“Marco Rubio, who’d been scheduled to give the first speech at CPAC 2021 today, is no longer on the schedule” reports the Washington Post’s Dave Weigel.

“The ‘Trump-made-me-do-it’ defense is already looking like a longshot Facing damning evidence in the deadly Capitol siege last month – including social media posts flaunting their actions – rioters are arguing in court they were following then-President Donald Trump s instructions on Jan. 6. But the legal strategy has already been shot down by at least one judge and experts believe the argument is not likely to get anyone off the hook for the insurrection where five people died, including a police officer. ‘This purported defense, if recognized, would undermine the rule of law because then, just like a king or a dictator, the president could dictate what’s illegal and what isn’t in this country,’ U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell said recently in ordering pretrial detention of William Chrestman, a suspected member of the Kansas City-area chapter of the Proud Boys. ‘And that is not how we operate here.’ Chrestman’s attorneys argued in court papers that Trump gave the mob ‘explicit permission and encouragement’ to do what they did, providing those who obeyed him with ‘a viable defense against criminal liability.'”

“Hundreds of Trump supporters were photographed and videotaped storming the Capitol and scores posted selfies inside the building on social media, so they can’t exactly argue in court they weren’t there. Blaming Trump may be the best defense they have. While experts say blaming Trump may not get their clients off the hook, it may help at sentencing when they ask the judge for leniency. ‘It could likely be considered a mitigating factor that this person genuinely believed they were simply following the instructions of the leader of the United States,’ said Barbara McQuade, a former U.S. attorney in Michigan” – AP.

CNN: “The House of Representatives voted early Saturday morning to approve President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion pandemic aid package, a major step toward enacting the first legislative priority of the new administration as the devastating fallout from the spread of Covid-19 has left Americans in dire need of further relief. The final vote tally was 219-212. Two Democrats broke ranks and voted against the bill: Kurt Schrader of Oregon and Jared Golden of Maine. The bill did not pass with bipartisan support as no Republicans voted for it. Now that the bill has passed the House it will next go to the Senate. Making the effort more complicated, the Senate is expected to strip out a provision in the legislation increasing the federal minimum wage after the Senate parliamentarian ruled against including it under the procedure known as reconciliation, which Senate Democrats are using to pass the bill with a simple majority vote.”

• “Truth in advertising” rules should mandate CPAC rename itself “Assholes Я Us.”  It’s devolved into a conservative dystopia of wannabe comics performing during an open-mic night at Yuk Yuk’s in the Missoula Airport Marriott.
• My guess is the Venn diagram of CPAC attendees and 1/6 domestic terrorists has significant overlap.  As Bill Maher says:  “I don’t know it for a fact.  I just know it’s true.”
• Speaking of Maher, one of his guests on tonight’s show will be Megyn Kelly.  On his last show, he had on Kellyanne Conway.  Maher’s become a required stop for stained conservatives who want to rehab their public image.  (I still blame him for mainstreaming Conway.)
• Ron Johnson of Wisconsin reading a post from a far-right-wing blog during a Congressional committee hearing makes me all the more adamant that members of Congress should take an oath to tell the truth before every committee hearing.
  Read More ▶ “Random thoughts Friday, Volume VII”

Axios: “Passenger rail could be the big winner if Congress moves ahead with President Biden’s ambitious infrastructure plan. There’s long been bipartisan support for rebuilding America’s crumbling infrastructure, but under Biden, the focus has shifted to sustainable projects that fulfill both his climate and equity goals, such as rail transit. Even though many public transit systems are reeling from the pandemic, ridership is expected to return eventually, requiring long-term investment. Right now, the Biden administration is trying to get his $1.9 trillion COVID stimulus package through Congress (including $30.5 billion in emergency funding for public transit).”

“But soon the House and Senate will turn their attention to infrastructure spending. Biden wants to spend $2 trillion, including $50 billion on immediate road and bridge repairs. He also wants to build out transit in high-poverty areas and fund high-speed rail systems, promising ‘the second great railroad revolution.’ The price tag could be too high for Republicans, but Senate Budget Committee Chair Bernie Sanders told Axios that Democrats will pass it with a simple majority through the budget reconciliation process if necessary.”

“Griddy Energy LLC, a Texas retail electricity provider that came under fire after its customers received exorbitant power bills during the energy crisis last week, was barred from participating in the state’s power market Friday. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas revoked Griddy’s rights to conduct activity in the state’s electricity market due to nonpayment, according to a market notice seen by Bloomberg. The Macquarie Energy-backed company said previously it would challenge the prices set by the grid operator during the crisis and its chief executive officer, Michael Fallquist, declined to testify at Texas legislative hearings Friday” – Bloomberg.

The FBI says that it has pinpointed an individual it believes is responsible for the death of Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick, who died the day following the January 6th domestic terrorist attack on the Capitol, the New York Times reports.

Originally, Sicknick was reported to have died after being assaulted with a fire extinguisher, but medical experts determined that he died from breathing problems triggered by the use of a chemical irritant during the attack.  Both law enforcement and the domestic terrorists were deploying such sprays, such as mace and bear spray.

But using video and photos taken during the insurrectionist attack, the FBI has identified a single individual who was spraying bear spray at officers, including Sicknick.  Officials are also in possession of this suspect discussing the use of bear spray on officers prior to the attack.

BuzzFeed: “Madison Cawthorn arrived at Patrick Henry College’s small Christian campus in northern Virginia in fall 2016 blazing with charm, bravado, and a flashing white smile. His former classmates said the future member of Congress would whip his white Dodge Challenger into the parking lot and regale his classmates with the story of how he survived a harrowing car crash as a teen, which left him paralyzed from the waist down and in a wheelchair for life. After his intensive recovery, he was older than most students – 21 – and didn’t fit the mold of the Christian and largely sheltered first-year students who chose the conservative school in Purcellville because of its commitment to God and rigorous academics. And, former Patrick Henry students said, it didn’t take long for women on campus to start warning one another: You don’t want to be alone with him, especially in his car.”

“BuzzFeed News spoke with more than three dozen people, including more than two dozen former students, their friends, and their relatives, who described or corroborated instances of sexual harassment and misconduct on campus, in Cawthorn’s car, and at his house near campus. Four women told BuzzFeed News that Cawthorn, now a rising Republican star, was aggressive, misogynistic, or predatory toward them. Their allegations include calling them derogatory names in public in front of their peers, including calling one woman ‘slutty,’ asking them inappropriate questions about their sex lives, grabbing their thighs, forcing them to sit in his lap, and kissing and touching them without their consent. One of these women now works as an intern for another Republican member of Congress and passes Cawthorn in the corridors of the Capitol. According to more than a dozen people – including three women who had firsthand experience and seven people who heard about these incidents from them at the time – Cawthorn often used his car as a way to entrap and harass his women classmates, taking them on what he could call ‘fun drives’ off campus. Two said he would drive recklessly and ask them about their virginity and sexual experiences while they were locked in the moving vehicle.”

Today’s Left wants to cancel Newsmax, Fox News, and OANN.

They want to cancel President Trump and his allies.

And now with H.R. 1, they want to cancel fair elections.

— Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) February 27, 2021

AP: “A member of the Oath Keepers militia group charged with plotting with other extremists in the attack on the U.S. Capitol disavowed the anti-government group in a court hearing Friday, telling the judge she is ‘appalled’ by her fellow Oath Keepers and ‘humiliated’ by her arrest. Jessica Watkins, one of nine members and associates of the far-right militia group charged with planning and coordinating with one another in the Jan. 6 siege, said she plans to cancel her Oath Keepers membership and has disbanded her local Ohio militia group. Watkins’ remarks came before the judge ordered her to remain behind bars while she awaits trial.”

“‘I did it out of the love of my country but I think it’s time to let all of that go,’ the Army veteran who ran an Ohio bar said during the hearing held via videoconference. ‘I’m not a criminally minded person… I am humiliated that I am even here today,’ she added. Judge Amit P. Mehta said Watkins was ‘not just a foot soldier’ but actively involved in the planning and organizing of the attack and is too dangerous to be released. More than 250 people have been charged with federal crimes so far as a result of the Jan. 6 insurrection. The case against those affiliated with the Oath Keepers is the largest conspiracy case brought by prosecutors so far in the attack.”

In an uprising authorities think was designed to free one of nation’s most powerful gang leaders, more than 400 inmates escaped and at least 25 were killed Thursday during a massive jailbreak at a prison in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, the Associated Press reports.

Arnel Joseph, the gang leader arrested in 2019 on charges including rape, kidnapping and murder, escaped but was killed Friday when he was identified riding a motorcycle at a checkpoint and a gunfight with police ensued.  Joseph ruled over a gang that controlled a Port-au-Prince shantytown neighborhood known as Village de Dieu, or Village of God, as well as neighboring towns.

Residents who live around the Croix-des-Bouquets Civil Prison said the jailbreak started when cars pulled up outside the prison and started shooting at guards, guard towers and prison offices.  Among the 25 killed was the prison director, Paul Joseph Hector.  More than 60 of the escaped convicts have been recaptured.

The Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine got one step closer to distribution as the Food and Drug Administration’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee granted the vaccine an emergency use authorization for people over the age of 18, CNN reports.

The vaccine went through clinical trials involving more than 44,000 people in the US, South Africa and Latin America.  The vaccine was 66% effective in preventing moderate-to-severe disease globally. In the US, this efficacy was 72% and it was 85% effective in preventing severe disease.  None of the trial participants died of the vaccine during the trial.

The J&J vaccine is a single dose inoculation which does not require extremely cold storage, making it easier to distribute and providing availability at additional locations.

Reflecting some of the hesitancy of some people in the United States, residents of a slum in Bhopal, India were told they were getting a coronavirus vaccine, but they were actually part of a Phase-3 trial of an unproven vaccine, CNN reports.

A white van pulled into the Shankar Nagar neighborhood in the central Indian city last December with a loudspeaker blaring that people could get vaccines and a 750 rupee (roughly $10) incentive.  Dozens of people lined up at its various stops, until the van ran out of doses.

Most thought that they were getting one of the vaccine produced by Pfizer or AstraZeneca–the only two approved by any governments at the time–but they were actually getting a dose of Covaxin, a drug under development by an Indian pharmaceutical company, Bharat Biotech.  Some even got placebos without their knowledge or consent.

CNN: “Several of former President Donald Trump’s closest Republican allies in the House have skipped Friday’s votes and enlisted their colleagues to vote on their behalf, signing letters saying they can’t attend ‘due to the ongoing public health emergency.’ But those members are actually expected to be in Orlando and listed as speakers at the Conservative Political Action Conference, an annual meeting aimed at energizing conservative activists.”

“The members include Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, who addressed the conference on Friday – as well as some of Trump’s staunchest defenders who are listed as speakers, like Reps. Paul Gosar of Arizona, Jim Banks of Indiana, Madison Cawthorn of North Carolina and Ted Budd of North Carolina. CNN has reached out to those offices for comment. To vote by proxy, a process that Republicans originally fought in court, lawmakers must sign a letter with the House clerk and allow another member to vote at their direction and on their behalf. The letters, which are filed with the House clerk’s office, say: ‘I am unable to physically attend proceedings in the House Chamber due to the ongoing public health emergency.'”

“After serving as the United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut for more than three years, and as a federal prosecutor in Connecticut for more than 38 years, John H. Durham today announced his resignation from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, effective at midnight on February 28. ‘My career has been as fulfilling as I could ever have imagined when I graduated from law school way back in 1975,’ said U.S. Attorney Durham. ‘Much of that fulfillment has come from all the people with whom I’ve been blessed to share this workplace, and in our partner law enforcement agencies. My love and respect for this Office and the vitally important work done here have never diminished. It has been a tremendous honor to serve as U.S. Attorney, and as a career prosecutor before that, and I will sorely miss it'” – US Department of Justice press release.

A pickup truck bearing a sticker for a far-right nationalist militia group that was parked in a Capitol parking lot during the January 6th domestic terrorist attack, causing an alert among law enforcement, belonged to a Hitler-quoting Republican Illinois Congresswoman, the Daily Beast reports via Yahoo News.

Chris Miller, the husband of Congresswoman Mary Miller and himself a Republican state legislator, parked his Ford pickup truck in a restricted lot on January 6th.  The back window of the truck featured a large decal depicting “III” with 13 stars around it, a logo of the 3% militia movement of nationalists.

When contacted by the Daily Beast, Chris Miller responded that the decal was a gift from a friend who was in the Army and he didn’t know it’s significance; he just thought it looked cool, and he blamed the “fake news” for making a story out of it.

New York Times: “President Biden has decided that the price of directly penalizing Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, is too high, according to senior administration officials, despite a detailed American intelligence finding that he directly approved the killing of Jamal Khashoggi, the dissident and Washington Post columnist who was drugged and dismembered in October 2018. The decision by Mr. Biden, who during the 2020 campaign called Saudi Arabia a ‘pariah’ state with ‘no redeeming social value,’ came after weeks of debate in which his newly formed national security team advised him that there was no way to formally bar the heir to the Saudi crown from entering the United States, or to weigh criminal charges against him, without breaching the relationship with one of America’s key Arab allies.”

“Officials said a consensus developed inside the White House that the price of that breach, in Saudi cooperation on counterterrorism and in confronting Iran, was too simply too high. For Mr. Biden, the decision was a telling indication of how his more cautious instincts kicked in, and it will deeply disappoint the human rights community and members of his own party who complained during the Trump administration that the United States was failing to hold the crown prince, known by his initials M.B.S., accountable for his role. Many organizations were pressing Mr. Biden to, at a minimum, impose the same travel sanctions against the crown prince as the Trump administration imposed on others involved in the plot. Mr. Biden’s aides said that as a practical matter, Prince Mohammed would not be invited to the United States anytime soon, and they denied that they were giving Saudi Arabia a pass, describing series of new actions on lower-level officials intended to penalize elite elements of the Saudi military and impose new deterrents to human rights abuses.”