Watching elephant seals sunbathe on the beach near San Simeon in the shadow of the Hearst Castle is a reminder that much of the California coast remains like a wild zoo, without cages and with no price of admission. Though it may be the most populous state, California has vast, sparsely populated waterfront regions, austere and lashed by the biggest ocean on earth.
As this happens, day after day, the continent gradually crumbles into the sea, with boulders the size of buildings settling into areas where tide pools proliferate. The elephant seals choose such places to hide from the great white sharks lurking offshore.
We seem so small and inconsequential by comparison, bundled against the wind, masked and clustered as we pay homage.
I wish that our lawmakers would take a pilgrimage to sites like this one. As they fight and jostle with each other for political advantage, the larger rhythms of the planet elude them. They act as if the ocean, the boulders, the seals and the sharks don't exist in their world, let alone those of us standing in the wind, watching.
That said, there are political dramas building that are likely to dominate the next phase of our public life. Once he is attorney general, Merrick Garland will have far more influence over what happens to the extremists who caused the Capitol riot than he would have had as a justice on the Supreme Court, which McConnell prevented from happening in the final year of the Obama administration.
There is a measure of poetic justice to this. Because among those who must be held accountable are McConnell's allies who incited the insurrectionists. In the process of holding them accountable, we will witness the unraveling of what remains of the Trump myth, as his financial records finally land in the hands of New York prosecutors who know what to do with them.
The shameless con-man no longer has any legal place to hide and his unmasking will bring delight to his political enemies. Not me, particularly, I'd prefer that he simply fade away, far from view, never to return to the public stage.
But in the end justice will be done.
In that context the Guardian reports an authoritative study indicating that those adopting extremist views are less skilled at completing complex mental tasks, perhaps including comprehending the outcome of an election. But we already knew that; perhaps that will end up as their defense -- mental incompetence.
***
The news:
* Climate Threats Could Mean Big Jumps in Insurance Costs This Year -- The federal government is revising rates for flood coverage on April 1. New data suggests premiums need to increase sharply for some homes. (NYT)
* Trump built only a fraction of the “big, beautiful” U.S.-Mexico border wall he repeatedly promised voters — but its effects, experts say, have nevertheless been “catastrophic” and far-reaching. Now, conservationists, tribal leaders and others are hopeful Biden will take immediate action to not just halt construction but dismantle the parts of Trump’s wall that have encroached on vulnerable ecosystems and sacred lands. [HuffPost]
* As violence grew out of control on Jan. 6, the head of the Capitol Police made an urgent request for the National Guard. It took nearly two hours to be approved. (NYT)
* ‘Where is Greg Abbott?’ Anger grows at Texas governor in deadly storm’s wake. (WashPo)
* Texas has refused to join interstate electrical grids and railed against energy regulation. Now it’s having to answer to millions of residents who were left without power in last week’s snowstorm. (NYT)
* People with extremist views less able to do complex mental tasks, research suggests (The Guardian)
* Attorney General nominee Garland vows Capitol riot will be top priority (AP)
* Donald Trump suffered a major setback in his quest to conceal details of his finances as the Supreme Court paves the way for a New York City prosecutor to obtain the former president's tax returns and other financial records as part of a criminal investigation. (Reuters)
* Our sports need a healthier version of masculinity, and men need to create it (WashPo)
* A total of 58% of Americans say they approve of the way Joe Biden is handling his job as president and 34% say they disapprove of the way Biden is handling his job. In January, 30% approved of the way Donald Trump was handling his job as president and 56% disapproved. (American Research Group)
* Though much of the country was struggling with the aftermath of freakish freezes, an outdoor N.H.L. game between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Colorado Avalanche overlooking Lake Tahoe was postponed because the ice was melting. [AP]
* Alphabet Inc's Google will resume accepting political advertisements in the United States from Feb. 24, according to an email to advertisers seen by Reuters (Reuters)
* Lawmakers vote to make Virginia first Southern state to abolish death penalty (WashPo)
* As negotiations push forward, it is unclear whether Afghanistan can achieve peace with the Taliban while preserving gains made on women’s rights and education. (NYT)
* It’s hardly surprising that during a time when human connections are more limited than ever, we would turn to our phones; the average user claims their device usage has increased by over a third (34%) since the start of the pandemic. (Cherry Digital Content)
* Boeing Scrambling After New CEO Catches Fire During First Press Conference (The Onion)
***
And maybe I've learned this time
I hope that I find what I'm reaching for
The way that it is in my mind
I'll live to see it all through
But I'll always miss
Dreaming my dreams with you
Not if I can
I'd rather believe in love
And give it away as much as I can
To those that I'm fondest of
I'll live to see it all through
But I'll always miss
Dreaming my dreams with you
I'll live to see it all through
But I'll always miss
Dreaming my dreams with you
-30-
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