I Do Remember You

I'm as angry and distraught as anyone in the wake of the insurrection instigated by Trump last week, but I am developing doubts about the responses that are occurring or soon are to occur.

Yes, in the heat of the moment, I called for Trump's impeachment during the riot, which I termed a coup attempt. Then, in the aftermath, I started thinking the 25th Amendment might be a better option.

Now as the Democrats prepare an impeachment and the 25th Amendment appears to be a no-go, my views are evolving along with the circumstances.

Perhaps a Congressional vote of censure would be the wisest move. Such a move could include a bipartisan declaration that Trump is unfit to hold any federal office in the future.

The main problem facing Congress and the incoming Biden administration is that they *cannot* do nothing. They cannot stand by and allow a mob to invade the Capitol without consequences. They have to do something.

But if they over-react, they will only succeed in solidifying the base of support among Trump's aggrieved white supporters. They already appear poised to continue their campaign of terror against statehouses around the country as well as in Washington, D.C.

Ultimately, how can Biden ever hope to unify the country once further divisive acts like impeachment are taken? From the earliest days of his campaign for the presidency, Biden has said he will strive to represent all Americans, not just those who voted for him. This will be hard to do if he is identified with what will be seen as a vindictive reprisal against Trump for the insurrection.

***

Beyond these political concerns, I am deeply troubled by the social media companies banning Trump permanently. This is censorship by private companies that would seem to me to violate the First Amendment to the Constitution.

Don't read me wrong: I strongly condemn the hate-filled, racist, violence-inciting lies circulated by Trump and his acolytes. It is reminiscent of the rise of authoritarian forces in the U.S. and Europe in the 1930s, when the ultimate result was the rise of fascism, the Holocaust, and World War Two.

But I defend Trump's right to speak. I have to, as a First Amendment advocate. 

The real work those of us who believe in truth and accuracy have to do is to somehow open a dialogue with the alienated segments of the population who believe conspiracy theories so strongly that the voice of reason cannot currently break through.

They have calcified themselves, and are defended psychologically against imaginary forces like the "MSM," which is an artificial construct used to reject the traditional sources of accurate information developed by journalists.

I have witnessed how our credibility as journalists has been undermined by Trump at his rallies denouncing us as the "enemy of the people" who should be beaten and locked up. I have feared for my colleagues, some of whom I know personally, in the national press corps who have been targeted by his violent supporters.

But if Twitter and Facebook and the rest remove the main vehicle Trump uses to blow off steam, they will just confirm his fantasy.

The plain truth is that censorship does not work.

Repression does not work.

As difficult as it is, we need to build a national consensus to recommit to the freedoms and institutions that made this country great.

We need to talk, not ban talking, before it's too late.

***

The news: 

* Journalists were attacked, threatened and detained during the Capitol siege (WashPo)

* Democrats Ready Impeachment Charge Against Trump for Inciting Capitol Mob (NYT)

* Trump faces mounting demands to leave office or face impeachment  (WashPo)

* Twitter Permanently Bans Trump, Capping Online Revolt (NYT)

* Biden, who ran on unity, now leads a party furious at GOP (WashPo)

* Facing Intensifying Crises, Biden Pledges Action to Address Economy and Pandemic (NYT)

* A fast-track impeachment would not be justice. It would be pointless revenge. (WashPo)

* America in 2021: Racial Progress in the South, a White Mob in the Capitol  -- A jarring juxtaposition is forcing a 244-year-old nation to contend with its original conundrum: Whose democracy is it? (NYT)

* The Capitol riot shouldn’t have surprised us. Trump forecast it for five years. (WashPo)

* Bobi Wine, Uganda’s leading opposition figure, was pulled from his car by the police on Thursday. He has filed a complaint with the International Criminal Court accusing the country’s president of authorizing a campaign of violence against opposition politicians and their supporters ahead of next week’s general election. (NYT)

* How do liberty and human rights survive the age of the Internet? (WashPo) * To keep Atlas Cafe on the map, community offers kindness is from Mission Local, a site that's been all up in the Mission District since 2008 reporting on everything from tacos to tech, crime to culture, murals to MUNI, recording the lives and changes in the city’s oldest (and arguably, best) neighborhood. (Mission Local) (I held many meetings as. a media critic with startup entrepreneurs at the Atlas Cafe. -- DW) *** I will remember you, will you remember me? Don't let your life pass you by Weep not for the memories Remember the good times that we had? I let them slip away from us when things got bad How clearly I first saw you smilin' in the sun Want to feel your warmth upon me I want to be the one I will remember you, will you remember me? Don't let your life pass you by Weep not for the memories Songwriters: Sarah McLachlan / Seamus Egan / Dave Merenda -30-

The Third Plague

I'll get to the latest twists in our ongoing political crisis in a moment, but first I need to reflect a more hopeful mood, because finding yourself in this type of in-between place in life isn't really as bad as it may seem at the time.

In between jobs, relationships, living spaces, Presidents -- these can always be intimidating moments, frightening even, unless you let yourself trust in the kindness of serendipity.

I've been in this spot so many times in my life that I stopped fearing the worst a long time ago. Instead I anticipate the upside -- that there will be new work opportunities, new friends, maybe even a new relationship, and definitely a new space to live in.

And yes, even a new President in a matter of days.

That all sounds really nice to me, so I'm in a hopeful mood. After all, we have each other as long as we continue to reach out and connect. Here's to a wonderful 2021 for everybody! 

Now on to the sordid business at hand.

Covid-19 has ravaged the country and the world; Trump has done the same.

We have vaccines against the first scourge; how do we inoculate ourselves against the second?  While we must support the aggressive prosecution of the criminals who trashed the Capitol, that is not going to help heal the divide in this country, which is Biden's sincere objective.

In addition to the criminal prosecutions, there is now the impending impeachment of Trump scheduled for next week. The article of impeachment has been drawn up. I'm afraid impeaching him at this point will provoke open civil war, and I am not exaggerating. It seems unlikely that the Republican-controlled Senate would agree to convict Trump, anyway, though once control flips to the Democrats on January 20th, an impeachment trial could be an option.

Again, the cost of that could be open violent clashes all over the country led by the aggrieved partisans who actually believe the election was stolen.

In any event, I suspect that every significant figure in  both parties just wants Trump to fade away. And that is probably the last thing he wants to do, which is why conflict is inevitable.

Republicans are certainly prepared to become the party of opposition, and they expect Biden's far-reaching agenda on numerous issues to provide the substance they need to galvanize supporters going forward without Trump. But if Trump remains a force, they will be caught in a whipsaw that could shatter any hope of achieving unity in their ranks.

They are caught between a rock and a sociopath.

Biden's Democrats face the daunting prospect of holding in the more progressive wing of the party, led by younger members like AOC, in as they advance what is essentially a moderate policy agenda.

I can't foresee how any of this is going to play out, but we have a third plague, even greater than the first two. It's also potentially a source of hope.

Probably the one great opportunity to unite the parties and the population is against that third danger --global climate change, the existential threat that looms over us all, regardless of our affiliations or orientations. 

I'm not worried about my grandchildren contending with Trump -- he'll end up as a mere footnote to history -- and Covid too will pass, but whether this planet remains habitable for them should be of grave concern to all of us.

After all, we're in that fight together. And I for one wants my friends in Trump country on my side in that war. Being liberal or conservative, rich or poor, religious or not, simply isn't going to matter.

***

The headlines, as usual, are all about our divisions:

* Twitter has suspended Trump's account  permanently. (CNN)

* Inside the U.S. Capitol, the rioters were in charge. Trump supporters were roaming freely, carrying off furniture. Capitol Police had not asked other law enforcement agencies for help until their building was surrounded by a mob seeking to overturn the election results. Now, their officers were exhausted and injured. Their chief was down the street, in the department command center, and a police commander on the scene was pacing in a circle. Top congressional leaders, hidden in secure rooms, were calling the governors of Maryland and Virginia directly to plead for help. (WashPo)

* A Republican state legislator let protesters into the Oregon Capitol last month during a closed session, according to state police and officials, resulting in a showdown that left two people arrested. "Oregon State Police (OSP) has confirmed and informed us that Representative Mike Nearman did open a door to allow demonstrators into the building," Oregon Speaker of the House Tina Kotek said Thursday during a press briefing on Capitol security plans. (CNN)

* Charges filed against man seen at desk in Pelosi’s office and an incoming W.Va. lawmaker who joined the mob (WashPo)

* Trump is maniacal. He will do terrible things. Our lives could have been lost (in the insurrection) (Rep. Jackie Speier/CNN)

*Laptop stolen from Pelosi's office during storming of U.S. Capitol (Reuters)

* Republicans Splinter Over Whether to Make a Full Break From Trump (NYT)

* Storming The U.S. Capitol Was About Maintaining White Power In America (538)

* The mob that rampaged the halls of Congress included infamous white supremacists and conspiracy theorists. (NYT)

* Trump has 12 days left in office. After he incited an insurrection that left five people dead, some 50 injured and the U.S. Capitol ransacked, Trump was deemed too dangerous to post to his social media accounts. But he is still in charge of the executive branch, the military and the nuclear codes. Now, lawmakers must decide what to do about it. [HuffPost]

* Following the U.S. Capitol riot, Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday called on Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment to strip President Trump of his powers. (Reuters)

* After inciting mob attack,  Trump retreated in rage. Then, grudgingly, he admited his loss. (WashPo)

* U.S. labor federation urges Trump removal, calling him 'danger' to nation (Reuters)

* Three days before Trump supporters rioted at the Capitol, the Pentagon asked the U.S Capitol Police if it needed National Guard manpower. And as the mob descended on the building Wednesday, Justice Department leaders asked to send FBI agents. The police rejected both offers. [AP]

* A Shattering Blow to America’s Troubled Democratic Image -- The mob in Washington attempting to disrupt the peaceful transition of American power also posed a threat to all democracies. (NYT)

* Dozens arrested in wake of Capitol riot; officials vow that more will be charged (WashPo)

* They’d lost their power and wanted a return to normalcy. They stood back as they carefully planned an insurrection to attempt to regain control. They turned to violence in an effort to “make America great again.” This was the case for pro-Trump rioters in 2021. It was also the case for white supremacists in Wilmington, North Carolina, in 1898, in America’s first and only successful coup d’etat. [HuffPost]

* Experts say recent actions by President Trump and his loyalists are harder to stop than a coup — citing anti-democratic slides in Turkey and Venezuela as closer examples. (NYT)

* Moderna Inc.'s chief executive said the company's vaccine will likely offer protection from the coronavirus for a couple of years, although more data is needed to say for sure. New research meanwhile suggests that Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine can protect against a mutation found in two highly contagious variants of the coronavirus that erupted in Britain and South Africa. [HuffPost]

* Post-infection coronavirus immunity usually robust after 8 months, study shows (WashPo)

* White House task force says there could be a fast-spreading 'USA variant' of coronavirus (CNN)

* As the Vaccine Arrives, Death and Denial Rage in a California Coronavirus Epicenter -- In the San Joaquin Valley, medical professionals fear that many in the public still fail to grasp the dangers of COVID-19. (The New Yorker)

* 2020 has officially become the hottest year on record, tied with 2016, the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service said. The year rounds off the hottest decade globally ever on record as the impacts of climate change intensify. In 2016 the extreme heat was partly attributed to the end of an El Niño event, a huge ocean-atmosphere climate interaction which results in warming in sea surface temperatures. 2020 had no such event. [HuffPost]

* "Perhaps you are looking to read about anywhere but here for just a moment? Our cover this week, which features two very different books, can help get you there. The first, “Icebound: Shipwrecked at the Edge of the World,” by Andrea Pitzer, offers a historical Arctic adventure about the Dutch explorer William Barents (namesake of the Barents Sea). The second, “Himalaya: A Human History,” by Ed Douglas, is a social, cultural and geological portrait of the mountain range separating the Indian subcontinent from the rest of Asia, shaping the populations, economies, politics and landscape of the region." (The NYT Book Review)

* With bag over head, Trump tries to trick Twitter on another account but is caught red-handed. (DW pretending to be The Onion)

 ***

Shadows are falling and I've been here all day
It's too hot to sleep, time is running away
Feel like my soul has turned into steel
I've still got the scars that the sun didn't heal
There's not even room enough to be anywhere
It's not dark yet, but it's getting there

Well my sense of humanity has gone down the drain
Behind every beautiful thing there's been some kind of pain
She wrote me a letter and she wrote it so kind
She put down in writing what was in her mind
I just don't see why I should even care
It's not dark yet, but it's getting there

Well, I've been to London and I've been to gay Paris
I've followed the river and I got to the sea
I've been down on the bottom of a world full of lies
I ain't looking for nothing in anyone's eyes
Sometimes my burden is more than I can bear
It's not dark yet, but it's getting there

I was born here and I'll die here against my will
I know it looks like I'm moving, but I'm standing still
Every nerve in my body is so vacant and numb
I can't even remember what it was I came here to get away from
Don't even hear a murmur of a prayer
It's not dark yet, but it's getting there

-- Bob Dylan

-30-

May Justice Be Done

Trying to calm my anger since witnessing the coup attempt on Wednesday incited by Donald J. Trump and others, I first listened to as many love songs on YouTube as I could stand before switching to a three-hour compilation of Bob Dylan's greatest hits.

That was the right choice because rather than dissipating, my riteous anger grew.

This is not the time for patriotic Americans to shrink back into silence, comforting ourselves that this monster is only in office for a few more days.

That is not the point. As an elected official, Trump already is history. He has no remaining power as those few still around him are looking for ways to get away if they can and the national security apparatus is telling its officials to stay on high alert and disobey any irrational orders he may try to issue.

He is a mad man, but more importantly he is a traitor.

As a society we must have the strength to place him on trial for his crimes. Of course this will make him even more of a martyr than he already is, but the alternative is unthinkable. If he can get away with this, anyone can.

And they will try to.

The prosecutors can start with Donald Trump, Jr., Rudy Giuliani, and others who spoke at the Wednesday rally urging the crowd to march on the Capitol. They deserve to be tried, convicted and sentenced as well.

In our lifetimes, we have seen the end other dictators came to -- Mussolini, Hitler, Sadaam Hussein, Gaddafi. Trump deserves no better than they got but as we are a nation of laws, he will be given a fair trial and a just punishment rather than being beaten to death in a gutter.

That is all right. May Justice Be Done.

* Army Secretary Says A 'Non-Scalable' 7-Foot Fence Is Going Up Around U.S. Capitol -- Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy said the fence will be in place for at least the next 30 days. He added that 6,200 members of the National Guard will be in the region by this weekend. (NPR)

* Donald Trump’s Final Days -- The best outcome would be for him to resign to spare the U.S. another impeachment fight. (Editorial/WSJ)

* "No one around (Trump) will listen to his orders. He's a very flawed human being" (Former WH Chief of Staff John Kelly to CNN)

* Trump spent more than 24 hours after instigating a mob to violently storm the Capitol trying to escape reality.Cloistered in the White House, Trump raged uncontrollably about perceived acts of betrayal. He tuned out advisers who pleaded with him to act responsibly. He was uninterested in trying to repair what he had wrought. And he continued to insist he had won the election, even as his own vice president certified the fact that he had not. (CHRON)

* Two of Trump's Cabinet secretaries -- Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos -- are resigning over the riot Wednesday at the U.S. Capitol. The secretaries were among a number of administration officials who announced they were leaving in the wake of a mob of pro-Trump supporters breaching the U.S. Capitol. (CNN)

* Trump has increasingly isolated himself in the White House, relying on a small group of diehard loyalists and lashing out at those who dare to cross him, including Vice President Mike Pence, said four sources familiar with the matter. (Reuters)

* How Social Media Made the Trump Insurrection a Reality (New Yorker)

* On Far-Right Websites, Plans To Storm Capitol Were Made In Plain Sight (NPR)

* ‘Nothing can stop what’s coming’: Far-right forums that fomented Capitol riots voice glee in aftermath (WashPo)

* As images and social media posts of Wednesday's insurrection at the U.S. Capitol circulate online, some of those who were present are being identified, and some have lost or left their jobs because of it. (CNN)

* 'What Happened Yesterday Is Textbook Terrorism,' D.C. Mayor Says (NPR)

* U.S. lawmakers say police downplayed threat of violence before Capitol siege (Reuters)

* Senate Leader McConnell Accepts Resignation of Senate Sergeant-At-Arms (NPR)

* The U.S. Capitol Police confirmed the death of one of their officers late Thursday from injuries suffered when a mob of Trump's supporters stormed the Capitol a day before.Capitol Police said in a statement that Officer Brian D. Sicknick died at approximately 9:30 p.m. ET Thursday "due to injuries sustained while on-duty." (CNN)

* Federal investigators are looking at everyone involved in the unrest at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, including the role Trump played in inciting the crowd, the acting U.S. attorney in Washington, DC, said Thursday.Asked directly by a reporter on a press call if investigators were looking at the role Trump played at the rally, acting U.S. Attorney Michael Sherwin said, "We're looking at all actors here and anyone that had a role and, if the evidence fits the elements of the crime, they're going to be charged." (CNN)

* U.S. airlines, airports tighten security in DC-area after unrest (Reuters)

* American Airlines is banning alcohol on flights to and from Washington, DC, as the aviation industry ramps up safety measures following the Capitol riots (Business insider)

* Bring the Insurrectionists to Justice -- The politicians who egged them on should also be made to pay a heavy price. (Peggy Noonan/WSJ)

* The framers would have seen the mob at the Capitol as traitors (Stamford Advocate)

* YouTube Announces New 'Strike' Policy Punishing Channels Posting False Claims (popculture.com)

* Facebook Bans President Trump From Posting For The Rest Of His Presidency (NPR)

* McConnell and McCarthy have led Republicans to disaster -- they must go...(WashPo)

* Simon & Schuster Cancels Plans for Senator Hawley’s Book --The publisher faced calls to drop the Missouri Republican’s upcoming book, “The Tyranny of Big Tech,” following criticism of his efforts to overturn the presidential election. (NYT)

* Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine appears effective against mutation in new coronavirus variants -study (Reuters)

* ‘We’re Probably Not Alone’: Harvard Astronomer Believes Alien Debris Passed Earth In 2017 (CBS)

***

'Twas in another lifetime, one of toil and blood
When blackness was a virtue the road was full of mud
I came in from the wilderness, a creature void of form
Come in, she said
I'll give ya shelter from the storm
And if I pass this way again, you can rest assured
I'll always do my best for her, on that I give my word
In a world of steel-eyed death, and men who are fighting to be warm
Come in, she said
I'll give ya shelter from the storm
Not a word was spoke between us, there was little risk involved
Everything up to that point had been left unresolved
Try imagining a place where it's always safe and warm
Come in, she said
I'll give ya shelter from the storm
I was burned out from exhaustion, buried in the hail
Poisoned in the bushes an' blown out on the trail
Hunted like a crocodile, ravaged in the corn
Come in, she said
I'll give ya shelter from the storm
Suddenly I turned around and she was standin' there
With silver bracelets on her wrists and flowers in her hair
She walked up to me so gracefully and took my crown of thorns
Come in, she said
I'll give ya shelter from the storm
Now there's a wall between us, somethin' there's been lost
I took too much for granted, I got my signals crossed
Just to think that it all began on an uneventful morn
Come in, she said
I'll give ya shelter from the storm
Well, the deputy walks on hard nails and the preacher rides a mount
But nothing really matters much, it's doom alone that counts
And the one-eyed undertaker, he blows a futile horn
Come in, she said
I'll give ya shelter from the storm
I've heard newborn babies wailin' like a mournin' dove
And old men with broken teeth stranded without love
Do I understand your question, man, is it hopeless and forlorn
Come in, she said
I'll give ya shelter from the storm
In a little hilltop village, they gambled for my clothes
I bargained for salvation and she gave me a lethal dose
I offered up my innocence I got repaid with scorn
Come in, she said
I'll give ya shelter from the storm
Well, I'm livin' in a foreign country but I'm bound to cross the line
Beauty walks a razor's edge, someday I'll make it mine
If I could only turn back the clock to when God and her were born
Come in, she said
I'll give ya shelter from the storm

-- Bob Dylan
Web results

-30-

World Gone Insane

Extraordinary events touch all of us directly and indirectly, even when they seem remote and confined to whatever screen we are currently fixated on.

That includes me. My well-oiled production system went haywire yesterday, January 6, 2021. The day started out all right. As usual, I'd completed my research and writing not long after midnight, copy-edited my essay, did one last check of news sources, and hit the "publish" button at my website.

Later, as per usual, I got up, reread the essay before copying and pasting my work here at Facebook.

After a few hours of sleep, I woke up to the news that thousands of Trump supporters had gathered in Washington. That was when a true sense of foreboding started taking over my day.

On a personal level, it was supposed to be a joyful day, focused on family. One of my grandsons had turned 14 the day before and one of my granddaughters turned 7 yesterday. I was looking forward to them opening the presents I'd ordered from Etsy. (I'm trying to quit the Amazon addiction.)

Also, my youngest daughter was flying across the country and I'm one of those Dads who checks the flight status repeatedly when my kids are in the air. Pathetic of me, I know. But my presumption is with me staying in such close contact with the airline, the plane will function properly and the pilot will stay alert. I just want her to be safe; she knows that and tolerates my silliness.

As it happened, her initial flight was late and as a result she missed her connection in Detroit.

Whenever one of my kids spends some time in my native state, it makes me hungry for news. "Do things seem normal there?" I texted her. By now the coup was underway in Washington, and as a journalist I was on full alert for any signs of trouble anywhere. She texted back that everything seemed fine.

After a long delay she finally made it to Newark last night and via Lyft to her house.

At least in that one matter, I could relax.

Here, my sweet little granddaughter liked the present I got her and reveled in turning the august age of seven, somethings she's been anticipating for at least a year. When I asked her if she felt any older, she got a thoughtful expression and shook her head.

"Nope."

During all of this personal stuff, the events in the Capitol preyed on my mind, and I started posting repeatedly, ignoring my usual protocols. I called for Trump's impeachment, then I denounced the traitors, and finally when I saw the photo of the noose they'd erected, I threw together my fourth post of the day around 11 p.m. last night.

Now, the day after, I am emotionally exhausted. After a fitful sleep, I awoke late to confirm it was not a nightmare, it was the reality of a world gone insane.

***

The news:

* A growing number of lawmakers -- including from Democratic leadership -- are calling for President Donald Trump to be removed from office either through impeachment or the 25th Amendment to the Constitution after a violent mob of Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol on Wednesday. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer put out a statement Thursday denouncing the "insurrection" at the Capitol "incited by the President," and saying, "This President should not hold office one day longer." House Speaker Nancy Pelosi joined the call later Thursday at a news conference. "I join the Senate Democratic leader in calling on the Vice President to remove this President by immediately invoking the 25th Amendment," Pelosi said. "If the vice president and the Cabinet do not act, the Congress may be prepared to move forward with impeachment that is the overwhelming sentiment of my caucus and the American people." (CNN)

* Mitch McConnell's wife, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao said in a statement Thursday that she is resigning, becoming the first Cabinet member to leave the administration in the wake of President Donald Trump's response to a mob of his supporters breaching the US Capitol. In the statement, addressed to the agency she led, Chao wrote that she will resign effective Monday and was "deeply troubled" by the "entirely avoidable" events at the Capitol building. (CNN)

* A Mob and the Breach of Democracy: The Violent End of the Trump Era -- Those who warned of worst-case scenarios under President Trump — only to be dismissed as alarmists — found some of their darkest fears realized in the storming of the Capitol on Wednesday. (NYT)

*  Nearly 6,200 National Guard are being mobilized to provide security to D.C. (CNN)

* Pence and McConnell defy Trump — after years of subservience (WashPo)

* A Democratic Triumph in Georgia, Overshadowed by Right-Wing Violence in Washington (NYT)

* Trump Is to Blame for Capitol Attack -- The president incited his followers to violence. There must be consequences. (By The Editorial Board/NYT)

* Trump caused the assault on the Capitol. He must be removed. (Editorial Board/WashPo)

* The insurrection at the U.S. Capitol was both stunning and predictable, the result of a Republican Party that has repeatedly enabled President Donald Trump's destructive behavior. (AP)

* Trump has committed treason (WashPo)

* As thousands of Trump’s fanatical supporters smashed windows and stormed the U.S. Capitol, realizing a plot that was apparently brewing for days, at least one historian was not surprised in the least. “I hate it when I’m right,” said Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a New York University professor and fascism expert who has been warning that Trump would resort to force rather than leave office peacefully. [HuffPost]

* Flying the flag of fascism for Trump (WashPo)

* Trump, Hawley and Cruz will each wear the scarlet ‘S’ of a seditionist (George Will/WashPo)

* Capitol breach prompts urgent questions about security failures (WashPo)

* Lawmakers are vowing an investigation into how law enforcement botched the violent breach at the Capitol. U.S. Capitol Police, charged with protecting Congress, turned to other law enforcement for help with the mob that overwhelmed the complex and sent lawmakers into hiding. Outraged lawmakers from both parties said the police force seemed inexplicably understaffed and unprepared, even though Trump had stoked the mob at an earlier rally and talk of the insurrection had been brewing for days online. [AP]

* There are 3 problems with our media that are fueling polarization: 1. The closing of 2,000 local papers, which are typically not very partisan; 2. Cable news maximizing audience share by adopting political stances (Fox); and 3. Social media’s supercharging of conspiracy theories. (Andrew Yang/Twitter)

* U.S. Is Blind to Contagious New Virus Variant, Scientists Warn -- It’s not too late to curb the contagious variant’s spread in the U.S., experts say — but only with a national program for genetic sequencing.(NYT)

* With Mass Arrests, Beijing Exerts an Increasingly Heavy Hand in Hong Kong (NYT)

* The Last Two Northern White Rhinos On Earth -- What will we lose when Najin and Fatu die? (NYT)

* New Food Safety Law Requires Restaurant Workers To Take Full Bubble Bath After Using Restroom (The Onion)