memeorandum: ICE ‘Deep State’ is blocking Biden's quest for justice for refugees (Will Bunch/The Philadelphia Inquirer)

12:50 AM ET, February 12, 2021

Top Items:

Trump Was Sicker Than Acknowledged With Covid-19 — When hospitalized with the coronavirus in October, his blood oxygen levels had plunged and officials feared he was on the verge of being placed on a ventilator. — WASHINGTON — President Donald J. Trump was sicker with Covid-19 in October …

Discussion: HuffPost, CNN, RedState, POLITICUSUSA, The Week, Mediaite, Rolling Stone, UPROXX, HotAir, Insider, Forbes, TheGrio, Raw Story, The Hill, CNBC and The Gateway Pundit

New York Post:

Cuomo aide admits they hid nursing home data so feds wouldn't find out — Governor Cuomo's top aide privately apologized to Democratic lawmakers for withholding the state's nursing-home death toll from COVID-19 — telling them “we froze” out of fear the true numbers would “be used against us” …

Discussion: Fox News, Politico, Washington Examiner, Breitbart, Townhall, The Gateway Pundit, TheBlaze, NOQ Report, Raw Story, Big League Politics, Gothamist, Twitchy, HotAir, Liberty Unyielding and The Last Refuge

Associated Press:
AP: Over 9,000 virus patients sent into NY nursing homes

Discussion: The Hill, The Daily Caller, Twitchy, TheBlaze, Washington Examiner and Chicago Sun-Times

Tracey Alvino / USA Today:
COVID nursing home deaths: Andrew Cuomo is running from his part in my dad's death

Discussion: National Review

CNN:

Military officials were unaware of potential danger to Pence's ‘nuclear football’ during Capitol riot — Chilling new security footage shows Pence and family rushed to safety — (CNN)Military officials overseeing the authorization process to launch nuclear weapons were unaware on January 6 …

Discussion: Raw Story, Slate, HuffPost, Insider and TheBlaze

Washington Post:

Mounting evidence suggests Trump knew of danger to Pence when he attacked him as lacking ‘courage’ amid Capitol siege — Mounting evidence emerging as former president Donald Trump's impeachment trial unfolds in the Senate this week indicates Trump may have been personally informed …

Discussion: JONATHAN TURLEY, Politico, Washington Examiner, The Independent, Fox News, USA Today, Raw Story, The Week, The Root, Deseret News and Mediaite

Marc Thiessen / Washington Post:

Biden owes the Capitol Police an apology — Watching never-before-seen video of the mob assaulting the U.S. Capitol presented by the House impeachment managers was infuriating. For the first time, Americans saw surveillance footage that showed just how close the rioters got to senators, congressmen and Vice President Mike Pence.

Discussion: The Bulwark, HotAir, The Dickinson Press, Power Line, Insider, BuzzFeed News and CNBC

Susan B. Glasser / New Yorker:

“We Lost the Line”: Trump Is on the Brink of Yet Another Senate Acquittal — Republican senators ran for their lives, but they will not run from the former President. — A few hours into the presentation of the House managers' case against Donald Trump, for inciting the mob that stormed …

Discussion: Breitbart, Washington Post, POLITICUSUSA, New York Times, Roll Call, American Prospect, Deadline, Salon, TheGrio and Raw Story

CNN:

Three GOP senators meet with Trump's lawyers on eve of impeachment defense presentation — (CNN)A trio of Republican senators allied with former President Donald Trump met with his defense team Thursday evening, in the middle of an impeachment trial in which they will vote on whether …

Discussion: Washington Examiner, The Hill, Washington Post, New York Times, Michael-In-Norfolk, The Intellectualist and HotAir

Andrew Solender / Forbes:
GOP Senators Increasingly Absent From Impeachment Trial As Weariness Grows

Discussion: NBC News, POLITICUSUSA, The Intellectualist, The Independent, Raw Story, Axios and Politico

Jordain Carney / The Hill:
GOP senators praise impeachment managers but say Trump will be acquitted

Discussion: NBC News, Breitbart and New York Post

Steve Benen / MSNBC:
Republicans warned about Trump and violence ... five years ago

Discussion: New Republic and HotAir

Aaron Blake / Washington Post:
Four takeaways from Day 3 of Trump's impeachment trial

Discussion: Deadline, New York Times, The Editorial Board, Forbes, Breitbart, Vox, New York Times and Fox News

Martin Gould / Daily Mail:

EXCLUSIVE: Embattled QAnon congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene ‘openly cheated’ on her husband of 25 years with a polyamorous tantric sex guru and then moved on to another affair with the manager at her gym — Marjorie Taylor Greene had affairs with tantric sex guru Craig Ivey …

Discussion: Vanity Fair, Political Flare, UPROXX, Mediaite, The Intellectualist, Occupy Democrats and Boing Boing

New York Times:

Officers' Injuries, Including Concussions, Show Scope of Violence at Capitol Riot — The impeachment trial of former President Donald J. Trump has heightened attention on the rioters' attacks on officers, some of which resulted in serious damage. — One officer lost the tip of his right index finger.

Discussion: Slate, The Independent, BizPac Review, Fox News, Daily Kos, Insider, Raw Story and CNN

Andrew C. McCarthy / National Review:

What Happened to Officer Sicknick? — Democratic impeachment managers have a duty to explain how Officer Sicknick died. — n its article of impeachment, the Democrat-controlled House alleged that former president Donald Trump, by his “incitement of insurrection,” was responsible for murder.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, HotAir, POLITICUSUSA and alicublog

New York Times:
Videos Turn Eugene Goodman into a Reluctant Hero in the Capitol Attack

Discussion: Washington Post, CNN and Slate

Katelyn Polantz / CNN:

Justice Department says an Oath Keepers leader waited for Trump's direction before Capitol attack — The extremist Oath Keepers who planned attack on Capitol — (CNN)The Justice Department is now making clear that a leader among the Oath Keepers paramilitary group …

Discussion: POLITICUSUSA, Salon, TheGrio, Axios, The Week and Raw Story

Washington Post:
Former FBI official, a Navy veteran, is ‘key figure’ in Jan. 6 riot, prosecutors allege

Discussion: Mother Jones, Axios, Washington Examiner and CNN

Alan Feuer / New York Times:
Oath Keepers Plotting Before Capitol Riot Awaited ‘Direction’ From Trump, Prosecutors Say

Discussion: HuffPost, Associated Press, The Daily Caller and Lawyers, Guns & Money

Bret Stephens / New York Post:

Read the column the New York Times didn't want you to read — Last weekend, New York Times columnist Bret Stephens wrote a piece criticizing the rationale behind the forced ouster of Times reporter Donald J. McNeil, but it was never published. Stephens told colleagues the column was killed by publisher A.G. Sulzberger.

Discussion: The Daily Beast, more at Mediagazer »

Miranda Green / New York Magazine:

The Predator in the Lincoln Project John Weaver used his power to get jobs for young men he allegedly harassed. His colleagues were warned. — Alex Johnson was a senior at the University of Texas at Austin, pursuing a career in politics, when he first heard from John Weaver, the legendary Republican operative living nearby.

Discussion: New York Times, The Hill, Fox News, Mediaite, Breitbart, Washington Examiner, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Townhall and Discourse Blog

The Texas Tribune:

Former top aides say Attorney General Ken Paxton received assistance with home remodel, job for alleged girlfriend in return for helping political donor — A court filing documents what Paxton's whistleblowers believe led to an alleged “bizarre, obsessive use of power.” — Copy link

Dallas Morning News:

Lawsuit: Texas AG Ken Paxton swapped political favors for home remodel, job for alleged ‘mistress’ — The new allegations offer up the most detailed theory to date about why Paxton helped Austin real estate developer Nate Paul even as his top aides balked at his behavior.

Salvador Hernandez / BuzzFeed News:

Charges Were Dropped Against The Buffalo Police Officers Who Violently Shoved A 75-Year-Old Protester — Felony charges were dropped Thursday against two police officers in Buffalo, New York, who violently shoved a 75-year-old protester, causing him to fall, hit his head on the sidewalk, and bleed from his ear, officials said.

Ben Feuerherd / New York Post:
Charges dismissed against Buffalo cops who shoved elderly protester

Discussion: Raw Story

Samantha Melamed / The Philadelphia Inquirer:

Nation's oldest juvenile lifer, Joe Ligon, leaves Pa. prison after 68 years — Leaving the State Correctional Institution Phoenix in Montgomery County on Thursday morning, his white hair peeking out below a prison-issue hat, Joe Ligon was accompanied by a dozen large file boxes.

Josh Hammer / Newsweek:

Overwrought Nazi Analogies for Me, but Not for Thee? — Earlier this week, Lucasfilm severed ties with “The Mandalorian” actress Gina Carano after a hyperbolic social media post in which she compared current political imperiousness and cancel culture in the United States—and the treatment of …

Discussion: NPR, The Daily Signal and The Federalist

Robby Soave / Reason:
Disney Cancels The Mandalorian Star Gina Carano Over Provocative Social Media Posts

Discussion: The Federalist, USA Today, The Mary Sue, Breitbart, RedState, Insider, Forbes, The Western Journal, Washington Post, HotAir and Page Six

Washington Post:

Biden to announce his administration has secured 200 million additional vaccine doses — The promised purchases would increase available supply by 50 percent, but not immediately. — President Biden is expected to announce Thursday afternoon that his administration has secured deals …

Discussion: Axios, HotAir, The Daily Caller, Common Dreams, Politico, CBS Sacramento, The Hill, Rolling Stone, UPI, Fox News, New York Post and Raw Story

New York Times:

Stacey Abrams and Lauren Groh-Wargo: How to Turn Your Red State Blue — It may take 10 years. Do it anyway. — Ms. Abrams was the Democratic nominee for governor of Georgia in 2018. Ms. Groh-Wargo was her campaign manager. They opened Fair Fight Action in late 2018. — Feb. 11, 2021

Discussion: wabe.org

Axios:

Scoop: Biden considering prominent Republicans for ambassadorships — Biden administration officials are weighing nominating prominent Republicans to ambassadorships — including Cindy McCain and former Republican Sen. Jeff Flake — to highlight the importance of bipartisanship in U.S. foreign policy …

MSNBC:

'That doesn't exist': Joy Reid debunks claims by GOP Senator comparing BLM protests to Capitol riot — On Senator Roy Blunt's claims saying that Black Lives Matter protests looked similar to the Capitol Hill Insurrection, Joy Reid asked the team for some of that footage …

Erin Hawley / Fox News:

The recent assault on our home and attacks on my family are not civil discourse — I walked upstairs to see approximately 20 protestors standing in front of our house shouting through bullhorns — Hawley: Left, ‘woke capitalists’ allied to seek ‘complete control’

Discussion: RedState and The Daily Caller

Washington Post:

Biden administration to move Friday to rescind Medicaid work requirements — The Biden administration is planning Friday to wipe out one of the core health policies of the Trump era, taking actions that will immediately rescind permission for states to compel poor residents to work in exchange for receiving Medicaid benefits.

Discussion: Wall Street Journal and Politico

Catharine Smith / The Guardian:

'If white people were still here, this wouldn't happen': the majority-Black town flooded with sewage … Supported by — About this content — Sharon Smith has to plunge her toilet to get it to flush. On rainy days, wastewater spills into her yard from nearby drainage ditches.

Emma Colton / Washington Examiner:

Project Veritas permanently suspended from Twitter as James O'Keefe faces temporary lock for violating rules — Project Veritas was permanently suspended from Twitter, and its founder, James O'Keefe, was temporarily locked from his account for violating the tech giant's “private information policy.”

Discussion: Washington Times, Fox News, Politico, RedState, The Wrap, Townhall, Breitbart, Big League Politics, Twitchy and UPI, more at Mediagazer »

Ryan Grenoble / HuffPost:

Desperate OAN Blames City Planning, Not Trump, For Capitol Violence — One America News claims an architect hired by George Washington is responsible for the mob. — In an ongoing and desperate attempt to absolve former President Donald Trump of any responsibility for the seditious …

Discussion: NPR

Jason Easley / POLITICUSUSA:

Bombshell Unearthed As Trump Spent At Least $3.5 Million To Organize Capitol Attack — Newly unearthed financial disclosures reveal that the Trump campaign spent at least $3.5 million organizing the rally that turned into the Capitol attack. — OpenSecrets found the disclosures:

Discussion: Common Dreams, Daily Kos and OpenSecrets.org

CNN:

North Carolina man charged with threatening to kill President Biden — (CNN)A North Carolina man has been charged with making threats to kill President Joe Biden, according to a federal criminal complaint unsealed in court Thursday. — David Kyle Reeves, 27, of Gastonia, North Carolina …

Discussion: Insider, New York Times and WTOP

The Daily Beast:

Even for the Trumpist Conspiracy-Peddler Sidney Powell, This Was ‘Weird as Shit’ — It was bound to get a little odd when Dominion Voting Systems tried to serve the ‘Kraken’ legal mind with a defamation suit for demonizing the firm. But this was extra. — There was a time when Sidney Powell …

Discussion: The Asheville Citizen Times

Shia Kapos / Politico:

NRCC will ‘absolutely’ support Republicans who backed impeachment, finance chair says — CHICAGO — Rep. Darin LaHood, a vocal ally of Donald Trump, said Thursday that the campaign arm of House Republicans won't seek to punish members of the conference who supported impeaching the former president.

Discussion: Washington Examiner, The Hill, Washington Post, The American Independent and NRCC

Poynter:

Factually: What will fact-checkers find on Clubhouse? — This is the Feb. 11, 2021 edition of Factually. Live audio and no recording might complicate the work of fact-checkers on this new platform. … A fact-checker lands on Clubhouse — There is a new social media platform trending worldwide.

Discussion: New York Post, Vox and New York Times, more at Techmeme »

Will Bunch / The Philadelphia Inquirer:

ICE ‘Deep State’ is blocking Biden's quest for justice for refugees — It was the kind of horror story that Americans had grown painfully used to reading during the four years of Donald Trump's presidency: More than 100 U.S. asylum seekers from strife-torn Haiti, suddenly deported across …

Discussion: New York Times

Steven Perlberg / Insider:

Bloomberg News has begun layoffs and nearly 100 people will be affected — read the full memo to staff … - Bloomberg News began laying off staffers on Thursday. — About 90 people in a newsroom of about 3,100 will be affected. — The shrinking comes as the company has been expanding its subscription business.

Discussion: Variety and The Hill, more at Mediagazer »