August 29, 2025

~~~ Thanks to akaWendy for the lead. She writes that she was "curious about the line 'Time to blackout the system'. But fortunately there is a link to Blackout,which describes it as 'The largest economic blackout protest in U.S. history begins NOW!' - Sept 16th-20th, urging participants to spend only at community stores."

⭐A Very Happy Friday Afternoon News Dump Before a Holiday. Doug Palmer, et al., of Politico: “A federal appeals court on Friday struck down ... Donald Trump’s use of emergency powers granted by Congress to impose tariffs, opening the door for the administration to potentially have to repay billions worth of duties. The 7-4 ruling raises doubt about deals Trump has struck with the European Union, Japan, South Korea and other major trading partners to reduce the 'reciprocal' tariff rates on their imports, from the levels the administration originally set in April.... The ruling also invalidates the tariffs that Trump has imposed on China, Canada and Mexico to pressure those countries to do more to stop shipments of fentanyl and precursor chemicals from entering the United States. The decision, however, will not take effect until Oct. 14, giving the Trump administration time to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court.... The ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit upholds a May decision by the U.S. Court of International Trade, which concluded that Trump exceeded his authority under the 1977 law he invoked to impose both the fentanyl trafficking tariffs and his worldwide tariffs, the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.” ~~~

     ~~~ The Washington Post's report is here. 

Amudalat Ajasa of the Washington Post: “The Trump administration has fired at least seven Environmental Protection Agency employees for signing a letter nearly two months ago criticizing the agency’s leadership, according to union officials. The agency confirmed the firings Friday but did not specify how many people were terminated. EPA leaders had placed 144 employees on leave for endorsing a public missive that said the changes ... Donald Trump and his appointees had made at the agency 'undermine the EPA mission of protecting human health and the environment.' More than 270 employees initially signed the letter, with over 170 choosing to be named.”

So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past. -- F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby ~~~ 

~~~ Brad Plumer of the New York Times: “The Transportation Department on Friday said it was terminating or withdrawing $679 million in federal funding for 12 projects around the country intended to support the development of offshore wind power, the latest of the Trump administration’s escalating attacks against the wind industry. The funds, approved by the Biden administration, include $427 million awarded last year to upgrade a marine terminal in Humboldt County, Calif. The new terminal would be used to assemble and launch wind turbines capable of floating in the ocean, which the state of California had been planning to deploy to meet its renewable energy goals. The list of targeted projects also includes $48 million for an offshore wind port on Staten Island, $39 million to upgrade a port near Norfolk, Va. and $20 million for a marine terminal in Paulsboro, N.J. Most of the projects were intended to be staging areas for the construction of giant wind turbines that would eventually be placed at sea.”

Catie Edmondson of the New York Times: “The White House has informed Congress it intends to cancel $4.9 billion that lawmakers approved for foreign aid programs, invoking a little-known and legally untested power to slash spending without their approval. The 15-page notification, sent to Congress on Thursday night and reviewed by The New York Times, is the administration’s first effort to push through what is known as a 'pocket rescission.' It is an effort to unilaterally claw back money that has already been appropriated by waiting so late in the fiscal year to make the request that lawmakers do not have time to reject it before the funding expires. The fiscal year ends on Sept. 30, before the 45-day period in which Congress is required to consider a rescission request from the White House. Republicans could bring the matter to a vote sooner, but party leaders have shown little appetite for resisting the president’s spending demands and asserting their own prerogatives.” Here's Politico's story.

Chris Cameron of the New York Times: Donald “Trump expanded his wide-reaching effort to strip union protections from federal employees on Thursday, signing an executive order that commanded roughly half a dozen government agencies to end their collective bargaining agreements with unions representing their employees. Those agencies included NASA; the National Weather Service and the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service; the United States Agency for Global Media, which manages federally funded news agencies like Voice of America; the Office of the Commissioner for Patents; and units of the Bureau of Reclamation that operate 53 hydroelectric power plants across the country. If the agencies comply with the order, union employees will lose the rights and protections provided by the collective bargaining agreements.”

Andrew Ackerman & Rachel Siegel of the Washington Post: “A federal judge on Friday said she would consider a request over the coming days to temporarily block the Trump administration from removing a Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook, while her lawsuit challenging the dismissal proceeds. U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb, who was appointed by former president Joe Biden, said she would speed up the legal proceedings that could determine the fate of the president’s ouster of Cook, who sued ... Donald Trump, arguing that allegations of mortgage fraud cited by the White House fall short of the legal standard for removal.” ~~~

~~~ Victoria Guida of Politico: “Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte expanded his allegations against Federal Reserve board member Lisa Cook, saying she may have made false representations about a third property she owns. Pulte, in a letter to the Justice Department posted on X, said Cook bought a Massachusetts-based condo in 2021 and classified it as a second home, but then she listed it as an investment/rental property in filings to the U.S. government in December of that year. Cook was nominated to the Fed board by President Joe Biden in January 2022.... The letter adds to the accusations made by Pulte against Cook that she may have committed criminal mortgage fraud by classifying two properties, purchased also in 2021, as her primary residence in loan applications.”

Janie Har of the AP: “A federal appeals court on Friday blocked the Trump administration’s plans to end protections for 600,000 people from Venezuela who have had permission to live and work in the United States. A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court ruling that maintained temporary protected status for Venezuelans while the case proceeded through court.... The 9th Circuit panel found that plaintiffs were likely to succeed on their claim that the department had no authority to vacate or set aside a prior TPS extension because the governing statute written by Congress does not permit for it. 'In enacting the TPS statute, Congress designed a system of temporary status that was predictable, dependable, and insulated from electoral politics,' the court wrote.”

Devlin Barrett of the New York Times: “Emil Bove III, a senior Trump administration official, was narrowly confirmed last month to serve as an appeals court judge, brushing past a bitter confirmation fight despite concerns that he would carry out the president’s directives while on the federal bench. Still, Mr. Bove has continued to work at the Justice Department, appearing just last week at a department event to celebrate the crime-fighting takeover of the Washington police.... It was just one instance of Mr. Bove’s presence at the department, where he has also attended meetings, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the department’s inner workings. The code of conduct for federal judges does not appear to apply to Mr. Bove, who court records show has yet to be sworn in. But the fact that he has remained at the Justice Department has raised eyebrows.”

     ~~~ Marie: Gee, an office party featuring Emil Bove to celebrate a hostile takeover of the D.C. police. Sounds like scads of fun!

Jennifer Jacobs of CBS News: "Republican Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa has told confidantes she plans to reveal next week that she won't seek reelection in 2026, multiple sources familiar with the matter told CBS News. Ernst's announcement is scheduled for Thursday, the sources said. Ernst, 55, has served in the U.S. Senate since 2015." 

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The clip below might be the longest string delivered in the shortest time of negative projection, self-delusional remarks & provable lies in the history of U.S. Cabinet meetings:  

Our Caligula. Paul Krugman: In a few short months, Donald Trump has destroyed the Pax Americana that the U.S. established with our allies in 1945 and has continued until January 20, 2025. “Formally treating our allies as if they were our equals ... [was] a way of showing respect and declaring that we would not abuse our national power.... And ... I don’t think Trump’s vulgarity is irrelevant to understanding what he’s doing to America and the world. One of the best explanations I’ve read of who Trump is, and implicit predictions of what he would do, was a 2017 discussion of his design tastes titled 'Dictator Chic.'... Trump’s foreign policy doctrine appears to be Oderint dum metuant — let them hate as long as they fear — supposedly the favorite motto of the Emperor Caligula. America, he seems to believe, is so powerful that it doesn’t need allies; he can bully the world into doing his bidding.... In fact, not only does the world not fear us. Increasingly, it doesn’t need us.” ~~~

~~~ Here's Thursday's Exercise in Dictator Chic. Zachary Small of the New York Times: Donald “Trump signed an executive order on Thursday that requires federal buildings in Washington to maintain a classical style of Greco-Roman architecture associated with the marble columns and austere hallways of the Supreme Court and U.S. Capitol. The new guidelines, which the White House has framed as “making federal architecture beautiful again,” also discourage federal construction projects nationwide from choosing modernist styles like Brutalism.” MB: Um, isn't paving over the Rose Garden “Brutalist?”

No Ketchup Was Hurled at the Walls. Robin Pogrebin & Graham Bowley of the New York Times: “The top executive of the Smithsonian, Lonnie G. Bunch III, was summoned to a White House lunch on Thursday in the midst of ... [Donald] Trump’s efforts to review and change content at the institution’s museums. Neither side publicly discussed what happened at the meeting, which came as the White House increasingly pushes for a role in deciding what is presented in Smithsonian exhibits. But a White House official described the lunch as 'productive and cordial.' Mr. Bunch, the secretary of the Smithsonian, and Mr. Trump were joined by Lindsey Halligan, a special assistant to the president who is leading the White House review. Mr. Trump has said the Smithsonian’s museums present 'divisive narratives' and 'race-centered ideology,' and this month the administration sent Mr. Bunch a letter announcing a wide-ranging review of current and planned Smithsonian exhibitions. The examination would involve scouring wall text, websites and social media at eight of the institution’s 21 museums 'to assess tone, historical framing and alignment with American ideals.'”

Tyler Pager of the New York Times: Donald “Trump has terminated former Vice President Kamala Harris’s Secret Service protection.... Mr. Trump signed a memorandum on Thursday that will end Ms. Harris’s protection as of Monday. The Secret Service usually protects a former vice president for six months after they leave office, but President Joseph R. Biden Jr. had signed an order extending Ms. Harris’s protection beyond that, according to a person familiar with the arrangement.... The end of Ms. Harris’s protection comes just before she is set to embark on a nationwide tour to promote her new book about her presidential campaign.” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Of course the reason Harris needed extended protection was that Trump himself has drummed up such hatred against her in particular and Black women in general.  

Luke Broadwater of the New York Times: “...  the independence of ... [the CDC, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Federal Reserve] is in question after ... [Donald] Trump, in a push to root out pockets of independence of government, has fired or taken steps to fire their leaders. In doing so, critics say, the Trump administration is risking the credibility of agencies that were long respected as above politics and play a vital role in providing information needed to guide major decisions about the nation’s course.... The White House’s efforts represented an intrusion of political warfare into the leadership of federal financial and health policy, which traditionally had been insulated from such interference.... He is trying to make [the] maximalist vision of the presidency a reality.” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Broadwater lists a number of other ways in which Trump has exercised his “right to do whatever I want as president.” But he never comes out and says. “because he's an autocrat dedicated to destroying democratic institutions.” Until the Times uses its reports on every one of Trump's autocratic moves to demonstrate how Trump is undermining the Constitutional order, it's reporting is kinda useless to ordinary readers. 

Marie: Honest to Pete, the following is a real story on the front page of the New York Times. I expect the lede will change soon, but we must remember that this is the way the Trump administration "works": ~~~ 

~~~ Everything Is Going Very Smoothly. Sheryl Stolberg, et al., of the New York Times: “The White House and the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were engaged in a tense standoff on Thursday after Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. tried to fire the director, Susan Monarez, and multiple high-ranking agency officials resigned. The White House said that she had been dismissed. But her lawyers, who said she had chosen “protecting the public over serving a political agenda,” insisted that she remained C.D.C. director until ... [Donald] Trump fired her personally. The dispute now appears to be in the hands of Mr. Trump, who has not weighed in publicly.”  (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Lena Sun, et al., of the Washington Post: “As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reeled from the ousting of its director, senior leaders who resigned in protest told The Washington Post they were asked to participate in an unscientific vaccine recommendation process that they believe could harm the health of Americans. The officials spoke shortly before security officials escorted them off the CDC’s Atlanta campus Thursday morning. Staff and leaders of the agency are openly revolting against the Trump administration and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime critic of the CDC and anti-vaccine activist after months of tension over vaccine policy and staffing cuts.... Kennedy, for his part, criticized the CDC Thursday on Fox News, describing it as a source of misinformation during the covid-19 pandemic and suggesting bigger changes were to come.” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ “People Will Die.” Brandy Zadrozny of MSNBC: “... [CDC] officials ... describe [Drs. Deb] Houry, [Daniel] Jernigan and [Demetre] Daskalakis as brilliant physicians and effective managers who led the country through decades of public health crises from Ebola to mpox to Covid.... 'People will die because of this,' said a current senior official.... 'We won’t be able to get out guidance or get out funding for public health departments or get out vaccines. We’re going to be sicker as a country, not as effective, waste resources. And for what? I don’t understand.'” ~~~

~~~ Brandy Zadrozny of MSNBC: “Hundreds of employees and supporters of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lined the sidewalks outside the agency’s Atlanta headquarters Thursday for a 'clap out' rally to honor three senior leaders who resigned a day earlier in protest of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s anti-vaccine attacks on the agency and public health at large.... Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., a doctor who chairs the Senate’s health committee and whom Monarez reportedly contacted Monday with concerns about Kennedy’s demands, called for 'oversight' Wednesday night. On Thursday, he said an upcoming vaccine advisory meeting should be canceled.” MB: However, see the story about CVS, linked below. Cancellation of the advisory board meeting guarantees that distribution of Covid vaccines in 16 states will be delayed. ~~~

~~~ Marina Dunbar of the Guardian writes brief profiles of the CDC leaders who resigned. ~~~ 

~~~ Jeremy Faust publishes the resignation memos of Dr. Deb Houry, Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, & Dr. Daniel Jernigan. ~~~ 

~~~ Dan Diamond of the Washington Post: “The White House on Thursday selected a top deputy of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to serve as acting head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention after a clash over vaccine policy ended in the departure of several agency leaders, according to two people familiar with the decision. The selection of Jim O’Neill, currently the deputy secretary at the Department of Health and Human Services, as interim leader of the CDC, potentially clears a path for Kennedy to continue his efforts to overhaul federal vaccine policy after the agency’s previous leader, Susan Monarez, balked at his requests.... O’Neill, who served in the George W. Bush administration as a senior health official before becoming a close ally of investor Peter Thiel, was confirmed by the Senate in June to serve as deputy HHS secretary.” MB: Great. Because Thiel is a sociopath who considers ordinary people expendable and human suffering “necessary optimization.” So just what we need in the CDC's top job: a Thiel acolyte who doesn't care about people's health and well-being. The ABC News report is here. ~~~ 

~~~ Maanvi Singh & Robert Mackey of the Guardian profile Jim O'Neill: “O’Neill, unlike [Susan Monarez, has no training in medicine or infectious disease science. He is a former speechwriter for the health department, during the Bush [II] years, who went on to work for the tech investor and conservative megadonor Peter Thiel. During the Covid pandemic, O’Neill voiced public support for unproven treatments that were not supported by scientific evidence, including ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine, as well as vitamin D as a supposed 'prophylaxis'. He also posted a number of conspiratorial theories on social media, including the baseless claim that 'the name #COVID was chosen to conceal the origin of the virus. This name made it harder to study and probably slowed the response.'” ~~~

~~~ Marie: I don't know if you've noticed, but we're playing "Where's Dumbo?" right now because Dumbo, a/k/a Donald Trump, has been MIA for the past 24 hours or so, at least in relation to the HHS running fiasco. It is not unreasonable to speculate that his own deteriorating health may be the cause of his absence.   

Maggie Astor & Dani Blum of the New York Times: “CVS, the country’s largest pharmacy chain, is currently not offering Covid vaccines in 16 states, including Florida, New York and Pennsylvania, even to people who meet newly restricted criteria from the Food and Drug Administration. Amy Thibault, a spokeswoman for CVS, cited 'the current regulatory environment' as the reason the vaccine was not available in those states, or in the District of Columbia, emphasizing that the list could change. Legal experts said that federal decisions were creating an extremely difficult situation for pharmacies to navigate.... CVS will make the vaccines available nationwide if [a CDC] advisory panel recommends them, Ms. Thibault said.... [The] states [which CVS is not offering Covid shots] are Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia and West Virginia, along with the District of Columbia.”

AND here's the kind of vital health-related information that in the near future we're not going to get timely or accurately because RFKJ & Trump: ~~~ 

~~~ Caroline Legaspi of the New York Times: “A salmonella outbreak linked to eggs has sickened 95 people across 14 states, federal health officials said on Thursday. Eighteen people have been hospitalized. The company Country Eggs, of Lucerne Valley, Calif., has issued a recall of its large brown cage free “sunshine yolks” and “omega-3 golden yolks” eggs, according to the Food and Drug Administration. The recalled eggs were sold in grocery stores and delivered to food service distributors in California and Nevada between June 16 and July 9 and have sell-by dates between July 1 and Sept. 18. The recalled cartons were also sold under the brand names Nagatoshi Produce, Misuho and Nijiya Markets.”

Crackpot HHS Head Shares Another Crackpot Theory. Josephine Walker of Axios: "Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. claimed without evidence that antidepressants could have contributed to the mass shooting in Minnesota on Wednesday after an attacker opened fire on a church.... The unsubstantiated antidepressant medication claim is another example of Kennedy floating ideas that contradict established science.... Law enforcement personnel have not directly linked mental health issues to the cause of the shooting.... Antidepressants, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or SSRIs, are safe and effective at treating anxiety and depression in children, according to an expansive study conducted in 2019 at Stanford University."  

Nina Agrawal of the New York Times: “A respected network of hospitals and cancer centers is halting enrollment in clinical trials for children with brain cancer after the federal government said it would no longer provide funding to the group. The Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium, an association of 16 academic centers and children’s hospitals dedicated to trials of novel treatments for pediatric brain cancer, directed its members last week to stop enrolling new patients because it had been informed that the consortium would not be eligible to apply for funding beyond March 2026, said Dr. Ira Dunkel, a pediatric oncologist who is the chair of the group. Dr. Dunkel said he had heard about the decision from the program’s liaison at the National Cancer Institute on Aug. 19. He said he had not received written communication from the leadership at the institute — which provides the bulk of funding, about $4 million annually, to the consortium — about the decision.” The link appears to be a gift link.

Andrew Ackerman & Rachel Siegel of the Washington Post: “Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook on Thursday sued to prevent ... Donald Trump’s attempt to oust her from office, setting up a legal clash that could determine the Fed’s ability to continue operating outside White House control. In her complaint, Cook asked the U.S. District Court in Washington to issue an injunction to block the dismissal, which her lawsuit characterized as 'unprecedented and illegal.' She also stated the allegations of mortgage fraud cited by the White House fall short of the legal standard for her removal.... Cook has yet to respond substantively to the allegations. The Justice Department says it has opened an investigation into the matter, but no charges have been filed publicly.” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Politico's report is here. A non-firewalled copy of Cook's complaint is here. (Also linked yesterday.)   

Hamed Aleaziz of the New York Times: “The Trump administration is making plans for an immigration crackdown in Chicago that would involve 200 homeland security officials and the use of a naval base outside the city as a staging area.... The request to use a naval station in Illinois, drafted in recent days by the Homeland Security Department, suggests that the Trump administration is planning a sustained operation, potentially for the month of September. The request, should it be granted by the Defense Department, would be a notable example of the nation’s military resources being used for civilian law enforcement by an administration that has increasingly blurred the line between them.... 'This plan seems to be a rerun of their tactics in Los Angeles, where ICE agents were used as a pretext to justify further escalation by federal agents and National Guard troops,' [Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson] said in a statement.”

Marie: Thank goodness for ICE. Now Washingtonians don't have to worry that some scary "illegals" will save the trees in the Olympic National Forest: ~~~ 

~~~ Francesca Regalado of the New York Times: “Gov. Bob Ferguson of Washington said on Thursday that his office was demanding an explanation from federal officials for Border Patrol’s decision to arrest workers who were fighting a wildfire in the state. Mr. Ferguson, a Democrat, said in a statement that he was 'deeply concerned' that the Trump administration had targeted firefighters trying to contain the Bear Gulch fire in Olympic National Forest, west of Seattle. Firefighting officials said the Border Patrol’s operation on Wednesday, first reported by The Seattle Times, had not interrupted efforts to control the blaze. In a separate statement, Border Patrol said its agents had made the arrests after the Bureau of Land Management asked for help verifying the identities of 44 people who were working on contractor crews near the fire. The agents identified two workers who were in the country illegally and arrested them, according to the statement. The other 42 workers were escorted from the site.”

Maegan Vazquez of the Washington Post: “At a news conference discussing the expansion of an existing crime suppression program in California, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) went after ... Donald Trump for the 'blatant hypocrisy' of surging National Guard troops and federal law enforcement agents to Democratic-led cities when, he says, there are higher crime rates in some Republican-run places. Newsom called his expansion of a program that deploys the California Highway Patrol (CHP) to more cities to address crime a 'consequential contrast' to what Trump is attempting to do. 'He’s doing things to people, not with people,' Newsom said Thursday. '… He’s de facto militarizing American cities.'

“The governor, seated at an executive desk and flanked by state law enforcement officers at Thursday’s news conference, held up fliers that displayed Republican elected officials — including House Speaker Mike Johnson (Louisiana), Sen. Josh Hawley (Missouri), Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves — along with crime statistics for their states. 'Look at the murder rate that’s nearly four times higher than California’s — in Louisiana,' Newsom said, holding up the flier with Johnson’s face.”

Alan Feuer of the New York Times: “Lawyers for Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, the Salvadoran immigrant who was brought back from a wrongful expulsion to El Salvador only to face a second deportation, asked a federal judge on Thursday to impose a gag order on members of the Trump administration. The order would bar the officials from making 'inflammatory' public statements about Mr. Abrego Garcia. In a 15-page motion filed in Federal District Court in Nashville, the lawyers said that officials in President Trump’s Justice Department and Department of Homeland Security had been assailing Mr. Abrego Garcia in ways that could taint a potential pool of jurors and abridge his right to a fair trial. The motion specifically mentioned Attorney General Pam Bondi and Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary.” The internal link to the motion is to a non-firewalled document. Politico's story is here.

Alan Feuer of the New York Times: “Federal prosecutors on Thursday reduced the charges they filed two weeks ago against a man who threw a sandwich at a federal officer on the streets of Washington, refiling his case as a misdemeanor after they failed to indict him this week on a felony assault count. The decision to lower the charges against the man, Sean C. Dunn, was the latest courtroom stumble for the U.S. attorney’s office in Washington, which has struggled to convince judges and grand jurors of the viability of several cases arising from ... [Donald] Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops and federal agents to fight crime in the city.”

News You Can Use. Jaclyn Peiser, et al., of the Washington Post: “Online shopping from overseas merchants is about to get a bit more complicated and more expensive. Starting Friday, the United States is erasing an exemption that has allowed low-cost imports to enter the country duty-free for over nine decades. Merchandise worth $800 or less will be subject to an additional 10 to 50 percent levy depending on the tariff rate of the country of origin, according to ... Donald Trump’s July 30 executive order. Or they could be subject to a flat rate, ranging from $80 to $200 per package.... Consumers should expect delays or canceled orders, said Maria Pechurina ... [of] Peacock Tariff Consulting. National mail services around the world have suspended certain deliveries to the U.S. as they sort out a system to pay the levy. Meanwhile, only about a half-dozen third-party service providers have been certified by U.S. Customs and Border Protection to collect and pay the duties on international mail.” The article includes some details. The link is a gift link. The Hill has a story here.

Pentagon Celebrates Military Traitors Across the Centuries: ~~~ 

(1) Greg Jaffe of the New York Times: “The Pentagon is restoring a portrait of Gen. Robert E. Lee, which includes a slave guiding the Confederate general’s horse in the background, to the West Point library three years after a congressionally mandated commission ordered it removed, officials said. The 20-foot-tall painting, which hung at the United States Military Academy for 70 years, was taken down in response to a 2020 law that stripped the names of Confederate leaders from military bases.... It was not clear how West Point could return General Lee’s portrait to the library without violating the law....” ~~~

      ~~~ Marie: Here the headline writer is more on-point than the reporter. The subhead reads, “The Pentagon is putting back up a portrait of Gen. Robert E. Lee at the military academy, as the Trump administration seeks to restore honors for American figures who fought to preserve slavery.” You can see the portrait here.

(2) Daniel Wu & Tara Copp of the Washington Post: “The Air Force will offer military funeral honors to Ashli Babbitt, the Trump supporter and Air Force veteran who was fatally shot by police during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, according to a statement from military officials issued Thursday.” An NBC News story is here.

Scott Nover of the Washington Post: “A federal judge in Washington blocked the Trump administration Thursday from firing Michael Abramowitz as Voice of America’s director, weeks after administration official Kari Lake first attempted to remove him from the post. Abramowitz, a former Washington Post reporter who has led the U.S. government-funded broadcasting organization since last year, maintained that only a Senate-confirmed advisory board had authority to remove him as VOA director. But ... Donald Trump removed all members of the board in January. U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth, an appointee of President Ronald Reagan, agreed with Abramowitz on Thursday, having heard arguments in a hearing Monday. He ruled that without a majority vote from the Senate-confirmed board, Lake did not have the authority to remove Abramowitz.”

Katie Robertson of the New York Times: “The [Atlanta] Journal-Constitution will stop publishing a print newspaper at the end of the year, [its president and publisher Andrew] Morse said, and divert all of its resources into the digital news operation. The company has published in print since 1868.... The Journal-Constitution is one of the largest daily newspapers yet to completely abandon print.” (Also linked yesterday.)   

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Tennessee. Emily Cochrane of the New York Times: “A federal judge on Thursday ordered a new trial for three former Memphis police officers found guilty of charges related to the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old FedEx worker, in 2023. She cited concerns about the appearance of bias, pointing to comments that the judge who presided over the trial reportedly made afterward, suggesting that one of the defendants was a gang member. Last fall, a federal jury acquitted the former officers of the most serious charge, that they had violated Mr. Nichols’s civil rights by causing his death. The jury found them guilty on federal witness tampering charges. But just days before the three men were to be sentenced, Judge Mark Norris abruptly recused himself from the case. Court documents unsealed on Thursday, as well as the judicial order, show that the defendants requested a new trial after the U.S. attorney’s office disclosed conversations that took place after the verdict.”

Texas, the Misogyny State. David Goodman of the New York Times: “Lawmakers in Texas moved decisively on Thursday to curtail the distribution of mail-order abortion medications from states like New York and California, allowing nearly anyone to sue doctors, distributors and manufacturers anywhere in the country and collect cash awards. Supporters hope and opponents fear the legislation, nearing final passage in Texas, will serve as a model for other states to limit medication abortion by promoting a rash of lawsuits against medical providers, pharmaceutical companies and companies such as FedEx or UPS that may ship the drugs. If the legislation works as hoped, abortion opponents say, the availability of medication abortion could become more limited, even in states where abortion remains legal, because manufacturers and delivery companies could be expected to limit distribution in Texas to avoid legal liability.”