WASHINGTON — The FBI should have done more to gather intelligence before the Capitol riot, according to a watchdog report Thursday that also said no undercover FBI employees were on the scene on Jan. 6, 2021, and that none of the bureau's informants was authorized to participate. The report from the Justice Department inspector general's office knocks down a fringe conspiracy theory advanced by some Republicans in Congress that the FBI played a role in instigating the events that day, when rioters determined to overturn Republican Donald Trump's 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden stormed the building in a violent clash with police. The review, released nearly four years after a dark chapter in history that shook the bedrock of American democracy, was narrow in scope, but aimed to shed light on gnawing questions that have dominated public discourse, including whether major intelligence failures preceded the riot and whether the FBI in some way provoked the violence. 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The report offers a mixed assessment of the FBI's performance in the run-up to the riot, crediting the bureau for preparing for the possibility of violence and for trying to identify known "domestic terrorism subjects" who planned to come to Washington that day. But it said the FBI, in an action the now-deputy director described as a "basic step that was missed," failed to canvass informants across all 56 of its field offices for any relevant intelligence. That was a step, the report concluded, "that could have helped the FBI and its law enforcement partners with their preparations in advance of January 6." The report found 26 FBI informants were in Washington for election-related protests on Jan. 6, including three who were tasked with traveling to the city to report on others who were potentially planning to attend the day's events. While four informants entered the Capitol, none were authorized to do so by the bureau or to break the law, the report said. Rioters storm the West Front of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. Many of the 26 informants provided the FBI with information before the riot, but it "was no more specific than, and was consistent with, other sources of information" that the FBI acquired. The FBI said in a letter responding to the report that it accepts the inspection general's recommendation "regarding potential process improvements for future events." The lengthy review was launched days after the riot as the FBI faced questions over whether it had missed warning signs or adequately disseminated intelligence it received, including a Jan. 5, 2021, bulletin prepared by the FBI's Norfolk, Virginia, field office that warned of the potential for "war" at the Capitol. The inspector general found the information in that bulletin was broadly shared. FBI Director Chris Wray, who announced this week his plans to resign at the end of Biden's term in January, defended his agency's handing of the intelligence report. He told lawmakers in 2021 that the report was disseminated though the joint terrorism task force, discussed at a command post in Washington and posted on an internet portal available to other law enforcement agencies. "We did communicate that information in a timely fashion to the Capitol Police and (Metropolitan Police Department) in not one, not two, but three different ways," Wray said at the time. FBI Director Christopher Wray speaks March 11 during a hearing of the Senate Intelligence Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington. Separately, the report said the FBI's New Orleans field office was told by a source between November 2020 and early January 2021 that protesters were planning to station a "quick reaction force" in northern Virginia "to be armed and prepared to respond to violence that day in DC, if necessary." That information was shared with the FBI's Washington Field Office, members of intelligence agencies and some federal law enforcement agencies the day before the riot, the inspector general found. But there was no indication the FBI told northern Virginia police about the information, the report said. An FBI official told the inspector general there was "nothing actionable or immediately concerning about it." A cache of weapons at a Virginia hotel as part of a "quick reaction force" was a central piece of the Justice Department's seditious conspiracy case against Oath Keeper leader Stewart Rhodes and other members of the far-right extremist group. Trump supporters, including Douglas Jensen, center, confront U.S. Capitol Police on Jan. 6, 2021, in the hallway outside of the Senate chamber at the Capitol in Washington. The conspiracy theory that federal law enforcement officers entrapped members of the mob has been spread in conservative circles, including by some Republican lawmakers. Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., recently suggested on a podcast that agents pretending to be Trump supporters were responsible for instigating the violence. Former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., who withdrew as Trump's pick as attorney general amid scrutiny over sex trafficking allegations, sent a letter to Wray in 2021 asking how many undercover agents or informants were at the Capitol on Jan. 6 and if they were "merely passive informants or active instigators." Wray said the "notion that somehow the violence at the Capitol on January 6 was part of some operation orchestrated by FBI sources and agents is ludicrous." Images of chaos: AP photographers capture US Capitol riot Rioters scale a wall at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana) Supporters loyal to then-President Donald Trump attend a rally on the Ellipse near the White House on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Trump supporters participate in a rally in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) Trump supporters participate in a rally Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) Then-President Donald Trump gestures as he arrives to speak at a rally in Washington, on Jan. 6, 2021. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) People listen as then-President Donald Trump speaks during a rally Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Supporters of then-President Donald Trump try to break through a police barrier at the Capitol in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) A supporter of then-President Donald Trump is injured during clashes with police at the U.S. Capitol, Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) A rioter pours water on herself at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana) A Trump supporter holds a Bible as he gathers with others outside the Capitol, Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) Trump supporters try to break through a police barrier, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, at the Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) A demonstrator supporting then-President Donald Trump, is sprayed by police, Jan. 6, 2021, during a day of rioting at the Capitol.(AP Photo/John Minchillo) Rioters try to enter the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) U.S. Capitol Police try to hold back rioters outside the east doors to the House side of the U.S. Capitol, Jan 6, 2021. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) Rioters gather outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington, on Jan 6, 2021. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) Protesters gather outside the U.S. Capitol, Jan 6, 2021. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) Jacob Anthony Chansley, center, with other insurrectionists who supported then-President Donald Trump, are confronted by U.S. Capitol Police in the hallway outside of the Senate chamber in the Capitol, Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. Chansley, was among the first group of insurrectionists who entered the hallway outside the Senate chamber. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) U.S. Capitol Police hold rioters at gun-point near the House Chamber inside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) Lawmakers evacuate the floor as rioters try to break into the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Police with guns drawn watch as rioters try to break into the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Congressmen shelter in the House gallery as rioters try to break into the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) Members of Congress wear emergency gas masks as they are evacuated from the House gallery as rioters try to break into the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) The House gallery is empty after it was evacuated as rioters try to break into the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Rep. Andy Kim, D-N.J., cleans up debris and personal belongings strewn across the floor of the Rotunda in the early morning hours of Jan. 7, 2021, after rioters stormed the Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) Members of the DC National Guard surround the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Vice President Mike Pence and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., read the final certification of Electoral College votes cast in November's presidential election during a joint session of Congress after working through the night, at the Capitol in Washington, Jan. 7, 2021. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, Pool) A flag hangs between broken windows after then-President Donald Trump supporters tried to break through police barriers outside the U.S. Capitol, Jan 6, 2021. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) A flag that reads "Treason" is visible on the ground in the early morning hours of Jan. 7, 2021, after rioters stormed the Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) An ATF police officer cleans up debris and personal belongings strewn across the floor of the Rotunda in the early morning hours of Jan. 7, 2021, after rioters stormed the Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.CLEVELAND (AP) — Only the Cleveland Browns. Only a team beset by perpetual problems at quarterback for the better part of two decades can get a record-setting 497-yard, four-touchdown, jaw-dropping, where-did-that-come-from performance on Monday night from Jameis Winston — and still lose. History wrapped in misery. Only the Browns. Winston spoiled a high-level performance in Denver’s thin air by throwing a pair of pick-sixes — the second with 1:48 remaining — as the over the Browns (3-9), who have to wonder what their disappointing season might look like if Deshaun Watson had been benched before getting hurt. The loss ended any illusions the Browns had of making a late playoff push like they did a year ago. It also clinched the team’s 22nd losing season since its expansion rebirth in 1999. In his fifth start this season, Winston provided further evidence that the Browns made a major mistake by not switching QBs long before Watson ruptured his Achilles tendon on Oct. 20 against Cincinnati. Cleveland’s offense has come alive behind Winston, who has thrown for over 300 yards three times, something Watson didn’t do in 19 starts over his three suspension-shortened, injury-riddled seasons with the Browns. While there were some positives, Winston’s turnovers were too costly. “You’re not going to play perfect at the quarterback position. He knows that,” coach Kevin Stefanski said Tuesday on a Zoom call. “I know that ultimately he wants to do anything in his power to help this team win and that’s going to be taking care of the ball. But he also had moments there where he was moving that offense and did a nice job.” Winston may not be the long-term answer for the Browns, but he’s showing he can at least give them a viable option for 2025 while the club sorts through the tangled Watson situation, which continues to have a stranglehold on the franchise. In all likelihood, and assuming he’s fully recovered, Watson will be back next season in some capacity with the Browns, who are still on the hook to pay him $92 million — of his fully guaranteed $230 million contract — over the next two seasons. Releasing Watson would have damaging salary-cap implications, and while that would be a bitter financial pill for owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam to swallow, it could the Browns’ safest and easiest exit strategy. And if they needed any proof that such a strategy can work, the Browns only had to look across the field at the Broncos, who got out from under QB Russell Wilson’s monster contract by cutting him, taking the financial hit and drafting Bo Nix. After some common early growing pains, Nix has settled in and the rookie has the Broncos in the mix for a postseason berth. It wasn’t long ago that the Browns thought their quarterback concerns were behind them. Instead, they lie ahead. What’s working Stefanski’s decision to hand over the play-calling duties to first-year coordinator Ken Dorsey has been a positive. While the move hasn’t led directly to many wins, the Browns have moved the ball much more effectively and scored at least 20 points in three of five games since the switch after not scoring 20 in their first eight. What needs help An issue all season, Cleveland’s defense was again gashed for long plays and TDs, including a 93-yard scoring pass in the third quarter. The Browns have allowed 48 plays of 20-plus yards and 12 of at least 40 yards. Stock up WR Jerry Jeudy. His return to Denver was a personal and professional triumph — except on the scoreboard. Vowing revenge on the Broncos, who traded him to the Browns in March, Jeudy had the best game of his career, catching nine passes for 235 yards and a TD. Since Winston took over as Cleveland’s starter, Jeudy leads the league with 614 yards receiving. Jeudy just might be the No. 1 receiver the Browns have needed following Amari Cooper’s trade. Jordan Hicks gets an honorable mention after recording 12 tackles. Stock down K Dustin Hopkins. He missed a 47-yard field goal to end Cleveland’s first drive, setting the tone for a night of missed opportunities. After making 33 of 36 field goal tries in his first season with the Browns, Hopkins is just 16 of 23, with his inaccuracy raising questions why the team signed him to a three-year, $15.9 million contract in July. Injuries Stefanski had no updates from the game. ... LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah remains sidelined with a neck injury suffered on Nov. 2. Stefanski ruled him out again for Sunday’s game at Pittsburgh. Key number 552 — Yards of total offense for the Browns, just 10 shy of the single-game franchise record set in 1989. Up next A short turnaround before visiting the Steelers (9-3), who will be looking to avenge their 24-19 loss in Cleveland on Nov. 21. ___ AP NFL:HERENTALS, Belgium (AP) — Two-time Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel sustained multiple fractures, a dislocated collarbone and lung contusions when he crashed into a vehicle while training in Belgium on Tuesday. The 24-year-old Evenepoel broke his right shoulder blade, right hand and a rib, his Soudal Quick-Step team said. He was scheduled for surgery after further examinations revealed "contusions on both lungs and a luxation of the clavicle.” “The clavicle will be operated on this evening, which if successful, should allow Remco to leave hospital tomorrow,” the team said in an update Tuesday night. “There will then be a two-week period of immobilization required following this, after which a plan for his return to training can be made.” Evenepoel had been treated at a hospital in Anderlecht before being moved to a facility in Herentals. Belgian media reported Evenepoel was unable to avoid the door of a post office vehicle when it was swung open. He never lost consciousness, but the impact was heavy enough to break the frame of his bicycle. Photographs online showed Evenepoel sitting beside an ambulance, wrapped in a blanket and holding his arm. Evenepoel was the first cyclist to sweep the road race and time trial at an Olympic Games when he triumphed in both in Paris in August. A two-time world champion, Evenepoel also won the Spanish Vuelta in 2022 and finished third in the Tour de France this year. “He was lying on the ground for a while,” said Bart De Pelseneer, who has a butcher’s shop nearby. “It was clearly a heavy blow. The door of the postal car was also completely twisted. His bike was completely broken, they folded it up like a wheelchair. “When I went to look, he looked deathly pale. The emergency services gave him a Coke. His wife, Oumi, was here at about the same time as the emergency services.” AP cycling: https://apnews.com/hub/cyclingGabriel mimics Gyokeres in cheeky goal celebration in Arsenal win over Sporting in Champions League
Brewers love crafting a wide array of beers, but over time, beer drinkers have gravitated dramatically toward two key factors – hoppiness and drinkability.Here’s what we can see Russia’s warships and planes doing in new satellite images of Syria amid regime changeNone
NoneOlympic champion cyclist Evenepoel sustains fractures and a dislocated collarbone in training crashAlex Ovechkin lost 33 pounds this summer
Ken Martin joins The Lead
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The San Joaquin Valley has reached a dead end in its fight to clean up a toxic contaminant from its drinking water, with residents now facing the prospect of footing the bill for a mess created by Shell and Dow products. Fresnoland reviewed internal Shell and Dow memos, court records, and state documents and interviewed key officials to uncover a decades-long environmental crisis enabled by both corporate greed and bureaucratic neglect. The documents show how the companies’ products contaminated nearly 20% of San Joaquin Valley drinking water with a substance the EPA rates as toxic as Agent Orange’s deadliest dioxin. The companies sold pesticides laced with 1,2,3-trichloropropane (TCP), a manufacturing waste from gunpowder and plastics production. Shell marketed the farming products as pure – a scheme that saved them millions in disposal costs. Over 25 years since discovering the contamination, state water officials have failed to even map how far and deep the cancer-causing chemical had spread into the Valley’s aquifers. This summer, the City of Fresno trumpeted what seemed like a victory over this toxic past: a record-breaking $233 million settlement with Shell and Dow over TCP-contaminated drinking water – the largest of its kind in U.S. history. Shell and Dow admitted no wrongdoing in the Fresno settlement. But scratch the surface, and a darker truth emerges — the money will vanish in less than a decade, covering filtration costs for roughly eight years, according to interviews with city of Fresno officials Georgeanne White and Brock Buche. Once the settlement funds run dry, Fresno residents will be left to shoulder any remaining pollution cleanup, at a cost of millions each year. The city’s hollow victory points to a fundamental failure of state oversight. A quarter century after discovering widespread TCP contamination in California’s agricultural heartland, state water officials still can’t answer a basic question: Just how far and deep has this cancer-causing chemical spread into the aquifers? Neither the Department of Water Resources nor the state water board has mapped the full extent of TCP contamination that threatens drinking water for more than 8 million people across California. “Data gaps do exist where TCP characterization remains unknown,” said Blair Robertson, a state spokesperson, about the chemical’s underground contamination plumes. This regulatory blind spot has forced local water agencies to wage a desperate legal battle against two of the world’s most powerful corporations, often with little more than educated guesses about the true scope of the contamination they’re fighting. “It’s unknown how long that will take,” Buche, the city’s public utilities director, said of a true cleanup effort. “I’d be optimistic that we can remove most of it out of the aquifer by [the time the settlement money runs out], but only time will tell.” Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer declined to comment on the settlement. Of Fresno’s seemingly impressive $233 million settlement, $46 million will be spent on legal fees, and another $144 million on startup costs, city officials estimated. Only $42 million remains to start filtering Fresno’s polluted aquifer. Often, the TCP lawsuits filed over the last two decades have resulted in inconsistent lump sum settlements which don’t result in completely cleaning up the water, according to the state water board spokesperson Blair Robertson. Bakersfield, for instance, has roughly the same number of contaminated wells as Fresno but reached a settlement with Dow for just one-third of the amount, $81 million, according to city of Bakersfield spokesperson Joe Conroy. “We are aware of the settlements with individual water systems and that those settlements are not sufficient to provide a long-term solution in most, if not all, instances,” said Blair Robertson, a SWB spokesperson, in a statement. More needs to be done to ensure that Shell and Dow – and not residents – pay for the costs of clean up, Robertson added, but was unclear about where they planned to go next. “We are investigating/researching if there is a way to hold manufacturers such as Shell and Dow responsible for impacts in California.” While residents face an uncertain future, one group has profited handsomely from the Valley’s water crisis: private attorneys. Law firms have collected up to 40% of each settlement, according to city officials across the Valley involved in lawsuits with Shell and Dow, amassing potentially hundreds of millions in fees from the billion-dollar battle. With inadequate settlements and no coordinated state strategy to force Shell and Dow to fund a permanent solution, San Joaquin Valley residents have been left to grapple with the toxic legacy of industrial farming, according to a recent CalMatters report — and the bill that comes with it. TCP had no agricultural use, according to internal company memos revealed in court records, but both companies withheld information about the presence of TCP from farmers who were using their products. Adam Romero, a University of Washington historian who has written a 2022 book from University of California about the Shell fumigant, said that the waste originated from a revolutionary manufacturing line Shell scientists invented in the 1930s. By the mid-1950s, the company possessed the ability to eliminate the carcinogenic impurity from their products, Romero added. However, Shell kept TCP in their products for decades. A 1983 Shell memo from court records reveals that 30% of the value of the farmer’s product stemmed from circumventing disposal costs of the toxic chemicals from other products. By the 1970s, Shell forecasted it would ship 40,000 tons of their TCP-containing fumigant worldwide. The San Joaquin Valley, California’s stronghold of industrial agriculture, relied heavily on Shell and Dow’s products and has emerged as the state’s epicenter of TCP contamination. “It’s horrible. It’s not something that has been exposed as it should have been,” said Felicia Marcus, former chair of the California State Water Resources Control Board and ex-EPA Western Chief. “It’s so cold.” Dow did not respond to an emailed request for comment. Shell did not answer a list of questions about information contained in company memos. A company spokesperson said one of Shell’s top motivations is being a good steward of the land. “Shell remains committed to delivering energy responsibly and safely, with the priority of protecting people and respecting the environment,” said Shell spokesperson Natalie Gunnell in an emailed statement. A permanent clean-up of TCP in local aquifers would take years of more intense efforts, EPA documents from Southern California show. The federal government, armed with powerful Superfund law, has yet to intervene in the San Joaquin Valley on the TCP issue. When Lockheed Martin poisoned Los Angeles groundwater with TCP in the 1980s, the EPA wielded its powerful Superfund authority, forcing the aerospace giant to purify the entire aquifer. Today, that water runs clean, according to data shared by the EPA. But 200 miles north, the EPA remains absent in the San Joaquin Valley. No one has ever asked the federal agency to investigate the Valley’s TCP crisis as a Superfund issue, according to EPA spokesperson Michael Brogan. That Shell and Dow had disposed of industrial waste by selling it to unsuspecting farmers left Keith Takata, a former EPA Superfund chief, stunned. “If somebody is saying that they had chemicals that they needed to dispose of, and the way they did it was put it in products? If true, it would be quite horrible,” Takata said. But before Shell’s product created a water crisis, the oil company had a revolution on their hands. In the 1940s, the San Joaquin Valley was a testing ground for new chemicals being made by Shell. During World War II, the US needed explosives and gunpowder. Shell had found a way to make it out of Kern County crude oil. In a state-of-the-art facility near San Francisco, Shell scientists discovered they could manufacture these products using a groundbreaking new chemical reaction dubbed the substitution reaction. It allowed highly reactive elements called halogens to bond with the carbon molecules in the crude oil, enabling Shell to create an unprecedented amount of new compounds from each drop of oil gushing from the derricks out of Kern. According to Adam Romero, the historian, the discovery would prove as momentous for the oil industry as the Trinity nuclear test was for the military. The discovery of the reaction split two of the world’s top oil companies into separate markets – Shell leveraged their reaction to turn its leftover oil and gas into plastic products, while Standard Oil went into household heating supplies, according to Romero. “It allows these short carbon chains to attach together and form new circular molecules. It’s such a foundational thing in organic chemistry,” Romero said of the impact of Shell’s discovery. “It opens up the petrochemical age.” It was a classic California story: from textbook to lab to global impact. Kern County crude, shipped via pipelines to cutting-edge facilities in Martinez, was cracked, processed, and refined using revolutionary techniques pioneered by Shell’s Emeryville R&D unit. In perfect synchrony, three California geographies transformed the state’s energy and infrastructure into a dizzying array of products – pesticides and pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and plastics, imitation leather and all-weather gear. But this petrochemical alchemy came with a spillover cost. Each turn of Shell’s profit-making engine, Romero documents in his recent book, was digging the company into an ever-deeper hole of junk – novel waste compounds with unknown dangers. Desperate for a quick fix, Shell stumbled upon an opportunity in 1939. Walter Carter was a scientist in Hawaii hell-bent on eradicating nematode parasites which were plaguing cash crops of all sorts of colonial companies. Bankrolled by agricultural giants Dole and Del Monte, Carter was experimenting with any poison he could procure – and asked Shell for some of theirs. Stationed in the fertile highland valley of Oahu, Carter’s unit had failed to find a solution to the nematodes throughout the 1930s, trying everything from coal tar to cyanide. When a shipment of 55-gallon drums arrived from Shell’s Emeryville lab, Carter found his miracle cure. Shell’s inky sludge, a witch’s brew of dichloropropenes (DD), annihilated the microscopic worms with unprecedented efficacy, he found. “Fumes shot out in a circle, killing every worm they reached,” Carter marveled in his notes about his first DD experiments. Follow-up experiments over the next two years were miraculous – plots of land treated with DD yielded almost triple the pineapples. For Shell, DD was a masterstroke of corporate synergy — transmuting the unwanted byproducts of one arm of its empire into a blockbuster commodity for another. Carter’s discovery not only rescued Hawaii’s pineapple industry, but created a powerful new weapon in the arsenal of industrial agriculture, Romero said, enabling struggling monocrop plantations to flourish once again across the globe. “It created the blank slate that industrial farmers were after,” Romero said. “It’s the first time you could kill everything underground and reset your fields every year.” California, with its WWII trifecta of war industries, oil extraction, and intensive farming, was poised to capitalize on this breakthrough. The sandy soils of the San Joaquin Valley, weakened by relentless cultivation and teeming with nematodes, proved the perfect testing ground for Shell’s new wonder drug, swiftly branded as DD. Before Carter’s experimental results even went public, according to Romero, Shell set up its first DD labs with UC Davis in a Modesto bean field. In the spring of 1943, scientists with Shell and UC Davis hand-injected DD for the first time in the mainland US. Initial photos taken by the scientists proved that, indeed, Shell’s new chemical was performing miracles. Before and after photos of infected bean rootstocks showed that Shell’s product had scrubbed off everything but the plant’s nutrient-absorbing dermal tissues. In especially diseased soils near Ventura, one sweet potato farmer who used DD reported that his crop yield increased by more than 1000%, according to Romero. Soon, DD spread across California. The first sign of trouble emerged a few years later. In 1952, a grower out of Rhodesia, South Africa wrote that his tobacco crop was stinky after injecting DD. He found that a chemical known as TCP was also in the product, an “impurity,” he described. At first, Shell likely lacked the technology to remove TCP from its pesticides, Romero said. But by the early 1950s, the company had the ability to strip out the carcinogenic chemical. “In the early days, they couldn’t separate them all very well,” he said. “But by the mid-1950s, Shell could remove TCP on a pretty good basis.” In a 1949 internal communication, Shell said it preferred “not to list all the ingredients” in order to “retain the definite sales advantage of a 100 percent active ingredient claim,” according to the the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a Washington DC-based non-profit. Even with the relatively weak federal pesticide regulations at the time, there were federal laws against false claims on pesticide labels. By 1974, a Dow scientist predicted EPA would require removing TCP, calling it “garbage” with no agricultural use. Keeping TCP in its fumigants was a financial boon for Shell. In a 1983 memo, the company acknowledged the practice allowed it to sidestep the expense of properly disposing of the toxic waste from other products. Despite the risks, the chemical companies kept TCP in their fumigant products for decades. Shell proposed in the 1970s to start a research program to study the health effects of TCP, according to a memo. They never followed up, said Todd Robins, an attorney who has litigated Shell and Dow several times, in a KVPR interview this August. DD and Telone, Dow Chemical’s competitor product, ended up becoming the second-most used pesticide in California. It took California regulators decades to catch on that something was amiss. In 1980, nearly 40 years after contaminated DD was being applied across California, the EPA started investigating a former Lockheed Martin factory. In the shadow of deindustrialized Los Angeles, a 13-square-mile plume of groundwater beneath the company’s abandoned aerospace plant was found to be laced with industrial chemicals, including TCP. An investigation revealed that during the wartime boom, Lockheed had, like Shell, engineered itself into a waste disposal problem. The aerospace company had stored their industrial wastes in underground storage tanks which leaked chemicals, including TCP. Other toxic chemicals the company injected directly into the aquifer, a court-appointed water expert later found. Fifteen percent of Los Angeles’ and Burbank’s water supply was impacted. Six years later, the EPA established the area as a Superfund site in 1986, requiring Lockheed to build a mammoth clean-up facility and meet specific water quality goals. The program was so successful, water from the aquifer near North Hollywood is clean to drink today, according to EPA data. In the wake of the Lockheed case, state officials grew alarmed about TCP. Their testing in the 1990s and 2000s revealed a far more extensive problem, concentrated in the San Joaquin Valley. But no cavalry arrived for the San Joaquin Valley like in Hollywood. Since discovering the problem over 25 years ago, state and federal regulators never mapped the full extent of the San Joaquin Valley’s TCP plumes, according to Blair Robertson at state water board, critical to determining the true cleanup costs. This dearth of data undercut efforts by over 100 Valley communities to hold Shell and Dow accountable in court. Without a complete picture of the contamination, the communities couldn’t quantify the funds needed to fully decontaminate their aquifers. To initiate a full plume study across the state, said state spokesperson Robertson, the state water board would need to direct DWR to investigate the issue. More risks loom. Ambitious groundwater recharge projects, which will flood vast swaths of land with surface water, could inadvertently spread the TCP contamination, since the shape and extent of these underground toxic plumes remain unmapped. The current evaluation of these recharge projects only considers “known groundwater contamination plumes,” DWR said. But one agency has been starkly absent – the most powerful actor in all of this: the EPA. While companies like Lockheed Martin have faced accountability for improperly disposing of industrial chemicals in Los Angeles, Shell and Dow have faced fewer consequences for products that contaminated a rural region. It’s a familiar pattern, data shows. California’s Superfund sites are concentrated in populous coastal regions. Nearly a third are in Los Angeles and Santa Clara counties alone. Felicia Marcus, the former EPA Western Chief under the Clinton administration, believes the Valley’s TCP crisis could qualify for Superfund intervention. “Why would it be protected?” Marcus said about the chemical. According to Brogan, the EPA spokesperson, the federal agency only shields pesticide makers from Superfund liability for “lawful application of registered pesticides in ways that are consistent with the pesticide’s purpose.” In the case of TCP, the chemical was not a registered pesticide and had no agricultural use. Marcus believes that if the San Joaquin Valley can secure Superfund designation, it would gain access to powerful tools not available at the state level, such as the ability to collect triple the amount of damages from polluters. “The government doesn’t have to prove as much. They have to prove that you touched it, but they don’t have to be tied up in a massive evidentiary thing,” she said. “In this case, it’s pretty clear where the TCP contamination came from.” This story was originally published by Fresnoland, a nonprofit news A Hanford father and son are taking their combined 30-plus The Nov. 29 print edition of The Business Journal included The Nov. 29 print edition of The Business Journal includedThe forced withdrawal of Matt Gaetz’s nomination to be attorney general was not a one-off. Trump’s treatment of the government as unreality TV has activated the constitutional instincts of Republican senators who were prepared to roll over for a less in-your-face version of Trump. But those instincts, once activated, are likely to stick. My reporting suggests that there are at least a dozen Republican senators who will refuse to go along with Trump’s request for recess appointments. That means full hearings for nominees, displaying sordid details, with the likelihood that the Senate will reject several, most notably Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence, RFK Jr. as HHS secretary, Pete Hegseth as defense secretary, and possibly others such as Mehmet Oz to run Medicare and Medicaid. Trump may well take a head count as he did with Gaetz, and there could be other withdrawals (“I’m becoming a distraction”) prior to hearings. Another significant indicator: Though it hasn’t gotten much attention, Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, the incoming majority leader, has said he opposes repeal of the filibuster. If Thune wanted to have the Senate be a rubber stamp for Trump, he would have his caucus kill the filibuster. That way, Trump could accomplish much of his agenda just by repealing statutes, from the Civil Service Act of 1883 to the Wagner Act, to any number of environmental and consumer laws. But with the filibuster intact, it takes 60 votes to pass ordinary laws; and Democrats, with 47 votes in their caucus, can block. Thune has handed Democrats a stunning weapon. Why would Thune oppose filibuster repeal (a rule change that takes only a simple majority)? The explanation is one part institutional. It’s a long-standing Senate tradition, and Thune knows that another day Republicans will be in the minority. But it’s one big part resistance to the idea that the Republican caucus should just do whatever Trump wants. Trump and his henchmen have threatened to primary senators who don’t bend to his will—he once urged Gov. Kristi Noem to primary Thune, whom he disparaged as a RINO. But this is also backfiring. Trump is a lame duck. He will be gone by 2028, and Republicans will have plenty of problems in 2026 without the added complication of divisive primaries. And there’s a lot more. In the campaign, Trump could paper over schisms in the Republican coalition. But they turn out to be massive once Trump attempts to govern. Exhibit A is trade. The nomination for Treasury secretary has stalled because Wall Street has applied massive pressure to have Trump name a globalist—who would oppose Trump’s entire view of economic nationalism, including tariffs. There has been a fierce campaign to keep Trump trade adviser Robert Lighthizer out of government entirely. (Trump should repurpose the National Economic Council as the National Economic and Trade Council and name Lighthizer to head it.) Exhibit B is the budget. If Trump insists on all of his tax cuts and doesn’t have massive new revenue from tariffs (which would be a disastrous policy in its own right), there are not enough politically palatable programs to cut, the boasts of Musk and Ramaswamy notwithstanding, to make up the revenue gap. That means a bigger deficit, which in turn will cause the Fed to raise interest rates and set off the crash of a badly overvalued stock market. Warren Buffett, who is pretty good at investing, , in anticipation of a huge market “correction.” On the spending side, Trump’s people say he won’t cut Social Security and Medicare, but will slash Medicaid, which provides health coverage for about 19 percent of Americans, mostly low-income. But think again. A lot of those people are constituents of Trump’s allies. Louisiana, home of House Speaker Mike Johnson, was the rare Southern state to opt for Medicaid expansion, with fully 44 percent on Medicaid. They are not all Democrats. Republicans have also talked about subjecting Medicaid recipients to work requirements. But the vast majority of poor people are working, some in two jobs, juggling work and family. Nearly a third of all Medicaid spending goes to people in nursing homes. Imagine work requirements for a 90-year-old in a walker, let alone in a memory care unit. And with cuts in the Medicaid budget for care workers, who designs and supervises work requirements? Trump also wants to use budget cuts to punish higher education, especially elite universities as nests of liberals. Slashing National Science Foundation research grants would be one easy way to do it. Yet nearly every economist agrees that much of America’s competitive advantage is rooted in great research universities. And Republican entrepreneurs depend on them. And mass deportations may be popular in some circles, until the cost of food and a variety of services like home care go up because a lot of the low-wage workforce has been exiled. It’s another Trump policy that splits nativist constituents from corporate ones. None of this means that Trump won’t inflict substantial damage. But it does mean that some parts of his program will meet massive resistance from powerful parts of his coalition, and that other aspects of his program that do get enacted will be fat targets for Democrats. In the 2026 midterm election, Trump will not be on the ballot. Republicans, with wall-to-wall control of government, will be the resented incumbent party, and the entire mess will be theirs.
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Browns get 497-yard performance from QB Jameis Winston and lose anyway in season long gone sourUnited Nations, Nov 23 (AP) Myanmar's desperate military junta is ramping up attacks on villages that have fallen to opposition groups, carrying out beheadings, gang rapes and torture, with women, children and the elderly among the victims, the UN independent human rights investigator for Myanmar said in a new report. Thomas Andrews, a former US congressman from Maine, said in the report to the UN General Assembly circulated Friday that the junta has responded to military defeats and the loss of territory by using sophisticated weapons against civilians and seeking to destroy towns that it cannot control. Calling Myanmar “an invisible crisis” because the world's attention is focused elsewhere, he said, “Escalating atrocities against the people of Myanmar are being enabled by governments that allow, or actively support, the transfer of weapons, weapons materials, and jet fuel to junta forces.” Andrews didn't name the governments. But he praised Singapore for cracking down on weapons transfers that has led to a 90 per cent reduction by Singapore-registered companies, and said sanctions imposed by the United States on junta-controlled, state-owned banks have disrupted military supply chains. The UN special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar lamented, however, that their actions remain an exception. He called on all countries to address Myanmar's “devastating human rights and humanitarian crisis” by stopping the flow of weapons to the junta, stepping up humanitarian aid to millions in need, and supporting efforts to hold perpetrators accountable for human rights violations. Myanmar is racked by violence that began when the army ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021 and brutally suppressed nonviolent protests. That triggered armed resistance and combat across the country, with the military increasingly using airstrikes to counter the opposition and secure territory. The army is on the defensive against ethnic militias in much of Myanmar as well as hundreds of armed guerrilla groups collectively called the People's Defense Forces, formed to fight to restore democracy. The military has said in the past that it only attacks legitimate targets of war and has accused the resistance forces of being terrorists. Andrews called the military junta's plan to hold an election in late 2025 “a farcical parody” and “thinly veiled attempt to create an impression of legitimacy and relieve international pressure.” He warned, “Not only is this fraudulent attempt outrageous, it is dangerous, as it could lead to even greater levels of instability and violence.” He ticked off grim statistics: Over 3.1 million people are displaced by conflict and the junta's human rights violations, and 18.6 million people need humanitarian assistance, including 13.3 million facing emergency levels of food insecurity. He said the junta's military forces have killed more than 5,800 civilians, destroyed over 100,000 homes and other civilian structures, and have kept more than 21,000 political prisoners languishing behind bars. “Junta troops have killed civilians in ground assaults, including the mass killing of individuals already in the custody of junta forces,” Andrews said. “Victims have been tortured, raped and beheaded, and their bodies burned." Andrews, a human rights fellow at Yale Law School who was appointed by the Geneva-based Human Rights Council, said the situation was most “desperate and dangerous” in Rakhine state in western Myanmar. Last November, the Arakan Army, which is seeking autonomy from Myanmar's central government, began an offensive against the military in Rakhine and has gained control of more than half of its townships. The Arakan Army, which is the well-armed wing of the Rakhine ethnic minority movement, is also a member of the armed ethnic group alliance trying to topple the military. In the report, Andrews said: “The Arakan Army has been implicated in grave human rights abuses, including indiscriminate attacks, killings, sexual violence and arbitrary arrests.” He also said the military has responded to the Arakan Army's steady losses in Rakhine by attacking civilians and raising tensions between the ethnic Rakhine and Rohingya communities. Buddhist-majority Myanmar has long considered the Rohingya Muslim minority to be “Bengalis” from Bangladesh even though their families have lived in the country for generations. Nearly all have been denied citizenship since 1982. In August 2017, attacks by a Rohingya insurgent group on Myanmar security personnel triggered a brutal campaign by the military, which drove at least 740,000 Rohingya to Bangladesh. The military is accused of mass rape, killings and burning thousands of homes. Meanwhile, the military junta has conscripted thousands of Rohingya men and deployed them to the front lines to fight the Arakan Army, he said. And Rohingya militant groups have “cynically aligned with the junta” and committed human rights abuses against the ethnic Rakhine population. “Hundreds of thousands of people in Rakhine State are completely cut off from humanitarian assistance and threatened by exposure, starvation and disease,” Andrews warned. “Failure to act immediately to provide emergency humanitarian aid will be a death sentence for untold numbers of innocent men, women and children.” A month ago, he said, Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, the interim leader of Bangladesh where 1 million Rohingya refugees live, called on UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to convene a conference with all key players in the Rohingya crisis. Yunus has pressed for their repatriation to Myanmar. Andrews urged Guterres to call a conference that could help “seize the attention of a distracted world and mobilize the resources and action necessary to save the many lives that hang in the balance.” (AP) GRS GRS (This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)
First trans US congresswoman already in Republican crosshairsTHE HAGUE, Netherlands — Alyssa Naher made two critical saves in her final match for the United States, Lynn Williams scored the go-ahead goal in the 71st minute and the Americans beat the Netherlands, 2-1, in an exhibition match on Tuesday. The U.S., which won its fifth Olympic gold medal in France this summer, closed its 2024 schedule on a 20-game unbeaten streak. The Americans were coming off a scoreless draw with England in another exhibition on Saturday at Wembley Stadium . Naeher announced two weeks ago that the European matches would be her last . The 36-year-old goalkeeper played in 115 games for the U.S., with 111 starts, 89 wins and 69 shutouts. Naeher is the only U.S. keeper with shutouts in both a World Cup and an Olympic final. She was in goal when the United States defeated the Netherlands, 2-0, in the 2019 Women’s World Cup final. The Netherlands took the lead on center back Veerle Buurman’s header off a corner kick in the 15th minute. Naeher prevented a second goal when she punched away Dominique Janssen’s shot in the 38th. The United States drew even at the end of the first half on an own goal that deflected off Buurman and past Dutch goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar. Naeher slid to stop Danielle van de Donk’s shot in the 69th minute before Williams scored her fourth goal of the year and 21st of her career. Lily Yohannes came in as a substitute in the second half. Yohannes, who has dual citizenship, opted to play for the United States over the Netherlands last month. She plays professionally for the Dutch club Ajax. Related Articles The U.S. finished the year without the trio of Mallory Swanson, Trinity Rodman and Sophia Smith, who were left off the roster for the final two matches to rest and heal nagging injuries. The U.S. is unbeaten in 15 matches under coach Emma Hayes, who took over in May. More to come on this story.
As we approach the end of 2024, the full Cold Moon will shine in the middle of December, bringing a lively social energy just in time for the holiday season. Celebrity astrologer Kyle Thomas, who is known for his cosmic guidance among celebrities, businesses and online influencers, spoke to "Good Morning America" about the best ways to take advantage of this engaging full moon. But first, let's break down the meaning of the Cold Moon and what to know about this particular celestial event. When is the Cold Moon in 2024? The Cold Moon will arrive on Dec. 15, according to Thomas. Why is it called the Cold Moon? The Cold Moon gets its name because December is the month when the weather typically turns cold, according to NASA. The Old Farmer's Almanac states that some Native Americans also called the Cold Moon the Long Night Moon. The second name likely originates from the fact that the full moon in December occurs near the winter solstice, which has the longest night of the year, according to NASA. "The full moon takes a high trajectory across the sky because it is opposite to the low sun, so the moon will be above the horizon longer than at other times of the year," NASA states. What zodiac sign is the Cold Moon in December? The zodiac sign of each full moon is determined by its position in the night sky relative to the astrological signs. This year, the Cold Moon occurs as a full moon in Gemini, an air sign associated with communication, technology, and short-distance travel, according to Thomas. It encourages mental connections, particularly with those in our immediate circles -- friends, neighbors, acquaintances, and siblings. "We will be motivated to express our minds and may be in the process of launching a significant writing, speaking, advertising, digital or social media project," Thomas added. "The pace of life will also quicken rapidly." Rituals and manifestations to try during the Cold Moon Many ancient cultures, from Chinese traditions to Hebrew holidays, celebrate celestial cycles and revere the power of the moon. For instance, Thomas noted that Gemini, an air sign, makes this an ideal time to integrate communication -- whether written or spoken -- into your rituals. "This is a great moment to communicate our desires to the world -- as well as to others," he explained. "Writing down explicit statements, manifestation goals, and plans can be particularly useful. Also, as an Air sign, using smoke, sage, or incense can be excellent tools during meditation or ritual." Potential meditations, mantras or journal prompts: I learn about the world. I am confident in my perspective and voice. I will be curious about everything and choose to grow. I am limitless, like the sky. Astrology horoscope for the Cold Moon for your zodiac sign Speak up and speak out, Aries! "You have an important message that you'd like to broadcast to the world. This full moon could help you to launch an important writing, speaking, advertising or social media endeavor to great success. People will be listening!" Thomas said. Wealth is top of mind, Taurus. "Prosperity could soon be on its way," Thomas explained. "The full moon should bring to [ a ] culmination an important financial matter for you - perhaps in the form of a raise, new job offer or large check." Claim your spotlight, Gemini. According to Thomas, "the most important full moon of the year has arrived for you, as you reach an important turning point. Something of vital personal significance will reach [ its ] culmination at this time, perhaps giving you closure that will improve your life going forward." Relax and recharge, Cancer. "This full moon will encourage you to reset your emotional, mental and physical batteries-you've earned it! Lie low and give yourself some much-needed TLC. If you are in need of finding a specialist, therapist or healer, this lunation could also aid you in doing so." Thomas added. Get out and mingle, Leo. "You're always popular, but with this full moon highlighting your friendships, you'll be on the top of everyone's holiday list!" Thomas explained. "You'll likely attend at least one dazzling event where you're the star of the show. Circulate amongst those who you love and make time to show how much you appreciate them." Embrace your success, Virgo. According to Thomas, "A major professional victory could now be within reach. A promotion, new job offer, milestone or opportunity for public praise may present itself near this time. Previous hard work will surely be celebrated." Keep an open mind for a new adventure, Libra. "You could now be ready to soar in a breathtaking new direction-or make plans to do so in 2024!" Thomas said. "This full moon will energize you to slightly shift the narrative of your life and examine what else you'd like to learn. Some Libras will make a decision or hear news regarding an academic, travelling, immigration or media endeavor." It's time to explore your intimacy department, Scorpio. "The full moon will be helping you to get in touch with your most sensitive parts-emotionally and physically," Thomas explained. "If single, you could attract someone who knows how to complete you in every way. If taken, you'll be assessing if your authentic needs are being fulfilled by your partner." Take a closer look at your partnership, Sagittarius. "This full moon will help you to grow closer with someone in business, collaboration or love," Thomas added. "Single Sagittarians may have luck finding a perfect match, so be sure to put yourself out there. Love won't find you if you're not making an effort! Those already committed could decide it's time to make long-term plans, move in, get engaged or even be wed." Get ready to make progress, Capricorn. According to Thomas, "the full moon will make you busier than ever." "You may now be focused upon an important project for your employer that must have final approval," he said. "You could be putting everything you have into completing the task, but be sure to do so, as it could end up making you shine brighter than ever in your boss's eyes." Open your heart to love, Aquarius. "Get excited for a vibrant, romantic period to appear," Thomas added. "Single Aquarians must not let this energy go to waste, as you could find someone who is a soulmate or who lights your heart on fire." Toast to the holidays and reflect on the year, Pisces. "This full moon will bring to [ a ] culmination a domestic, family or real estate matter for you," Thomas said. "Some Pisceans could be hosting a lovely gathering at their home with their kindred. Others may be contemplating a big renovation, redecoration or move now or in the coming year."Sonic the Hedgehog 3 Video Highlights Keanu Reeves’ Performance as Shadow By A new is out, previewing the upcoming movie’s new character, Shadow, and how actor is excited to channel the role. What happens in the Sonic the Hedgehog 3 video? The new video is a featurette of the upcoming film, and highlights Reeves’ portrayal of Shadow, which says in the video is incredible. Stars Ben Schwartz (who plays Sonic) and (Knuckles) also appear in the video, also praising Reeves’ role. Meanwhile, the actor himself also dives deep into what makes the character so emotional. Check out the new Sonic the Hedgehog 3 video below: “Sonic the Hedgehog returns to the big screen this holiday season in his most thrilling adventure yet. Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails reunite against a powerful new adversary, Shadow, a mysterious villain with powers unlike anything they have faced before,” the synopsis for the movie reads. “With their abilities outmatched in every way, Team Sonic must seek out an unlikely alliance in hopes of stopping Shadow and protecting the planet.” Ben Schwartz returns to play in the new movie, while the voice cast also includes Colleen O’Shaughnessey as Miles “Tails” Prower, Idris Elba as Knuckles the Echidna, and Keanu Reeves as Shadow the Hedgehog. James Marsden will reprise his role as Tom Wachowski. The live-action cast also features Tika Sumpter, Krysten Ritter, Natasha Rothwell, Cristo Fernández, Alyla Browne, and more. The film is directed by Jeff Fowler, who also helmed the previous two live-action movies in the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 releases in U.S. theaters on December 20, 2024, from Paramount Pictures. Anthony Nash has been writing about games and the gaming industry for nearly a decade. When he’s not writing about games, he’s usually playing them. You can find him on Twitter talking about games or sports at @_anthonynash. Share articleAston Villa march on in Champions League after beating RB LeipzigJoe Biden’s pardon of his son Hunter can be criticized on many levels. The president lied repeatedly to the American people, saying he would never even consider such an action. And he demonstrated that same streak of stubbornness and selfishness that led him to ignore his obvious decline and declare – disastrously for the Democrats – that he would seek a second term. But those mistakes will be debated by historians. The practical and immediate result of Biden’s decision will be to undermine the forces, from both parties, who are now arming to oppose Donald Trump’s coming war against the nation’s system of law and justice. “Mr. Biden’s pardon,” writes Peter Baker, chief White House correspondent of The New York Times, “will make it harder for Democrats to defend the integrity of the Justice Department and stand against Mr. Trump’s unapologetic plans to use it for political purposes even as he seeks to install Kash Patel, an adviser who has vowed to ‘come after’ the president-elect’s enemies, as the next director of the FBI.” The president’s decision, editorialized the Washington Post, “maligned the Justice Department and invited Mr. Trump to draw equivalence between the Hunter Biden pardon and any future moves Mr. Trump might take against the impartial administration of justice.” Discount the Republicans, who are soaked in hypocrisy on this subject. There is real anguish among Biden’s fellow Democrats, such as Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan, who headed the party’s Senate campaign effort. “A president’s family and allies shouldn’t get special treatment,” Peters said in a statement. “This was an improper use of power, it erodes trust in our government, and it emboldens others to bend justice to suit their interests.” Rep. Glenn Ivey of Maryland added on CNN: “A pardon at this point will be used against, I think, Democrats who were pushing to defend the Department of Justice against politicizing it, which is certainly what President Trump plans to do.” As Baker noted, one of Trump’s major efforts to bend justice is nominating Patel, a flag-waving, sword-brandishing warrior in his MAGA army, as the next FBI director. Patel has vowed to employ government power to punish Trump’s political enemies and wrote in his recent book: The FBI has “become so thoroughly compromised that it will remain a threat to the people unless drastic measures are taken.” He’s also aiming at journalists who dare to oppose Trump, telling Steve Bannon’s radio show, “We’re going to come after you, whether it’s criminally or civilly. We’ll figure that out.” Tradition dictates that a president gets to pick his own advisers. But tradition, at least in the half-century since Watergate, also mandates that the Justice Department and the FBI are different from other federal agencies and have a second set of loyalties – not just to the president, but to the rule of law and a fair judicial system. That’s precisely why lawmakers from both parties were so appalled at Trump’s first choice for Attorney General – the ethically indigent Matt Gaetz – that he was forced to withdraw within a week. If anything, the Patel nomination is even more indefensible, according to Republicans who served with him during Trump One. When Patel’s name was raised as a possible deputy director of the FBI, Attorney General Bill Barr recalls telling then-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows it would only happen “over my dead body.” In his memoir, Barr wrote that Patel “had virtually no experience that would qualify him to serve at the highest level of the world’s preeminent law enforcement agency. The very idea of moving Patel into a role like this showed a shocking detachment from reality.” Trump also floated Patel’s name as a possible deputy director of the CIA, but as Axios reported, spy chief Gina Haspel “said she wouldn’t stand for it, and that she would resign before allowing Patel to assume a position as her deputy.” “No part of the FBI’s mission is safe with Kash Patel in any position of leadership in the FBI,” Andrew McCabe, deputy director of the bureau during Trump’s first term, told CNN. “If you enter into that position with nothing more than a desire to disrupt and destroy the organization, there is a lot of damage someone like Kash Patel could do.” Senators who believe in a system of laws and their impartial and independent enforcement have already defied Trump once by blocking Gaetz. Defeating Patel is just as vital. But Biden’s decision to pardon his son has made their task much more difficult. Steven Roberts teaches politics and journalism at George Washington University. He can be contacted by email at stevecokie@gmail.com.
Ken Martin joins The Lead