A4 THE BULLETIN • MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021
BIDEN PRESIDENCY | CABINET HEARINGS
DEAR ABBY
Write to Dear Abby online at dearabby.com
or by mail at P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069
Dear Abby: My daugh-
ter got married in a friend’s
backyard three months ago.
Her husband built an arch for
the ceremony. He spent $285
on some very nice walnut,
and they planned to keep it
forever.
With my daughter’s con-
sent, my wife loaned it to a
niece of hers. The arch was
broken and thrown out. We
found this out only after
weeks of requesting that we
get it back. They have offered
to pay the $285, but without
even a “sorry.”
My daughter is extremely
angry at my wife and the
niece and her husband. I
need words to console my
wife and daughter. This has
caused a deep emotional
schism in our family.
— Wedding Mess in Arizona
Dear Mess: It is time to talk
to your daughter about pri-
orities. Because of her deep
emotional attachment to the
arch her now-husband cre-
ated for their wedding, her
anger and hurt are justifiable.
That the niece and her
husband not only damaged it
but threw it away like a piece
of garbage was terrible. That
they not only didn’t apolo-
gize, but also failed to recog-
nize the sentimental value of
the arch is shocking. (At least
they offered to reimburse the
cost of the wood.) However,
for your daughter to blame
your wife for the niece’s care-
lessness is wrong.
It takes strength of charac-
ter to forgive. This does not
mean your daughter must
forget what happened and
how poorly it was handled.
In the uncertain times we are
experiencing, relationships
and family unity are primary.
I hope that, with time, your
daughter and her husband
will realize this and repair
the rift while recognizing the
niece’s shortcomings in the
future. (“Neither a borrower
nor a lender be ...”)
Dear Abby: At the end of
last year, I sat down with my
parents hoping that maybe
we could approach the new
year with a fresh start. One
short month into the new
year, my mother is back at
it again, ridiculing me and
making me feel like no mat-
ter what I do, it will never be
good enough for her.
I have reached the end of
my rope. I’m tired of deal-
ing with the constant cycle of
emotional abuse. I have over-
come much in my life, and
I’m proud of myself for it.
During times when I strug-
gle, I reflect on how much.
I keep pushing myself for-
ward, but at this point, I’m
just tired.
I have considered distanc-
ing myself, but the recent
loss of my grandfather hit me
hard. I have been leaning on
my family to keep myself go-
ing, so I’m in a pickle.
— Hurt, Stunned and Tired in New York
Dear H.S.T.: You may never
be able to have what you
want from your mother, not
because there is something
wrong with you, but because
she has proven herself inca-
pable of being supportive.
For understanding and the
emotional support you are
seeking, consider contact-
ing your clergyperson (if you
have one) or the officiant at
your grandfather’s funeral
and asking about joining a
grief support group. If you
do, you may find the support
you need while at the same
time keeping safely at a dis-
tance from your mother.
YOUR HOROSCOPE
By Madalyn Aslan
Stars show the kind of day you’ll have
õ õ õ õ õ DYNAMIC | õ õ õ õ POSITIVE | õ õ õ AVERAGE | õ õ SO-SO | õ DIFFICULT
HAPPY BIRTHDAY FOR MONDAY, FEB. 22, 2021: Unselfish,
Idealistic and dedicated, you turn your spotlight out on the world, illuminat-
ing worthy goals. This year, an angel helps you turn a dream into a reality,
and you9re very successful. Magnetic, you attract followers. If single, don9t be
so overcritical. You lose a love interest this way. The very end of next year, you
meet The One. If attached, you9re tight and as happy as clams. TAURUS hangs
in there.
ARIES (March 21-April 19)
õõõ Today brings changes at work. You will plan leisure or vacation activ-
ities but should fulfill responsibilities related to home and family life first.
Loyalty and what it really means to you is an issue. Tonight: Your career path
starts to take a new direction.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20)
õõõõõ You have a deeper understanding of the psyche of a sibling. Keep
relations with neighbors peaceful. An organized schedule helps you release
stress. This is an active day with many projects in progress. Tonight: You are
learning a great deal in regard to life experience.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20)
õõõõ Today emphasizes appreciation of possessions. You add to a collec-
tion or find a treasure. If you need a new garment or piece of jewelry, you
can locate the perfect item now. Browsing online is an appealing pastime.
Tonight: Serious talk with a family member.
CANCER (June 21-July 22)
õõõõõ Your charm carries you a long way today. The pleasant impression
you9re projecting opens doors to preferments you9ve long deserved. An old
friend puts in a kind word. You can combine friendly interaction with busi-
ness matters. Tonight: Your kind of night.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)
õõ Today makes you sympathetic and helpful, but also more emotional
than usual. You9ll put changes on hold and recognize a temporary need for
conformity. Get extra rest and be patient with yourself. Tonight: Old memo-
ries are strong. Try some journaling.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
õõõõõ Today is the start of a tremendous growth and opportunity cycle.
Your standard of living is about to improve. Be alert to opportunities for
promotion. Believe in yourself and try new projects. Tonight: Breaking coun-
terproductive old habits from the past.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)
Dough Mills/New York Times file
President Barack Obama walks out with Judge Merrick Garland to introduce him as his Supreme Court nominee in March 2016 at the White House.
Garland, who never received a hearing in the Senate for the 2016 court vacancy, is back before lawmakers — this time as President Joe Biden’s
choice for attorney general.
Snubbed as Obama court pick,
Garland in line for a Biden job
BY MICHAEL BALSAMO
Associated Press
WASHINGTON — The last time Mer-
rick Garland was nominated by the White
House for a job, Republicans wouldn’t
even meet with him.
Now, the once-snubbed Supreme Court
pick will finally come before the Senate,
this time as President Joe Biden’s choice
for attorney general. Garland, an appeals
court judge, is widely expected to sail
through his confirmation process, which
begins Monday before the Democrat-
ic-controlled Senate Judiciary Committee,
with bipartisan support.
“Judge Garland’s extensive legal expe-
rience makes him well-suited to lead the
Department of Justice, and I appreciated
his commitment to keep politics out of the
Justice Department,” Sen. John Cornyn,
R-Texas, said in a statement. “Unless I hear
something new, I expect to support his
nomination before the full Senate.”
DOJ’s new direction
Biden’s choice of Garland reflects the
president’s goal of restoring the depart-
ment’s reputation as an independent body.
During his four years as president, Donald
Trump had insisted that the attorney gen-
eral must be loyal to him personally, a po-
sition that battered the department’s rep-
utation. Garland’s high court nomination
by President Barack Obama in 2016 died
because the Republican-controlled Senate
refused to hold a hearing.
Garland will inherit a Justice Depart-
ment that endured a tumultuous time un-
der Trump — rife with political drama and
controversial decisions — and abundant
criticism from Democrats over what they
saw as the politicizing of the nation’s top
law enforcement agencies.
The department’s priorities and messag-
ing are expected to shift drastically in the
Biden administration, with a focus more on
civil rights issue, criminal justice overhauls
and policing policies in the wake of nation-
wide protests over the death of Black Amer-
icans at the hands of law enforcement.
Garland plans to tell senators the de-
partment must ensure laws are “fairly and
faithfully enforced” and the rights of all
Americans are protected, while reaffirm-
ing an adherence to policies to protect its
political independence, with the attorney
general acting as a lawyer for the Ameri-
can people, not for the president. The Jus-
tice Department late on Saturday released
a copy of Garland’s opening statement.
Garland will also confront immediate
challenges, including the criminal tax in-
vestigation into Biden’s son, Hunter, and
No shortage of challenges
facing the Justice Department
Merrick Garland, 68, is an experienced
judge who held senior positions at the Jus-
tice Department decades ago, including as
a supervisor in the prosecution of the 1995
Oklahoma City bombing. But he is set to
return to a department that is radically
different from the one he left. His experi-
ence prosecuting domestic terrorism cases
could prove exceptionally handy now.
Garland probably will face pressure
from civil rights groups to end the federal
death penalty after an unprecedented run
of capital punishment during the Trump
administration. Thirteen federal execu-
tions were carried out in six months, and
they became superspreaders during the
coronavirus pandemic.
There could be questions, too, about
the department9s handling of a federal
criminal and civil rights investigation ex-
amining whether members of New York
Gov. Andrew Cuomo9s administration in-
tentionally manipulated data about nurs-
ing home coronavirus deaths.
calls from some Democrats to investigate
Trump, especially after thousands of pro-
Trump rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol on
Jan. 6 as Congress was meeting to certify
Biden’s electoral win. Garland, in his pre-
pared remarks for the Senate committee,
calls the insurrection a “heinous attack
that sought to distrust a cornerstone of our
democracy: the peaceful transfer of power
to a newly elected government.”
A special counsel’s inquiry started by
William Barr, while he was attorney gen-
eral, into the origins of the Trump-Russia
investigation also remains open. It will
be up to Garland to decide what to make
public from that report,
No hearing in 2016
Garland was at the center of a political
firestorm five years ago as part of a Repub-
lican gamble that eventually shaped the
future of the Supreme Court. As Obama’s
nominee to replace the late Justice An-
tonin Scalia, who had died unexpectedly
in February 2016, Garland was considered
to be a moderate choice and generally well
liked by senators.
But Senate Majority Leader Mitch Mc-
Connell said hours after Scalia’s death that
he would not consider any Obama nom-
inee — and that the voters should decide
by picking a new president that Novem-
ber. McConnell’s entire caucus went along.
Many declined even to meet with Garland,
even though some privately questioned the
gambit.
It was a huge political risk. Democratic
presidential nominee Hillary Clinton was
ahead in most polls and could have easily
nominated someone more liberal than Gar-
land had she won the White House. But she
did not, Trump did and Republicans were
elated as they voted to confirm Neil Gorsuch
as a justice a year later. The bet later paid off
unexpected returns as the Senate remained
in Republican hands for the next four years
and Trump had the opportunity to nom-
inate two additional conservative justices,
Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett,
reshaping the political balance of the court.
Before the high court drama, Garland
had been repeatedly praised by some Re-
publicans as exactly the sort of moderate
nominee they could support.
The criticism, such as it was, came from
liberals, who had hoped Obama would
pick someone more progressive, or di-
verse, than Garland. Vermont Sen. Bernie
Sanders, then seeking the 2016 nomina-
tion against Clinton, said he wouldn’t have
chosen Garland. Liberal activist groups
were tepid in their support.
Sen. Lindsay Graham, R-S.C., was one
of a handful of senators who met with
Garland, but didn’t budge from his posi-
tion that a president should not choose a
Supreme Court nominee in an election
year. Graham reversed course when his
party had the chance, ramming through
Coney Barrett’s nomination in record time
during a global pandemic with just weeks
to go before the 2020 election, which his
party then lost.
‘A man of great character’
Graham said in a tweet that Garland
would be a “sound choice” to lead the Jus-
tice Department. “He is a man of great
character, integrity and tremendous com-
petency in the law.”
Garland is a white man; two other
members of the Justice Department lead-
ership, Vanita Gupta and Kristen Clarke,
are women with significant experience in
civil rights. Their selections appeared de-
signed to blunt any concerns about Biden’s
choice for attorney general and served as
a signal that progressive causes would be
prioritized in the new administration.
The new chairman of the Senate com-
mittee handling the nomination, Sen. Dick
Durbin, D-Ill., said Garland was well de-
serving of the post.
“And in light of his past treatment of
the United States Senate, his day before
the microphones is long overdue,” Durbin
said.
õõõõ Today places your professional reputation under scrutiny. Be ab-
solutely sure of details. Take a moment to verify and check the facts. Little
annoyances clear up magically, and you enjoy a productive time. Tonight: A
new and very important career contact is made.
WORLD BRIEFING
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)
õõõõõ You9ll be inventive, communicate well, and can initiate improve-
ments at work. Your willingness to experiment impresses the right people.
Specific potentials come to light. Share scientific and metaphysical concepts.
Tonight: Let friends know and celebrate a day well done.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)
õõõõõ You will find ways to fulfill a cherished dream. Today allows you
to show others your potential. Opportunities come. It9s also a good time to
make decisions about personal matters and health care. Tonight: Delighting
in artistic or spiritual growth.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
õõõ There are tremendous opportunities and an avalanche of ideas and
projects. You might feel overwhelmed. Try not to take on too much. You real-
ize that everyone needs a great deal from you. Tonight: Avoid a partner who
has been a disappointment in the past.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)
õõõ Accept what you feel is inevitable. Resist the temptation to complain
about routine chores and count your blessings. Health and fitness are a
focus. Don9t postpone a dentist appointment if it9s needed. Tonight: Look at
competitors as motivating influences to inspire you.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)
õõõ You9ll enjoy gambles and intriguing risks. Adventurous leisure activities
have appeal. Regarding love, you9ll seek a situation that is thrilling rather than
safe and secure. Business takes a back seat to social and creative interests.
Tonight: Too much time online.
Libyan interior minister survives
attack on motorcade
The motorcade of the interior minister
of Libya’s U.N.-backed government came
under attack Sunday in the capital, Tripoli,
officials said.
Armed men opened fire at Fathi
Bashagha’s motorcade on a highway
in Tripoli, wounding at least one of his
guards, said Amin al-Hashmi, a spokes-
man for the Tripoli-based Health Ministry.
He said the minister survived the attack
and his guards chased the assailants, kill-
ing one and detaining two others.
No group claimed responsibility for the
attack, which underscores the insecurity in
the North African county.
The U.S. ambassador in Libya, Richard
Norland, condemned the attack and called
for an investigation to hold those responsi-
ble accountable.
Oil-rich Libya was plunged into chaos
after a 2011 NATO-backed uprising top-
pled and killed longtime dictator Moam-
mar Gadhafi. The country has been di-
vided between two governments, one
in the east and another in the west, each
backed by a vast array of militias as well as
foreign powers.
Earlier this month, a U.N.-picked body
comprised of Libyans from both sides
appointed an interim government — a
three-member Presidential Council and
a prime minister — to lead the country
through elections, scheduled for Dec. 24.
Nazi guard deported from Tennessee
A Tennessee man has been sent back to
Germany for his role in acts of persecution
while serving as an armed guard at a Nazi
concentration camp in 1945, the U.S. De-
partment of Justice said Saturday.
Friedrich Karl Berger, 95, was found re-
movable to Germany after a two-day trial
in February 2020. His service as an armed
guard at an outpost of the Neuengamme
camp near Meppen in western Germany
constituted assistance in Nazi-sponsored
persecution, the department said in a
statement.
Prisoners at the camp included “Jews,
Poles, Russians, Danes, Dutch, Latvians,
French, Italians, and political opponents”
of the Nazis, the DOJ said. At least 42,900
people died at Neuengamme and its satel-
lite campse.
Berger is the 70th Nazi persecutor re-
moved from the U.S., according to the
Justice Department, which said it has won
cases against 109 people since the govern-
ment began a program to find, investigate
and deport Nazi collaborators in 1979.
According to the department, Berger
admitted to preventing prisoners from es-
caping during outdoor forced labor in the
winter of 1945.
— Bulletin wire reports