resulted in a minor injury to the individual.” The Bidens adopted Major in 2018 from the Delaware Humane
Society. A photo from the society showed the man who would become 46th president of United States holding a leashed puppy in his hand beneath the humane society’s symbol: a human hand reaching out to an animal’s paw. In another picture, Biden showed Major a picture of himself as a younger pup. Major was one of a half-dozen puppies brought to the rescue agency after they came into contact with something toxic in their home, according to the society. The puppies’ owners couldn’t afford veterinary care and surrendered the animals to the humane society, which posted about the German shepherd. Biden said in an interview with ABC News earlier this month that Major was receiving more training after the initial
biting incident. He chalked up the episode to the dog trying to protect his family and denied that Major had been “banished” to Delaware. “You turn a corner, and there’s two people you don’t know at all. And [Major] moves to protect,” said Biden. “But he’s a sweet dog. Eighty-five percent of the people there love him. He just — all he does is lick them and wag his tail. But . . . I realize some people, understandably, are afraid of dogs to begin with.” Champ, the president and first lady’s other German shepherd, is older and so far has not generated any biting-related headlines. [email protected] [email protected] Sean Sullivan contributed to this report.
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In 1910, a local artist who was a virulent anti-vaxxer co-founded the District Anti-Vaccination Society. B3
Two conservative groups are suing the state over its new school policy on transgender children. B6
Bertrand Tavernier, 79, an acclaimed French filmmaker, directed the jazz drama “Round Midnight.” B7
Biden’s early court picks reflect desire to boost diversity BY A NN E . M ARIMOW AND M ATT V ISER
JACKSON IS TAPPED FOR SEAT ON D.C. CIRCUIT
President Biden announced his first slate of judicial nominees on Tuesday, elevating U.S. District Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the influential appeals court in Washington to succeed Merrick Garland as part of the largest and earliest batch of court picks by a new administration in decades.
Often viewed as contender for 1st Black female justice Jackson, often considered a contender to be the first Black woman on the Supreme Court, is among Biden’s 11 nominations that include three Black women for appeals court vacancies and
the first Muslim American to serve on a District Court. The group is designed to send a message about the administration’s desire for more diversity on the federal bench and how rapidly
the president wants to put his mark on it. Biden previously pledged to name the first Black woman to the high court, and his picks signal an early departure from the Trump administration, which successfully reshaped the federal courts with nominees who were overwhelmingly White and male. The nominees come from diverse personal and professional
backgrounds, including former public defenders, former prosecutors, sitting judges and attorneys at large law firms, according to the White House list. The average age of Biden’s picks is 48, potentially allowing the judges to serve for decades if confirmed. “This trailblazing slate of nominees draws from the very best and brightest minds of the American legal profession,” Biden said
in a statement. “Each is deeply qualified and prepared to deliver justice faithfully under our Constitution and impartially to the American people — and together they represent the broad diversity of background, experience, and perspective that makes our nation strong.” In addition to Jackson’s nomination to the U.S. Court of ApSEE BIDEN ON B2
Va. Beach shooting is handed to state police Killing of Black man by city officer led to outcry for an independent probe BY
BILL O'LEARY/THE WASHINGTON POST
Maryland goes to the doctors Officials say primary-care physicians serving mostly minority groups can broaden access to vaccines BY
R EBECCA T AN
After months of waiting, primary-care doctors in Maryland are receiving small batches of coronavirus vaccines to administer to patients — part of the state’s latest effort to broaden vaccine access and reach minority communities struggling to navigate complex registration systems. Maryland on Friday concluded a pilot program that distributed vaccine doses to 37 primary-care practices, most of which serve primarily Black or Latino patients. The pilot was a success, said Howard Haft, director of the Maryland Primary Care Program, and starting this week the program will become a “full-fledged” part of the state’s vaccine infrastructure, with doses going out to 90 of 400 enrolled practices. “We’ve got this hybrid strategy and it’s what I call a push-pull,” Maryland acting health secretary Dennis Schrader said in an interview in mid-March. Mass vaccination sites and pharmacies are ways to push as
New cases in region Through 5 p.m. Tuesday, 2,500 new coronavirus cases were reported in the District, Maryland and Virginia, bringing the total number of cases to 1,072,332. DC
MD
VA
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+903
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44,413
409,978
617,941
Coronavirus-related deaths As of 5 p.m. Tuesday: DC
MD*
VA
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+13
+23
1,061
8,273
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many doses out into the community as possible and meet the overwhelming demand, he said. Doctors’ offices, on the other hand, are a “pull strategy” to reach those who aren’t rushing for appointments, even when they’re eligible. “What we don’t want to do is leave people behind,” Schrader said. Primary-care physicians in the state are enthused, but many say the move, which comes about 15 weeks into Maryland’s vaccine rollout, is overdue. Some practices contacted state officials as early as the summer of last year asking to be involved in vaccination efforts. Haft said the state had always planned to include primary-care providers but prioritized largerscale sites when doses were scarce. Across the country, many states have adopted similar strategies, distributing vaccine doses first to pharmacies, hospitals, or government-run mass sites before getting them to independent medical practices,
* Includes probable covid-19 deaths.
SEE VACCINE ON B4
Ingrid Lobos gets a shot in Chevy Chase. A pilot program that gave doses to primary-care practices is now part of Maryland’s vaccine strategy.
J USTIN J OUVENAL
The Virginia State Police will take over the investigation of the fatal shooting on Friday of a Black man by Virginia Beach police, following calls for an independent probe by local activists and state officials. Virginia Beach Police Chief Paul Neudigate told members of the City Council on Tuesday afternoon that after hearing the concerns, he asked the state police to handle the investigation of Donovon Lynch’s killing on Monday afternoon. “It’s time to turn it over,” Neudigate said. “Hopefully this will give our community the assurance that a comprehensive investigation will be conducted.” During a chaotic string of shootings Friday night on the city’s oceanfront that left two dead and eight wounded, Lynch, 25, of Virginia Beach, was shot by a city police officer who has five years of service in the department. The killing has sparked protests and drawn national attention. In an update Tuesday, Neudigate told the council that the probe has been hampered by a lack of evidence. Neudigate said it’s still unclear why the officer who shot Lynch did not have his body camera switched on at the time he opened fire. A plainclothes detective who saw the shooting was not wearing a body camera. Neudigate said police may have a third witness who saw parts of the shooting, but investigators have not found video recordings of the event. He said the circumstances have made it difficult for police to provide the type of transparency the community expects. “I’ve worked a lot of these in 32 years of policing,” Neudigate said. “This is the first time that I’ve encountered a situation where we have no body-worn camera footage, we have no independent video footage, we have no immediate independent witnesses, and we have no timely statements from the involved parties.” The Virginia Beach police said SEE SHOOTING ON B2
Va. seals deal for $3.7 billion rail plan Airman also served family, community BY
L UZ L AZO
Virginia finalized agreements Tuesday with CSX, Amtrak and Virginia Railway Express as part of the state’s $3.7 billion passenger rail expansion program, which seeks to relieve a rail bottleneck and get more commuters onto trains. The signing of agreements advances a pledge Gov. Ralph Northam (D) made in December 2019 to significantly grow passenger rail service this decade by building a new rail bridge over the Potomac River, adding new
Accords seek to relieve bottleneck over Potomac, bolster commuting track in the WashingtonRichmond corridor and buying hundreds of miles of passenger right of way from CSX. Within the next month the state will begin taking over some CSX tracks and will start construction of a fourth track in the Interstate 95 corridor in Alexan-
dria this year, officials said. “This transformative plan will make travel faster and safer. It will make it easier to move up and down the East Coast, and it will connect urban and rural Virginia,” Northam said during a Tuesday announcement in Alexandria. “This historic initiative will help get people and goods where they need to go more efficiently, reduce congestion and pollution, and create a more inclusive economy.” Virginia and the two passenger railroads have made financial SEE RAIL ON B4
Major Louis Anderson II, who died March 15 at age 96, received a Congressional Gold Medal for Courtland being a member Milloy of the Tuskegee Airmen. Well deserved. But in talking with his family, I also learned that he had done some other things that rank right up there with service to one’s country. Service to one’s family, for instance. And to one’s community. Those things
seldom get recognized, but they often have more impact. After being discharged from the Army Air Corps in 1945, Anderson attended Howard University on the GI Bill. While attending a basketball game, he met Lurlene Booker. They married in June 1948. “She was the love of his life,” recalled Major L. Anderson III, 70, the older of their two sons. His wife had been what is called a “civilian leatherneck,” and worked in a secretarial pool for the U.S. Marine Corps and later as a classifications specialist for
the National Labor Relations Board. In 1987, Lurlene died of cancer. She was 60. He was 62. “She came home from the hospital for hospice care, and he looked after her day and night,” the son recalled. “I’d stop by the house to check on them and he’d be kneeling beside her, washing her feet. He doted on her.” After her death, he tried dating but soon gave up. “He said she was the only one he could ever imagine being with, and he never remarried,” SEE MILLOY ON B6
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Black, Asian and Muslim jurists among Biden’s nominees BIDEN FROM B1
peals for the D.C. Circuit, Biden’s initial list includes Zahid N. Quraishi, a magistrate judge in New Jersey and former military prosecutor, who would be the nation’s first Muslim American on a District Court bench; Candace Jackson-Akiwumi, a former longtime federal public defender and current litigator in Washington, for the Chicago-based 7th Circuit; and Tiffany Cunningham, an intellectual-property lawyer in Chicago, for a spot on the Federal Circuit in Washington, where she once was a law clerk. Both Jackson-Akiwumi and Cunningham would be the only Black judges on their respective courts, and Cunningham the first on the Federal Circuit. The president’s list also includes four Asian American nominees. Liberal advocacy groups praised Biden’s picks and urged the Senate to move quickly to confirm the nominees. “These nominees are an important step towards fixing our judiciary and creating more equal justice, especially after the ways in which the judiciary was reshaped over the last few years. They reflect and represent the incredible diversity of our country,” Lena Zwarensteyn of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights said in a statement. Top White House officials have said that judicial nominations are a priority. They are attempting to fill vacancies more quickly — in part responding to criticism that President Barack Obama acted slowly — and use them as a party rallying cry in a way that Republicans have done for decades. By this point in his first term, Obama had made only one judicial nomination. Trump, known for his record-setting pace of nominations, had picked two. President George H.W. Bush had made two appellate court picks and three district court picks by this point in his term, while Presidents Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan hadn’t announced any. President George W. Bush also hadn’t named anyone, although on May 9, 2001, he announced 11 for the appeals courts. The Washington Post reported last month that the Biden administration is also following a Trump practice to speed up the process, forgoing the American Bar Association review of candidates in advance of formal nominations. Biden still has nine other vacancies to fill on the circuit courts and more than 80 current and future openings at the District Court level. The Senate Judiciary Committee could hold hearings on the nominations by late April. Biden’s first slate includes two nominees for the District Court in Maryland, Magistrate Judge Deborah Boardman and Judge Lydia Griggsby, who serves on the U.S.
Court of Federal Claims. Griggsby, a former Senate staffer, would be the first woman of color to serve on Maryland’s District Court. The president plans to renominate D.C. Superior Court Judge Florence Y. Pan for the opening created by Jackson’s elevation. Pan, who was previously picked in 2016, would become one of the first Asian American women to serve on the court. Rupa Ranga Puttagunta, an administrative law judge for the D.C. Rental Housing Commission, is Biden’s pick for D.C. Superior Court. High court steppingstone? But the most widely anticipated nomination was the opening on the D.C. Circuit, which has been a steppingstone to the Supreme Court. Jackson is among those considered a possible successor to Justice Stephen G. Breyer, the high court’s oldest member. Jackson once clerked for Breyer. Jackson’s nomination comes after Garland was confirmed this month to serve as attorney general. A former public defender and member of the U.S. Sentencing Commission, Jackson is known as a gifted writer and unflappable jurist who works long hours and has handled many types of cases. She rejected the Trump administration’s effort to block a congressional subpoena for testimony from former White House counsel Donald McGahn and sentenced the gunman who commandeered a pizza restaurant in Northwest Washington based on an online conspiracy theory known as “Pizzagate.” Before becoming a judge, Jackson spent more time writing briefs than representing clients in the courtroom, making her well suited for the cerebral work of the D.C. Circuit, which involves less day-to-day case management than District Court. “She can turn complex issues into something understandable and readable and tell a story. That’s not the easiest thing to do,” said A.J. Kramer, the longtime federal public defender in Washington, who was her boss. The nomination of a former public defender sends an important message, Kramer said, about the administration’s commitment to pick judges from a variety of professional backgrounds. Jackson, 50, has “a real commitment to equal justice for everybody and believes the criminal justice system ought to have integrity at every level,” he said. With eight years on the bench, Jackson issued rulings against the Trump administration, with mixed results on appeal. “Presidents are not kings,” Jackson declared in 2019, ordering Trump’s former White House counsel to comply with a House subpoena to testify about former special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s investigation into Russian election interference.
Trump appointed more White males President Donald Trump’s nominees to the Supreme Court and circuit and district courts were significantly less diverse than President Barack Obama’s nominees.
Gender Trump Male 76.1%
Female 23.9%
Male 58.1%
Female 42%
Obama
Race Trump Non-White 15.8%
White 84.2%
Black 3.9% Hispanic 3.9% Asian American 5.6% Other 2.5% Obama Non-White 36.2%
White 63.8%
Black 17.9% Hispanic 9.7% Asian American 5.8% Other 2.7% Numbers may not total 100 percent because of rounding. Source: American Constitution Society
ADRIÁN BLANCO/THE WASHINGTON POST
Biden’s circuit court nominees President Biden has picked his first three nominees for circuit court openings to make his mark on the federal judiciary Democratic appointees
Circuit
Republican appointees
1
Current or future vacancy
for Biden to fill.
2 3 * 4 5 6 Biden plans to nominate Candace Jackson-Akiwumi to the 7th Circuit.
7 8 9 10 11
Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson would succeed Merrick Garland. Biden plans to nominate Tiffany Cunningham.
D.C. Federal
* Appointed by Bill Clinton and nominated by George W. Bush. Data as of March 29. Sources: Russell Wheeler of the Brookings Institution and Washington Post reporting. ADRIÁN BLANCO/THE WASHINGTON POST
“However busy or essential a presidential aide might be, and whatever their proximity to sensitive domestic and nationalsecurity projects, the President does not have the power to excuse him or her from taking an action that the law requires,” Jackson
wrote in a 118-page opinion. “Fifty years of say so within the Executive branch does not change that fundamental truth.” The case, twice appealed to a full panel of the D.C. Circuit, is still pending as the Biden administration and House Democrats
try to negotiate a possible settlement. The same year, she issued a nationwide preliminary injunction that blocked the Trump administration from dramatically expanding its power to deport migrants who illegally entered the United States by using a fasttrack deportation process. On appeal, the D.C. Circuit reversed, finding that expedited removal decisions are within the homeland security secretary’s discretion. The appeals court agreed with Jackson on other grounds and sent the case back for review. In 2018, Jackson struck down key provisions of Trump administration orders aimed at making it easier to fire employees and weaken their representation. While the president has the power to issue executive orders related to federal labor relations, “no such orders can operate to eviscerate the right to bargain collectively as envisioned” in the federal labor-management relations statute, she wrote. The collective bargaining process, she added, “is not a cutthroat death match.” A unanimous D.C. Circuit panel the next year vacated the ruling and said the District Court lacked jurisdiction to decide the case. At sentencing, where tensions are high, Jackson has shown empathy and pragmatism from the bench as she did in the case of Edgar Maddison Welch, the North Carolina man who charged into Comet Ping Pong with a military-style rifle and revolver seeking to investigate a viral Internet rumor. The judge said she was handing down a four-year prison term to guard against vigilante justice. “I hope you understand and see how much people have suffered because of what you did,” Jackson said, adding, “I am truly sorry you find yourself in the position you are in, because you do seem like a nice person who on your own mind was trying to do the right thing. But that does not excuse reckless conduct and the real damage that it caused.” ‘Bends toward justice’ Born in Washington, Jackson was raised in Florida by parents who began their careers as public school teachers. Her interest in law was sparked at the dining room table, where as a preschooler she tackled coloring books beside her father, who was studying law and went on to become the local school board’s attorney. Her experience as a debate champion at Miami Palmetto High School, where she was also class president, gave her the “selfconfidence that can sometimes be quite difficult for women and minorities to develop at an early age,” the judge said in a 2017 speech. The competitions also taught her to “stand firm in the face of challenges, to strive for excellence and believe anything is possible.” The debate team took Jackson
for the first time to Harvard University, where she went on to study government, earn a law degree, join an improv comedy group and participate in drama, where she was once paired with classmate Matt Damon. Harvard was also where she met her husband, Patrick, a surgeon at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. At the courthouse, Jackson is known for her boisterous laugh and down-to-earth demeanor. She commiserates about the challenges of being a working parent to two daughters, and she is fond of reality TV shows such as “American Idol.” Jackson’s career included a stint on the commission that shapes federal sentencing policies, where she worked alongside U.S. District Judge Patti B. Saris, for whom Jackson clerked after law school. “She has a big-picture take on sentencing policy, which seeks to balance the policies of eliminating unwarranted disparity with the need to think in new ways about the proportionality of sentencing,” Saris said at Jackson’s formal swearing-in ceremony. Saris recalled the hearing when the commission decided to make the reduction in penalties for drug-related offenses apply retroactively. “Ketanji’s voice rang out with conviction in explaining that the decision really epitomized Martin Luther King’s famous metaphor: ‘The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.’ ” Her work on the seven-person, bipartisan body will also serve her well on the appeals court that typically reviews cases with threejudge panels, said Rachel E. Barkow, a Harvard Law School classmate who served with Jackson on the commission. Most of the sentencing policy decisions were unanimous, and Jackson “helped foster that environment.” “She was able to shine in that setting,” said Barkow, vice dean of New York University Law School. “She used the information she’d studied to find common ground for people.” Jackson’s experience with the criminal justice system is personal, too. When she was in high school, her uncle was sentenced to life in prison under a threestrikes law after a conviction for a low-level drug crime, The Post’s editorial page first reported. He was granted clemency by Obama after serving 30 years. At Jackson’s formal investiture in May 2013, Breyer delivered the oath and praised Jackson not just for her intellect and work ethic. “That’s part of it,” he said, adding that “she sees things from different points of view, and she sees somebody else’s point of view and understands it. We all feel that’s our judicial family. That’s what we’re here for.” [email protected] [email protected]
Va. State Police to handle probe of city o∞cer’s fatal shooting of Black man SHOOTING FROM B1
Monday that the officer who shot Lynch, and the second officer at the scene, told investigators earlier in the day that Lynch was brandishing a handgun at the time he was shot. Police said a handgun was recovered at the scene and released a photo of it. Lynch’s family has not responded to requests for comment, but a reporter for the Portsmouth TV station WAVY said the man’s father, Wayne Lynch, told him in an interview that his son pulled out the weapon only after he was shot by police and that he was licensed to carry the firearm. The father said his son owned a security company and was not involved in the violence that occurred Friday night. At a vigil Tuesday evening in Virginia Beach, Wayne Lynch and other family members said Donovon Lynch was a supportive brother, a positive influence in the community and someone “who followed the rules.” Supporters lit candles, and a photo of Lynch in a graduation gown was propped against a tree. “I’ve been working day and night trying to prevent other kids from getting killed, and my son got killed,” Wayne Lynch said. “For nothing. For walking down
“I’ve been working day and night trying to prevent other kids from getting killed, and my son got killed.” Wayne Lynch, father of Donovon Lynch, 25, who was fatally shot Friday night by a Virginia Beach police officer
STEPHEN M. KATZ/VIRGINIAN-PILOT/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Visitors navigate police tape blocking several streets on the Virginia Beach oceanfront on Saturday, the morning after gunfire in the area left two people dead, one of them a Black man shot by police.
the street. Beautiful young man. Smart. Intelligent. Handsome. Athletic.” Neudigate has declined to comment on what specifically led to Lynch’s shooting, saying he did not want to taint the investiga-
tion. But the chief has said that Friday night’s incidents involved three separate shootings that occurred after 11 p.m. In the first in the Oceanfront Resort Area, Neudigate said five men fired weapons, striking nine
people. Neudigate said an officer happened to be on the scene and chased one of the men suspected of firing shots. Neudigate said that multiple people have been charged and that some have connections to two local gangs. Police
said they recovered 14 guns from the scene. The second incident occurred a short time later, when multiple people opened fire nearby, striking a bystander named Deshayla Harris, 28, of Norfolk, who died at the scene. Neudigate said that police recovered three weapons and 56 bullet casings and that nine cars were struck by bullets. The shooting of Donovon Lynch occurred about the same time as the officer encountered him. The officer worked in the special operations division and has been put on routine administrative leave as the investigation
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unfolds. Virginia State Police said in a statement that the Chesapeake field office would handle the probe. A range of officials and groups, including Gov. Ralph Northam (D), Attorney General Mark R. Herring (D) and the local chapter of the NAACP, had called for an independent investigation. “The investigation has been initiated and is ongoing at this time,” police spokeswoman Corinne Geller wrote in an email. “Once state police completes its investigation, the criminal investigative file will be turned over to the Commonwealth’s Attorney for final review and adjudication of the matter.” Lynch was a football player and graduate of the University of Virginia at Wise. Pharrell Williams, the star musician who grew up in Virginia Beach, announced Monday night that Lynch was his cousin and that he was mourning him. “It is critical my family and the other victims’ families get the transparency they deserve,” Williams wrote on Twitter. “VA Beach is the epitome of hope and we will get through this.” [email protected] Magda Jean-Louis contributed to this report.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 31 , 2021
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Like throwing oil on a fire: There’s nothing new about virulent anti-vaxxers I know it’s ungenerous of me, but there would have been some karmic irony in Harry B.
John Bradford dying of Kelly's smallpox. Washington Bradford had devoted much of his life to fighting compulsory vaccination against that dreaded disease. But Bradford lived to the ripe old age of 81, dying in Bethesda in 1952. According to a family history, he may have unknowingly had tuberculosis, but it was atherosclerosis that killed him. In 1910, Bradford co-founded the District Anti-Vaccination Society. I think it’s safe to say that if Bradford was around today, he would be heckling pharmaceutical executives and CDC bureaucrats and picketing covid-19 vaccination sites. Among his favorite talking points was his claim that more people died of the smallpox vaccine than of smallpox. Who was this virulent antivaxxer? Bradford was born in 1870 in Connecticut. His family moved to Washington 10 years later. Bradford attended Central High and then was part of the first graduating class at the Corcoran School of Art. Bradford published a book called “An Artist at the Zoo” — a
collection of sketches he made at the National Zoo — but he earned his income as a scientific illustrator and an instructor of mechanical drawing at Howard University. About 1907 he began penning essays and letters to the editor he sent to newspapers across the country. While Bradford later modulated his rhetoric somewhat — arguing that mandatory vaccinations were unconstitutional — his early writings were pure polemic. In one article, he wrote: “The COMPULSORY blood-poisoning of millions of pure-blooded schoolchildren in this country with the SYPHILITIC poison of the POX of the cow is without a parallel for CRIME in the annals of all human history!” On Feb. 13, 1910, Bradford helped organize a public debate with a Washington physician named M.S. Iseman. “The dangers of vaccination exist mainly in the minds of those opposed to it,” Iseman told the crowd. Or tried to tell them. The audience was composed primarily of anti-vaccine advocates who assailed the doctor with near-continuous catcalls. When Iseman cited statistics indicating that deaths from smallpox were 40 times as frequent before compulsory vaccination, Bradford insisted he simply didn’t believe the numbers.
following of false prophets may bring greater disaster than that of the doctors.” White added: “If the antivaccinationists should gain their point, and, as a result, even for a brief period, vaccination should go out of use, it would mean the addition to the race of hundreds of thousands of individuals not protected.” Bradford did eventually leave Howard, taking a job as an illustrator at the Department of Agriculture. He never lost his anti-vaccine zeal. In 1945, Bradford testified before the health subcommittee of the House District Committee against mandatory rabies inoculations. He questioned whether rabies actually existed. And in any case, Bradford said, rabies was best treated in dogs by keeping them quarantined and administering the proper diet. “Compulsory vaccination is as bad as compulsory religion,” he said. As for Bradford’s religion, he worshiped at the altar of antivaccination. (Thanks to reader Jim Feldman, who forwarded a 1910 article on Bradford that he came across while researching something else entirely.)
“The idea that healthy children must be made ill in order to gain admittance to our schools is outrageous.” Harry B. Bradford, co-founder of the District Anti-Vaccination Society
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
Schoolchildren wait in line for immunization shots at a child health station in New York City in 1944. Anti-vaccine advocate Harry B. Bradford organized the District Anti-Vaccination Society in 1910.
A month later, Bradford formally organized the District Anti-Vaccination Society, sometimes called the AntiCompulsory Vaccination Society. Preventing smallpox with smallpox, he said, was like putting out a fire by throwing oil on it. The society assisted parents who brought suit against the D.C. school board. “The idea that healthy children must be made ill in order to gain admittance to our
schools is outrageous,” Bradford said. “If my children must be vaccinated before they can get an education in the public schools, then they will be taught at home.” Bradford maintained that vaccination was a professional graft. According to a story in the Evening Star, Bradford felt that administering shots “allows the physicians to fill their pockets by inoculating the pure and wholesome blood of children
with the baccili of diseased cattle.” Bradford apparently came to his anti-vaxxer stance because he was an antivivisectionist, opposed to anything that caused harm to animals. Smallpox antitoxins were grown in cattle. Diphtheria vaccine was taken from the blood of horses. Bleeding the animals didn’t kill them, but it was surely no picnic. By the autumn of 1910, Bradford was getting some unwanted attention. Critics asked how Howard University could employ a teacher who was so vocally dedicated to overturning a public health law. At the university’s opening exercises on Oct. 3, medical college professor William A. White said, “There is no field of human effort in which the
[email protected] Twitter: @johnkelly For previous columns, visit washingtonpost.com/john-kelly.
MARYLAND
Bowie mayor launches candidacy in Democratic race for state comptroller BY
O VETTA W IGGINS
Bowie Mayor Tim Adams announced Tuesday that he plans to enter the 2022 race for state comptroller, becoming the second candidate vying to fill the seat being vacated by Peter Franchot. Adams, 62, the first Black person to serve as the city’s mayor, would be the first Black chief tax collector for the state.
Adams is running for the Democratic nomination. Adams founded Systems Application & Technologies Inc. (SA-TECH), a Prince George’s County-based company, more than 30 years ago and has been hailed as a top African American business owner in Maryland and across the country. He has served as Bowie mayor since 2019. “My life has been the embodiment of the very best possibili-
ties of our country and state, and I am running to help provide every child in Maryland with the same opportunities for success and security that I’ve enjoyed,” said Adams, who is also a disabilities advocate. “To do so, we must ensure that our tax dollars are invested wisely, everyone pays their fair share, and our business climate allows our small businesses and entrepreneurs to compete on a level
playing field.” The comptroller serves on the three-member Maryland Board of Public Works, which approves state contracts. The other two members are the governor and the state treasurer. If elected, Adams pledged to use his position to hold agencies accountable for procurement transparency, commitment to open-bid competition and compliance with Maryland’s Minori-
ty Business Enterprise laws. Adams, a native of Louisiana, received a bachelor’s degree from Xavier University and his master’s degree from the University of New Orleans. He lives in Bowie with his wife, two children and a grandson. He has served on numerous boards, including the Bowie State University Foundation, the Prince George’s Community College Foundation and the Doctors
Results from March 30
Man, 26, fatally shot in Prince George’s County Prince George’s County police have identified a homicide victim found Saturday inside a car in the Langley Park area. The victim was found about 10:10 p.m. in the 1100 block of Merrimac Drive, authorities said. The victim and a second person, both male, were found with gunshot wounds. One man died at the scene. The other man was taken to a hospital with critical injuries, police said. Officials later identified the victim as Wuilian Montepeque Mejia, 26. His last known address
was in Los Angeles. Authorities said detectives are trying to figure out a motive and identify a suspect or suspects. — Martin Weil and Dana Hedgpeth
VIRGINIA
Man dies after crash; vehicle struck pole A 49-year-old man died in a crash in Fairfax County. Police said the man was driving about 4 a.m. Monday near the intersection of Arlington Boulevard and Javier Road when he drifted into the center median and hit a pole. He was taken to a hospital, where he died.
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Community Hospital Foundation. Adams launched an exploratory committee in January. Franchot, a Democrat who has served as comptroller since 2007, announced last year that he is running for governor. So far, the only other declared candidate for comptroller is Del. Brooke E. Lierman (D-Baltimore City).
Officials identified the driver as Dashdavaa Zambalgarav of Centreville. The cause of the crash is still under investigation. Police said an initial investigation shows that speed and alcohol were not factors. — Dana Hedgpeth
Man arrested in fatal Woodbridge shooting A man was fatally shot early Thursday in Prince William County. Police said the incident unfolded about 12:17 a.m. at the Babylon Cafe along Golansky Boulevard in Woodbridge. Officers found a man — later
identified as Kalin Javon Robinson, 25, of Stafford — with a gunshot wound. He was taken to a hospital, where he died. Police said an initial investigation found that a group of people was in the parking lot of the cafe when several gunshots were fired. Robinson was hit by “multiple rounds” as the group left, police said. The shooting is under investigation and was not random, officials said. Police later said they arrested Horace Gene Clark, 27, of Woodbridge. He is charged with murder and other counts in the case and is being held without bond, according to police. — Dana Hedgpeth
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Maryland’s vaccine strategy turns to primary-care doctors VACCINE FROM B1
experts say. Some federally qualified health centers, which represent about 10 percent of all primary-care providers and operate in underserved communities, received doses as early as January. But the vast majority of doctor’s offices have been left out of the early stages of the vaccine rollout, said Ann Greiner, chief executive of the national nonprofit Primary Care Collaborative. In March, the collaborative and the Larry A. Green Center, a research institute that studies primary care, conducted a survey of 765 providers across dozens of states; half said they have not been included in local or state vaccination efforts, Greiner said. “Primary care is the largest platform in the entire health system and that’s not always well understood,” she added. Doctor’s offices, which typically administer half of all routine vaccinations for adults, have the resources and personnel to get shots in people’s arms. They also often have long-standing relationships with their patients, which in the case of the coronavirus can be key to overcoming vaccine hesitancy and skepticism, Greiner said. In Virginia, about 15 percent of vaccine doses have been administered by medical practices, compared to 30 percent by local health departments and 22 percent by hospitals, data shows. Danny Avula, the state’s vaccine coordinator, said the state’s early approach has been to rely on large-scale vaccination sites to get lots of people inoculated quickly. He anticipates that demand at such sites will drop by the end of May or beginning of June, at which point officials will shift their focus to people wary of
the vaccine, including by enlisting the help of more independent medical practices. “We’re not going to be mass vaccinating forever,” Avula said. Claire Hannan, executive director of the Association of Immunization Managers, said that apart from vaccine hesitancy, which some say has been over-cited as a reason for low immunization rates among Black residents, there is also the problem of “vaccine chaos hesitancy” that primary-care doctors can help to ameliorate. In Maryland, the District and elsewhere, complicated eligibility rules and registration systems have deterred some residents, particularly in communities of color, from even attempting to get the vaccine, Hannan said. These residents could be more responsive to a call or email from a doctor they recognize. Roberta Herbert, 78, has been eligible for the vaccine since Jan. 18, but received it only on Thursday at Potomac Physician Associates, her primary-care doctor in Chevy Chase. “Everything seemed in disarray. . . . I just felt like the system was too confusing,” said Herbert, who is African American and lives in Silver Spring. As a retiree, she added, she was largely able to stay at home and opted to wait until her doctor got the doses — even as she saw others, including younger people, get their shots. “I just knew at some point it was going to be more convenient,” Herbert said. Abdool Gafar, 38, of Prince George’s County, was also in the office Thursday morning for his shot. Even though he’s diabetic, has high blood pressure and works in person at a Home Depot, he hasn’t been scrambling for a vaccine appointment, he said. He knew the state was prioritizing
older residents and figured he would wait his turn. But on Wednesday, he got a call from his doctor asking whether he wanted the shot after a scheduled lab appointment the following day. “I knew I was going to get it at some point,” Gafar said. “And I’m glad it was at the doctor’s office.” Haft, the Maryland official, said that to bridge vaccine inequities, the state has allocated doses to primary-care practices that serve predominantly Black or Latino people or to places such as Potomac Physician Associates, which serves a large enough customer base — 35,000 — that they’re able to identify and target vulnerable patients. Menocal Family Practice, which has two locations in Frederick County and Baltimore, has administered 400 doses and will receive 700 doses weekly starting this week, said physician Julio Menocal. Praised by Gov. Larry Hogan (R) on Twitter, the practice has drawn from its own roster of patients, 60 percent of whom are Latino, but also sought out contacts from community groups and church congregations nearby. Staff have emphasized that Social Security numbers or citizenship-based identifying information are not required to register for an appointment, Menocal said. “What we find are people who are begging for the vaccine, but who don’t have time to line up for hours somewhere,” he added. Physician Nalin Mathur runs a practice in Waldorf that serves about half White residents and half people of color. When his staff called patients offering the vaccine this week, he said, some have been so eager that they arrived at the office in minutes. “I wish they would have started this a long time ago because we knew who needed the vaccine,”
BILL O'LEARY/THE WASHINGTON POST
Zita Marshall, left, and Tiffany Williams at the call center for physician Steven Schwartz, whose practice in Chevy Chase is contacting hundreds of patients to schedule vaccine appointments.
Mathur said. “We’re doctors. We saw who got sick.” Steven Schwartz, a doctor at Potomac Physician Associates, echoed that perspective. The practice has been prepared since the first week of January to administer coronavirus vaccinations and has the capacity to administer more than 1,000 doses per week, he said, even though it received only 100 doses last week and 200 this week. There is a team of seven employees reaching out to hundreds of patients on the office’s roster to schedule vaccine appointments, starting with elderly Black and Latino patients, as well as those on Medicare. “Under normal circumstances, about 50 percent of vaccinations are given through primary care,” Schwartz said one recent morning from the practice’s office, where patients streamed in and out for their shots. “Why would
“I wish they would have started this a long time ago because we knew who needed the vaccine. We’re doctors. We saw who got sick.” Nalin Mathur, a physician whose practice in Waldorf serves about half White residents and half people of color
you choose to exclude your existing infrastructure?” Hannan, the immunization expert, said until now most state governments have prioritized mass sites and hospital systems, which can administer thousands of shots daily. The Pfizer vaccine is particularly ill-suited for smaller sites because it is packaged in a box that contains more than 1,000 doses. Primary-care physicians, she added, also have a “defined patient base,” which helps them be more trustworthy among their clients. “There isn’t any one strategy that’s going to be 100 percent effective,” she said. “We know that some people are going to be harder to reach, which is why having multiple strategies helps.” [email protected] Erin Cox and Jenna Portnoy contributed to this report.
Va. agreements to expand passenger rail include plans for new tracks, bridge RAIL FROM B1
and service commitments that would transform the state’s rail infrastructure over the next decade. Amtrak will contribute $944 million toward improvements and has committed to operating in the state for at least 30 years. The coronavirus pandemic threatened to delay the plan — which observers and railroad officials say will turn Virginia into a model for intercity train service — but it has stayed on schedule, officials said. Recent progress includes completion of environmental studies for the construction of a new rail bridge connecting Arlington and the District, congressional approval for conveyance of National Park Service land to Virginia and the District for the new bridge, and creation of a new rail authority that is overseeing the program.
“Living through this extraordinary year, everyone stayed at the table, everyone was committed to seeing this through,” Virginia Transportation Secretary Shannon Valentine said. The state is pursuing a $1.9 billion rail bridge over the Potomac to expand capacity for passenger trains. The new span will run parallel to the existing two-track Long Bridge, the 116-year-old structure owned by CSX that carries all Amtrak, VRE and freight trains between the District and Virginia. The project’s federal environmental studies were completed in September, opening the door for the final design, financing and construction. It will be at least two years before construction begins, but the new Long Bridge should be operating by 2030, officials said. Virginia’s rail program is a key piece of a regional plan that
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envisions a network of highfrequency, all-day commuter and intercity train service that spans from Baltimore to Richmond. Although demand for service is sluggish amid the pandemic, officials say they expect ridership will pick up later this year as more Americans get vaccinated and resume travel. In the long run, Amtrak expects to add six daily round trips to Richmond. It expects to add a new trip from Washington to Norfolk and another to Roanoke this year. Two more trains would be added — one ending in Richmond and the other in Newport News — by 2026, and three additional to Richmond would be added by the end of the decade. Amtrak now runs five daily Northeast Regional trains to Richmond. Environmental and rail advocates say the plan will transform rail transportation in the Wash-
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ington region. It addresses a choke point in the region’s rail system and creates a path toward separating passenger and freight trains to improve efficiency. “This deal is a game-changer for Virginia,” said Danny Plaugher, executive director of Virginians for High Speed Rail, a nonprofit advocacy group, adding that by 2030 the rail improvements will help move nearly 9 million passenger trips and generate $1.2 billion in economic benefits each year for the state. Under the plan, Virginia Railways Express will add one trip on each of its two lines this year. VRE, which carries commuters from Northern Virginia to downtown Washington, has agreed to contribute $200 million to the project over the next decade. The agency said contributions, however, will be well over $1 billion, considering more than $800 million in improvements spelled out in VRE’s six-year capital program. “These are exciting times for commuter rail in Virginia,” VRE chief executive Rich Dalton said Tuesday. U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg joined Virginia and railroad officials to mark the event at Alexandria’s Amtrak and VRE station. He praised the collaboration among federal, state and private-sector officials to carry out the 10-year program. “This is exactly what our country needs more of and exactly what our communities deserve,” Buttigieg said. “The project we’re celebrating today will help peo-
ple across the region, and the work we’re doing collectively will help people across the country.” Buttigieg said the nation is ready to support transit, including passenger rail, as it pulls out of a pandemic-fueled economic downturn. He cited the recently approved stimulus package that gives Amtrak $1.7 billion to restore some service and bring back furloughed workers. “This is just the beginning of what’s possible in transportation infrastructure in this country,” Buttigieg said. The program will be paid for with local, state and federal money, which includes Amtrak’s financial commitment. Virginia will use some dedicated state rail funds and also seek other money, including vying for a piece of President Biden’s $2.25 trillion infrastructure package. As part of the deal, Virginia is purchasing 223 miles of track and more than 350 miles of railroad right of way from CSX for $525 million, including half the right of way between Washington and Richmond. The transaction will be completed in three phases, with all transfer of tracks to be completed next year. The investments will result in a dedicated passenger rail corridor between Franconia and the District, allowing for more trains. The project also will expand a vital link in the national rail network by connecting the northeast and southeast corridors. VRE’s Fredericksburg Line, which uses the CSX tracks, will
see an increase in service of 75 percent during peak periods by the plan’s completion in 2030. The line, which operates eight round-trip trains each weekday, will add six new round-trip trains. One is planned for this year. Virginia officials are still negotiating with Norfolk Southern to allow expansion on VRE’s Manassas Line, which has eight daily trips. The plan calls for one new trip this year and three new round trips by 2026. The agreement, officials said, will allow VRE to add special Friday evening trains to give Virginians the option to use VRE after normal commuting hours. VRE also plans to introduce weekend service. Outside the Washington region, Virginia will acquire from CSX the 186 miles of track on the Buckingham Branch Line, between Doswell and Clifton Forge, which will allow Virginia to launch an east-west train route from Norfolk to the Roanoke area. The state also will acquire the rights to use the abandoned SLine from Petersburg to Ridgeway, N.C., which could facilitate plans for a high-speed train system in the southeast. “It will be easier to hop on Amtrak to New York for the weekend,” Northam said Tuesday. “It will be easier to commute to work using VRE, and it will be easier to take a train from southwest Virginia to Northern Virginia.” [email protected]
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Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, left, and U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg react to Amtrak chief executive William Flynn at a news conference at the Amtrak and VRE station in Alexandria.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 31 , 2021
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THE WASHINGTON POST
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MARYLAND
Confederate pedestals ready for new messages BY
J ONATHAN M . P ITTS
baltimore — For a hundred years, the statue of a grieving mother gazed down from a pedestal in a park near the Johns Hopkins University campus in North Baltimore, her Confederate soldier son dying nobly in her arms. The Confederate Women’s Monument is long gone now, hauled away along with the city’s other three Confederate statues in 2017. But visitors to the halfacre of grass and trees known as Bishop Square Park can see an African American civil rights legend in its place. Thanks to Color of Change, an online advocacy group based in California, smartphone users can use an app to view U.S. Rep. John Lewis of Georgia atop the 10-foot granite plinth. Or they could choose to see Alicia Garza, a co-founder of the Black Lives Matter movement, or Chelsea Miller, a millennial racial justice leader, and hear them speak about why it’s important to fight for change. The pedestals are empty because Baltimore, like other cities, is far from finished with its conversation about what should replace the disgraced statues, let alone being ready to address the complex logistical challenges involved. “This has been a period of tremendous turmoil in this country,” said Lawrence T. Brown, a former associate professor in Morgan State University’s School of Community Health in Baltimore. “We’ve had George Floyd being [killed at the hands of police in Minnesota], we’ve had a pandemic, we’ve had folks tearing down statues to Christopher Columbus,” Brown said. “We’re in a period of trying to wrestle with Baltimore’s, and America’s, demons of our past. “I don’t think we’ve settled on the values we want to celebrate moving forward.” Baltimore has been assessing what to do with its four Confederate monuments for years. They’ve been on the scene, of course, for many decades. It was
just 20 years after the Civil War that Baltimore businessman and art collector William T. Walters commissioned a statue of Roger B. Taney, the U.S. Supreme Court chief justice from Maryland who wrote the infamous opinion in the landmark Dred Scott case in 1857. The decision held, among other things, that African Americans were not and could never be considered citizens of the United States. The sculpture loomed over Mount Vernon Place for 130 years. Although Taney wasn’t strictly a Confederate figure, organizations such as the United Confederate Veterans and the Maryland chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy worked with officials over the next few decades to make sure Confederate monuments became part of the city landscape — the Confederate Soldiers and Sailors Monument in Bolton Hill in 1903, the women’s monument in Homewood in 1917, the Robert E. Lee-Thomas Jonathan “Stonewall” Jackson Monument in Wyman Dell Park in 1948. Backers insisted the statues championed not white supremacy, but such virtues as the courage of Confederate soldiers and the right of states to determine their destinies. Counterarguments coalesced as city demographics changed. It wasn’t until 2015 — after the self-described white supremacist Dylann Roof massacred nine African American worshipers in a church in Charleston, S.C. — that then-Mayor Stephanie RawlingsBlake appointed a special commission to consider what to do with the monuments. In their 2016 report, the scholars, historians and artists on the panel discarded any notion that the statues were benign: “The monuments studied by this commission were yet another tool used to glorify White supremacy, and that vision is indefensible today,” they wrote. They recommended that the Taney and LeeJackson statues be removed and “a very serious recontextualization” added to the others. The Democratic mayor
JERRY JACKSON/BALTIMORE SUN
The Right Rev. Eugene Taylor Sutton, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland, stands next to a pedestal that once held the Confederate Women’s Monument in Baltimore.
deemed any removal cost-prohibitive, instead providing explanatory plaques at all four sites. But in August 2017, a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville that turned deadly inspired her successor, Democrat Catherine E. Pugh, to order all four taken away. Workers quietly completed the task the night of Aug. 16. The next morning, Baltimore awoke to the empty pedestals left behind. The statues are kept in an undisclosed location. In the hours before the city action, Morgan State’s Brown was in Wyman Park demonstrating for the statues’ removal. “Monuments speak to the values people have in a given place and time, and those monuments did accomplish that for the people who put them up, when Baltimore was a majority-White city,” said Brown, whose book on racial justice, “The Black Butterfly: The Harmful Politics of Race and Space in America,” was published in January. “They don’t speak to the values of the city now.” One prominent faith leader says it speaks well of Baltimore that the city not only had the courage to formally reject, and eventually remove, monuments that many found hateful, but that it did so peacefully and is taking the time to weigh its options. The Right Rev. Eugene Taylor Sutton, the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland, works at the Cathedral of the Incarnation, directly across Charles Street from where the Confederate Women’s Monument stood from 1917 to 2017. He labored there for years
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before taking much note of the statue, he said, let alone wrestling with its meaning. But once the new national conversation on race put it in the spotlight, he began leading the diocese in prayer about how to turn the space into something positive. Sutton, the diocese’s first Black leader, led a rally at the pedestal this month to commemorate the life of the Right Rev. Barbara C. Harris, the first woman to be consecrated (in 1989) as a bishop in the worldwide Anglican Communion, the denomination of which the Episcopal Church is a part. The group held a banner depicting Harris across the pedestal as a way of honoring the bishop, a longtime civil rights activist who died last year. “Public spaces should be for all the people — all the people,” he said. “We deliberately rallied there to help redeem that space.” He isn’t the first to try reclaiming the sites. For a time in 2017, an artist’s papier-mache statue of a pregnant woman, “Madre Luz,” stood on the pedestal that served as the base for the Lee-Jackson statue in Wyman Park for nearly 70 years. Graffiti, some of it in blood-red paint, covers part of that base today. The plaza in which it sits was rededicated in 2018 as Harriet Tubman Grove. A plaque tells of Tubman’s legacy as an abolitionist legend. “Harriet Tubman Grove: Rewriting History or Righting a Wrong?” the headline reads. In Mount Vernon Place, neighbors and others have developed a custom of creating pop-up instal-
lations, posting temporary signs, even conducting rituals of healing atop and around the base where Taney once sat. To Denise Meringolo, a public historian at the University of Maryland at Baltimore County, that kind of use is a positive development. Meringolo argues that permanent monuments of any kind serve less as statements of art or history than as assertions of power, of whatever values hold sway at a given moment. Those change so much as time passes, she says, that more flexible forms are needed. “Before we even can imagine doing anything with the pedestals, we have to ask ourselves, ‘Do we think it’s important to have things on top of pedestals?’ I’d be more interested in seeing those places turned into spaces for forums and discussions than for monuments of the old-fashioned kind.” Not that there’s any lack of ideas for memorials of either variety. When the RawlingsBlake commission solicited recommendations from the public, nearly 200 people weighed in. Suggestions ranged from preserving the statues, while adding historical context, to melting them down and using the metal to create ones of civil rights leaders. Brown says Baltimore’s very landscape ignores much of its richest history, from the slave trade that flourished in the Inner Harbor to the Pratt Street Riots of 1861. Sutton says the diocese would work with the city to finance a statue of Pauli Murray, a groundbreaking, Baltimoreborn attorney and activist whose legal writings influenced future U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall and who later became in 1977 the first Black Episcopal priest. “She’s not very famous, but she broke so many barriers,” he said. “That’s the kind of woman who needs to be honored.” Any such projects would be subject to approval by a range of authorities, from the mayor and City Council to the Maryland Historical Trust, a division of the Maryland Department of Planning. The state claims partial ownership, through easements, of three of the four sites, according to Eric Holcomb, division chief of the Commission for Historical and Architectural Planning, or CHAP, a city agency.
Pugh overrode those authorities, citing security concerns, in 2017. Her successor, Democrat Bernard C. “Jack” Young, chose not to address the monument issue during his 20 months as mayor. New Mayor Brandon Scott, a Democrat, did not respond to requests for comment. But he spoke on the campaign trail last year of making a comprehensive review of the city’s entire memorial landscape, from its street and school names to its monuments. And his transition report included a recommendation that the city appoint a task force “to review the work [on Confederate monuments] that has been completed to date, create a plan with assigned tasks and responsibilities, and identify a funding and implementation timeline.” Stefanie Mavronis, a spokesman for the mayor’s office, said that the issue remains “near and dear” to Scott’s heart and that he would address it once he has had a chance to tackle more urgent matters early in his term. In the meantime, smartphone users can make use of the Color of Change initiative, dubbed the Pedestal Project, at any of the four empty pedestals in Baltimore — or any pedestal that still stands empty in the wake of the widespread civic unrest of the past year. Once physically at a site, they can log on to Instagram, download the lens for the Pedestal Project and see the lifelike, threedimensional digital images of Lewis, Garza or Miller — created by the African American sculptor Spencer Evans — and hear them hold forth on struggling for change. “We do want to take down Confederate symbols, but just as importantly, we want to replace them with symbols of a just America,” Color of Change President Rashad Robinson said of the augmented-reality program launched last month. “By using virtual technology to replace these statues with people, events and ideas that move our country forward, instead of taking us backward, we can turn these pedestals into a celebration of progress.” To Brown, that’s a promising beginning. “It takes some time to create things that speak to our values and give us a vision that points to the future,” he said. “If there was ever a time to start, it’s now.” — Baltimore Sun
THE DISTRICT
Man charged with assaulting Swiss ambassador inside o∞cial residence Suspect allegedly pushed past official, fought with Secret Service officer BY
P ETER H ERMANN
A 30-year-old man has been charged with breaking into the Northwest Washington residence of Switzerland’s ambassador and assaulting him, according to law enforcement authorities and court documents. The suspect, Christian David
Mandeville, was arrested Monday afternoon after police said he refused to leave the residence in Woodley Park. Documents filed in U.S. District Court allege Mandeville forcefully pushed past the ambassador and fought with a uniformed Secret Service officer trying to arrest him. Mandeville was charged with two counts of assault on a foreign official, resisting arrest and unlawful entry. His initial appearance in federal court had not been scheduled as of Tuesday. Court documents did not list a lawyer. “He is not a violent person,” his
mother, Dawn Schwab, who lives in Arizona, said Tuesday. “He is not politically motivated.” She said her son had been experiencing mental health issues and had expressed a desire to live someplace else. “He was looking for help,” Schwab said. Schwab said he had focused on Switzerland because he felt it was a country that is “nonviolent and a better place to live.” She believes that when he was turned away, “I think he just got desperate to speak to the ambassador. He had put all his hopes into that.” D.C. police said Mandeville is from Avondale, Ariz., near Phoe-
nix. Court documents say he had an Oregon identification card. The documents and police did not describe why the suspect allegedly broke into the residence, which is adjacent to the embassy. A spokesman for the Embassy of Switzerland said in a statement there was no “imminent threat to the safety” of the ambassador, Jacques Pitteloud, and he was not injured. The embassy said in the statement the man jumped a perimeter fence after being denied entry. The Secret Service said in court documents he got into the
residence and was stopped by a Swiss law enforcement official. The document says Mandeville grabbed the officer’s wrist in an attempt to push him away. Staff called the Secret Service, which handles security issues at embassies. The agent wrote he was met by Pitteloud, who was concerned Mandeville would get farther inside the residence. The agent wrote that when he and Pitteloud approached, Mandeville tried to push past them. “The Ambassador put his hands out to stop Mandeville, but Mandeville used his arms to
knock the Ambassador’s arms,” the court filing says. “Mandeville then used his body to try to push his way past the Ambassador. His actions pushed the Ambassador backward.” The embassy spokesman confirmed Pitteloud is the ambassador referred to in the documents. The agent, Jacob Pina, said in court papers that Mandeville fought efforts to subdue and arrest him. Pina reported abrasions to his forearm. [email protected] Magda Jean-Louis contributed to this report.
MARYLAND
Prince George’s to host state’s first federally operated vaccination site FEMA to administer shots at Greenbelt Metro clinic starting April 7 BY
R ACHEL C HASON
Officials said Tuesday that the Federal Emergency Management Agency will open a coronavirus vaccination clinic next week in Prince George’s County, which has reported the most cases in Maryland and the lowest percentage of fully vaccinated residents.
Vaccine doses will come directly from the federal government and separately from the allocation each state receives, Gov. Larry Hogan (R) said in an announcement. The clinic, which will be at the Greenbelt Metro station, will open April 7. It will be the first federally operated site in Maryland. As supply expands, the site is expected to be able to administer 3,000 shots per day, Hogan said. FEMA’s sites are staffed by federal workers and are selected based on population size and “high social vulnerability,” a measure of race and poverty.
FEMA’s acting administrator said last week that the District would not receive a mass vaccination site because of its relatively small population. A FEMA mass vaccination site will open Wednesday in Norfolk, officials previously announced. Prince George’s, which borders the District, has a population of 909,000 that is 84 percent Black and Latino. It has had by far the most coronavirus cases in Maryland and continues to substantially lag the rest of the state in terms of the percentage of residents getting vaccinated. Just 9.5 percent of residents were fully
vaccinated as of Tuesday, according to state data, compared with a statewide average of 15 percent. In neighboring Montgomery County, 16.4 percent of residents are fully vaccinated. “Prince George’s County has certainly been the hardest-hit jurisdiction in the region, and we thank the White House, FEMA, and our other federal partners for selecting our county as a location for a federally-run mass vaccination site,” County Executive Angela D. Alsobrooks (D) said in a statement. “It is absolutely critical that we can continue to quickly and equitably administer vac-
cine to our community.” Maryland has opened six mass vaccination sites, including the first at Six Flags in Prince George’s, and will open an additional six during April. FEMA is already providing personnel support at the mass vaccination site in Waldorf, officials said. The hours and daily schedule for the Greenbelt site have yet to be announced. On Tuesday, Maryland entered Phase 2B of its vaccine distribution plan, meaning any individual 16 or older with a qualifying underlying health condition is eligible for a shot.
Maryland reported 903 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, with 13 deaths. Virginia had 1,432 new cases and 23 deaths, and the District had 165 new cases and two deaths. The seven-day average of new cases has been on the rise in Maryland, hitting 1,222 on Tuesday — a number it hasn’t seen since mid-February. The seven-day average also has been creeping up in Virginia through the month of March, reaching 1,530 on Tuesday, while the District’s seven-day average was 132. [email protected]
THE DISTRICT
Dog reunited with humans after fire department rescues him from bridge BY
M ARTIN W EIL
A small dog was rescued Sunday from the railroad bridge that crosses the Potomac River in Washington. Details of the incident have become clearer, but mystery still exists. Much has been learned about the brown dog, his breed and to whom he belongs. His name and weight are known. But as of Tuesday not everything was known.
Rescuers learned of the dog’s plight when he was spotted Sunday not on the bridge deck, but atop one of the stone piers that juts from the river to support the structure as trains rumble across. It was unusual. Few accounts have come to light over the years of a dog stranded on one of the bridge’s dark stone piers. The rescue was carried out by the D.C. fire department, which like many other public safety
agencies prides itself on coping with the uncommon. Although the rescue may have been unusual, each step seemed almost routine. By luck the dog was on the pier in the river closest to Ohio Drive SW. That permitted a bucket truck to swing a firefighter out to the pier. The dog was a bit skittish at first, said fire department spokesman Vito Maggiolo. But he was brought safely to shore, where he
was turned over to the U.S. Park Police and eventually to the city’s animal shelter, the Humane Rescue Alliance. Luckily, the rescue alliance had already been contacted about a dog named Whiskey that had run off Saturday at the Southwest Waterfront. He probably “got spooked” by traffic on Maine Avenue SW, said owner Elizabeth Ferguson of Virginia Beach. She had been walk-
ing with him and her husband while on a visit. He slipped out of his collar, she said, and was off, darting between cars, outstripping frantic pursuers. “We were screaming bloody murder,” she said. Searches were fruitless. Ferguson said she was on her way home, downcast, when the call from the rescue alliance came. “My heart leaped out of my chest,” said Ferguson. “I really
thought I’d never see that puppy again.” The dog plucked from the pier in the Potomac was indeed Whiskey, a 2-year-old mix of Shih Tzu and poodle, who weighs seven pounds and leads a quiet indoor life, Ferguson said. So, Whiskey is safely home. But exactly how he got onto the pier and how long he had spent there, may be his canine secret. [email protected]
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THE WASHINGTON POST
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COURTLAND MILLOY
After serving his country, his family came next MILLOY FROM B1
the son said. Keith Anderson, 65, the younger of the two sons, recalled his father as being “the personification of what you call a distinguished gentleman. He was confident yet humble. A very dignified man with a great sense of humor.” The older son called him “my special dad.” Anderson the father and his namesake son were born on the same day of the same month: March 5. Anderson’s sons knew his official story: Drafted into the Army Air Corps in 1943 during World War II; became an aircraft sheet metal worker; was later assigned to the all-Black 477th Bombardment Group to begin training as a gunner. “The war was ending before we completed training and we remained stateside,” he recalled during an appearance in 2017. “I was discharged in 1945 and that was my military career.” The sons also knew the history of the famed Tuskegee Airmen — and the racist
hostility they faced. More than a hundred Black officers were arrested for attempting to enter a Whites-only officers club when the 477th was stationed at Freeman Field in Indiana. It wasn’t until 1995 that the criminal records of the wrongly arrested Black officers were expunged. They knew their father wasn’t among those men charged. He was not with the unit at that time. And even if their father had been among those men, his sons knew he would never have mentioned it — or any other racial incidents in his life. He always chose to focus on positive experiences, they said. But at a family reunion some years ago, one of Anderson’s now-deceased sisters told his sons a story that he’d never mentioned, one that showed his dedication to his family and to justice. She recalled riding a bus with her brother in their hometown of Jacksonville, Fla., when the two were teenagers — and how he had refused to give his seat to a White woman who asked him to move.
FAMILY PHOTO
Tuskegee Airman Major Louis Anderson II when he began his training in the 477th Bombardment Group in the mid-1940s. The Congressional Gold Medal recipient died March 15 at 96.
. WEDNESDAY,
“My father had always been assertive and would speak his mind, but he had never been the kind of guy my aunt was describing,” the older son said. Or so he thought. “She talked about White guys surrounding them ready to force him out of the seat and him just sitting there — standing his ground, so to speak — ready to throw down and fight. And before anybody called the police, my aunt persuaded him to get up and walk away because she was very afraid that something bad was going to happen to him.” The father had never told the sons about facing down those men. “He just kept moving forward,” his older son said. “He believed that the key to success was education and hard work. He wanted to keep the focus on that.” And that’s what the father did. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Federal City College in 1973. He worked constantly, always holding at least two jobs — postal employee, university security guard, life insurance agent, school bus driver, motor coach chauffeur. “He’d say don’t rest on your laurels,” his older son said. “He’d say there’s always somebody out there working while you’re
MARCH 31 , 2021
loafing. ” His father became active in the Third Baptist Church and became president of the PTA at his children’s schools. Honorably discharged with a World War II Victory Medal, wise beyond his years, he was the model of discipline, courage and strength personified. There are no medals of honor for accomplishing that mission, and Anderson didn’t need one. He served his country when he was called to do so because it was the right thing to do. He served his community and his church because it was the right thing to do. And he made sure his wife and his sons had everything they needed — and much of what they wanted — because he knew it was what he was called to do. Keith Anderson recalled a Christmas holiday some 20 years ago when his father told him and his brother how blessed he was to have them. Now that their father is no longer with them, they’re realizing how blessed they were to have him. We should realize how blessed we were to have had Major Louis Anderson II for his distinguished achievements and contributions to his family, his community and the nation. [email protected] To read previous columns, go to washingtonpost.com/milloy.
VIRGINIA
Conservative groups sue state Education Dept. over transgender policies BY
H ANNAH N ATANSON
Two conservative groups are suing the Virginia Department of Education over its new policy on transgender children, which requires school districts to accept students’ gender identities and allow students access to facilities and opportunities according to those identities. The policy, which took effect March 6, came in response to a law the Virginia General Assembly passed in 2020 requiring the department to develop and publish rules regulating the treatment of transgender students. That law followed years of activism from transgender teens and teachers, who said the lack of statewide guidance fostered school-permitted discrimination and bullying in some places. The department’s adopted guidelines, which fill 26 pages, specifically mandate that schools
allow students to access “restrooms, locker rooms and changing facilities” that conform to their gender identities. The guidelines also stipulate schools should let students participate in genderspecific programs or activities — such as physical education, overnight field trips and intramural sports — according to their gender identities. One suit was filed Monday in Lynchburg Circuit Court by the Christian Action Network, a religious advocacy group that campaigned against establishing a mosque at Ground Zero of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and which the Southern Poverty Law Center classifies as a hate group. The second was filed in Richmond City Court on Tuesday by the Family Foundation of Virginia, a nonprofit that lobbies against samesex marriage and abortion rights, supports conversion therapy for minors, and was originally found-
ed to oppose sex education. A spokesman for the state Education Department said officials are aware of the suits and “are now reviewing them” but declined to comment further. A spokeswoman for Gov. Ralph Northam (D), however, did not hold back. “We don’t normally comment on litigation, but this is beyond the pale,” Alena Yarmosky wrote in a statement. “Virginia stands firmly with trans youth and their families, and we are proud to have adopted inclusive policies that ensure the safety and dignity of all children.” The Virginia policies mirror similar guidelines passed in more than a dozen other states. Research suggests there are roughly 4,000 transgender teenagers in the state, and studies have shown that transgender youths are far more likely than cisgender youths to attempt suicide. The guidelines mandate that
Virginia school districts accept students’ preferred gender pronouns and identities “without any substantiating evidence.” Teachers must use students’ selected pronouns, and schools must maintain records — including items such as ID cards — that accurately reflect students’ gender identification. Moreover, schools must develop dress codes that do not place “limits on gender expression” and must remove requirements for “gender-specific” attire at school events. The suit filed by the Family Foundation alleges the state Education Department violated Virginia law in failing to adequately respond to public feedback as it was developing the guidelines — and especially to feedback that raised legal concerns about the guidelines. The suit asks the court to immediately halt implementation of the guidelines, and to send them back to the department for
revision. At a news conference filmed and published to Facebook on Tuesday, foundation president Victoria Cobb responded to a question asking about her specific concerns with the guidelines by noting, “The policy clearly allows for a student in all functionality of the school to exist in a way that is opposite of their biological gender.” Jim Davids, chief counsel for the Founding Freedoms Law Center — the foundation’s legal arm — said the state guidelines infringe on families’ constitutional rights. He asserted that most teenagers revert to their biological gender post-adolescence, a view that has been roundly debunked by years of research, and said the guidelines amount to a historical mistake on the level of the United States’ internment of Japanese Americans during World War II or its infamous Tuskegee syphilis
study. The Christian Action Network did not immediately respond to a question asking about the substance of its suit. State Education Department spokesman Ken Blackstone said he did not have information on its allegations. The suits drew strong condemnation from some LGBTQ advocates in Virginia. Fairfax County Public Schools Pride said in a statement that its members are “shocked and saddened.” Karl Frisch, an openly LGBTQ member of the Fairfax School Board, said the state’s guidelines for transgender students are necessary to create “a caring and inclusive culture” in Virginia schools. “These lawsuits are little more than a mean-spirited attempt to turn the clock back on equality in Virginia,” he said. “Our students deserve better than bigotry and hate.” [email protected]
VIRGINIA
Governor asks legislature to speed up legalization of marijuana to July 1 Assembly, which initially settled on 2024, will take up proposal in April BY
G REGORY S . S CHNEIDER
— Gov. Ralph Northam has asked the General Assembly to speed up the legalization of marijuana in the state, making it lawful for an adult to possess up to one ounce on July 1, 2021, instead of waiting until early 2024. Northam’s request is in the form of a proposed amendment to the legalization bill the General richmond
Assembly passed last month. The legislature had settled on the later date amid last-minute wrangling on the complex 250-page bill. “Our Commonwealth is committed to legalizing marijuana in an equitable way,” Northam (D) said in a news release ahead of Wednesday’s deadline for filing the amendment. “Virginia will become the 15th state to legalize marijuana — and these changes will ensure we do it with a focus on public safety, public health, and social justice.” His proposals include changes to several other aspects of the legislation. One would empower the Cannabis Control Authority — the new regulatory agency that will be created to oversee the
marijuana industry — to suspend the licenses of businesses that don’t allow workers to organize, pay less than a prevailing wage or classify more than 10 percent of workers as independent contractors. Northam is also proposing a quicker route for expunging marijuana-related incidents from criminal records, and allowing home cultivation of up to four plants per household as of July 1, 2021. In addition, he is seeking budget amendments to set aside money this year for an advertising campaign on the safety risks of marijuana use and to begin training police to recognize driving under the influence of the drug.
The General Assembly will take up the proposals when it reconvenes April 7 for a one-day session to consider any vetoes or amendments Northam has proposed to this year’s legislation. Prospects seem good for the legalization changes in both chambers. The House of Delegates had pushed for the later date for legalizing possession when passing the legislation, arguing that the state needed time to get a new commercial industry up and running. Northam had also supported waiting. But House Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn (D-Fairfax) said last Friday that she and other House leaders would be on board with speeding up the date for legal
possession. Advocates argued that waiting to legalize possession after having approved a regulated industry would send a mixed message and still leave people vulnerable to arrest — particularly people of color, who statistics show are far more likely than White people to be prosecuted for marijuana in Virginia. The state decriminalized possession of small amounts last year, but police can still arrest violators on civil charges. “We’re moving toward a more equitable and just law,” House Majority Leader Charniele L. Herring (D-Alexandria) said. “Moving the legalization date up for simple possession will stop us penalizing people, because it’s
still . . . disproportionate arrests or citations given to Black and Brown people.” “It’s just logical,” said Sen. Adam P. Ebbin (D-Alexandria), who co-sponsored the Senate version of the bill, which passed that chamber with the earlier effective date. “If we’re going to do it, let’s do it.” Virginia would become the first former Confederate state to legalize marijuana. The regulated consumer industry would still not come online until 2024, and several aspects regarding reclassifying drug- and alcohol-related crimes must be voted on again next year by the General Assembly.
to 1993, died Feb. 14 at his home in Kensington, Md. The cause was congestive heart failure, said his wife, Maran Gluckstein. Dr. Gluckstein was born in Berlin to a Jewish father and a Christian mother. During World War II, he endured forced labor and other atrocities. He initially settled in St. Paul, Minn., after immigrating with his parents to the United States in 1948. He began his government career about a decade later, initially as a veterinary analyst at the Agriculture Department. Since 1995, he had been a volunteer at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.
static colorectal cancer, said her daughter, Chiara Nicole Glass. Ms. Gordon was born Pamela Forness in Bellevue, Ill. She settled in the Washington area in the early 1950s and began working in the mid-1970s at the Society for Imaging Science and Technology, planning worldwide conferences. As a member of Burke Presbyterian Church, she traveled with her parish to Kenya in 1987 to build a vocational school.
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obituaries O F NO TE
Obituaries of residents from the District, Maryland and Northern Virginia. Carrie Lee Nelson, senator’s spouse Carrie Lee Nelson, 98, the widow of Gaylord Nelson, the Wisconsin Democrat who served as governor and senator and founded Earth Day, died March 15 at her home in Kensington, Md. The cause was congestive pulmonary disease, said Bill Christofferson, a family friend and biographer of the senator. Mrs. Nelson was born Carrie Lee Dotson in Wise, Va., in the Cumberland Mountains of Appalachia, the ninth of 10 children, and she grew up in an area known as “Dotson Holler.” The family was “so poor we didn’t have an outhouse,” Christofferson quoted her as having said. She was 3 when her father, a Mason, died, and she and three
brothers were sent to a Masonic children’s home in Richmond. She met Nelson while serving as an Army nurse during World War II. She was a hostess at social gatherings and a volunteer caregiver in hospice programs. Their personal story is recounted in Tom Brokaw’s book “The Greatest Generation.” Donna Taylor, executive administrator Donna Taylor, 60, an executive administrator at the commercial real estate firm George Comfort & Sons in Washington from 1999 to 2013, died Jan. 31 at a nursing home in Chevy Chase, Md. The cause was heart disease, said her stepmother, Joan Bell-Haynes. Ms. Taylor was born Donna Haynes in the District. She was a public-school secretary in St. Paul, Minn., from 1996 to 1999. She was a past volunteer secretary at the District’s Twelfth
Street Christian Church. Leonard Bosin, engineer Leonard Bosin, 95, an engineer and project manager at the Federal Aviation Administration from 1968 to 1985, died Feb. 17 at his home in Silver Spring, Md. The cause was cardiac arrest, said his daughter, Rhona Bosin. Mr. Bosin, a native Washingtonian, held electrical engineering jobs for the federal government, working for the Navy Department, NASA and the National Weather Service. In Silver Spring, he was a past president of the Temple Israel men’s club and founded the Franklin Knolls swimming club. John Duncan Marsh, Purcellville, Va., mayor John Duncan Marsh, 89, a former financial consultant who served as mayor of Purcellville, in
Loudoun County, Va., from 1994 to 2002, died Feb. 1 at an assistedliving facility in Leesburg, Va. The cause was complications from a stroke, said his son Michael Marsh. Mr. Marsh was born in Brooklyn. He was personnel director at the First American Bank of Maryland from 1974 to 1977 and then at Citizens Savings and Loan Association until 1981. He served on the Purcellville Town Council from 1986 to 1994. He was president of the town’s Rotary Club from 1994 to 1995 and oversaw the induction of its first female members. He moved to Leesburg from Purcellville in 2016. Fritz Gluckstein, medical library official Fritz Gluckstein, 94, who was coordinator of veterinary affairs at the National Library of Medicine in Bethesda, Md., from 1966
Pamela Gordon, editor Pamela Gordon, 68, who edited the Journal of Imaging Science and Technology from the mid-1970s until her retirement in 2005, died Feb. 10 at her home in Burke, Va. The cause was meta-
— From staff reports
CORRECTION l The March 27 obituary of writer Larry McMurtry incorrectly described his first wife, Jo McMurtry, as a novelist. She is a retired University of Richmond professor and has written books about literature.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 31 , 2021
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ALEXANDER
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HERRING
WATSON
MARKHAM
BERNARD ALBERT HERRING
Of Alexandria, VA, born in 1936 in Washington, DC, passed on February 27, 2021 at Fairfax Inova Hospital. Survived by a son and daughter; four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Services were held at Mount Comfort Cemetery in Alexandria, VA on March 15, 2021.
HUNT MARGARET E. HUNT
GLADYS MARIE (MONTGOMERY) ALEXANDER (AGE 93)
MARTIN BUREAU/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE/GETTY IMAGES
Of Capitol Heights, MD, entered into eternal rest on Wednesday, March 24, 2021. She is survived by grandchildren, Ayodele and Trevor; and a host of other relatives and friends. Viewing will be held on Thursday, April 1, 2021 from 10 a.m. until hour of service at 11 a.m. at Union Temple Baptist Church located at 1225 W Street, SE Washington, DC 20020. Services entrusted to McLaughlin Funeral Home.
French director Bertrand Tavernier at the Cannes Film Festival in 2010. He worked for more than a decade as a film critic, assistant director and publicist before making his first feature.
JONES Njemile Carol Jones, Owner of the Fertile Living acupuncture practice in Alexandria, Virginia passed away peacefully on Wednesday, March 24, 2021. She is survived by her mother, Caridad Jones; sister, Patricia Jones Steede; Brother Charles Jones, Jr.; brother-in-law Wayne Steede and nephew Remington Steede. Friends are invited to join the family at funeral Mass on Thursday, April 8, 2021, from 11 a.m. to 12 Noon at Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church, 3800 Ely Place, SE Washington, DC 20019. (face masks required). Burial will be private.
Director and writer of ‘Round Midnight’ BY
H ARRISON S MITH
Bertrand Tavernier, a French filmmaker who earned international acclaim for his humanistic, character-driven style and startling versatility, as well as for his tenacious efforts to promote and preserve cinematic history, died March 25 at his home in SainteMaxime, on the French Riviera. He was 79. Mr. Tavernier was president of the Institut Lumière, a French film organization, which announced his death but did not give a precise cause. “His films will remain as masterpieces of French cinema,” said former French interior minister Gérard Collomb. Mentored by directors Claude Sautet and Jean-Pierre Melville, Mr. Tavernier worked for more than a decade as a film critic, assistant director and publicist before making his first feature, “The Clockmaker of Saint-Paul” (1974), which he adapted from a Georges Simenon novel and shot with a handheld camera in his hometown of Lyon. A contemplative drama about a widowed father who learns that his teenage son has murdered a factory foreman, the movie earned a runner-up prize at the Berlin International Film Festival and established Mr. Tavernier as a leader of a new generation of French filmmakers, succeeding the New Wave directors of the late 1950s and ’60s. “His work is an abundance of invention and generosity, and in a way the opposite of the auteur theory that he once supported, since Tavernier never forces himself or a style upon us,” film critic Roger Ebert wrote in 2003. “If there is a common element in his work, it is his instant sympathy for his fellow humans, his enthusiasm for their triumphs, his sharing of their disappointments. To see the work of some directors is to feel closer to them. To see Tavernier’s work is to feel closer to life.” Mr. Tavernier directed more than two dozen features and documentaries, including “Death Watch” (1980), a science-fiction fable starring Romy Schneider and, with cameras embedded behind his eyes, Harvey Keitel; “Coup de Torchon” (1981), a black comedy that received an Academy Award nomination for best foreign language film; and “A Sunday in the Country” (1984), a poignant family portrait about an elderly painter. The winner of five César Awards, the French equivalent of the Oscars, Mr. Tavernier worked with actors including Isabelle Huppert, Julie Delpy and Dirk Bogarde, whose last screen role came in Mr. Tavernier’s bittersweet “Daddy Nostalgia” (1990), about a dying man visited by his estranged daughter, played by Jane Birkin. Mr. Tavernier also emerged as a leading evangelist for international cinema, organizing the Institut Lumière’s annual film festival in Lyon, co-writing a 1,200page history of American film and publishing a book of interviews with directors such as Robert Altman, Roger Corman and John Ford. He was perhaps best known in the United States for “Round Midnight” (1986), about an American jazz musician — Dale Turner, played by saxophonist Dexter Gordon — who travels to Paris to play at a club named the Blue Note and is taken in by a French fan. Loosely based on pianist Bud Powell, Turner struggles with alcoholism and drug use, even as he remains consumed by a lifelong love affair with jazz. “My life is music,” he says. “My love is music. And it’s 24 hours a day.” Mr. Tavernier co-wrote the screenplay, as he did for most of
his films, and insisted on casting Gordon, who had spent years in Paris and struggled with addiction himself. The actor wrote many of his own lines and received an Oscar nomination for best actor; pianist Herbie Hancock, who performed on-screen with Gordon and other real-life musicians, won the Academy Award for best original score. “In most films, characters take the journey from A to Z,” Mr. Tavernier told the New York Times in 1985, while shooting “Round Midnight.” “In mine, they go from A to B.” His protagonists were often timid and hesitant, gradually moving toward moments of realization or acceptance while looking back on their lives. Mr. Tavernier let them take their time. Many of his films were slow and meditative; in “Round Midnight,” musical interludes sometimes seemed to say more than the dialogue itself. “When I make movies,” he explained in the Times interview, “I like to explore, to dream.” René Maurice Bertrand Tavernier was born in Lyon on April 25, 1941, nearly a year after the Nazi invasion during World War II. His mother was a homemaker, and his father wrote poetry and founded the literary journal Confluences, which “became the vehicle for dozens of writers actively engaged in the resistance movement,” according to the Virginia Quarterly Review. After being diagnosed with tuberculosis, Mr. Tavernier spent part of his childhood at a sanitarium. He began going to the movies daily while at high school in Paris, accompanied by another student, Volker Schlöndorff, who later directed “The Tin Drum.” Mr. Tavernier went on to found a film club while studying at the Sorbonne, then dropped out of school after interviewing Melville, who offered him the chance to work as an assistant director. He later said he was terrible at the job, perpetually frightened by his boss, who “behaved like a tyrant on the set.” But he found his footing in the industry after Melville suggested he become a press agent, a job that enabled him to work with French, Italian and American filmmakers, including Howard Hawks and Raoul Walsh. Mr. Tavernier’s early films included “Let Joy Reign Supreme” (1975), a political satire set in 1720s France, and “A Week’s Holiday” (1980), starring Nathalie Baye as a brooding, dissatisfied schoolteacher who takes a brief vacation to reexamine her life. His later works included “Life and Nothing But” (1989), about a group of French soldiers sifting through the soil around Verdun to identify victims of World War I; “L.627” (1992), about a police narcotics squad in Paris; and “Safe Conduct” (2002), which examined the French film scene during the Nazi occupation. Mr. Tavernier’s first marriage, to screenwriter and collaborator Claudine “Colo” O’Hagan, ended in divorce. Survivors include his wife, Sarah Tavernier; two children from his first marriage, filmmaker Nils Tavernier and writer Tiffany Tavernier; and a number of grandchildren. In 2016, Mr. Tavernier released “My Journey Through French Cinema,” a three-hour meditation on film, which explored some of the movies that had offered him direction when he was a boy recovering from tuberculosis. “I wanted to say thank you to all those filmmakers, writers, composers for the way that they enlightened my life,” he told NPR. “They gave me dreams, gave me passion. And I think I survived — I survived because of the cinema. It gave me hope. The cinema gave me a reason to live.” [email protected]
On March 25, 2021, Margaret E. Hunt went home to be with the Lord. She was 77. Born in Washington, DC, Margaret was a longtime resident of Bowie, MD. Devoted wife of 56 years to Barry B. Hunt; an amazing mother to Brian Hunt, Debbie Spears, and Kevin Hunt; cherished grandmother of eight and greatgrandmother of one. She was predeceased by her brother Warren Smith. The family will receive visitors at Donaldson Funeral Home & Crematory, 1411 Annapolis Road, in Odenton, on Monday, April 5 from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. A funeral service will be held on Tuesday, April 6 at 11 a.m. at Riverdale Baptist Church, 1177 Largo Road in Largo. Interment will follow the service. For more information or to post condolences please visit https://www.donaldsonodenton.com/obituary/Margaret-Hunt
NJEMILE CAROL JONES, L.Ac.
BERTRAND TAVERNIER, 79
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GREGORY HOWARD WATSON (AGE 67)
Of Nellysford, Virginia, passed away on Sunday, March 21, 2021. Greg was born on May 9, 1953 in Washington, DC to the late Paul Watson and Marguerite Parkinson. He was a cabinetmaker for over 25 years and then he became an Exhibits Specialist for the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History until his retirement in 2009. Greg is survived by his wife of almost 48 years, Toni; his son Paul, his wife Jessica and their two kids, Chloe and Jace; and his daughter, April. In addition, he is survived by sisters, Karen, Donna and Sue; brothers, Bob and Clay and respective spouses of all. Also, many loved nephews and nieces and their spouses. He had many friends and associates that he cared for. His five cats will miss him. Last, but not least, his soccer friends/associates/family all over the world. He became the Maryland State Referee Administrator in the 1980s, and loved much of it. There are too many to mention, but he truly loved all of his soccer people. Funeral services will be held at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, April 3, 2021 at Resurrection Cemetery, 8000 Woodyard Rd., Clinton, MD 20735, Phone 301-868-5141. Greg will be interred there also. The cemetery only allows for 50 guests. They also would like to have the least amount of cars as possible so carpooling is preferred. If you would like to attend, please contact April @ [email protected]. Memorial contributions may be made to: Almost Home/SPCA, 29 Stagebridge Rd., Lovingston, VA 22949, 434-263-7722 or the American Diabetes Association, P.O. Box 7023, Merrifield, VA 22116-7023 or www.diabetes.org
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FEARSON
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BERKOWITZ HERBERT BLAIR BERKOWITZ, M.D.
BROOKS
BONNIE FEARSON (AGE 84)
CHARLIE MYERS (AGE 95)
Charlie Myers, beloved husband of Clara Myers of 74 years, passed away on March 15, 2021. Survived by six children, many grand and greatgreat grandchildren, nieces, nephews, in-laws, and a host of friends. Services are on Friday, April 2, 2021. Walk-through visitation,12:30 until 1:30 p.m., family only service, 1:30 until 2:30 p.m. Services also streamed online by JB Jenkins Funeral Home, 7474 Landover Rd., Landover MD. In lieu of flowers, consider a contribution to the Scholarship Fund c/o Montford Point Marine Association Inc., Washington DC Chapter 6, PO Box 8441, Washington DC, 20032, payable to MPMA Chapter 6.
TAYLOR JEB TAYLOR
On Friday, March 26, 2021 of Falls Church, VA. Loving father of Bethany Pultz of Newport News, VA, Mike Rinta of Berkeley, CA, and the late William Taylor; brother of Judith Judson of Gaithersburg, MD; grandfather of Mac and Lee of Newport News, VA; uncle of Karen Stogbuchner of Culpeper, VA and Dana Trumble of Gaithersburg, MD; great-uncle of Alec and Matthew Trumble. Mr. Taylor served in the US Army from 1967 to 1969 and was a chemist at US Food and Drug Administration from 1970 to 2013. Interment will be at Arlington National Cemetery at a later date. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society or a charity of one's choice. Please sign the family guestbook at: www.DeVolFuneralHome.com
WARZEL
Bonnie Fearson passed on March 29, 2021 from complications following open-heart surgery. She is survived by Jim her high school sweetheart and husband of 66 years. She leaves four children: Dan Fearson and wife Janet, Kathy Drury and husband Fred, Doug Fearson and wife Denise, and Laura Metro and husband Danny; five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Bonnie volunteered for everything, starting when her children were in pre-school thru high-school, room mother, den mother, team mother, brownie leader, swim team driver, timer, judge, ran kids pool parties, chaperoned field trips. Always involved with the kids activities and never missed a game or meet. After the kids were gone, she took up tennis and became good enough to play in competitive leagues. She started running and also was an aerobic dance instructor. For the last 16 years prior to the pandemic was a volunteer at the Air & Space Museum at Dulles working at the welcome desk, running the elevator and instructing on the Wright Flyer Simulator, and each year was the lady in the pumpkin costume greeting Halloween visitors. Her greatest joy was hosting large family holiday dinners where she treated us all to her great cooking including her famous deviled eggs and Gram's special gravy. She purposely made way too much so there were take homes for all. Bonnie was always busy and involved and usually ended up in charge. For the last 40 years you may have seen her doing her daily three mile run, jog, walk on Folkstone Drive where she had a big smile and wave for each car that passed. The kids call her the “waving lady”. Bonnie was indeed special. There will be no services. In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution in Bonnie’s name to Capital Caring Inpatient Center at 24419 Millstream Drive, Aldie, VA 20105. They are the folks that made her last days comfortable. Link for donations (https://www.capitalcaring.org/getinvolved/donate/)
GARRITY
LISA MARIE WARZEL
JEFFREY BROOKS
On Thursday March 23, 2021 Jeffrey Brooks, loving father and husband, passed away at the age of 68, surrounded by family, while enjoying the music of Brian Eno. Jeffrey was a native Washingtonian; he was born on August 27, 1952 to Kenneth and Amy Brooks. Jeffrey graduated from Yorktown High School in 1972. He served in the US Coast Guard and went on to become a highly respected computer programmer who recently retired from AV3. He was fond of an eclectic array of music and was well known for recording new wave musicians in the early 1980s at the 9:30 Club. His recordings are being donated to the DC Punk Archive, Martin Luther King, Jr Library, which will create the Jeffrey Brooks Collection. Jeffrey was also an avid gardener, had his own weather station, loved using his Leica IIIF camera, and most importantly was a loving father and husband. Jeffrey was preceded in death by his father Kenneth, and his mother Amy. He is survived by his wife Rachel (nee Singer), his two daughters, Annie Marsteller (Andrew) and Louise, his grandson Parker, his sisters Linda Crandall (Neil), Laura Bowden, and his brother Wilson. A memorial service will be held at a later date. As an expression of sympathy, memorial contributions may be made to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.
CHRISTMAN
KENNETH P. CHRISTMAN
Lisa Marie Warzel passed away on March 2, 2021. Born in Baltimore, MD on September 22, 1975. Beloved daughter of Edward and Arlene Warzel. A private funeral mass will be held on May 13, 2021 at St. Mary of the Mills Catholic Church, Laurel, MD. In memory of Lisa donations may be made to Bello Machre, Inc. 7765 Freetown Road, Glen Burnie, MD 21060 and Opportunity Builders, INC 8855 Veterans Highway, Millersville, MD 21108. Lisa touched many hearts and will be missed by family and friends. Our beloved daughter now rests in God's arms.
DEATH NOTICES MONDAY- FRIDAY 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. SATURDAY-SUNDAY 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. To place a notice, call: 202-334-4122 800-627-1150 ext 4-4122 EMAIL: [email protected] Email MUST include name, home address & home phone # of the responsible billing party. email deadline - 3 p.m. daily Phone-In deadline 4 p.m. M-F 3 p.m. Sa-Su CURRENT 2021 RATES: ( PER DAY) MONDAY-SATURDAY Black & White 1" - $150 (text only) 2" - $340 (text only) 3" - $490 4" - $535 5" - $678 -----SUNDAY Black & White 1"- $179 (text only) 2" - $376(text only) 3" - $543 4" - $572 5" - $738 6"+ for ALL Black & White notices $150 each additional inch wkday $179 each additional inch Sunday -------------------MONDAY-SATURDAY Color 3" - $628 4" - $676 5" - $826 -----SUNDAY Color 3" - $665 4" - $760 5" - $926
Kenneth Phillip Christman, Jr. of Gaithersburg, Maryland passed away on Saturday, March 20, 2021 at home, surrounded by family, after a valiant fight with thyroid cancer. Ken is survived by his devoted wife, Patricia Loretz, and children, Caroline, Claire Marie, and Kenneth Phillip Christman III. He is also survived by his sister, Holly Christman (Max Perr), niece, Eliana and nephew, Luca, and brother-in-law, Frank Loretz. He was predeceased by his beloved parents, Jacqulynn and Kenneth P. Christman, Sr. and dear aunt Lucille Malmborg. Services will be determined at a later date. The family would appreciate words of remembrance at: www.DeVolFuneralHome.com
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SUSANNE ENGLISH
Of Falls Church, Virginia, on Monday, March 26. Mother of Patrick Conley of New York, NY, and Michael Conley of Falls Church, VA, Susanne is also survived by a sister in Charlottesville, VA and cousins in Florida, Alabama, Massachusetts and New York. Susanne grew up in Washington, DC, and settled as a single mother of two children in New York City where she worked as an editor in the publishing industry. Susanne moved back to the Washington, DC, Northern Virginia area and settled in Falls Church, VA. Friends may call at Advent Funeral Services, 7211 Lee Highway, Falls Church, VA on Monday, April 5, 2021 from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. A Graveside service will be held at Oakwood Cemetery, 401 N Roosevelt Street, Falls Church VA on Tuesday, April 6, at 10 a.m.
BERTHA ANN GARRITY
Ann Garrity, age 87, of Hyattsville MD, passed away Tuesday, March 23, 2021. Beloved wife of 60 years to the late John Joseph Garrity. Loving mother of Kevin and John Garrity, Jr. and his wife, Karen. Devoted Grammy to Kelly, Colleen and Kerry Ann, and great grandmother to Kamila Garrity. Born in North Carolina, she was the daughter of Minnie Lou Peterson and Edgar Robinson Carter. She was predeceased by siblings Edgar Robinson, Amy Robert (Bob), Minnie Louise, Irene Elouise, and Harry Carter. Ann enjoyed a 42-year career with the Department of the Navy, retiring as a civilian Director of Procurement for Ships Maintenance Monitoring Support Office. Till her last days, Ann joked that she still worked a 'full time job,' managing properties and trading in the stock market during her free time. Friends may call at Gasch's Funeral Home, P.A., 4739 Baltimore Avenue, Hyattsville, MD on Wednesday, March 31, 2021 from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. A Funeral Mass will be held at St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church, 7501 Adelphi Road, Hyattsville, MD on Thursday, April 15, 2021 at 10 a.m. Internment at Maryland Veterans Cemetery, Cheltenham, MD. Memorial contributions may be made in her name to the American Heart Association, 4217 Park Place Court, Glen Allen, VA 23066.
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A funeral will be held at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, March 31, 2021 at Community Presbyterian Church, 125 Everette Rd., Pinehurst, NC 28374, with the Rev. Rod Stone officiating. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made in Julian’s memory to the Liberty Hospice, 300 W. Pennsylvania Avenue, Southern Pines, NC 28387. Online condolences may be left at: www.bolesfuneralhome.com Services entrusted to Boles Funeral Home of Southern Pines.
SCHROEDER
MITZI SCHROEDER
Mitzi Schroeder, who spent her career in the service of international refugees and displaced persons, died yesterday, March 28, 2021, after a prolonged battle with cancer. Ms. Schroeder, who retired two years ago, was a resident of Germantown, Maryland. Ms. Schroeder was born on July 7, 1951, in West Hempstead, NY to George and Mitzi Schroeder. She spent the formative years of her childhood at Pines Lake in Wayne, NJ. She was a graduate of Williams College in 1973 and received a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in 1975. Her career began in 1983 as overseas program coordinator for the United States Catholic Conference. In 1984, she became the United States Director of the International Catholic Migration Commission, a Geneva based international non-government organization operating programs for the protection of refugees and displaced persons. In 2003, Ms. Schroeder was named director of policy for the Jesuit Refuge Service, where she represented the Service as an officer of the Refugee Council USA. She served as an NGO representative on the United States government delegation to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees Executive Committee on various occasions. Ms. Schroeder was a passionate gardener and was an active member of the Darn Bloomers (Darnestown, MD) organization and the Glenwood Road Garden Club. In 1982, Ms. Schroeder married Roger Angus Brooks, Jr., whom she met at the Fletcher School. Mr. Brooks served in the United States State Department. He died in 2001. Ms. Schroeder’s immediate survivors are her sisters, Jeanne and Georgette Schroeder, their spouses, and a niece Annaliese Rilinger and a nephew Ryan Rilinger. A visitation will take place from 4 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, March 31, 2021 at Joseph Gawler's Sons Funeral Home, 5130 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Washington DC 20016 and private burial will take place in Boston, MA.
She retired from the Navy as a Commander in 1983 to join the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) as a Security Officer and moved to Washington, DC. She completed three TDY tours in Iraq. She retired from the CIA in 2010 and became a Special Security Officer contractor at the US Department of State and focused on developing regulations for handling classified information until she retired in 2014. After 30 years, she left the DC area and moved first to San Diego, California and then later to Indian River Colony Club in Viera, Florida.
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Mr. Markham embodied throughout his life the traits of a southern gentleman. He will be remembered by his adoring family for his loyalty, kindness, and his generosity. He is survived by his wife Maureen Snowden, of Pinehurst; his son, Julian E. Markham, III, of Tallahassee, Florida; his daughter, Ann Catherine Markham, and his granddaughter, Emily A. Markham, of Saint James, New York.
second at ComAswing PAC (Command AntiSubmarine Warfare Wing Pacific). From 1981 to 1983, she was assigned to Naples, Italy as NLSO (Naval Legal Service Officer).
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From 1967 to 1970, Mr. Markham served un the United States Army, completing tours of duty at Ft. Belvoir, Virginia, and Phu Tai, Republic of Viet Nam, before he was honorably discharged with the rank of Captain. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal in 1970 “for meritorious achievement in ground operations against hostile forces.”
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Mr. Markham was born in Eustis, Florida, the son of Julian E. Markham and Alvina L. Markham, and raised in Florida. He was a proud 1964 graduate of Washington & Lee University, where he was a member of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity, an organization to which he remained devoted. He earned his law degree in 1967 from the University of Florida’s College of Law.
In 1975, Mr. Markham joined the Washington, DC, firm of Thompson O’Donnell following its merger with Larson & Tolley, where he became a partner and concentrated his practice in the areas of wills, trusts and estates. He was admitted to practice law in the District of Columbia, Florida, Maryland, and Virginia. Mr. Markham was elected a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel in 1986. He was a member of the Barristers as well as the Metropolitan Club in Washington, DC, and the Pinehurst Country Club in Pinehurst.
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On March 28, 2021, Dr. Herbert B. Berkowitz peacefully passed away in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on August 31, 1935, the son of the late Sam and Helen Berkowitz. He graduated from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and completed his internship in Pediatrics at L.A. Children's Hospital. Upon returning to the East Coast, he served in the Army at Ft. Lee, Virginia. After his service, he practiced pediatrics in Laurel, MD and then opened his own office in Greenbelt where he remained for almost 40 years. In retirement he volunteered at Community Clinic, Inc. in Gaithersburg, MD and as an usher at the Music Center at Strathmore. Herb enjoyed his adult education classes at Osher and Oasis. Herb loved music, having played saxophone for his high school and college marching band. He enjoyed singing with his wife in the synagogue choir, and he could often be caught humming a favorite tune throughout the day. He was an avid sports fan, and enjoyed rooting for all the local teams. He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Cynthia; his sons Jason (Major) and Dr. Jared (Elizabeth); and adored grandchildren, Liam and Maya. His is also survived by his sister Judith (Dr. Jerry Liepack) of Columbus, OH; and nieces Laura (Ari) Hirschman and Melissa (Ron) Rabinowitz and numerous cousins. Funeral services will be held privately at Judean Memorial Gardens in Olney, MD. The services will be on zoom. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Children's National Medical Center or the charity of your choice. Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care. www.sagelbloomfield.com
JULIAN ELMO MARKHAM, JR.
Of Pinehurst, passed away at his home surrounded by members of his family on Saturday, March 27, 2021. He was 79.
KATHLEEN A. CHADBOURNE, J.D. Commander, US Navy (Ret.)
Died on February 20, 2021 in Viera, Florida, after a 10-year battle with ALS. She was 67. Born on May 14, 1953 in Munich, Germany to May Belle (Manning) and Thomas G. Chadbourne, she was preceded in death by her mother and father and is survived by her brother Thomas G. Chadbourne, Jr. (Grace); niece Lynn Chadbourne Canitano (Marcello); great niece Alyssa Cantiano; and great nephew Nickolas Canitano, all of Palm Bay, Florida. As a child, she lived in Munich, Germany; Baguio, Philippines; and Scituate and Wayland, Massachusetts. She graduated from Wayland High School in 1971 and attended Suffolk University in Boston, Massachusetts where she graduated with a BA and a Juris Doctorate in Suffolk’s six-year program. She was commissioned as a Lieutenant JG in the Navy JAG (Judge Advocate General) Corp in 1978. Her first port of call was Subic Bay, Philippines serving in the NAVAL Legal Service Offices. From 1979-1980, she was posted in San Diego, CA first as staff JAG and
Kathleen was a world traveler with her favorite places being Uzbekistan; Botswana; Naples, Italy; Frankfort, Germany; China; The Philippines, Europe in general, and San Diego. She loved cats and was a prolific reader and bird watcher. When asked for what she wanted to be remembered, she said: “working with the government, traveling the world, and being a constant and dear friend.” In November 2014, she was diagnosed with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. ALS was first found in 1869 by French neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot, but it wasn’t until 1939 that Lou Gehrig brought international attention to the disease. Military veterans are twice as likely to develop ALS as those who haven’t served. Burial was with full military honors on Friday, March 12, 2021 at Cape Canaveral National Cemetery, Cape Canaveral, Florida. Memorials may be directed to the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, or to The ALS Association, 1300 Wilson Blvd., Suite 600, Arlington, VA 22209 or at www.als.org.
B8
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THE WASHINGTON POST
RE
MARCH 31 , 2021
The Weather WASHINGTONPOST.COM/WEATHER
Rain returns
Today Cloudy, rain
Showers and storms become a good bet in the afternoon, with some heavier rain possible at times into the early evening before the front clears the area. It’s not impossible a damaging wind gust or two occurs, especially south and east of the city. High temperatures rise into the mid- and upper 60s before the rain. Winds are gusty from the south and southwest.
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TWITTER: @CAPITALWEATHER
Thursday Cloudy, windy
Friday Mostly sunny, cold
Saturday Mostly sunny
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FACEBOOK.COM/CAPITALWEATHER
Sunday Mostly sunny, warmer
Monday Mostly sunny
65° 44
50° 32
47° 32
59° 44
69° 47
68° 50
FEELS*: 64°
FEELS: 41°
FEELS: 40°
FEELS: 60°
FEELS: 71°
FEELS: 71°
CHNCE PRECIP: 75% WIND: S 7–14 mph HUMIDITY: High
P: 30% W: NW 12–25 mph H: Moderate
P: 0% W: NW 10–20 mph H: Low
P: 0% W: W 6–12 mph H: Low
P: 5% W: NW 7–14 mph H: Low
P: 10% W: NNW 6–12 mph H: Low
°
°
°
°
°
OFFICIAL REC ORD Temperatures
AVERAGE
RECORD
ACTUAL
FORECAST
°
F
Sa
Su
M
Tu
W
Th
F
Sa
Su
M
Tu
W
Th
F
Statistics through 5 p.m. Tuesday
REGIO N
NATION Harrisburg 62/41
Hagerstown 60/39 Davis 56/26
Weather map features for noon today.
High Low Normal Record high Record low
Philadelphia 68/45 Baltimore 65/43 Dover 68/45
Washington 65/44
67° 1:27 p.m. 34° 5:52 a.m. 59°/38° 89° 1998 21° 1887
Precipitation
PREVIOUS YEAR
NORMAL
LATEST
Ocean City 61/47 OCEAN: 47°
Lexington 66/39 Richmond 70/43 Norfolk 76/48
Virginia Beach 72/52 OCEAN: 51°
Past 24 hours Total this month Normal Total this year Normal Snow, past 24 hours Snow, season total
Kitty Hawk 68/56 OCEAN: 50°
Pollen: High
Air Quality: Good
Grass Trees Weeds Mold
Dominant cause: Particulates
Low High Low Low
UV: Low
Atlantic beaches: Today, mostly cloudy, afternoon rain. High 61–76. Wind south 7–14 mph. Tonight, periods of rain, thunderstorm. Low 45–49. Wind southwest 10–20 mph. Thursday, morning rain, windy. High 50–55. Wind northwest 20–30 mph. Waterways: Upper Potomac River: Today, afternoon rain. Wind southwest 6–12 knots. Waves around 1 foot. Visibility poor in rain. • Lower Potomac and Chesapeake Bay: Today, afternoon rain, a thunderstorm. Wind south 7–14 knots. Waves 1–2 feet. Visibility less than 2 miles in afternoon rain.• River Stages: The stage at Little Falls will be around 4.00 feet today, with no change of 4.00 Thursday. Flood stage at Little Falls is 10 feet. (High tides in Bold)
5:23 a.m.
10:41 a.m.
Reagan
Dulles
BWI
0.00" 2.88" 3.36" 9.47" 8.79" 0.0" 5.4"
0.00" 1.66" 3.26" 7.82" 8.68" 0.0" 12.0"
0.00" 3.06" 3.77" 10.06" 9.72" 0.0" 10.9"
Moon Phases
1 out of 11+
Blue Ridge: Today, periods of rain. High 53–57. Wind southwest 6–12 mph. Tonight, colder, evening rain, snow showers late. Low 25–29. Wind northwest 7–14 mph. Thursday, windy, cold, mostly cloudy. High 28–32. Wind northwest 20–30 mph.
Today’s tides
BWI
70° 5:00 p.m. 32° 4:45 a.m. 61°/37° 89° 1998 22° 1970
OCEAN: 49°
Charlottesville 65/43
Washington
Dulles
69° 4:00 p.m. 45° 6:07 a.m. 61°/42° 87° 1998 21° 1887
Difference from 30–yr. avg. (Reagan): this month: +4.3° yr. to date: +2.0°
Cape May 60/48
Annapolis 63/42
Reagan
6:10 p.m.
11:18 p.m.
Annapolis
1:31 a.m.
8:05 a.m.
2:37 p.m.
8:13 p.m.
Ocean City
4:18 a.m.
10:20 a.m.
4:27 p.m.
10:45 p.m.
Norfolk
6:16 a.m.
12:18 p.m.
6:21 p.m.
none
Point Lookout
3:57 a.m.
10:54 a.m.
4:20 p.m.
10:09 p.m.
T-storms