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SU V1 V2 V3 V4 A.M. rain 54/26 • Tomorrow: Partly sunny 38/29 B8 Democracy Dies in Darkness TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2021 . $2 Panel will 1 in 20 investigate Capitol riot, state and Pelosi says city jobs Speaker says House will slashed move to create body like the 9 /11 Commission MOST STATES LOST REVENUE IN CRISIS BY MERYL KORNFIELD, KAROUN DEMIRJIAN $350 billion in federal AND MIKE DEBONIS aid still being debated House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Monday that the House BY ALYSSA FOWERS would move to establish an inde- AND RACHEL SIEGEL pendent commission to investi- gate what led to a mob storming Facing deep budget shortfalls, the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 — one state and local governments have similar to the body that studied shed 1.3 million jobs since the the 9/11 attacks for 15 months pandemic began last year — a loss before issuing a sweeping 585- of more than 1 in 20 government page report. jobs, according to a Washington Two days after former presi- Post analysis of government data. dent Donald Trump was acquit- While tax revenue grew in some ted by the Senate of inciting the JERRY LARSON/WACO TRIBUNE-HERALD/ASSOCIATED PRESS states last year, the majority — at deadly attack, Pelosi (D-Calif.) A stranded car gets a push in Waco, Tex. The temperatures and precipitation are testing areas unaccustomed to tough winters. least 26 states — were hit with signaled in a letter to Democratic declines. Revenue fell by 10 per- colleagues that the House would cent or more in six states, includ- soon consider legislation to form ing a 43 percent drop in Alaska a commission to “investigate and and a 10 percent decline in Flori- report” on the attack and inter- Storm goes deep with cold, snow da. T he toll was felt in both Repub- ference in election proceedings, lican-led states such as Texas, as well as an appropriation to which saw a 10 percent shortfall, pay for enhanced security fea- Texas turns to rolling blackouts as winter blast stretches demand for power and Democratic-led ones, such as tures on the Capitol grounds. Oregon, which weathered a 13 per- Retired Army Gen. Russel BY TIM CRAIG Forecast temperatures for Feb. 16, 8 a.m. EST storm knocked out power to cent drop. Honoré, who was tapped by AND KIM BELLWARE more than 4 million households Rescuing struggling state and Pelosi to assess security after the 756040200-20-30F in Texas, raising questions local governments has been at the attack, indicated in his “interim Americans from the Gulf of about the durability of the pow- center of Congress’s months-long reporting” the necessity for im- Mexico to the Canadian border er grid in the United States’ debate over how to address the proved safety measures, Pelosi were pummeled by a historic second-most-populated state, economic upheaval caused by the said. winter storm on Monday as Minneapolis and one of its fastest growing. pandemic. Republicans oppose “It is clear from his findings heavy snow, freezing rain and -17 The electricity issues, which the idea, calling it a “blue state SEE COMMISSION ON A14 Arctic temperatures made high- Omaha authorities warned could in bailout” that would reward poor ways impassable, closed air- -24 some places persist for days, local financial management. ports and crippled the electrici- North Platte D.C. resulted in blackouts that pre- Democrats say that without this -15 ty supply in Texas on one of its Kansas City 35 vented residents from being help, states and l ocal governments -13 coldest days in decades. able to heat their homes, cook could turn into a drag on an al- The dangerous storm, part of Oklahoma City meals or work remotely. The ready slow economic recovery, Top donor a series of weather systems Yuma -11 power cuts even knocked out and have set aside $350 billion in sweeping the country this week, 51 Dallas electricity at a Houston-area aid to state and local governments resulted in accumulating snow 1 warehouse where 8,000 doses in the $1.9 trillion coronavirus re- sues group and ice across a wide swath of Miami of coronavirus vaccine were lief package making its way states that rarely see wintry 72 stored, forcing health officials through Congress. precipitation, including heavily to rush to distribute 4,000 of The strain has already forced probing Source: National Weather Service THE WASHINGTON POST populated areas of Texas. The SEE SNOW ON A5 some local officials to cut services, 2020 vote SEE BUDGETS ON A16 VOICES FROM THE PANDEMIC Financier demanded his P lagues and extremism money back as claims ‘Tomorrow I’ll start to feel better’ o f fraud fell apart part of ancient pattern Kaitlin Denis, on approaching Year Two of living with covid-19 said. BY SHAWN BOBURG AS TOLD TO ELI SASLOW Ian Bayne, for years a cam- AND JON SWAINE Americans succumbing paign professional, had sworn off I caught this virus before any- to same phenomenon as politics and launched a career in Like many Trump supporters, one had even died in Illinois. real estate. Then covid hit, and he conservative donor Fred Eshel- That was like a century ago, Middle Ages, experts say helped launch No Mask Nevada, man awoke the day after the right? Now we’re talking about organizing a dozen rallies against presidential election with the Year Two, vaccines, new variants, masking because he said the gov- suspicion that something wasn’t a new administration, but for me BY MARC FISHER ernment was inflating the danger right. His candidate’s apparent it’s still exactly of the coronavirus. lead in key battleground states An oral history the same. I’m Adam Crigler used to feed his “People are isolated, alone, and had evaporated overnight. of covid-19 and always in this YouTube following a politics-free they need to express their true The next day, the North Caro- those affected. bed. I’m always diet of chatter about aliens, mov- selves,” Bayne said. “I don’t know lina financier and his advisers in this room. ies, skateboarding and video why we’re surprised that there’s reached out to a small conserva- I’ve been sick for the last 330 games. Then came the pandemic. more extremism now. People tive nonprofit group in Texas days. I force myself to keep track Now, he devotes much of his talk came to our rallies because they that was seeking to expose voter because otherwise time doesn’t show to his assertion that mask craved the human interaction.” fraud. After a 20-minute talk move. I feel like I’m in jail and mandates are an assault on per- Since ancient times, pandem- with the group’s president, their putting tally marks on the wall. sonal freedom and that Demo- ics have spurred sharp turns in first-ever conversation, Eshel- I used to go to sleep thinking: crats somehow stole the 2020 political beliefs, spawning ex- man was sold. Tomorrow. Tomorrow I’ll start to election from Donald Trump. Re- tremist movements, waves of “I’m in for 2,” he told the feel better. I don’t really do that as sult: a much bigger audience. mistrust and wholesale rejection president of True the Vote, ac- much anymore. I’m trying to “The pandemic has made more of authorities. Nearly a year into cording to court documents and come to terms with the fact that LUCY HEWETT FOR THE WASHINGTON POST people want to blame someone the coronavirus crisis, Americans interviews with Eshelman and this virus isn’t something I’m Kaitlin Denis, 30, at home in Barrington, Ill., is a former college else because they’ve lost their are falling prey to the same SEE DONOR ON A20 SEE VOICES ON A7 soccer player now on disability with long-term symptoms. jobs or they’re lonely,” Crigler SEE EXTREMISM ON A8 In the News cally winter in Florida THE ECONOMY Inside and Arizona. A10 Former president Simmering hostility Donald Trump may THE NATION in Libya, 10 years after b etween Ankara and have to face questions HEALTH An effort by the Biden the start of the country’s Washington burst into about his taxes now that Planting carbon a dministration is aimed derailed revolution. A6 the open when Turkey’s he’s out of office. A15 at curbing climate- Several weeks after president accused the along with crops THE REGION B iden officials and others warming refrigerants Parler was kicked off United States of sup- Police in tout climate-friendly such as those found in the Web by Amazon, porting Kurdish mili- Maryland ar- farming as a way to fight grocery store freezers. A2 the social media site tants and his Foreign rested a previously con- global warming. E1 Some foreign nationals popular among Trump Ministry summoned the victed bank robber, who allegedly held up a new have received coronavi- supporters was back on- U.S. ambassador. A11 STYLE rus vaccinations in the line. A8 A civilian contractor bank while under sur- B1 A return to his United States, though As Biden supporters was killed and a U.S. veillance. The Food Rescue roots in ‘Minari’ they’re not violating fed- jockey for ambassador- service member was Hero A3 app allows volunteers to S teven Yeun uses his ROBB HILL FOR THE WASHINGTON POST eral policy. ships, the White House wounded in a rocket at- experience as a Korean Activists and the Biden is taking its time in mak- tack in Iraq.