Savor the News

For me, sorting through the news and choosing which stories to blend is a process much like cooking a meal. There's chopped onion, garlic, peppers, mushrooms, there's cut cilantro for the end, there's powdered ginger, turmeric, there's either butter or olive oil. Heat it slowly, sauté everything gently.

Luckily I have tasters who help me when I cook. They are small so I bend over with the sauce in a spoon and blow on it so they don't burn their mouths. If it's good they give me a thumb's up.

With the news, there are fewer testers. How much on any given topic can people stand? Normal people are not news junkies so they don't mainline the stuff. I figure a little bit here, a little bit there is the best option.

So yes, aggregating news is a bit like cooking meals. You do it every day and no two days are ever quite the same unless you use recipes.

I don't use recipes.

***

If it were up to you, how would you interpret the intelligence that extremists have targeted Biden's state of the Union address for their next assault on the Capitol?

First, there's no particular reason Biden has to deliver such an address during his first year in office; many Presidents do not. So there is not yet any specific date for planning purposes, and it may not occur until next year.

So does that mean that all the online noise about attacking the Capitol again when Biden gives the speech is just idle chatter?

After January 6th, intelligence officials cannot be certain of anything.

***

The ongoing battle between the Internet giants and various governments -- Australia's, and several in Europe -- over paying media companies for news stories is a high-stakes war that affects all of us. Every day there's something new to know.

Here in the U.S., we've seen how powerfully destructive the fake news spread by conspiracy theorists can elect a President like Trump who tells his followers that people like me are the "enemies of the people."

So who are we? Journalists work to gather and document what is factual as opposed to the fantasies spun by Trump and his enablers. We are the people who determine, among other things, if the available evidence indicates an election was fair or stolen.

And we do that whether it's Democrats or Republicans who win. We don't make very good partisans.

We do this work on the assumption that it matters; that our society is stronger and safer when decisions are based in facts and science than when based on lies and fantasies.

Somehow we developed the idea that we are the friends of the people.

But we are not the ones who decide that. The question for those who see what we do is, "Does it taste good, or should we smother it in salt?"

***

As the first news story below indicates, the Biden administration has apparently decided to continue with the now well-established U.S. practice of waging war (this time in Syria) without a vote in Congress. With all of the talk on all sides about valuing the Constitution, exactly where again, remind me, in that document does it say that war in the Middle East is at the prerogative of the executive branch?

I must have missed that section.

The heds:

*  President Joe Biden on Thursday ordered airstrikes on buildings in Syria that the Pentagon said were used by Iranian-backed militias, in retaliation for rocket attacks on U.S. targets in neighboring Iraq. The strikes killed at least 22 people, London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Friday, citing unconfirmed local reports. (NBC)

* Members of militia groups involved in the Jan. 6 pro-Trump riot are plotting "to blow up the Capitol and kill as many members as possible,' focusing on the State of the Union, U.S. Capitol Police acting Chief Yogananda Pittman said. [HuffPost]

* Saudi crown prince approved fatal Khashoggi operation, U.S. report concludes (WashPo)

* The Coronavirus Is Plotting a Comeback. Here’s Our Chance to Stop It for Good. -- Many scientists are expecting another rise in infections. But this time the surge will be blunted by vaccines and, hopefully, widespread caution. By summer, Americans may be looking at a return to normal life. (NYT)

* Federal health officials are urging gymgoers to wear a mask at all times while exercising indoors after two separate studies found high coronavirus transmission during exercise classes at gyms in Hawaii and Illinois. In an Illinois gym, the CDC said, 68% of people who attended indoor exercise classes ended up contracting the virus. [HuffPost]

* New Covid cases among residents of nursing homes have dropped more than 80 percent since vaccines became available, and deaths have decreased by more than 65 percent (NYT)

* WHO Interested in Second Wuhan Market (WSJ)

* The newest pledges by countries to cut greenhouse gas emissions are falling far short of what's needed to limit global warming to what the Paris climate accord seeks, a new United Nations report says. (AP)

* Unprecedented numbers of students have disappeared during the pandemic. Schools are working harder than ever to find them. (WashPo)

* With One Move, Congress Could Lift Millions Of Children Out Of Poverty -- Lawmakers are weighing a proposal to give families with kids a monthly, cash benefit to help ease the lifelong pull of poverty. Experts say it could cut U.S. child poverty nearly in half. (NPR)

* Neera Tandems imperiled confirmation to lead the Office of Management and Budget in the Biden White House hinges on the support of Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, a GOP senator with a history of crossing party line. If she comes out against Tanden, the nominee’s path to confirmation will likely disappear in the evenly divided Senate. [HuffPost]

* Experts: No serious side effects from vaccine seen (NHK)

* So far. 6.9% of the U.S. population has been vaccinated. (CNN)

* The joy of vax: The people giving the shots are seeing hope, and it’s contagious (WashPo)

* As Fires Worsen, A Mental Health Crisis For Those Battling The -- Wildfires are burning more frequently and intensely in a warming world, making them harder to put out. Some fire agencies are expanding support as they see increased cases of anxiety and depression. (NPR)

* Royal Dutch Shell vowed last September to reach net-zero carbon pollution in its business by 2050. The vague goal seemed to become more realistic when the corporation announced earlier this month that its crude oil production had peaked in 2019 and would likely never increase again. Yet the oil giant has continued to fund a network of lobbying groups that fight policies to curb planet-heating emissions and rein in new drilling. [HuffPost]

* What Happened To The Butterflies? Climate, Deforestation Threaten Monarch Migration -- The population of monarch butterflies that migrated south to Mexico to hibernate fell 26% in 2020 compared with the previous year, according to a new report. (NPR)

*As fractures emerge among Proud Boys, experts warn of a shift toward extremist violence (WashPo)

* Across the state, Californians speak more than 200 languages.That means not everybody is getting the pandemic information they need. [The Sacramento Bee]

* On the edge of the Salton Sea, officials and investors see an opportunity to extract lithium, “white gold,” a critical element for batteries. A state lawmaker wants to create a “Lithium Valley.” But environmental justice advocates fear that communities of color will bear the brunt of any negative effects. [CalMatters]

* The same coyote has bitten five people in the Lafayette and Moraga areas. [The San Francisco Chronicle]

* That picture of a rolling, verdant hill under a brilliant blue sky that was the default background for Windows XP is one of the most viewed images in history, and the hill is in Sonoma, off Highway 12. [SFGate]

* Armenia in an Uproar, as Its Prime Minister Warns of an ‘Attempted Military Coup’ (NYT)

* When Facebook disabled Australians’ access to news articles on its platform, and blocked sharing of articles from Australian news organizations, the company moved a step closer to killing the World Wide Web – the hyperlink-based system of freely connecting online sites created in 1989 by Tim Berners-Lee. Though the social media giant has said it will return to the negotiating table and restore news for now, the company has shown its hand – and how it is continuing to reshape the web. (Syracuse Prof. Jennifer Grygiel/ NextGov)

* Mr. Potato Head Brand Goes Gender Neutral (NYT)

* A cat that went astray about 15 years ago has been reunited with its owner in the L.A. area. Brandy, a brown tabby, was reunited Monday afternoon with Charles, who adopted her as a 2-month-old kitten in 2005. She was identified by a microchip implanted when she was adopted. (AP)

* City’s Little Italy Now Down To Single Meatball (The Onion)

***

I've sailed the southern oceans
And the stormy northern sea
But now that me sailin's over, me boys
It's harbor time for me
I know you call us Salt and Pepper
For an old salt I may be
But though she may be pepper to you, me boys
She's sweet as sugar to me

-- Harry Chapin

-30-

War of the Viruses

If you're the kind of person who looks for good news amidst the bad you'll be glad to hear that the flu has essentially disappeared this winter. Health experts believe that some of the preventive measures against SARS-CoV-2 may be responsible, such as masking, social distance, hand sanitizing, reduced travel, closed schools, as well as widespread flu shots.

 But there is also another, more intriguing theory:

That the coronavirus may have "muscled aside" the flu this time around. I sort of liken it to a War of the Worlds scenario -- Covid v. Flu -- or like that King Kong remake, where the monsters try to kill each other before taking on us humans.

Meanwhile, more good news is the evidence building daily that the Covid vaccines are effective in preventing both serious illness and also the spread of new infections. So although it may be premature to do so, I am readying myself to celebrate the end of this pandemic one fine day to come.

When the time is right we can proclaim that humans, with all of our defects, have defeated a common enemy. Then we can smoke cigars like they did in "Independence Day."

***

As much as I would like to focus on the good it would be irresponsible to ignore the stupidity prevalent in our pubic life. Especially when it involves cruelty. 

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) mocked her neighbor at the U.S. Capitol — Rep. Marie Newman (D-Ill.) -- by making a scene out of erecting an anti-transgender sign outside their offices on Wednesday. 

This may have been a political statement but it also was personal. Newman's daughter is transgender.

Any of us who are blessed to have family members and friends raising children who don't fit into conventional sexual and gender stereotypes -- frankly any human being who has feelings -- knows that Greene's action was unspeakable. It is this kind of behavior that causes deep hurt and also violence against people we love and treasure.

Greene's smirk recorded by her videographer as she unveiled her sign is precisely what the combination of hate and ignorance looks like. And a reminder that this is the face of those who worship Trump.

It is also a reminder that we need to remain vigilant about what is happening in this country. Our better instincts as an electorate prevailed in the last election, but the monster is not dead yet and his minions like Greene remain unrepentant, yearning for his return.

***

The headlines:

* Amid COVID-19 pandemic, flu has disappeared in the U.S. (AP)

* Release of Report on Killing of Jamal Khashoggi Soon (NPR)

* Atlantic Ocean circulation is weaker than it has been in 1,000 years, scientists say (WashPo)

* Behind the Nashville Bombing, a Conspiracy Theorist Stewing About the Government (NYT)

* President Joe Biden nominated three postal experts to the governing board of the U.S. Postal Service. If confirmed by the Senate, Democrats would control the Board of Governors, which has the authority to fire Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, a major GOP donor and Trump supporter whose tenure has been mired by slow service and politicization. [AP]

* “The president (Biden) has been clear to all of us — words matter, tone matters and civility matters,” said Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary. (NYT)

* Many of Biden’s nominees of color run into turbulence in the Senate (WashPo)

* Biden is having trouble holding the progressive/moderate Democratic coalition that elected him together. (CNN)

* Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Greene mocked her neighbor at the U.S. Capitol — Rep. Marie Newman — by erecting an anti-transgender sign outside her office. Newman, whose daughter is transgender, is an advocate of the Equality Act, a bill that would ban discrimination against people based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The House is expected to vote on the bill this week. [HuffPost]

* House passes Equality Act -- The legislation would amend federal civil rights laws to ensure protections for LGBTQ Americans in employment, education, housing, credit, jury service and other areas. (WashPo)

* Police officers who defended the Capitol during the Jan. 6 insurrection did not properly lock down the building and were unsure of the rules for using deadly force against the rioters, according to the acting chief of the Capitol Police. In a statement submitted for a House hearing today, Yogananda Pittman provides new details about the problems that hobbled the police’s response. [AP]

* ‘If not us, then who?’: After battling covid at work, doctors and nurses fight misinformation online (WashPo)

*Claudette Colvin: the woman who refused to give up her bus seat – nine months before Rosa Parks (The Guardian)

* On Wednesday, California surpassed 50,000 known coronavirus deaths, the first state to reach that chilling milestone. (California Today)

* Senate confirms former Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm to head Energy Dept. (WashPo)

* Facebook Fight Over Media Payments Shifts to Europe (WSJ)

* Australia passes law to make Google, Facebook pay for news (AP)

* India tightens regulatory grip on Facebook, WhatsApp with new rules (Reuters)

 * Ghana on Wednesday became the first country to receive a shipment of coronavirus vaccines through the World Health Organization’s Covax distribution program. (Reuters)

* Philadelphia 76ers guard Seth Curry has quietly become the most accurate 3-point shooter in the league—and his own family. (WSJ)

* In college basketball, #3 Michigan (17-1) routed #9 Iowa (17-7), 79-57 in a Big Ten matchup of two of the country's best teams. (ESPN)

* NASA Welcomes Litter Of Mars Rovers After Successful Breeding Of Perseverance, Curiosity (The Onion)

***

"Different Kind of Love"

Sometimes the only solace I can find
Is my old faded dreams
Can I get unstuck?
Is it worth too much?
I need a different kind of love

-- Songwriter: Mason Hickman

-30-

Losing Our Poets and Our Topsoil

With the passing of Lawrence Ferlinghetti, a significant guardian of San Francisco's post-war bloom has left us. For me, like so many others, his City Lights bookstore was on my list in 1971 as one of *the* places to visit.  I saw him there on several occasions. He even rang me up once.

Over the years, I'd meet up with writers whose pieces I was editing at City Lights and we would migrate to one of the nearby cafes -- Vesuvio or Trieste -- to work over coffee. It made us feel cool. The spirit of the Beats from the 50s permeated everything we did as our version of an alternative culture made up of the hippies of the Haight and the radicals of Berkeley went seriously viral.

In 2001, I edited an interview of Ferlinghetti conducted by my friend, the journalist Ken Kelley. The poet was in a nostalgic, unhappy mood, as he watched gentrification drive high rents that made the lifestyles of poets, artists, freelance journalists and the rest of us so much more difficult than it had been in his younger years.

His spirit was generous -- he wanted us to have the experiences that had inspired him.

By 2015, I was at KQED when we interviewed him again, and he expressed his ongoing disappointment with how the city had seemingly abandoned its old spirit to become an elite playground for rich people.

But change is inevitable and the good old days were never quite as good as our memories suggest. There was a lot of poverty in San Francisco, especially among minorities back then and there still is, and I'm afraid that all of us who identified with the beatniks, hippies and radicals haven't collectively been able to change that in any lasting way.

None of that is to disparage the spirit of Ferlinghetti. He probably accomplished more than he realized by remaining a symbol of an alternative way to live life and also by simply living so long. Until Monday he was still among us, although most current residents of his city probably didn't know that. Now he is gone, everybody knows that. 

Death is funny that way. You don't know what you had until it is gone.

***

Among the obscure but extremely important stories moving today is a report on the continuing loss of fertile topsoil in the part of the country where I grew up -- the upper Midwest. Scientists have long since established that this devastating loss is due to modern industrial farming methods.

The use of chemicals, both fertilizers and pesticides, is largely to blame. These kill off beneficial  creatures that keep the soil healthy, including earthworms that aerate the soil -- keeping it moist and oxygenated. Before petrochemicals, multiple microorganisms also contributed to this vital process.

Mono-cropping plays a deleterious role, as does the use of heavy machinery, which compacts the soil. These various factors increase the runoff that causes rainfalls to carry soil away -- permanently.

Of course, these mechanical and chemical techniques also boost overall food production, helping to feed the world.

By contrast, organic farming methods rely on time-tested techniques like crop rotation, composting, mulching, biological pest and weed control, and diversity to preserve and renew topsoil during the farming process.

Organic farming is time- and labor-intensive. It yields food that is more local and seasonal in nature, healthier and often much tastier than the industrial produce available in your typical supermarket. But the overall output is lower.

Also, the fruits and vegetables grown this way may have some scarring and not be as pretty as their industrial counterparts; they also are more expensive, but we as consumers have to be willing to shoulder these tradeoffs for a healthier, sustainable food system that will last into the future.

Again, the headline is that we are losing the topsoil that enables this alternative lifestyle. Death isn't funny that way. You don't know what you had until it is gone.

***

The news:

* With New Grand Jury, Justice Department Revives Investigation Into Death of George Floyd (NYT)

* “We properly planned for a mass demonstration with possible violence,” said former Capitol Police chief Steven A. Sund. “What we got was a military-style, coordinated assault on my officers and a violent takeover of the Capitol Building.” (WashPo)

* Representative Deb Haaland of New Mexico, President Biden’s pick to head the Interior Department, was questioned on past remarks as an activist opposing the fossil fuel industry. (Reuters)

* Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said he would back the nomination of Merrick Garland to be the next U.S. attorney general, even though he refused to allow a hearing on his nomination to the Supreme Court five years ago. [HuffPost]

* One third of the cropland in the upper Midwest has entirely lost its fertile topsoil, according to a new study. Other scientists doubt that figure, but agree that soil loss is a big problem.(NPR)

* Net neutrality law to take effect in California after judge deals blow to telecom industry (WashPo)

* Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday signed a sweeping, $7.6 billion state relief package that will send $600 payments to millions of low-income and undocumented Californians. [CapRadio]

* Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose vaccine offers strong protection against severe COVID-19, according to an analysis released Wednesday by U.S. regulators that sets the stage for a final decision on a new and easier-to-use shot to help tame the pandemic. (AP)

* Biden administration to deliver 25 million free cloth masks to low-income Americans (WashPo)

* Studies Examine Variant Surging in California, and the News Isn’t Good (NYT)

* The agency that controls much of California’s water supply released numbers that reinforced fears the state is falling into another drought. [The Sacramento Bee]

* For children learning English, speaking the language can be a way to fit in. But teachers worry that remote learning means some students aren't hearing even casual English outside their classes. (NPR)

* LGBT Identification Rises to 5.6% in Latest U.S. Estimate (Gallup)

* Facebook to invest $1 billion in news industry after Australia row (Reuters)

* Congress could prevent 19 million unsafe abortions around the world every year if it rescinded the Helms Amendment, a 1973 law that prevents American foreign aid from being used to pay for abortions, according to a new report. The report found that the overall number of maternal deaths due to unsafe abortions would decline by 98% in the 33 countries that the Helms Amendment affects. [HuffPost]

‌* Biden administration readies sanctions on Russia for SolarWinds hack, Navalny poisoning (WashPo)

* The government dropped drunken driving and reckless driving charges against Bruce Springsteenon Wednesday stemming from an incident in November, admitting that the rocker’s blood-alcohol level was so low that it didn’t warrant the charges. Springsteen pleaded guilty to a third charge, consuming alcohol in a closed area, the Gateway National Recreation Area. Better known as Sandy Hook, it is an Atlantic Ocean peninsula with views of the New York City skyline. (AP)

* Japan Appoints Minister Of Loneliness (The Onion)

***

If you're going to San Francisco
Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair
If you're going to San Francisco
You're gonna meet some gentle people there

For those who come to San Francisco
Summertime will be a love-in there
In the streets of San Francisco
Gentle people with flowers in their hair

-- Scott McKenzie

-30-

Seeing The Sparkles

As the temperature hereabouts soared to 80 degrees, I was reminded again of Northern California's odd ability to transition from winter to spring and back again, over and over depending on how often the rains come.It's a very dry year so far, but there has been snow in the Sierra and the grasses around here are green. Thus the clear skies and warm air are a mixed blessing; we need more rainstorms and won't complain if this faux-spring holds off at least until April or so.

Among the unsolicited phone calls that came in on a very warm yesterday was one from the Czech Republic. I never answer calls from unknown numbers; perhaps that was an opportunity missed, for the caller if not for me. At the same time, new friend requests come in daily via Facebook, but since I topped out at the arbitrary limit set by the social network a long time ago, I can't add a friend until I lose one.

Fortunately, a few dribble away most weeks so a few more can join the party.

According to Google, the average American has about 16 friends, about four of whom are "close" friends.  Google doesn't seem to be able to quantify how many friends, including close ones, that we may lose in a lifetime. Facebook, by contrast, allows each of us to have 5,000 friends and probably at least a few of us would be close friends if we ever had the chance to actually meet. 

On a vaguely related topic, isn't it convenient that in the comics the characters have those little clouds above their heads? So you can tell what they are thinking even when they are quiet?

I've always wished real life was like that. 

But in a way it is. If you pay attention to facial expressions, gestures and body language, you can tell a lot about what somebody is thinking, even sometimes what they subconsciously are expressing. Then of course there is what they say -- and don't say. 

All of that is routine but every now and then, very rarely, I meet somebody and something happens. I see sparkles over their heads. Sparkles -- that's the only way of describing it. Sort of like glitter or fireworks. 

It means I've just met a person with whom there is the possibility for a deep connection. The way life goes, that connection may or may not happen but I never forget the sparkles. Occasionally I even tell them about it, but that really is rare.

Even as we discover the friends we need; we have to reject others. Maybe there's a lesson from Facebook's odd limitation -- that we have to lose somebody in order to let somebody else in. Sort of a serial monogamy type of thing, only 5,000 times over.

For me, these are the types of thoughts that came to me when I was lying semi-conscious after my stroke, with mortality hanging over me like a cloud that might burst at any second. There were no wishes for money or food or fame or success of any kind. Not even sex. They were only about love.

It may sound silly or corny but that's why I write the way I do. 

***

Your news:

* Former Capitol Police Chief says Jan. 6 rioters "came prepared for war." (CNN)

* Facebook, Australia reach deal to restore news pages after shutdown (WashPo)

* Young People Struggle To Keep Friends Close As Pandemic Pulls Them Apart -- The pandemic has prolonged the post-graduation transition amid a tough economy. With the lack of in-person interaction, young professionals are trying to adjust to a diminishing social circle. (NPR)

* Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) traveled to Utah last week during the winter storms that claimed dozens of lives and knocked out power to millions of residents. Critics likened the Trump-supporting politician's travels to the Cancun getaway of Sen. Ted Cruz, who after blaming his kids has now turned to faulting the media for his blunder. [HuffPost]

* In his latest reform move, Los Angeles’s district attorney, George Gascon, is seeking information about officers with histories of misconduct that could affect their credibility in court. [The Los Angeles Times]

* Illinois Becomes 1st State To Eliminate Cash Bail (NPR)

* Following the passage of California's Proposition 22, corporations are hoping to press their advantage and use the model to convert millions more jobs to contract work. [Bloomberg]

* Sen. Josh Hawley, who famously cheered the Capitol protesters last month, asked Merrick Garland, Biden’s pick to lead the Department of Justice, about his stance on defunding the police. “As you no doubt know, President Biden has said he doesn’t support defunding the police, and neither do I,” Garland said at his Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing. [HuffPost]

* Gov. Gavin Newsom said that the state was reorganizing its vaccination efforts and that more doses would go to the Central Valley, which has been slammed by the pandemic. [The Bakersfield Californian]

* Scientists believe that if authorized, Novavax’s vaccine could be one of the more powerful weapons against the pandemic. It would be a shift in fortune for the company, which last year was struggling to survive. (WSJ)

* A police officer who battled the rioters in the Capitol last month was stunned by the racist slurs hurled at him. “I got called a [racist slur] a couple dozen times ... protecting this building,” said Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn, adding that a "large number" of people in the crowd were "racist." [HuffPost]

* California's governor recently approved a law that would extend a requirement that a vote-by-mail ballot be sent to every eligible voter to each election “proclaimed or conducted” before the beginning of 2022. [California Legislature]

* 74% of Americans believe voters should have the ability to cast absentee ballots by mail in future elections -- an idea supported by 62% of Republicans and even stronger majorities of independent and Democratic voters. [HuffPost]

* California’s almond bloom, the largest single pollination event on earth, has begun. [The San Luis Obispo Tribune]

* U.S. bank profits fell 36.5% in 2020 on pandemic concerns - FDIC (Reuters)

* Seven Hundred Leagues Beneath Titan’s Methane Seas -- Mars, Shmars; this voyager is looking forward to a submarine ride under the icebergs on Saturn’s strange moon. (NYT)

* The Cherokee Nation is asking Jeep to stop naming its SUVs after the Native American tribe. The automaker has been using the Cherokee brand name for about 45 years, but Chuck Hoskin Jr., principal chief of the Cherokee Nation, thinks enough is enough. “It’s time for both corporations and team sports to retire the use of Native American names, images and mascots from their products,” Hoskin told reporters. [HuffPost]

* As Pandemic Took Hold, Suicide Rose Among Japanese Women -- Job losses, urban isolation, household burdens: Covid-19 has compounded the pressures on women, raising alarms in a country that has worked to reduce some of the world’s highest suicide rates. (NYT)

* Lawrence Ferlinghetti, poet and titan of the Beat era, dies at 101 (LAT, WashPo)

* Golf legend Tiger Woods' lengthy emergency surgery following his one-vehicle rollover crash required the insertion of a rod, screws and pins to stabilize his leg, according to a statement on his Twitter account.Woods was "awake, responsive, and recovering," after the surgery at the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, the statement said. The 45-year-old was driving shortly after 7 a.m. PT on Tuesday in Rancho Palos Verdes, near Los Angeles, when the SUV he was using crossed a median and veered across two lanes of road before hitting a curb, hitting a tree and landing on its side in the brush.Woods remained conscious but sustained serious leg injuries, authorities said Tuesday. (CNN)

* Facebook Announces Plan To Break Up U.S. Government Before It Becomes Too Powerful (The Onion)

***

• 
• 

                The world is a beautiful place 
                                                           to be born into 
if you don’t mind happiness 
                                             not always being 
                                                                        so very much fun 
       if you don’t mind a touch of hell
                                                       now and then
                just when everything is fine
                                                             because even in heaven
                                they don’t sing 
                                                        all the time

-- Lawrence Ferlinghetti

-30-

Crumbling Into the Sea

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)

***

I hope that I won't be that wrong anymore
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

Someday I'll get over you
I'll live to see it all through
But I'll always miss
Dreaming my dreams with you

But I won't let it change me
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

Someday I'll get over you
I'll live to see it all through
But I'll always miss
Dreaming my dreams with you

Someday I'll get over you
I'll live to see it all through
But I'll always miss
Dreaming my dreams with you

Songwriter: Allen Reynolds

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Everyone's Story (How To)

Chatting with my CIR co-founder Dan Noyes yesterday about researching family history, he had some tips I can pass on, including tracing relatives through ancestry.com, the DNA-testing company. He says he's found some ancestors that way.

Of course, local newspapers have traditionally been the source for most family news from the pre-digital era. Plus if your relatives owned a business, they may have advertised in the local papers. There is always the possibility they ended up in the criminal or civil justice records, and of course property records can be a major source of information.

Some of this data is online, but you are more likely to be successful if you visit the area personally.

People who's served in the military are traceable, and some professional organizations keep historical records. Colleges as well, as Dan says that there is a service that is now digitizing school yearbooks.

Obituaries are always helpful; I just reread my mother's yesterday, and it contained details I'd forgotten. For instance, that she arrived in Detroit precisely on her 8th birthday in 1923. She died precisely on her mother's birthday 79 years later at the age of 87.

There are immigration records at Ellis Island (we have my grandfather's name on a ledger there) or Angel island, which is where many Asian-Americans entered the country.

If your family is religious, a church, synagogue or temple might be useful. And then there is the Mormon Church's tradition of collecting all of our vital records. 

You can always search marriage and divorce records, though these are localized for the most part.

Best of all, of course, are the kinds of journals and writings I discussed yesterday, along with photographs and old home movies. All of this material, when combined with personal interviews if you can do them, fill out the picture of a life.

It's conceivable that as more historical documents are digitized that merely entering relative's name in Google may yield results. 

You can also investigate your own life using all the same tools. It might be worth the effort,  especially if your name is of the less common variety. Google has gotten better and better at pinpointing which person you are among others with the same name.

All of this is in the spirit of capturing our lives for our ancestors and more generally for posterity. Every life matters. And that means that everyone's story does too.

***

The news:

* Continent-spanning storms triggered blackouts in Texas, Oklahoma and Mississippi, halted one-third of U.S. oil production and disrupted vaccinations in 20 states. (NYT)

* Factories are humming and consumers are spending again, signs that the United States could emerge from the current health crisis with its strongest growth in decades. The question is whether that fast-paced rebound can be made to last. (WashPo)

* Sullivan says U.S. has started communicating with Iran over detained Americans (Reuters)

* Some evangelical circles have incubated and spread conspiracy theories for years. It's part of a movement called Christian nationalism that researchers call a threat to American democracy. (NPR)

* The World Health Organization's preliminary report into the origins of the novel coronavirus will recommend more extensive contact tracing of the first known patient with Covid-19 in Wuhan, China, as well as the supply chain of nearly a dozen traders in the Huanan seafood market, which is thought to have played a role in the early spread of Covid-19 in late 2019, according to investigators familiar with the draft report. (CNN)

* Twice as many Americans have died from Covid-19 as early worst-case projections. (NYT)

* ‘Front of the pack’: Off-duty Pa. officer charged at police during the Capitol riots, FBI says (Washo)

* The Capitol rioters speak just like the Islamist terrorists I reported on (Jim Sciutto/WashPo)

* Huge crowds in Myanmar undeterred by worst day of violence following coup (Reuters)

* Waiving standardized test requirements during the pandemic brought more hopefuls to the Ivy League and large state schools, while less-selective colleges face an alarming drop. (NYT)

* More teachers are asked to double up, instructing kids at school and at home simultaneously (WashPo)

* French city of Nice asks tourists to stay away amid COVID surge (Reuters)

* The Boredom Economy -- The pandemic is terrible. It can also be tedious. And that tedium is shaping what people buy and how productive they are. (NYT)

* Members of Malcolm X's family have made public what they described as a letter written by a deceased police officer stating that the New York Police Department and FBI were behind the 1965 killing of the famed Black activist and civil rights advocate. (Reuters)

* As Biden seeks end to Yemen war, rebels press offensive for strategic province (WashPo)

* Is This the End of Tipping in Restaurants? (NYT)

* Australia's government pledged a publicity campaign for its rollout of COVID-19 vaccine on Sunday - but not in Facebook advertisements, as a feud continues over the social media giant blocking news content from its platform in the country. (Reuters)

* #3 Michigan (16-1) beat #4 Ohio State (18-5) 92-87 in a classic Big Ten basketball matchup, the first time in their 112-year history both were ranked in the top five nationally. (CBS)

* Archaeologists Uncover Separate Team Of Archaeologists Digging Towards Them From Other Side Of Globe (The Onion)

***

Yesterday
All my troubles seemed so far away
Now it looks as though they're here to stay
Oh, I believe in yesterday

-- The Beatles

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A Grandma's Story (How To)

One benefit of the pandemic? More family time, including the kind that skips a generation. And behind every elderly face lies a story, probably several.

Journalists may be able to help you get them out. You might even consider hiring a journalism student, because people will tell strangers things they would never tell their families.

But if you go DIY, the process isn't all that complicated. 

First of all, a general observation. The best way to get someone to talk is not to ask them to talk. Instead ask them to take a walk. 

Once they walk, they'll talk.

Or offer a cup of tea. You can't drink tea without talking.

But if you must set up a formal interview, for heaven's sake, don't ask for her whole life story at one sitting. Start small, just ask her questions that will prompt her memory. Such as...

"What flowers grew near your house?" 

"What was your favorite book?"

"What did your house smell like?"

"What was your pet's name?"

"What did you want for your birthday when you were small?"

"What was really scary back then?"

"Who took that photo?"

After those tidbits, maybe move on to the bigger things.

"Is there any dream you've had over and over?"

"How did you and Grandpa meet?"

"Where did you eat your first meal?"

"How did you get that scar?"

"Where did you go on your first date?"

You can go on and on if she is willing to go on and on. Over time, keep the questions open-ended and she'll volunteer to fill in the blanks. That's it. It is just that simple and just that difficult too.

But for one who has lost their partner, there is also a critical question you might consider that goes like this. 

"After he died, and you went outside for the first time, what was different?"

***

In my own case, one of my grandmothers did leave a written account of her early life. They clearly were difficult times; she had to run away from home (a farm in Canada) to avoid abuse. She never went back. But the tone of her story was not that of a victim, rather it was matter-of-fact, as if she were recalling a minor stomach ache.

She dictated her story to one of her daughters, who typed it up and gave it to the rest of us. My other grandmother and both grandfathers left no written records that I am aware of.

There are a few old black-and-white photos, some public records, and some oral accounts that my sisters and I know about the three grandparents we met.

That's it. You don't know what you don't know.

***

The news:

 * Extreme Cold Killed Texans in Their Bedrooms, Vehicles and Backyards -- At least 58 people died in storm-affected areas stretching to Ohio, victims of carbon monoxide poisoning, car crashes, drownings, house fires and hypothermia. (NYT)

* Deadly floods in India point to a looming climate emergency in the Himalayas (WashPo)

* Covid-19 Vaccination Delays Could Bring More Virus Variants -- Scientists say high rates of viral spread in a partially immunized population could encourage mutations that make the coronavirus harder to contain. (WSJ)

* Iran believes U.S. sanctions will soon be lifted despite continued "diplomatic wrangling" over reviving the nuclear deal, a government spokesman said on Saturday, signaling Tehran's desire to end the impasse while not offering a new position. (Reuters)

* Synthetic chemicals called phthalates are damaging children's brain development and therefore must be immediately banned from consumer products, according to a group of scientists and health professionals. Called "everywhere chemicals" because they are so common, phthalates are added to consumer products to make the plastic more flexible and harder to break. They are found in hundreds of auto, home, food and personal care items: food packaging; detergents; vinyl flooring, clothing, furniture and shower curtains; automotive plastics; lubricating oils and adhesives; rain and stain-resistant products; and scores of products including shampoo, soap, hair spray and nail polish, in which they make fragrances last longer. (CNN)

* And Then the Gorillas Started Coughing -- Humans are spreading the coronavirus to other animals. What does that mean for all of us? (NYT)

* Big Tech Employees Opened Wallets for Biden -- Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Apple and Facebook made up the biggest source of Biden campaign contributions among corporate employees. (WSJ)

* Enrollment at U.S. community colleges plummets amid pandemic (AP)

* Facebook has 'tentatively friended' us again, Australia says

 -- 

Facebook Inc is back at the negotiating table, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Saturday after the tech giant this week blocked news on its site in the country. (Reuters)

* U.S. probing possible ties between Roger Stone, Alex Jones and Capitol rioters (WashPo)

* More Oath Keeper Suspects Charged in Capitol Riot Plot -- Prosecutors say they were part of a military-style “stack” that stormed the Capitol. (NYT)

* Defense secretary vows stronger action against sex assault in the military (WashPo)

* Pandemic makes legal prostitution taboo in Nevada’s legal brothels (AP)

* When Baseball Cards Sell For Millions, They Lose Their Real Value (NPR)

* Online Speech Is Now an Existential Question for Tech -- Content moderation rules used to be a question of taste. Now, they can determine a service’s prospects for survival.(WSJ)

* How Ted Cruz Became the Least Sympathetic Politician in America (NYT)

* A top Syrian scientist spilled chemical weapons secrets to the CIA — until he was betrayed (WashPo)

* California says outdoor youth sports can resume in some counties -- New guidance released Friday says all outdoor sports can resume in California counties where COVID-19 case rates are at or below 14 people per 100,000. (AP)

* ‘The Penis Is The Male Reproductive Organ,’ Says Teacher To 5th-Grade Class That Has Already Watched Hundreds Of Hours Of Hardcore Pornography (The Onion)

***

Lying in my bed, I hear the clock tick and think of you
Caught up in circles
Confusion is nothing new
Flashback, warm nights
Almost left behind
Suitcase of memories
Time after

Sometimes you picture me
I'm walking too far ahead
You're calling to me, I can't hear
What you've said
Then you say, "go slow"
And I fall behind
The second hand unwinds

If you're lost you can look and you will find me
Time after time
If you fall, I will catch you, I'll be waiting
Time after time
If you're lost, you can look and you will find me
Time after time
If you fall, I will catch you, I will be waiting
Time after time

After my picture fades and darkness has
Turned to gray
Watching through windows
You're wondering if I'm okay
Secrets stolen from deep inside (deep inside)
And the drum beats out of time

If you're lost you can look and you will find me
Time after time
If you fall I will catch you, I'll be waiting
Time after time
If you're lost, you can look and you will find me
Time after time
If you fall, I will catch you, I will be waiting
Time after time
Time after time

I've got a suitcase of memories that I almost left behind
Time after time
Time, time, time
But you say to go slow but I fall behind
Time after time after time (after time, oh)

Songwriters: Robert Hyman / Cyndi Lauper

-30-