COTW: The Omicron Surge

The Omicron varient of SARS-CoV-2 virus is now the dominant strain in the US. Althought less virulent than Delta, it is more contagious and new cases of infections are rising throughout the US. The death toll is also rising andCOVID-19 is now considered to be the third leading cause of death in the US. This chart shows the trend in infections.  Scientist expect that COVID-19 will become endemic eventually, akin to the flu or common cold but only after the organism has adapted to its host immune system for several years.

Is a virus alive? Not according to NASA's definition of life. Viruses reproduce, a key function of life, but only by hijacking the systems of a eukaryrote. It has neither nucleus or organelles to perform internal metabolism. It does adapt to its environment as we have unfortunately seen happen during the pandemic.The truth is that viruses lie in a gray zone of the tree of life, and may be the first extraterrestrial organisms discovered by man. Cuidado!

Creature Feature: Whose been Sleeping in My Tree?

Residents of Bruin Drive in  Chesapeake, VA were asking that question when a mother black bear and her three cubs settled down to a winter's nap in a neighborhood tree.  This Virginia Pilot/AP photo is very cute so US Person could not resist posting it here:

Fortunately for the bear family, police and wildlife officers summoned to the scene reacted in a controlled manner to their presence in the Silverwood neighborhood, an upscale area of large homes and spacious lawns with many large trees. They blocked off streets and asked nearby neighbors to stay indoors until the bears left the scene on their own. First reports of bears on the block came in at 2am.  Police stayed busy throughout the day keeping peepers away. Cameras with long lenses proliferated, and TV crews arrive to record the event. By 7pm the bears were still there, but only one wildlife official remained on the scene. The plan was to give the bears quiet time to wake up and move on, and it worked. The visit by the four bears will be remembered for a long time by people living on Bruin Drive.

Edward O. Wilson: More Than Just Ants

The ground breaking biologist, E.O. Wilson has died at the age of 92.  A Harvard professor for forty-six years, he was responsible in large part for founding the field of sociobiology. His seminal work in the field, Sociobiology: A New Synthesis was widely acclaimed and later condemned when he extended his theories of natural selection based on social behavior to humans. Dr. Wilson argued that our species had a propensity to behave in certain ways and form certain social structures. He called that propensity human nature. Wilson graduated and achieved his master's degree at the University of Alabama before going to Harvard for his PhD work. He began his studies with ants before branching into evolutionary biology and ecology. His book, “The Theory of Island Biogeography,” published in 1967, is considered one of the most influential published works of ecology and “a founding principle of conservation biology.”

Wilson began investigating the larger question of how animal behavior evolved. He came to the startling conclusion that the theory of natural selection could not explain why some ants behave the way they do. Ants are extremely cooperative to the extent that daughter ants become sterile to increase the chances of their queen's offspring surviving. By becoming less reproductively competitive these daughter ants could pass down more genes they share to future generartions. This concept originated with a British researcher, William Hamilton, and was labeled "inclusive fitness". Wilson became a convinced advocate. After publishing Sociobiology in 1975, Wilson declared, “The organism is only DNA’s way of making more DNA,” Some critics of his work said he was attempting to resurrect discredited ideas of biological determinism that gave way to eugenics and eventually the Nazi program of genocide.

Despite the controversies, animal behaviorists have largely adapted his ideas to their studies. Researches have identified thousands of genes in the human genome that affect behavior that they share with other species. Attempts to create a "unified theory" of animal behavior based on evolution have not proven successful, however. He eventually came to reject the notion of "inclusive fitness" in a 2010 paper. Later in life he turned his focus on biological diversity and the problem of mass extinction. He traveled to Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique to study the park's resurgence of biodiversity after being ravaged to near extermination in a long-running civil war. He called for a world of Gorongosas in which half the Earth's surface needed to be left wild in order to avoid a calamitous dystopia in his 2016 book, “Half-Earth: Our Planet’s Fight for Life,”. Scientists are now studying which ecosystems to save first in a careful rescue plan. A colleague remarked, “We’re taking Ed’s idea and running with it. It’s that simple.”

 Happy Holidays from PNG !

COTW: Manchin's Hypocrisy

The dark lord of hypocrisy, aka "Mr. President" Joe Manchin, rear-ended Joe Biden on MurdochVision over the weekend, saying he was a "No" on 3B after months of negotiations with progressives in Congress. They must feel like they have been mugged, having voted for the bipartisan hard infrastructure bill without a guarantee from him that he would support social spending.  The fact is that his constituents would benefit enormously from 3B.  The per capita income in West Virginia is a paltry $26,480, with 15.8% of the population living below the federal poverty level says the 2020 Census. Under 3B a West Virginia family with two kids would save nearly $10,000 per year on health and child care. The Treasury Department delivered payments last week benefitting three hundred and five thousand children in West Virginia. Statewide, ninety-three per cent of children are eligible for this tax credit, tied for the highest rate in the country. Analysts estimate that, if the program is allowed to expire, at the end of the month, fifty thousand children there will be in danger of falling into poverty. The average payment per family: four hundred and forty-six dollars a month. 

But these embarrassing facts do not concern a rich, conservative coal baron who drives a Maserati. The only "mentality of entitlement" that Manchin should consider in policy deliberations is his own.  One budget that does concern him is defense spending. He voted for the recent ADA bill that exceeded the administration's request by $25 billion. This chart shows the insane imbalance between expenditures for the unaccountable war machine and those proposed for a tattered social safety net:

It is time for working people in West Virginia to assert themselves and tell Manchin they want him to vote for 3B.  Seventeen economic Nobel laureates are not wrong when they say it will not make inflation worse. Even Goldman Sachs says the bill would be good for the economy going forward.  The bank slashed its 1Q economic projections for 2022 on news that the Judas Senator blocked Build Back Better this year. His favored policy analyst, Penn-Wharton, says the inflationary effect over time is minimal.  In other words his rationale for opposition is "bullshit".  

Conservationists Sue Federal Wildlife Service

The killer group inside the Department of Agriculture, Federal Wildlife Service, has been sued by conservationists as it seeks to resume killing predators on federal land in Nevada. [photo]  The program to kill predators to "benefit agribusiness" as been in place since 1931 and costs taxpayers millions every year.  The federal suit was filed in Reno by WildEarth Guardians and the Western Watersheds Project on Monday.  The suit says the agency's environmental review of resuming aerial slaughter of predators, mostly coyotes which are the most numerous, has not considered the recent development of science regarding the role of predators in an ecosystem.  The suit says the agency's management practices are "antiquated". Each year some 1.3 native species are killed across the United States.

After a suit by Wilderness Guardians in 2012, the agency agreed to stop predator removal in federal wilderness areas in 2016. In its updated 2020 environmental assessment, the agency made a new claim that predator removal would benefit sage grouse, and endangered species. Conservations say that is an improper use of the Animal Damage Control Act since the assessment fails to establish that coyotes and ravens, which eat chicks and eggs, are depressing sage grouse numbers. Loss of habitat due to livestock grazing is a major contributor to the decline of the sage grouse. Analarming report from the United States Geological Survey shows that sage-grouse populations have declined 80 percent since 1965. Conservations also claim that the agency is sanctioning an impossible commercial purpose on wilderness lands, while failing to consider non lethal management techniques to prevent serious harm to livestock. Nevada still allows coyote killing constests. The assessment deficiencies affect 9700 sq. miles of federal lands.

'Toontime: What Did He Know, and When Did He Know It?

credit: M. Wuerker
 Wackydoodle sez: It's his incredible hair that gives him strength!

That is the question Senator Howard Baker (R-TN) famously asked during the Watergate investigation half a century ago. We are in the same place now with Select Committee investigating the coup attempt on January 6, 2021. The Committee has heard testimony from over 300 witnesses, amassed thousands of documents, and is preparing to hold hearings in January. This time around, Liz Cheney(R-WY)  plays Howard Baker, with Der Leader as "Tricky Dick".  

Despite stonewalling from major security risks at the behest of Herr Trumpillini, the Committee has already made public the outlines of the coup. The assault on the Capitol was planned and financed in advance in part by right-wing extremists like the Proud Bois and Oath Keepers, probably with the help of Steve Bannon and Roger Stone. It is clear their efforts were supported by the White House, which fact is corroborated by the former Chief of Staff's text messages and a power point presentation. It is only a matter of time before evidence surfaces tying the former guy himself directly to the putsch. He considered every option, including using the miitary, to discredit the election and block certification. He asked state officials to intervene in the counting process on the grounds of unsubstantiated fraud. He sent an angry mob in motion to the Capitol to give "weak Republicans the pride and boldness" to stop certification. Now that all may be revealed, will Trump get down on his knees and pray at Mar-a-Lago? US Person says stay tuned.

Creature Feature: Andean cat

The rarest cat of the Americas was captured on video by a researcher Bernardo Segura. Surprisingly this male Andean cat Leopardus jacobita,it was not found in the deepest rainforest or at the top of the Andes, but on the outskirts of Santiago, Chile. So close to the city that Segura can see its cliff side habitat from his apartment balcony, which make it very convenient for him to gather more information about the species. Fewer than 1400 remain in five segmented populations along the mountainous spine of South America.

Previously thought to inhabit only the highest slopes, this population livng so close to a city of 8 million may be attracted by the plentiful mountain vizcachas, a relative of the chinchilla, living in the rocky terrain. So far Segura has identified three individuals regularly using the track where his video trap is setup. His work along with other conservationists will help preserve what was once a little known species, overlooked by scientists because of it rareity. They are threatened by habitat loss and climate change. Chile has endured a decade-long drought with rainfall 30-70% less than the preivous 1,000 years based on computer modeling.

'Toontime: Rope-a-Dope Works in DC

credit: P. Bagley, Salt Lake Tribune
Wackydoodle sez:  He also claims DO's and temporary insanity!

More:  The Select Committee voted today, 9-0, to refer Mark Meadows to the Justice Department for contempt of Congress.  The move came after Meadows, former chief of White House staff and South Carolina congressman, engaged in dilatory tactics, and more evidence of his involvement in the coup attempt became clear.The Committee is in possession of messages from inside the Capital asking Meadows to get the former guy to call off the riot taking place. Meadows coordinated with rally planners who brought thousands of protestors, some of whom were armed to Washington DC.  The NYT reports,At one point, an organizer of the rally turned to Mr. Meadows for help, telling him that things “have gotten crazy and I desperately need some direction. Please.” His response to the plea is unknown at this point in the investigation. Another message from Meadows indicates his support for the coup plan outlined by attorney Eastman:“Yes,” he wrote in one message about appointing a slate of pro-Trump electors and refusing to certify Mr. Biden’s victory. “Have a team on it.” His criminal referral now goes to the House Rules Committee and a floor vote in the House. It is expected that he will be formally referred to the DOJ for prosecution.

Update: {10.12.21}The Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled that Trump's claims of executive privilege are invalid and that the Select Committee may access his records from the National Archives. The ruling was emphatic and destroyed any argument that the Committee does not have a valid legislative purpose for issuing subpoenas.  Plotters have been hiding behind this bogus assertion for months, obstructing the Insurrection investigation. Trump's lawyers will certainly appeal to the Supreme Court, and a stay is in place until that Court denies certiorari or hears the case. In the latter circumstances the Committee will not obtain the White House records it needs until well into next year. Tick, tock goes the clock.

Mark Meadows rope-a-dope tactics continue to produce delays, despite Select Committee members telling the media they will not stand for dilatory tactics by subpoened witnesses. Meadow's attorney announced this week that his client's "cooperation" with the Insurrection investigation will cease before it substantially started because the Committee has subpoenaed third parties for communication records of White House aides including Meadows.  Apparently, Meadows is concerned that those records may incriminate him and his former boss in the federal criminal offense of seditious conspiracy. Meadows and other senior Trump administration figures routinely used private mobile phones and email accounts in violation of federal record-keeping laws.  

The Committee should give up on any hope of getting Meadows to flip on Herr Trumpillini, if that was the rationale for its lenient response to his charade. Nota bene: Meadow's subpoena duces tecum was issued on September 23rd!  His PR campaign has only one objective: further delay of the Committee's proceedings in accordance with his leader's instructions. Meadows continues to insist on non-existent executive privilege. The current administration has repeatedly waived any assertion of that privilege, which is controlled by the sitting president not a former occupant. In a letter sent to Meadow's attorney last month, White House deputy counsel Jonathan Su informed him that President Biden would not be asserting any privileges or immunities over anything requested by the committee. Prosecution of Meadows for contempt of Congress will put a conclusive end to the plotters' bogus claims by forcing judicial review of the issue probably all the way to the Supreme Court.

It appears from a letter issued by Chairman Thompson to Meadow's attorney that the Select Committee is moving forward on filing contempt charges against him.  In his letter Rep. Thompson referred to several communications already provided by Meadows in which he discussed plans for the J6 Insurrection. In one text message Meadows told a GOP Congress member that he "loved" the idea of overturning the election results and in another he discussed plans for "a direct and collateral attack" on the election. Clearly, any possible claim of privilege has been waived as to those communications.  The clock is ticking, Mr. Chairman...

credit: K. Siers;
BC Idonwanna sez: Careful, its poisonous!

COTW: Red Covid

This chart reveals the close correlation between ideology and COVID-19 vaccinations in the US.  Thanks to the previous occupant's demagoguery, what should be a matter of science and public health has become a divisive political issue:

US Person can only conclude that the MAGAs are willing to die for Der Leader.  Total US COVID-19 DEATHS: 101,000,000 (estimate based on CDC provisional statistics)

Florida Feeds Manatees

Normally feeding wild animals is out of bounds but Florida manatees, Trichechus manatus,  are starving to death due to man-made pollution, so wildlife officials have determined to begin feeding the marine mammals. They normally eat sea grasses and other marine plants. A pilot program at a Cape Canaveral power plant has the green light to begin this week. Manatees gather in the Indian Lagoon waters near the plant, warmed by power plant discharges. The officials plan to feed lettuce, cabbage and other greens delivered via a conveyor belt. The public has been warned not to undertake feeding the beloved mammals on their own, which is illegal.  

manatee swims in Stranahan River; AP

Manatees struggle to live successfully next to man. The slow-movving creatures are constantly struck by boats resulting in numerous fatalities every year. Pollution that prevents the growth of sea grasses and recent cold winters in Florida have also taken a significant toll. A record 1,017 have died as of November 17 according to the state. Their numbers have rebounded in recent years, but starvation threatens to reverse that trend. Saving the manatee is also saving the environment as toxic algae blooms that block sunlight also affect other sea creatures.  Artificial feeding is considered to be a temporary, emergency measure to save the mammals from a man-made problem.

COTW: Can You Spare a Trillion?

This pie says it all.How plutocrats like Joe Manchin have the gall to complain about a $2 trillion much need social infrastructure bill can only occurr in the Swamp were they give out kudos for hypocrisy.

credit: Our World in Data

This chart is from 2014, so the glaring imbalance is even worse now.  In 2014 the US spent $581 billion, more than the nine countries in the chart that include allies. The House just passed a $776 billion annual defense budget, $25 billion more than the administration asked.  

White Rhinos Arrive In Rawanda

Threatened by humans hunting for ivory, southern white rhinos, Ceratotherium simum, have come to Rwanda. A South African game park translocated by air thirty of the species to Akagera National Park to establish a new range state. White rhinos are near threatened by constant poaching so transporting them halfway across the continent to a region less plagued by poachers makes conservation sense. Such a long trip under sedation is very stressful for large animals.  There were long delays to the flight and a six hour truck ride to the park before being released to an enclosure for acclimatization.  Communities along the route greeted the rhinos and their rescuers with a positive welcome [photo credit: African Parks]

White rhinos have a population of about 18,000 spread over five southern African countries. Their close relatives, the northern white rhino C. s. cotton subspecies survives in only two individuals, a mother and daughter living under constant guard in Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya. The nineteen males and eleven females will reestablish a rhino population in Akagera after the park was nearly destroyed in the 1994 Rwandan genocide. The African Parks organization helped reestablish the park.  It reports that not a single high-value animal has been poached in eleven years.  The park has become a refuge for many re-located animals including lions and black rhinos. Akagera has a variety of habitats and is very secure according to the park's manager, Ladis Ndahiriwe.  One of the conservationists involved in the transcontinental relocation project says the rhinos are doing well in the new (old) home, calmly moving together and foraging.  A dedicated team of rhino rangers will monitor their progress.  Community support is high and very important for these rhinos continued success in Akagera.  

Wolf Pack Poisoned in Oregon

The state police is seeking information from the public concerning a probable mass poisoning of the Catherine wolf pack in Eastern Oregon.  It has taken public officials almost one year to appeal to the public for information, which gives an indication of how committed the state is to wolf recovery in Oregon and the need for restoring federal protections under the Endangered Species Act.   A collared wolf was found by ODFW on February 9, 2021, who reported it to the Oregon State Police.  Troopers responded to the location and found five more dead wolves, all known members of the Catherine Wolf Pack.  A dead magpie was also found.  On March 11, 2021 ODFW personnel found a dead female wolf, a skunk, and a magpie.  The female was a member of the Keating pack. All of the deceased animals were located in Union County. [map above]

Samples were submitted to the USFWS forensic lab in Ashland, OR. In April 2021, the USFWS submitted their examination reports finding poisoning as the cause of death for all six wolves, the skunk, and two magpies. Lab results also confirmed the presence a poisonous substance.  Two more collared wolves in Union County were also found dead from poisoning in April, an adult male from the Five Points pack and a young female from the Clark Creek pack.  A necropsy on the female showed that her poisoning was related to the extermination of the Catherine pack. Obviously there are wolf haters at work in Eastern Oregon, which is plagued by a right-wing extremist movement. 

The state police have apparently exhausted their leads in the case after additional investigation. They ask that anyone with information contact them through their OSP tip line:1-800-452-7888.  A $26,000 cash reward posted by conservation groups may be available. What this tragic and inhumane slaughter shows is that the state's wolf management program, tilted toward livestock interests from its inception, is simply inadequate to protect wolves from humans with a culturally embedded grudge.  Re-listing the grey wolf is needed now before they are all killed, again. [Oregon wolf pups; credit: Oregon Wild]

'Toontime: This Week in Trump

credit: S. Nease

Latest: Late Friday, Clark informed the Committee he would not be appearing at his deposition due to a heath problem. The chairman postponed his appearance until December 16th. According to a record made by the Committee chief counsel at Clark's previous appearance where he walked out at midday, Clark would have been asked about White House involvement in drafting the letter to be sent to Georgia state officials requesting an investigation of fraud allegations. Apparently metadata associated with that draft indicates a source within the White House communications office. 

Update: John Eastman, author of the memo that erroneously concluded the VP has the power to intervene in an election vote count, announced he will also plead the Fifth in a letter to Select Committee Chair Benny Thompson.

Update: More significant developments took place in the J6 Insurrection investigation by the House Select Committee this week.  The Committee finally voted unanimously to hold former DOJ attorney Kenneth Clark in contempt of Congress for failing to comply completely with his October 13th subpoena for testimony and production of documents.  He held the Committee off for months with dilatory tactics.  He will nevertheless be given another opportunity this weekend to fully answer questions put to him.  Most tellingly is that his attorney wrote the chairman that his client intends to invoke the Fifth Amendment at the hearing.  Nothing to hide? Not much! Clark advocated involving the Department of Justice in delaying the certification of Electoral College votes, and drafted a letter to Georgia state officials asking that they investigate claims of fraudulent voting. It is a crime for an administrative official to attempt to influence the outcome of a federal election, 18 USC 595. Because of his intentionto invoke his privilege against self-incrimination, the House Rules Committee will hold a House floor vote to refer Clark to his former employer, DOJ, for criminal indictment in abeyance until after he testifies to the Select Committee this weekend.

Former Trump loyalist and chief of staff, Mark Meadows, has also played the delay game with the Committee.  He has "engaged" the Committee in negotiations through his attorneys without complying with his subpoena. At one point he claimed he could not comply because of Trump's misplaced attempt to invoke executive privilege.  His attorneys announced after Steve Bannon was indicted for contempt, that he will testify. Whether he will actually cooperate in the investigation remains to be seen.  It is apparent that the Committee would like to have an insider cooperate so as to expose to the fullest possible extent the plotting that occurred.  A complete picture would certainly expose the involvement of the former president in seditious conspiracy.  Any criminal accountability for Individual One would require an insider to testify against him.  Is Mark Meadows that man?  Certainly his position as White House chief of staff puts him in a position to provide the granular detail.  The leniency shown Meadows so far indicates he may be approachable. Two other former White House officials, Kash Patel and Dan Scavino have yet to comply with Committee subpoenas.  Nevertheless Herr Trumpillini's cover up appears to be unraveling.

The House investigation has definitely taken a more serious turn.  Even Committee co-chair Liz Cheney warned that any communications with the former chief executive will be under oath, and he will be held accountable for every false statement he makes, which is a serious problem for a sociopathic liar. Ms. Cheney also announced public hearings will take place early next year detailing "in vivid color" the events that culminated in the violent attack on the Capitol on January 6th. Cheney was stripped of her GOP party leadership role after she refused to stop criticizing the ex-president for spreading the false conspiracy theory that the 2020 election was rigged against him.

credit: J. Pett
Wackdoodle axes: Can I sell you a used copy of Mein Kampf?

Portugal Creates Largest Atlantic Sanctuary

The regional government of Portugal's Madeira Islands in the North Atlantic expanded a marine reserve around the Selvagens Islands [map] between the Madeira and Canary Islands. The reserve covers 1035 square miles protecting all species from extraction.  Conservation organizations, including National Geographic, who did the research backing the designation say the region in a vital passageway for migrating fish and mammals while the islands' coastal areas provide critical nursery habitat. Only eight percent of the ocean is currently protected. Portugal's new sanctuary is the largest in the North Atlantic. The regional government president issued a statement in which he expressed hope that the designation would inspire others to "take similar measures to preserve our oceans." Green Kudos!to Madeira. 

In other ocean related news closer to home, a Canadian company has given up on a liquified natural gas terminal to be located at Coos Bay, Oregon after failing to receive  necessary state permits.  The project was opposed by locals for nearly two decades.  In 2019 protestors invaded the governor's office until they were hauled away by state police.  FERC and the city counsel of Coos Bay approved the project, but the state's Department of Environmental Quality and Department of Lands refused to grant necessary permits to Pembina Pipeline Corp. of Calgary, Alberta.  Federal authorities agreed with the state permitting agencies this year noting Oregon had not waived its certification authority under the Clean Water Act and Coastal Zone Management Act.

NOAA asked that mariners voluntarily slow down in a zone south of Long Island after endangered North Atlantic right whales were detected in the area by acoustic sensors on November 20th.  Only 350 of the whales remain in the wild.  NOAA told mariners to refrain from crossing the area or slow down to protect the whales from entanglement and collisions.

The waters near Huntington Beach, CA opened to fishing on Tuesday after a burst pipeline spewed thousands of gallons of crude oil into the ocean in early October.  The fishing and beach closures covered 650 square miles of coastal waters and 65 miles of coastline.  The closures affected economic activity in the popular seafront community. Fish in spill areas can ingest crude, making them toxic to humans who eat them. Fortunately the spill was smaller than initially feared, and much of the contamination was broken up at sea, sparring sensitive wetlands on shore.  Amplify Energy, owner of the distribution pipeline, has been sued for damages.  Investigation of the cause of the leak is underway, but the US Coast Guard has said it was likely caused by a ship's anchor.

The Other Shoe Finally Drops

The evidence linking Herr Trumpillini directly to the conspirators at the Willard Hotel 'war room' has
finally surfaced, confirming what US Person knew all along--he was into the conspiracy up to his neck.  The only significant development that remains is his indictment for conspiracy to commit sediition by a very reluctant Department of Justice.  The UK's Guardian newspaper reports based on multiple sources he made several phone calls to the main characters--Gulliani, Bannon, and Eastman--plotting to overthrow the government of the United States on the night of January 5th.  He talked to lawyers and non-lawyers separately, so as not to violate any attorney-client privilege that may have been applicable.

In his calls he complained about the lack of cooperation from Vice President Mike Pence and discussed ways to delay certification of the Electoral College vote the next day in Congress.  Trumpillini was reportedly furious at his VP for refusing to participate in the coup, calling Pence "arrogant" in a phone call with Bannon.  He also sought suggestions from the conspirators on ways to delay to the certification in order to allow states controlled by GOP governments to send in alternative Trump electors.  The fallback position agreed upon was to pressure GOP congress members to raise enough objections to the certification without Pence to force an adjournment of the joint session . Guilliani followed through on this idea by calling at least one GOP senator, Tommy Tuberville later that evening asking him to object to certification of ten states' votes until the next day, January 7th. 

Apparently, Der Leader was delighted to see his 30,000 supporters storming the Capital on January 6th in search of the electoral ballots, according to Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse (R).  The demagogue incited the rioters by telling them to march down Pennsylvania Avenue to the Capitol and "fight like hell" to save their democracy.  In reality he was using the mob for his own perfidious attempt to stay in power.  The fact that he wanted to find ways to stop certification by any means possible accounts for why he did practically nothing to call off his mob despite the violence taking place on Capitol Hill.

What the corporate media is missing about this astounding series of events is that they have no historical precedent in American history.  No president has ever attempted to prevent the peaceful transition of power.  Domestic pundits tend to dismiss Trumpillini's putsch as a "clown car" or "dumpster fire" full of ridiculous men separated from reality by their sense of impunity. Foreign observers call the January 6th Insurrection what it is, a coup attempt to overthrow the legitimately elected Untied States government.  The fact that it had little chance of succeeding is totally irrelevant to its historic social significance.  

Perhaps the closest historical parallel is from Red October, 1917, when the mob, stirred into revolt by Lenin and the Bolsheviks, stormed the Winter Palace to remove Kerensky's provisional government and install Lenin in power.  Instead of incendiary rhetoric from rabble rousers and sidewalk pamphleteers, the modern mob ferments in the echo chamber of cyberspace, unexpectedly erupting into reality. The most disturbing aspect of the January 6th coup is the complicity of the GOP, which has failed to distance itself from the rioters and their leader.  Some of its members may have even aided and abetted them. Refusing to participate in governance, the GOP has become the party of the Mob.  Belittling the American version of the coup d'état does nothing to remedy the defects Individual One wished to exploit for his own aggrandizement.  He is a demonstrably dangerous man, antithetical to democracy.

COTW: World Vaccination Rates

This map shows the problem the world faces suppressing the SARS CoV-2 virus, which is showing amazing resiliency and adaptability despite the unprecedented rapid development of several effective vaccines.  The African continent is conspicuous because of its low vaccination rates (7%), and high levels of immune-compromised individuals.  As one researcher said, the virus is "relentlessly opportunistic" in its fight to survive and spread.  Omicron originated in a a human population that is under-vaccinated and has many members with HIV infections.  Thus, it had time to adapt and mutate extensively, thereby increasing the probability of successfully infecting individuals, and increase transmissibility.  Omicron has 30 or more mutations of its spike protein, which it uses to attach itself to human cells that then replicate its DNA.  

The chart demonstrates a simple, yet difficult fact: without high levels of vaccination worldwide, the coronavirus will continue to adapt, multiply and infect humans even in countries with high vaccination compliance because evolution works.

Weekend Music

The American response to the British Invasion of the 60's was led by super bands stacked with musical and composing talent like CS&N, Steely Dan, Chicago, and the Eagles. The Eagles, founded 1971 in Los Angeles, were the most successful band of the seventies with 5 number one singles and six number one albums. As with a lot of the music of the era, their ballads were indebted to country-western music. This song is from their Desperado album, and though not as popular as the title song, its outlaw inspired lyrics, backed by excellent vocal harmony and guitar riffs, have meaning today.

'Toontime: Rittenhouse, Killer Intern

credit: Ohman, Sacremento Bee

It is enough to make you want to quit the legal profession.  Three things wrong with the Rittenhouse trial: 1) the judge was clearly biased in favor of the defendant (besides berating the district attorney on camera, he tossed out the misdemeanor illegal gun charge on a technicality; 2) the prosecution made a strategic mistake by charging Rittenhouse with first degree murder; 3) the self-defense privilege as understood in the common law is outmoded given the reality of widespread gun culture in the US. Only one of the three Rittenhouse "victims" was armed with a gun. (Gage Grosskreutz, who survived). Rittenhouse's homicides were not all excusable since he deliberately placed himself in a situation where resorting to deadly force was a foreseeable result--why else cross state lines armed with a war weapon he was not legally entitled to purchase? (an older friend purchased it for him)  In other words, he went looking for trouble, locked and loaded. He found it in Kenosha, WI.

Consider the Wild Turkey

Can this be a turkey? It looks more like a peacock than a turkey. Audubon tells US that is indeed a species of turkey, the ocellated turkey, Meleagris ocellata, native to the Yucatan, Belize and Guatemala. This tropical version is closely related to our own Meleagris gallopavo, which many of you will be consuming in a highly modified, commercial version. The wild turkey has sufferred from the well-known impacts of human development and over-hunting, losing habitat and numbers seemingly on the road to extinction. 

However, humans in the northeast have come to the rescue of what was once a candidate for our national bird. Contrary to popular myth it was not on the table at the first Thanksgiving in Patuxet where most likely waterfowl were served with vegetables, seafood and venison. Ben Franklin did not advocate for the turkey as the national bird, but was against naming the bald eagle the national icon. He wrote to his daughter that he found the eagle to be a, “Bird of bad moral Character” whereas the turkey was a “much more respectable Bird… a Bird of Courage.” John James Audubon also had a positive opinion of the turkey. It does has many admirable qualities. Although most often found on the ground, the heavy bird can fly sixty miles an hour. Turkeys have excellent diurnal vision beyond 20/20, can see in color, and have a 270 degree range of vision. Turkeys are intelligent birds, using their excellent camoflage colors to evade predators, but will attack when cornered or startled. They have been known to play with other woodland herbivores and forage together.  If a tom turkey was to have a name, he would be a Gary.

Just fifty years ago, turkeys in the northeast were almost exterminated.  An estimated ten million turkeys once inhabited the woodlands from Maine to Florida, stretching west to the Rockies.  Deforestation took place rapidly after European colonization, especially in the northeast.  Cutting down the forests robbed the noble bird of his home and food sources.  Those that survived the onslaught were killed by avid hunters.  By 1850,  New England's turkeys were gone.  Attempts to introduce domestic turkeys into the wild during the thirties failed because the birds were unable to survive in the wild. Then in the sixties, biologists thought of trapping wild turkeys still living in upstate New York and relocating them to New England. Massachusetts captured 37 wild birds in the Adirondacks and brought them to the Berkshires.  Other states followed its lead.  With humans moved into cities, the extirpation of large predators like cougars and wolves, and the return of former agricultural land to woodland, turkeys rebounded being resourceful and resilient animals. Today in Massachusetts, turkeys number 25,000; Vermont has 45,000; New Hampshire has 40,000 and Maine counts almost 60,000 birds.  The reintroduction of the turkey in the northeast is a conservation success story.  Residents are proud to see the birds foraging on their lawns, driveways and college campuses.  The fact that the number of human-turkey conflicts are now rising is proof of their resurgence

credit: JJ Audubon

The turkey story in other parts of the country is not so bright.  In the southeast, once considered a turkey stronghold, populations have tumbled in the past ten years.  Biologists have noted a steep drop in the quantity of poults--chicks--which may indicate a decline in the quality of their habitat.  Fifteen states formed a consortium to study the decline.  Biologists and wildlife managers know that throughout the south, wild habitat is in decline.  The south's human population grew significantly between 2000 and 2010--faster than any other section of the country.  Adding to the problem of habitat loss is a shift in forest land ownership to large forest "management" trusts focused on profit, not land management.  Between 2000 and 2005, 18 million acres of southern commercial forests were sold.  Companies that practiced beneficial habitat management created nesting and brooding cover for turkeys.  Despite regional declines, the wild population of turkeys nationwide appears stable at around seven million birds.  Conservation organizations like the National Wild Turkey Federation are turning their attention from reintroduction efforts to larger scale conservation projects that are intended to restore habitat for turkeys and other species that benefit from early succession habitat. May we always have wild turkeys gobbling in our woodlands. Happy Thanksgiving from PNG

Wildfires Killed Twenty Percent of Giant Trees

Sequoia trees, Sequoiadendron giganteum, are among the largest organisms on Earth, but only native to about seventy groves scattered along the western flank of the Sierra Nevada mountains.  They are known for their fire resistance; the trees need low intensity fires to clear away vegetation and heat their cones to release seeds. The last two years of wildfires, unprecedented in their intensity, killed 7,500 to 10,400 of the giants.  These trees are irreplaceable in many lifetimes. Some, like the General Sherman tree are thousands of years old. Last year's Castle and SQF Complex fires took firefighters by surprise, and burned from August into January.  This year officials took extra precautions to protect giants like General Sherman.  They wrapped trunks in foil blankets.  A fire retardant gel was sprayed on canopies. Water sprinklers moistened trunks and ground, and flammable matter raked away from the trees. [photo credit: AP]

Only the most famous and iconic trees received special treatment; more isolated groves were not so lucky. The greatest damage was done in Redwood Mountain Grove in Kings Canyon National Park were winds whipped the blaze into a towering inferno.  So fierce was the burning, firefighters could do nothing to save the second largest grove of sequoias.  The Red Hill grove was also hit hard. The Starvation Complex of groves in Sequoia National Park was largely destroyed.  sLast year the Waterfall Tree, one of the world's largest tree was lost to fire. Flames burned in 27 groves, encouraged by severe drought conditions and a build up of flamable debris on the forest floor.  For the first time park officials are considering planting seedlings to preserve the species.  Hundred of years will past before planted seedlings become giant trees.

COTW: Here Comes the Sun

In this graphic, the US is dwarfed by China's installed solar power capacity of 254+ MW.  The global south is noticeable for its lack of solar power development except for Australia, which leads in the per capita capacity rankings. Germany's capacity is more than twice that of any other European country.

'Toontime: Who Needs the First Amendment?

credit: J. Ohman, Sacremento Bee

Apparently not former national security advisor, Michael Flynn. The extreme craziness of the MAGA right was on display again in the confirmation hearing of Biden's pick for Comptroller of the Currency, Sauie Omarova.

Opposition to her nomination is building because her academic writings on banking have concerned conservatives. Repugnants are not conversant with theoretical subjects, so Joe Kennedy of Louisiana resorted to something more familiar: red baiting. His performance during questioning of the candidate was straight out of Joe McCarthy's playbook.

Omarova happens to be a naturalized citizen from Kazakhstan. Membership in the Young Communists League (Kosmosol) was practically mandatory for college-bound students growing up in the Soviet Union. Omarova was no exception. Her family left the Soviet Union after Stalin had persecuted members of her family. Kennedy was told by the Democratic chair his line of questioning concerning her Kosmosol membership was irrelevant, Kennedy had the gall to gripe, "I don’t know whether to call her ‘Professor’ or ‘Comrade.'" Omarova calmly told her inquisitors she was proud to be an American, and that she is not a Marxist. Call her smarter than you, Senator. Have you no shame?

Biden Backslides on Oil Leasing

Just days after the United States tried to reclaim climate change leadership at COP 26, with its front man John Kerry claiming the conference a "success", the Department of Interior conducted the largest oil and gas lease sale in history. Eighty million acres of the Gulf of Mexico's OCS, an area of the size of Florida, were put on the auction block. Exxon led bidders with bids on just 1.7 million acres. The industry stocked up on leases during the friendly regime of Herr Trumpillini. Companies have 14 million acres in their inventories, enough to keep them busy for the next ten years at current rates of production. Biden put a temporary hold on lease sales when he came into office. States relying on oil and gas exploration filed suit to enjoin the temporary moratorium and succeeded in obtaining an injuction against the pause in leasing. The administration agreed to resume sales while it appeals the lower court ruling. Conservationists argue that the administration could have done more to halt or restrict lease sales. Industry spokespersons say the law requires the Interior Department to conduct a leasing program. [Chevron deepwater platform, credit: Getty Images]

Industry flacks are quick to claim that Biden's attempt to restrict offshore drilling is a cause of soaring oil prices, but they ignore the fact il prices are global, set in part by foreign actors like OPEC. It will take years for the leases auctioned Wednesday to produce oil, if at all. The lease sale has the potntial of releasing 723 million metric tons of COMAGA types are quick to claim that Biden's attempt to restrict offshore drilling is a cause of soaring oil prices, but they ignore the fact il prices are global, set in part by foreign actors like OPEC. It will take years for the leases auctioned Wednesday to produce oil, if at all. This lease sale has the potntial of releasing 723 million metric tons of CO₂ Hardly a headline an administration that wants to leverage the owrld into reducing fossil fuel use wants. Meanwhile, the industry keeps its greenwashing propaganda campaign going and spending millions on Washington lobbyists. ($55.6 millioin this year). The twnety-nine legislators that denounced the Biden drilling pause received $13.4 million from the industry over their terms in office. "Yada, yada, yada, climate change".

COTW: Inflation, Just In Time

This chart shows the inflation rate as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI);

Currently inflation is "raging" along a 5.6%  The FED, custodian of national inflation fighting, insists this figure is transitory as it is primarily a result of supply bottlenecks after the passage of the coronavirus pandemic that closed down nearly everything.  This explanation does not stop conservatives from using the inflation boogyman to flagellate Joe Biden and his historic social spending agenda. Plutocrats, including Joe Manchin, want nothing more than to stop legislation that includes tax hikes for the wealthy, expanded social programs, and funding for climate change measures. To them the "3B" plan is a socialist nightmare worthy of legislative sabotage.

Robert Reich, former Labor Secretary and Berkeley economist, thinks the inflation going now is not classic wage-price inflation or caused by 'free money' give aways by the federal government, but an example of the power of oligopolies.  US Person agrees; the timing of the inflation scarecrow's arrival could not be more fortuitous. The US has excess productive capacity; we are still 7 million jobs short of the employment level before the pandemic began. Cities have oodles of vacant office and commercial space.  Contrary to the double digit inflationary conditions of the 1970s, companies can outsource for additional capacity.  Unions are reduced and cannot dictate wage increases that lead to higher demand. If anything, consumer demand has been undercut by the pandemic and a historic wealth gap that is larger than any other in this nation's history since the 1920's. The fact is that the wealthy spend only a small percentage of their income on consumption. The rest of us spend almost all of our money, which is why we are called "consumers". The pandemic has made the rich richer just as it did after the Black Death pandemic of the 14th Century.  This difference in spending behavior creates an imbalance between output and production in our consumer driven economy. The government has attempted to close this gap by providing near zero interest money and stimulus checks. But this situation cannot last as the government incurs more and more debt to close the gap.

Marriner Eccles, a FED chairman in the thirties explained the Great Depression as a failure of buying power. As more wealth was concentrated at the top income levels, the little guys in the game could only stay in by borrowing more, using a game of poker as an analogy:

“A giant suction pump had by 1929-1930 drawn into a few hands an increasing portion of currently produced wealth. As in a poker game where the chips were concentrated in fewer and fewer hands, the other fellows could stay in the game only by borrowing. When their credit ran out, the game stopped.”

The other force in the inflation game is the power to control prices by huge corporations able to dominate the market with their goods and services. The federal government has largely ceased to enforce anti-trust law since the 1980's, allowing big companies to engage in anti-competitive practices. Reich points to one conglomerate, Procter & Gamble, as an example of an oligopoly. P&G raised prices on a wide variety of its popular consumer products despite making huge profits. For the quarter ending in September, it reported a profit margin of 24.7%! P&G along with Kimberly-Clark controls the disposable diaper market. These two companies coordiante their prices and production. Kimberley-Clark announced its price rises at about the same time as Proctor & Gamble did--NOT a coincidence.

Other examples of anti-competitive practices abound in the US economy. Pesico and Coca-Cola, which manufacture a number of well known food products, both raised their prices based on claims of increases in manufacturing and distribution costs. Were these increases necessary to maitain profit margins? Hardly--Pesico reported $3bn in profits through September. Coca-Cola increased it profit margin to 28.9%. The same power to ratchet prices exists in the energy markets. Prices for energy have skyrockted, just before the winter heating season. Five banks control credit in the US. Only one company makes commercial aircraft in the US since the Boeing-McDonald Douglas merger. Three giant companies control broadband: AT&T, Verizon and Comcast. A handful of companies control drug prices: Pfizer, Eli Lilly, Johnson & Johnson, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Merck. The three companies who control 90% of the world's insulin supply—Eli Lilly, Sanofi, and Novo Nordisk—have worked in tandem to systematically raise prices. Corporate concentration is the enemy of market competition. And when you have thousands of lobbyists at your disposal, your will be done on Capitol Hill. Inflation is an enemy of the people--but is it also a weapon in the hands of the plutocracy to fend off policies intended to level the game? Think about that.

Drilling Around Chaco Canyon Prohibited

The Department of Interior has decided to prohibit new oil and gas leasing within ten miles of the famed indeginous cultural site [photo credit: Getty Images] of Chaco Canyon for two years. Officials will consider a proposal to withdraw federal land in the area from development for a twenty year period. Conservation groups and tribal members have pressured the Department to take administrative action to protect the site which holds cultural significance for native peoples in the southwest. Secretary Deb Haaland is the first native American to hold cabinet rank and is a member of the Laguna Pueblo in New Mexico. 

The World Heritage site is considered to be the center of a major civilization built in alignment with the seasonal movements of the sun and moon. The ruins are dotted with circular rooms, called kivas, cut into the floor of the canyon. These are believed to have been used in religious ceremonies. UNESCO recognized its, “monumental public and ceremonial buildings and its distinctive architecture – it has an ancient urban ceremonial centre that is unlike anything constructed before or since”.The buildings of Chaco were abandoned about 1200AD by the ancestral Puebloans.

the great house at Chaco

For years the San Juan basin was known to be seeping natural gas, but the play heated up when a previously unexploitable oil shale layer was opened by fracking and directional drilling in 2013. Development interest has been high since then. The local BLM office admits that interest exceeds anything they projected in their plans. Archeologists are worried that in the rush to extract natural resoureces, sites of significant value will be lost. The National Congress of American Indians called for a moratorium on more drilling throughout the Chaco region. The preivous adminsitration aggressively sought to open up more federal land, including protected areas such as wildlife refuges and national monuments, to development as part of its "energy independence" policy,  Visitors to the site can hear oil pump jacks working less than a mile away.

The BLM, which manages the land around Chaco Cultural National Historic Park will gather environmental data and public comment for the next two years concerning the proposed withdrawal.   More archeologically and culturally significant sites are thought to exist around the Chaco ruins. Protecting Chaco from oil development has been an on-going battle for decades. Secretary Haaland supported withdrawal when she was a member of the House of Representatives. Withdrawal is complicated by the checker-board of land ownership surrounding the Park. Most of the land is owned by the Navajo Nation or individual Navajo allottees. The Nation is seeking a smaller withdrawal zone to protect the financial interests of individual tribal members. Navajo leaders say they ready to work with the Biden administration on the proposal to permanently protect Chaco from development.

A Coup By the Numbers

Perhaps befuddled 'Mericans do not care if they loose their democratic government but some of US still do. So, here at PNG we follow the unfolding of the J6 Insurrection investigation with patriotic interest. And there is a bombshell to report, if you can spare the bandwidth for a microsecond. Readers of PNG know of the meretricious Eastman Memo, a sort of coup by the numbers instruction sheet authored by former Supreme Court clerk and Trump sycophant, John Eastman. Now, a second memo has surfaced in which a Trump campaign lawyer, Jenna Ellis, [photo: Getty Images] detailed how to disenfranchise millions of Americans in one easy putsch of which A. Hitler would have been proud. Apparently, her memo was convincing enough for chief of staff Mark Meadows to email it to VP Pence's top aide. 

In it Ellis describes how VP Pence should reject the returns of six swing state Electoral College votes on unsubstantiated grounds of fraud, and direct the legislatures of those states to send back by January 15th alternate slates of Electors. When the deadline passed without those altered votes, the election would devolve  to the House of Representatives, just as it did in the contested election of 1876, where the state delegations would vote for the next President.  Repugnants enjoy a one state margin, thus insuring Herr Trumpilini would be declared the winner contrary to the expressed will of the people in the popular vote.

Meadows transmitted Ellis' memo on December 31st. It was followed by a Trump staff memo, which incorrectly claimed Thomas Jefferson had used his position as Vice President in a similar way in 1801. Trump told his mob on the Ellipse, "Mike Pence is going to have to come through for us, and if he doesn't, that will be a sad day for our country."  His comments were obviously directed at Pence inside the House chamber where he was preparing to certify the election results. Trump had called Pence on the morning of January 6th saying, “You can be a patriot or you can be a pussy,” Pence's participation was crucial to the coup plan unfolding in Congress. The mob's role was to intimidate Congress into allowing valid votes to be rejected by the Vice President. Think of them as the soundtrack to this theater of the grotesque. 

Treachery that does not succeed is still treachery. The sad fact that the corporate media refuses to call a spade a spade does not make the coup plotters' actions any less reprehensible. Tragically, the plot to kill democracy in America had fellow travelers all the way down the political ladder to GOP state legislators and local election officials who consciously cast doubts on their own voting mechanisms they approved before the 2020 election. The GOP has revealed itself as a craven cult of spineless opportunists willing to sell their souls and betray their country to remain in power.

Hayes (R) v. Tilden (D): the Electoral College in 1876

Endangered Snow Leopards Die of COVID-19

a wild snow leopard

Captive snow leopards living in a children's zoo in Lincoln, NE have died of COVID-19.  How the endangered felines contracted the disease is not reported, but undoubtably came from close contact with infected humans.  The zoo began treating their infections last month along with two tigers. The tigers apparently recovered, the leopards did not. Ranney, Everest and Makalu will be missed by staff and zoo goers. The zoo remains open, while staff take precautions against spreading. Zoos across the nation have battled infections among their captives. Prominent Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha has detected the corona virus in two tigers. Spokespersons say the symptoms are mild and they expect the tigers to fully recover.;that is specially made for animals has been authorized for experimental use on a case-by-case basis by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Snow leopards and tigers belong in one place: the wild. [photo: WWF]

Have You Seen This Man?

Breaking:A federal grand jury in the District of Columbia has indicted Stephen Bannon on two charges of contempt of Congress for failure to appear for a deposition and to produce documents pursuant to subpoena issued by the House Select Committee investigating the January 6th Insurrection. God Save the Republic!

Update: A federal appeals court has delayed releasing the regime records held by the National Archives until November 30.Without doubt, the danger man will appeal any decision upholding release to the Supreme Court. Former chief of staff Mark Meadows failed to appear for his deposition today after receiving an extension of time for his deposition from October 7th. The subpoena was issued September 23rd. It is difficult to understand the Committee's acquiescence in the delaying tactics consistently employed by the coup conspirators. Meadows was a former representative for North Carolina's 11th District.  Professional courtesy is costly when democracy is at stake.

{11.11.21} Where is the top cop when you need him? Merrick Garland absence in the investigation of the J6 Insurrection is becoming more noticeable by the day. More subpoenas are being issued by the Select Committee--bringing the total to thirty-five--but they are not going to be worth a wooden nickel if his DOJ does not prosecute Steve Bannon who flatly defied legal process. His criminal referral for contempt seems to be lanquishing in bureaucratic limbo. If Garland continues to sit on his thumbs, the Committee should consider dusting off its own enforcement method, inherent contempt.

This power has not been used in decades, but it does exist. It process allows the Congress to send its Sergeant at Arms to arrest and incarcerate the scofflaw after a hearing until there is compliance. This inherent power was largely used before criminal contempt statutes came into existence (1857). The Supreme Court has repeatedly held that this power is implied by the constitutional authority of Congress to legislate, and the institution's power of self-preservation. The seminal case of McGrain v. Daugherty arose from a Senate investigation into the alleged failure of the Attorney General to prosecute federal antitrust violations associated with the Teapot Dome Scandal.

The Court has outlined the limits of that authority in later cases, saying no act is punishable for contempt “unless it is of a nature to obstruct the performance of the duties of the legislature” thus connecting it directly to the power to legislate, not law enforcement, which is the duty of the executive and judiciary. MacCracken. The court found in MacCracken that the House had no inherent contempt authority when it attempted to investigate a private bankruptcy in which the US was a creditor, that was a judicial, not legislative matter in the Court's opinion. Bannon was involved in an attempt to obstruct legislators in the performance of their official duties, i.e., counting electoral votes. He contemptuously refused to cooperate and thereby obstruct the investigation of this grave matter by a duly constituted committee of the House. Clearly the House's contempt citation is within the delineated limits of implied or inherent contempt. The power to hold a congressional witness in contempt has not been used since the 1930's, but has been referred to since in an effort to obtain compliance. Sam Irving, chairman of the Select Committee investigating Watergate, invoked the inherent contempt power several times to encourage compliance with that committee’s requests for information during its investigation of the Nixon Administration's campaign activities.

The latest subpoenas have been issued to members of Trump's inner White House staff: Stephen Miller, former senior advisor; Keith Kellogg, former national security advisor to Mike Pence; Johnny McEntee, former personnel director and others including Nicholas Luna, a bodyguard who was in the Oval when Trump pressured Pence to refuse to certify the election. Miller has already made public statements that he will not comply with his subpoena. Participants in the coup conspiracy led by Trump, will continue to use litigation as a delaying tactic until the expiration of the current Congress. Winning cases is irrelevant; Trump lost his latest effort to block release of documents on grounds of executive privilege from the National Archives. Mark Meadows also expressed his unwillingness to cooperate until the Supreme Court rules on Trump's bogus executive priviege claims. If Bannon is not indicted, witnesses will have every motivation to consider compliance optional.

Since Garland, who is a conservative, continues to hide under a rock or IRS v, Chadha, take your pick, the Select Committee must use every power it possesses to obtain relevant evidence to preserve the Republic and itself. That evidence will reveal the malignant actor behind the mindless minions who attacked the seat of government to disrupt the Electoral College vote count. We are here because of the antiquated Electoral College system that the conspirators intended to game. ("Send in the Kraken!") A legitimate legislative purpose could be the replacement of this obsolete, vulnerable system with a national popular vote. States would be responsible for certifying their vote count and Congress would be reduced to a merely ministerial role of announcing the result.