“On April 3, 1968, the night before the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated by a white supremacist, he gave a speech in support of sanitation workers in Memphis, Tennessee.... Dr. King told the audience that if God had let him choose any era in which to live, he would have chosen the one in which he had landed. 'Now, that’s a strange statement to make,' King went on, 'because the world is all messed up. The nation is sick. Trouble is in the land; confusion all around…. But I know, somehow, that only when it is dark enough, can you see the stars.'...
“'I don’t know what will happen now. We’ve got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn’t matter…because I’ve been to the mountaintop…. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life…. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will. And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over. And I’ve seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land!'”
Emmanuel Felton of the Washington Post: “In the nearly six decades since the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., the civil rights movement has reinvented itself time and again.Leaders across the movement say that one year into the Trump administration, they face a new inflection point.... The Washington Post spoke to activists about the 1960s civil rights movement and what comes next.”
~~~~~~~~~~
The last time Trump the Barbarian tried to plant his flag on Greenland, something good came of it. Here are Anderson Cooper & Conan O'Brien 6 years ago discussing Conan's exploration of the world's largest island (which is not a continent): ~~~
Willa Robbins of Mediaite publishes some reactions to Trump's admission that not getting the Nobel Peace Prize was directly linked to his belligerent streak, including his demand to acquire Greenland. Here's a bit more from Alex Griffing of Mediaite. The Washington Post did, BTW, publish a story & put it at the top of its online page.
the terror being inflicted upon a U.S. city and state by our federal government."
Donald Trump's former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, said Friday that prosecutors in both the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and the New York Attorney General’s Office 'pressured and coerced' him into delivering testimony tailored to securing convictions against Trump. Cohen, who was a key prosecution witness in two New York cases against Trump, accused New York Attorney General Letitia James and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg of pursuing evidence aimed at Trump, saying prosecutors were uninterested in testimony that didn’t fit their narrative. 'I felt pressured and coerced to only provide information and testimony that would satisfy the government’s desire to build the cases against and secure a judgment and convictions against President Trump,' Cohen wrote in a post on Substack. Cohen ... said he was writing as a federal appeals court considers the president's request to move his hush money case to federal court for further review." ~~~
~~~ Sean James of Mediaite (January 17): "Progressive media company MeidasTouch Network announced it was cutting ties with Michael Cohen on Saturday, hours after he claimed prosecutors “pressured” him to mold his testimony to bolster a political witch hunt against President Donald Trump."
f the New York Times: “In Federalist No. 51, James Madison wrote..., 'If men were angels, no government would be necessary,' Madison wrote. '... In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: You must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself.' This is a version of the ancient question: Who will watch the watchers?... Eventually the people will elect a bad and corrupt person to the presidency, and he will wield every tool, power and prerogative that was designed for good to build his own edifice of oppression and greed. If we can endure this crisis, there will be a time of reflection and reform.” The link appears to be a gift link. (Also linked yesterday.)
The Vanities of the Short-Fingered Vulgarian. Amy Fan & Margot Sanger-Katz of the New York Times (January 13): “... the recent rash of Trump namings, while the president is still in office, makes him very unusual among American presidents, who tend to wait for others to honor them after their presidencies have concluded. 'Throughout Western history, the idea of commemorating and adulating yourself has been considered gauche,' said Jeffrey Engel, a historian at Southern Methodist University.... Mr. Trump’s enthusiasm for attaching his name to federal architecture may run afoul of [various laws].”
Lauren Gurley & Michael Birnbaum of the Washington Post: “... Donald Trump has sent a flurry of invitations this weekend to world leaders to join a new 'Board of Peace,' being marketed as an international peace-building organization. However, a permanent seat on the board will cost countries $1 billion.... A copy [of the draft charter] was posted online Sunday by the Times of Israel.... The charter went out with invitations to world leaders, including those of Argentina, Canada, Egypt, France, Hungary, India, Italy, Kazakhstan and Turkey. King Abdullah II of Jordan was also invited, the Jordanian Foreign Ministry said Sunday. The Kremlin said Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin had received an invitation.... European leaders have been consulting with one another about Trump’s expansive ambitions for the board and most are unlikely to sign on to it in its current form, one senior European official said.... There is ... little appetite to contribute large sums of money to a new organization that would be dominated by Trump’s vision for a new world order, the European official said....” ~~~
~~~ Isabel Kershner has the New York Times' story on Trump's "Board of Peace" grift. For more on the "Board of Peace," see links on yesterday's page. (Also linked yesterday.) MB: It goes something like this: "You give me a billion dollars. I might lay of you and your people. Nothing else." I'm thinking this is the highest-priced protection racket any mob boss in history has every attempted. ~~~
⭐~~~ BUT. The POTUS* Is Deranged. Seb Starcevic of Politico: “Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre confirmed Monday he received a message from ... Donald Trump at the weekend saying he was no longer interested 'purely' in peace due to not getting the Nobel Peace Prize. 'Considering your country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 Wars PLUS, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace, although it will always be predominant, but can now think about what is good and proper for the United States of America,' Trump wrote Sunday, adding he sought 'Complete and Total Control of Greenland.' Støre told Norwegian outlet VG that Trump’s missive, first reported by PBS, was in reply to 'a short message to President Trump from me earlier in the day, on behalf of myself and the President of Finland, Alexander Stubb,' in which the two Nordic premiers called for the deescalation of tensions and requested a three-way phone call. Norway’s government does not award the prize, which is given out by an independent committee.” ~~~
~~~ Marie: So it looks like the main reason the U.S. military invaded Venezuela is that the Nobel committee have the Peace Prize to a Venezuela lady, and Trump didn't make her president of Venezuela (he thinks he's "acting president" of Venezuela) because she accepted the prize. It's time to ask JayDee whazzamatta with him that he hasn't yet invoked the 25th Amendment. Not that I think President Vance is a plus. ~~~
~~~ I was wondering why the major U.S. papers didn't have this Trump-Nobel whine on their front pages. Well, as of 8:30 am ET, it broke as the top story at the New York Times. Nothing on the WashPo front page as of 8:40 am ET.
Katherine Doyle, et al., of NBC News: "... Donald Trump ... is increasingly complaining to aides ... about Canada’s vulnerability to U.S. adversaries in the Arctic.... As Trump’s advisers work toward his goal of acquiring Greenland, the president has privately grown more exercised about what he sees as Canada’s similar inability to defend its borders against any encroachment from Russia or China, specifically arguing Canada needs to spend more on defense..., officials said. They said his push has accelerated internal discussions about a broader Arctic strategy and potentially reaching an agreement with Canada this year to fortify its northern border. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Marie: So now we're back to that 51st state thing. And as Colin Jost noted on SNL last night, "Meanwhile, Puerto Rico's like, 'Wow! Okay???'" (See "Weekend Update" segment, embedded yesterday.)
“In an interview on NBC News’s 'Meet the Press,' [Treasury Secretary Scott] Bessent brushed off concerns from European allies about the future of the defense alliance when asked about their warnings that any move from the U.S. to annex the semiautonomous Danish territory in the Arctic could 'destroy NATO.' 'Let me just put this to you bluntly,” NBC News’s Kristen Welker said. 'Is Greenland or NATO more essential to the United States national security?' 'Both. Kristen, that’s obviously a false choice,' Bessent said. When Welker noted European leaders see it differently, Bessent said, 'The European leaders will come around. And they will understand that they need to be under the U.S. security umbrella.'” (Also linked yesterday.)
“Donald Trump’s decision to slap tariffs on countries that have shown support for Greenland is pushing transatlantic relations to a breaking point as EU leaders contemplate ways of retaliating against Washington that until now have been unthinkable. Relations between Washington and Europe have been rocky for months as the U.S. president has wavered on support for Ukraine, pressured EU countries into accepting a lopsided trade deal and forced NATO allies to massively ramp up their spending on defense. Even at the height of those tensions, EU leaders stopped short of hitting back.... But now, as Trump ramps up his claims on Greenland..., European leaders are facing increasingly loud calls to drop their softly-softly approach and prepare for confrontation. The fact that Trump triggered his tariffs just after the EU signed a major trade deal with Latin American countries is only deepening the sense of resolve among some Europeans.” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Jeanna Smialek of the New York Times: “In a single post on Saturday night..., [Donald] Trump ... demanded a deal to buy Greenland, saying that otherwise he would slap tariffs on a group of European nations, first 10 percent in February, then 25 percent in June.... [The post] upended months of progress on trade negotiations with an ultimatum that puts Europe on a crash course with the United States — long its closest ally and suddenly one of its biggest threats.... Europeans are now racing to figure out how to respond to Mr. Trump’s pressure campaign.” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ UPDATE. Jeanna Smialek & Anushka Patil of the New York Times: “Faced with the threat of punishing tariffs by ... [Donald] Trump if he does not get his way over acquiring Greenland, European Union leaders began to coalesce around a negotiation strategy on Sunday, without ruling out retaliatory taxes of their own.... On Sunday, ambassadors from across the 27-nation bloc met in Brussels to take stock of the situation. While those were just preliminary talks, they made a few things clear. Officials would rather negotiate than retaliate, for one. But they are also committed to protecting Greenland ... from being bought or taken over if that is not what its people want. The Trump administration showed no signs of backing down.... Late Sunday night, Mr. Trump said on social media that NATO had been telling Denmark for 20 years that the country needed to 'get the Russian threat away from Greenland.... Unfortunately, Denmark has been unable to do anything about it.... Now it is time, and it will be done!!!' He did not elaborate.” ~~~
~~~ Stefanie Dazio, et al., of the AP: “The eight European countries targeted by ... Donald Trump for a 10% tariff for opposing American control of Greenland blasted the move Sunday, warning that his threats 'undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral.' The joint statement by some of America’s closest allies signaled a possible turning point in the recent tensions over sovereignty and security nearly 24 hours after Trump’s threat. It was also the most forceful rebuke of Trump from the European allies since he returned to the White House almost a year ago. In recent months, Europeans have mostly opted for diplomacy and flattery around him, even when seeking an end to the war in Ukraine. Sunday’s statement, as well as some European countries sending troops to Greenland for a Danish military training exercise, appeared to be a step away from that strategy.” ~~~
~~~ Marie: Before you throw Brits under the bus, you should remember that they've got double-deckers. ~~~
~~~ Keir Fights Back. Lizzie Dearden of the New York Times: “In a news conference in London on Monday morning, [the British Prime Ministers Keir] Starmer said that the United States remained a close ally of Britain but added, 'We must stand up for our values.' Mr. Starmer said a tariff war between the U.S. and European nations over Greenland was 'not in anybody’s interests' and would affect businesses, workers and families on both sides of the Atlantic.... 'Alliances endure because they’re built on respect and partnership, not pressure,' he said.... '... any decision about the future status of Greenland belongs to the people of Greenland and the kingdom of Denmark alone.... 'That right is fundamental, and we support it.' Mr. Starmer spoke with Mr. Trump in a phone call on Sunday afternoon.... The threats made by Mr. Trump have been condemned across the British political spectrum and drew rare criticism from Mr. Trump’s ally, Nigel Farage, who leads the right-wing populist Reform U.K. party.” Politico's story is here.
David Sanger of the New York Times: “As the struggle for control of Greenland intensifies — and with it, the question of whether the Atlantic alliance will suffer a mortal wound — two raw geopolitical realities have come into focus. The first is that all the members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization underinvested in Arctic security for years, as melting glaciers, aggressive Chinese and Russian navies and critical undersea communications cables made one of earth’s coldest landscapes ripe for renewed superpower conflict. The second is that ... [Donald] Trump has no intention of seeking a common solution to this long-brewing problem. Instead, he has deliberately opened what could become the largest rift in the nearly 77-year history of the alliance, one that led the German vice chancellor to declare over the weekend that European nations 'must not allow ourselves to be blackmailed' by the largest power in the group....
“What makes this crisis both remarkable and unnecessary is that it appears so deliberately manufactured by Mr. Trump himself. As an opening position, he has made clear he is not interested in diplomatic compromises that would almost certainly achieve his stated defense aims.... He has shown no interest so far in looking for diplomatic offramps, or the kind of defense partnerships that NATO has long fostered. Every time the Europeans offer solutions..., Mr. Trump turns them aside....”
“”“Donald Trump’s escalating calls for the United States to seize or otherwise obtain Greenland has ignited fresh criticism from the president’s own Republican party, with some saying it could hurt the US economically or strain the Nato military alliance.... Both [Senators Thom] Tillis and [Lisa] Murkowski sharply criticized new tariffs threatened on Saturday by Trump on a slew of European countries – including Denmark, Germany, France and the UK – until the US is allowed to purchase Greenland.... Tillis [wrote on X] that 'actively pushing for coercive action to seize territory of an ally is beyond stupid'.... Meanwhile, the Republican US House member Michael McCaul expressed similar concerns, cautioning that a US military intervention in Greenland would probably spell disaster for the Nato alliance.”
Guardian Editors: “For all Donald Trump’s bluster about restoring American strength, his attempt to bully European allies over Greenland reveals a deeper weakness: coercive diplomacy only works if people are afraid to resist. Increasingly, they aren’t. And that is a good thing. Bullies often back down when confronted – their power relies on fear.... The response from Europe has been united and swift.... Even Italy’s prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, seen as ideologically close to Mr Trump, publicly called the tariff threat a 'mistake' – adding that she has told him so.... Polling shows a majority of Americans think Mr Trump’s presidency a failure. A president who lacks consent at home cannot credibly demand submission abroad. What he projects instead is desperation.... The more Mr Trump resorts to bullying, the more the world will learn how to live without him.”
“The United States’ bombings in Venezuelan territory and the capture of its president on Jan. 3 are yet another regrettable chapter in the continuous erosion of international law and the multilateral order established after World War II.... It is not legitimate for another state to arrogate to itself the right to deliver justice.... In more than 200 years of independent history, this is the first time that South America has come under direct military attack by the United States, though American forces previously intervened in the region.... The division of the world into zones of influence and neocolonial incursions for strategic resources are outdated and damaging.... The future of Venezuela, and of any other country, must remain in the hands of its people. Only an inclusive political process, led by Venezuelans, will lead to a democratic and sustainable future.... It is in this spirit that my government has engaged in constructive dialogue with the United States.” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Marie: Lula shows how easy it is to expose Donald Trump as the pathetic little imperialista he is.
Paul Krugman: “When Donald Trump returned to power, America’s billionaires and the leaders of its biggest corporations rushed to prostrate themselves at his feet. Some of them ... did so because they themselves wanted an authoritarian regime that would stamp [out] wokeness.... Many business leaders, however, understood how dangerous Trump was — they knew he was the least qualified individual, intellectually, psychologically, and morally, ever to occupy the White House.... But ... in their minds, with enough flattery and bribes donations, and with Treasury Secretary [Scott] Bessent to quietly steer the ship, Trump could be managed the way he was during his first term.... Even now people continue to treat TACO — Trump Always Chickens Out — as if it were an established fact, although the past few weeks show that it’s just wishful thinking....
“I have news for American business leaders: You will not do OK. I’m not just talking about the threat Trump’s madness poses for corporate bottom lines.... I’m also talking about the personal risks businesspeople increasingly face from a regime that demands abject, performative sycophancy.... Who knows what Trump has on Bessent, but it’s clear that Bessent made a Faustian bargain, selling his soul in return for … something.... The degradation of Scott Bessent serves as an illustration of where anyone who thinks they can manage Trump will end up. The lesson for businesspeople is that Faustian bargains never end well.” See also the Davos stories below the break.”
In fairness to Donald Trump, he is not the only lunatic who has a top job at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue: ~~~
~~~ Tom Durante of Mediaite: “Donald Trump’s top aide, Stephen Miller, shockingly declared that local and state law enforcement have been ordered to 'stand down and surrender' as anti-ICE protests continue to grip the state. In a social media post late Sunday night, Miller said, 'Only federal officers are upholding the law.' He added: 'Local and state police have been ordered to stand down and surrender.' Miller’s post came in response to New York Post columnist Miranda Devine, who wrote that 'local cops have gone AWOL' earlier Sunday. Miller’s wild remark came days after he called the anti-ICE protestors in Minnesota 'an insurgency' as Trump threatened to use the Insurrection Act to use the military against U.S. citizens in the Gopher State.”
Marie: Having totally scrapped Minnesotans' First Amendment rights to free speech and peaceable assembly, ICE is now moving on to abolishing the Sixth Amendment's right to "Assistance of Counsel." ~~~
~~~ Matt Rivers, et al., of ABC News: “Thousands of people have been arrested during ICE operations in Minneapolis over the past two weeks. Multiple attorneys allege that for some of those detained, including at least one U.S. citizen, the Department of Homeland Security is denying their constitutional right to see an attorney. Four attorneys told ABC News they have been denied access to their clients at the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis, where they are being held, which they say would violate 5th and 6th Amendment rights to due process and the right to consult with counsel. 'ICE agents were physically restricting me from seeing them,' said one immigration attorney, who asked not to be identified. 'I stood outside the attorney visitation room for about four hours on Thursday, trying to see one of my clients who had been there for multiple days. I kept saying, you got to let me see my client. And they just kept repeating, we don't do attorney visitation.'”
... there is no evidence indicating that [Plaintiff] Crenshaw engaged in any violent acts while verbally protesting ICE’s actions, including at the critical time an ICE vehicle sprayed Crenshaw with a chemical irritant while he was standing on the side of the road. Video evidence submitted by the parties supports this conclusion.... It is a reasonable inference at this stage, based on the evidence, that federal agents directly used chemical irritants on Mr. Crenshaw to punish him for exercising his protected First Amendment rights to assemble and to observe and protest ICE operations. -- Judge Katherine Menendez, in a ruling for Minnesota plaintiffs ~~~
Stephanie Saul of the New York Times: “A federal judge in Minneapolis cited ... episodes [of federal agents' gross misconduct] in an unusually detailed ruling on Friday that found a pattern of misconduct by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and ordered them and other immigration agents to stop using excessive force against protesters while conducting their operations in the city.... The accounts described in the order were submitted to the court from declarations and video submissions from both parties.... Judge Katherine Menendez ... said that ...she gave 'substantial weight' to the sworn statements from the plaintiffs and noted that immigration agents involved in the interactions with protesters did not provide sworn declarations.... [Experts say the incidents] evoked the attacks by police officers in Birmingham, Ala., on civil rights protesters in 1963.... The aggressive conduct of federal agents in Minneapolis has also raised alarm, particularly following the shooting death of Ms. Good.... [The Department of Homeland Security] was expected to appeal the ruling.”
~~~ The ruling is here. Link is to a court-generated document, via Politico. MB: The article, and of course the ruling itself, report some of the federal agents' grotesque violations of residents' rights. The article also describes how Judge Menendez was not impressed by the testimony of David Easterwood, the only government witness, who never saw any of the incidents cited in the plaintiffs' complaint. More on Easterwood in the AP story linked below. ~~~
~~~ Marie: Whether the ICE atrocities remind you of the British military occupation of American cities in the 1770s or the cops and mad dogs of the South in the 1960s, this time it is our federal government that is committing the atrocities rather than being the entity that stands for human rights and fights the villains who would deny them. ~~~
~~~ Those Mar-a-Lardo Lips Are Made for Lying. Minho Kim of the New York Times: “Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, denied in a televised interview on Sunday that her department had used pepper spray and similar tactics curtailed by a judicial order issued last week, then backtracked and blamed protesters after being confronted with a video of federal agents deploying such measures against crowds in Minnesota. 'That federal order was a little ridiculous, because that federal judge came down and told us we couldn’t do what we already aren’t doing,' Ms. Noem said on CBS’s 'Face the Nation.' But after being pressed on a video that backed up the accounts provided to the court, she changed course. Protesters were to blame for the use of force, she said, adding that federal officers 'only use those chemical agents when there’s violence happening and perpetuating.' The ruling on Friday by Judge Kate M. Menendez of the Federal District Court in Minnesota said that chemical agents had been used against protesters on at least four separate occasions and called the evidence of their use 'uncontroverted.'” MB: I assume the attorneys for the plaintiffs are smart enough to incorporate Noem's big lie in their filings if and when the government does appeal.
Jack Brook of the AP: “The U.S. Department of Justice said Sunday it is investigating a group of protesters in Minnesota who disrupted services at a church where a local official with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement apparently serves as a pastor. A livestreamed video posted on the Facebook page of Black Lives Matter Minnesota, one of the protest’s organizers, shows a group of people interrupting services at the Cities Church in St. Paul by chanting 'ICE out' and 'Justice for Renee Good.'... The protesters allege that one of the church’s pastors — David Easterwood — also leads the local ICE field office overseeing the operations that have involved violent tactics and illegal arrests. U.S. Department of Justice Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said her agency is investigating federal civil rights violations 'by these people desecrating a house of worship and interfering with Christian worshippers.' Attorney General Pam Bondi also weighed in on social media, saying that any violations of federal law would be prosecuted.” ~~~
~~~ Marie: Both sides are behaving badly: (1) I probably would not be interrupting a church service, no matter how egregious the behavior of the pastor. (2) I definitely would not be investigating the disruption when I had declined to investigate the murder that precipitated the disruption. ~~~
~~~ BUT MEANWHILE; in Minnesota. Perry Stein of the Washington Post: “In the immediate aftermath of the death of Renée Good in Minneapolis, FBI agents launched a civil rights investigation into the actions of the immigration officer who shot her, according to three people familiar with the investigation. An agent in Minnesota conducted an initial review of the shooting and determined that sufficient grounds existed to open a civil rights probe into the actions of Jonathan Ross, the officer who shot Good, according to the people.... The existence of the civil rights investigation stands in sharp contrast to public statements made by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, who said on 'Fox News Sunday' that the shooting of Good does not warrant a federal investigation....
“Instead of a civil rights investigation, Justice Department leaders have tried to pursue a probe against Good’s partner.... Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey (D) have said that state officials have been blocked from conducting an investigation into the shooting, with the FBI taking over the probe and denying state agencies access to evidence. The Justice Department has since launched a federal investigation into Walz and Frey, examining whether the two Democratic leaders are impeding federal law enforcement officers’ abilities to do their jobs in the state....” The link is a gift link.
Derrick Taylor of the New York Times: “Bruce Springsteen denounced the Trump administration’s deployment of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in cities across the United States and dedicated a song to Renee Good, the woman recently killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis, at a surprise performance in New Jersey on Saturday. Appearing at the Light of Day Winterfest in Red Bank, N.J., Mr. Springsteen told the crowd: 'We are living through incredibly critical times. The United States, the ideals and the values for which it stood for the past 250 years is being tested as it has never been in modern times,' according to videos that circulated online. He added: 'If you believe in the power of the law and that no one stands above it, if you stand against heavily armed mass federal troops invading an American city using Gestapo tactics against our fellow citizens, if you believe you don’t deserve to be murdered for exercising your American right to protest, then send a message to this president.' Mr. Springsteen went on to quote Mayor Jacob Frey of Minneapolis, who had used an expletive to tell ICE to leave the city. He then dedicated his song “The Promised Land,” which tells of a young working-class man striving for a brighter future, to Ms. Good.” ~~~
~~~ Annals of “Journalism,” Ctd. Marie: So with all of the murder & mayhem that ICE has caused during its military occupation of Minneapolis, how very heartening to hear ABC New's Jonathan Karl, his brow furrowed and a church-lady scolding tone in his voice, say to the city's mayor Jacob Frey,
“You went on national television and said to ICE ‘Get the F out of Minneapolis.’ Do you regret that language?”“” I don't think I could have managed it. (Also linked yesterday.)Hamed Aleaziz of the New York Times: “... more than two decades [after the Department of Homeland Security was created], as thousands of ICE and Border Patrol officers flood Minneapolis, some Democratic leaders say the department’s role appears to have strayed far from its original purpose, turning its tools of enforcement away from external threats and toward ... [Donald] Trump’s domestic critics. They say enforcement has looked more like an occupation, as officers in helmets and tactical gear have faced off against hostile residents and left-wing protesters in Los Angeles, Portland, Chicago and Washington.... Even [DHS ] agencies [that have nothing to do with immigration enforcement] have come under pressure to meet Mr. Trump’s political objectives, with the airport security agency [-- TSA --] providing information to immigration agents and Mr. Trump trying to redirect disaster funding [managed by FEMA] away from states not cooperating with his deportation goals.” (Also linked yesterday.)
Here's What a Real Witch Hunt Looks Like. Glenn Thrush & Alan Feuer of the New York Times: “... under its current chief, Kash Patel, the [F.B.I.] has added payback to its portfolio. Agents now scour the F.B.I.’s vast holdings to root out negative information about those who once investigated ... [Donald] Trump, according to current and former officials, lawmakers and lawyers representing some of those targeted.... Almost from the moment Mr. Patel took over the bureau in February, F.B.I. personnel have been poring over case files, internal Justice Department correspondence and other sensitive materials to find documents intended to expose and discredit federal law enforcement officials who investigated Mr. Trump and his allies.... The material, once gathered, has typically been distributed through various channels to Trump-allied media and to Republicans on Capitol Hill, including Senator Charles E. Grassley of Iowa, the Republican chairman of the Judiciary Committee.... Critics say it is little more than using federal law enforcement to carry out a partisan opposition research operation.” Update: The link has been changed to one that appears to be a gift link. (Also linked yesterday.)
Drunk & Disorderly Is AOK with Trump. Meryl Kornfield & Lauren Gurley of the Washington Post: “The Trump administration is rallying around Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer as she faces professional misconduct allegations that led to the suspension of two of her top aides last week. The aides were named in a complaint to the agency’s inspector general alleging that they had scheduled personal travel during what were supposed to be official, taxpayer-funded trips, according to a report earlier this month in the New York Post. The embattled former Republican congresswoman was also accused of having an affair with a staffer and drinking in her office during the workday, the outlet reported. On Sunday, the newspaper reported that investigators found an alcohol stash in her office and uncovered evidence that she took subordinates to a strip club while on a government trip.... White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Thursday that Trump continues to support Chavez-DeRemer.”
“A new Wall Street Journal poll published this weekend shows Americans believe Congressional Republicans are 'best able' to address most major issues — from immigration to the economy — rather than Democrats. The poll found Americans believe the GOP is the better-equipped part[y] to handle border security by a whopping 28 point margin — 48% to 20%. Republicans had an 11 point advantage on immigration as well.... Respondents gave them the edge on a handful of other topics as well, including: the economy and inflation (both +6), tariffs (+2), foreign policy (+5) and the Russia-Ukraine War (+4). Democrats did have advantages on vaccine policy (+9) and healthcare (+15). Still, on the generic congressional ballot, the Dems had a 47% to 43% edge on Republicans — despite the public siding with the GOP on many individual issues.” (Also linked yesterday.)
“”Michael Grynbaum of the New York Times: “CBS News faced a firestorm last month after its new editor in chief, Bari Weiss, postponed a '60 Minutes' report hours before it was set to air. Ms. Weiss said the piece, which featured the stories of Venezuelan men deported by the Trump administration to a brutal Salvadoran prison, needed work; the correspondent who reported the segment called the decision 'political.' The 13-minute report finally aired on Sunday’s episode of '60 Minutes' without any changes to the version that the correspondent, Sharyn Alfonsi, originally finished last month. (That version was accidentally streamed by a Canadian broadcaster, and then circulated widely online.) But CBS News added two short segments, at the beginning and the end of the report, that included new comments from the Trump administration and additional details about the criminal backgrounds of the Venezuelan men who were sent to the prison, addressing two concerns that Ms. Weiss had previously expressed.... Ms. Weiss wanted to make changes within the piece that was originally scheduled to run last month; Ms. Alfonsi refused....” The AP's report is here.
~~~~~~~~~~
Ishaan Tharoor of the Washington Post: “... Donald Trump is leading one of the largest U.S. delegations ever to attend the [Davis] World Economic Forum’s annual meeting, where he is set to deliver an address Wednesday, at a moment when his administration seems in open conflict with the paradigms that have long defined (and have come to be caricatured by) these conclaves in Davos. His trade wars on U.S. allies and adversaries alike are unraveling webs of globalization championed here for decades. And his constant use of coercion in his foreign policy cuts against Davos’s ethos of comity and cooperation.... For more than a decade, the organizers of the World Economic Forum have warned about disruptions to the international order.... This year’s vaguer and more humble theme — 'a spirit of dialogue' — may have been chosen in anticipation of the Trump-shaped wrecking ball swinging toward the forum.” ~~~
This is the death of Davos. It has no relevance, none whatsoever. And the bigger question is, did it ever have relevance outside the chattering classes that were embedded in the status quo to start with? -- Mark Blyth of Brown University ~~~
~~~ “The Death of Davos.” Peter Goodman of the New York Times: “Once a year, the wealthiest, most powerful people on earth gather in a village in the Swiss Alps to devise solutions to the most critical problems in modern life. The slogan of the [Davos World Economic F]orum, 'Committed to Improving the State of the World,' has long encapsulated the reason for doubt. People with the greatest stake in the status quo — billionaire executives who run the largest banks and technology companies — are cast as change agents, uniting with world leaders to pursue the betterment of humanity. But this year, with ... the United States ruled by a president who is hostile to the concept of multilateral cooperation, Davos seems especially challenged by internal contradictions.... [Donald Trump] is the headline participant at the forum.... The divergence between the organization’s traditional ideals and the new workings of power are so stark this year that they appear to have induced surrender.... Faced with the reality that the world is increasingly run by people who oppose its customary objectives, the forum appears to have reduced itself to its central purpose: a business meeting.”
Iran. Yeganeh Torbati & Souad Mekhennet of the Washington Post: “Reeling from a crackdown on protesters in Iran that left thousands dead, Iranians are now grappling with feelings of betrayal, confusion and uncertainty after ... Donald Trump repeatedly promised to intervene on their behalf and then declined to do so.... The Post has reported that Trump had received word through a senior U.S. envoy that Iran had canceled the executions and that this development, along with pressure from regional allies, limits on U.S. military resources and concerns over unpredictable fallout, had led him to refrain from ordering strikes last week.”
Spain. This is from the pinned item in a New York Times liveblog: “A high-speed train derailed and smashed into another on Sunday in southern Spain, killing at least 39 people and injuring dozens of others, the authorities said. It was Spain’s deadliest train crash since at least 2013.... The two trains collided at around 7:45 p.m. in Adamuz, near the city of Córdoba, along the main high-speed rail line connecting southern Spain with Madrid, the country’s landlocked capital. The rear cars of the first train left the tracks and spilled onto the opposite track where another train was passing, causing the front two cars of the second train to also derail, Transport Minister Óscar Puente said.”
22 comments:
"A new Wall Street Journal poll published this weekend shows Americans believe Congressional Republicans are 'best able' to address most major issues — from immigration to the economy — rather than Democrats"
If this is true, at this juncture, we are well and truly done as a nation of laws. Wow.
Gonzo,
I’ll admit, that WSJ poll indicates a distinct stupidity rampant in this country, but two things come to mind immediately.
First, the generation long propaganda effort by the Party of Traitors in portraying themselves, mendaciously but effectively, as the adults in the room rather than the weak, groveling, rapacious, ignorant racist assholes they have been for decades, bolstered by an equally lame, obsequious media that bends over backwards not to piss off that party’s vicious attack dogs has staying power. Low information voters are still relying on a belief system unsupported by a scintilla of truth and one which is undermined on an almost hourly basis by facts on the ground and a mountain of evidence to the contrary.
So there’s that.
Second, the only poll results that really matter are those obtained at voting booths. Despite the Herculean efforts by the Fat Facist and his PoT lackeys to upend the democratic process (which may include suppression attempts up to and including martial law and federal troops surrounding polling places in blue states) if Americans (all Americans, that is) are allowed to vote, and if that “poll” comes back in favor of the treasonous troglodytes, then, and only then, will I believe we are absolutely done for.
My fervent hope is that the kind of resistance we’re seeing from brave citizens in Minnesota and across the country in standing firm against Fatty’s authoritarian goons and his will to monarchical rule, will win the day at the midterms.
I have to believe that. Otherwise…we’re fucked.
AK-- I don't think we are obligated to refer to idiots as "low information voters. I think that idiots are always idiots, although your comments are certainly apt, as test scores and lack of support for libraries and the absolute luv for all things TikTok seem to point in the direction of idiocy. We are unfortunate in that the idiocy displayed is spewed on a minute-by-minute basis by Faux and its compatriot networks, and it is always louder and more of a drumbeat. The story about Davos, which has always been an elite show, and its headliner speaker (really? You rich b****** are still going to a demented felonious gold licking a-hole for the speech of the event? Just shows how classless you are...) can't speak or think coherantly regardless of the notes passed to him. His whiny pronouncements aren't worth the air they float through, and I agree with you-- we are probably truly fcked by this Idiot In Chief and those dishonest bootlickers (you know whom that includes) he has hired. I was listening to the Today show this morning and I had forgotten how vapid the "regular network" shows have gotten. I was listening to weather, wondering how long I have to wade through the snow with my insane dog who can't even stand up anymore.
Best to you all on this day to honor MLK, maybe among the last actual informed citizens from the past. Now that the Smithsonian is knuckling under, we won't have facts to kick around anymore...
Renaming something after yourself while you're still alive was once considered gauche because it is. But the Pretender's entire business career was and is one gaucheness after another.
And when will we learn that much "foreign policy" hatched over the years derives from weak people (men, mostly) given too much power? Hitler, certainly, Bush II obviously and now the Pretender even more so. It all right in front of us. His anti-Obama crusade that defined his first stint in the White House said it all, but apparently nobody got the message.
Someone hurt the little boy's feelings and here we are.
There are two things, IMO, that explain that Wall Street Journal poll. Those "low information voters," of as Jeanne aptly calls them, "idiots," really and truly don't know squat. Most Americans (and probably most people everywhere) vote on their "feelings," rather than on knowledge. So it's been well-documented that if there's, say, a flood of the Mississippi and it wipes out houses and farmers' crops and all, then it costs the incumbent president a lot of votes because people have a "feeling" that the president is in charge, and that flood would not have happened if he had done a better job.
I will bet you that 95% (and it may be more) of American voters have no idea that Republicans in Congress are the reason Trump gets away with the things the voters don't like. I mean, no fucking idea. None. They don't know that Congress took seven or eight weeks off because Epstein. They don't know that Congress is responsible for their higher health insurance premiums and the deficit and low-to-no taxes for billionaires. Whatever, they blame the president.
That's why they can oppose Trump and favor the douchebags who keep him afloat.
The other thing is that most Americans are narrow-minded, tribal conservatives. They're askeert of change. If they're White, they're askeert of people of other ethnic persuasions. They like people who say they're Christians. A lot of the skeert folks are still blaming today's American Jews for killing Jesus. (Really!) To these tribal conservatives, those nice White men in business suits looks more competent. More like them. Less likely to do something crazy like the Democrat ladies who have PMS & the radical lunatic Democrat men with their beards and too much education.
So in my mind, the main job Democrats have -- and it may be an impossible job -- is to educate the public -- not with long speeches but with snappy slogans. Democrats have to get across -- somehow -- that the people are "feeling" so bad because their Congressman is part of the vast right-wing conspiracy that's wrecking their lives. Oh, it's a real conspiracy, but because -- as Jeanne says -- the voters are idiots, it's one that's right out in the open, and only a small percentage of voters can see it.
"Dispatch from the occupation
What life is like in Minneapolis now
From Don: This piece comes someone living and working in Minneapolis, which is experiencing a de facto military occupation right now. They wish to remain anonymous out of concern that their government might retaliate against them for reporting on what life is like there now. Please share this story so people can understand how bad things are on the ground."
Greenland call
Occurred to me after I "published" the note above that the Pretender's anti-Obama animus might make Obama the most consequential president of this century. Wonder if Obama ever regrets making that joke...funny and well-deserved as it was.
Ken,
I certainly hope Obama doesn’t regret a little humor at the expense of an ignorant, vindictive baby. If it wasn’t Obama it would have been someone else. Trump’s psychosis, his need to feel like both an omnipotent king and an unfairly put upon victim requires that he always have enemies he can blame for his failures and his hurt fee-fees. Naturally, he has no responsibility for anything bad or dangerously consequential resulting from his infantile and abominably ignorant fits of pique, such as the deaths of hundreds of thousands in “shithole” countries, or hundreds of thousands in this country who believed his self serving lies about Covid, or the upheavals and violence in blue states beset by his white supremacist goons. All those things occurred because those people failed to recognize his genius and worship him accordingly. We are, all of us here at any rate, his enemies. Whether it’s Obama or Jimmy Kimmel, or Joe Biden or Jack Smith, he’s like the imbecilic, Stone Age tribal leader in “The Man Who Would Be King” who complains “Many enemies, all around. Always pissing downstream on heads!” demanding that these enemies be wiped out and beheaded.
The Great Time Waster
Just imagine, for a moment, I know it seems absurd in this Age of Stoopid, but just imagine if we had an actual president who wasn't an idiot. Who didn't demand that he be the headline of every hour, who didn't feel the need to concoct scam after chaotic scam, who didn't see conflict without resolution as his best way to get attention, who didn't waste so much of everyone's time by flinging one turd after another against the wall: tariffs, invasions, threats of invasions, plans for invasions, ICE assaults, gigantic ballroom plans that change daily, bombing small boats, murder after murder to make himself feel tough, threats of more murders, promises made, promises broken both to satisfy his demented need to feel like a king responsible to no one and nothing but his "own morality", who wastes tens of thousands of hours forcing personnel to get after his enemies, reporters, TV geeks, serious journalists, Marie's time, my time and yours, trying to make sense of the senseless.
Just imagine. Even if this fictional president wasn't a member of your party as long as they weren't wasting our time with BULLSHIT. What that would be like. Just think of all the things other world leaders could get done if they didn't have to convene to discuss how to mollify a repulsive, colicky infant every few days or so. Just think if we had a working congress that could spend time addressing real problems, not worrying about pissing off a fat asshole or working to counter his tsunami of ridiculous BULLSHIT.
Economists, college presidents, CEOs, mail delivery people, moms shopping for groceries for their kids, teachers, Pentagon officials, cat and dogs who aren't being eaten...EVERYONE....has to spend an inordinate amount of time worrying about this fat prick and his grandiose dreams of narcissistic nirvana.
Remember those films made by efficiency experts back in the 50s and 60s who ticked off how many man hours (it was always man hours then) could be saved by putting the copy machine in a central part of the office, or having secretaries, executives, mid-level junior types or whomever do this or that to save 18.4087 minutes per day, adding up to X hours a year, saving Y amount of money and causing Y additions to investments?
If some clever grad student in statistics or some modern day efficiency expert figured out that this fat fuck costs the planet something on the order of a century's worth of time every week, would you be surprised?
Not me. This might not seem like the worst thing he does (it ain't), but think of all the good stuff that goes by the wayside because so many people are wasting their time dealing with this idiot. It's fucking obscene. Like everything else about this flabby minded, flabby bodied titty baby.
Found the clip of Fatty complaining about all his enemies...
How to do stoopid shit and not get fired....
Work for Fat Hitler.
Why? Because he will never admit he's wrong about anything and if challenged, he simply doubles down. So...you can hide booze in your desk drawer at work and take a few snorts every ten minutes or so, fly off on some taxpayer all expenses paid junket for some nothing-burger reason, then take your flunkies to a strip club to do jello shots with the dancers...OR you can have your flunkies shoot innocent moms in the head and not just get away with it, but have your other flunkies in the FBI and DoJ attack the murdered woman.
That strip joint queen won't be fired, and neither will the ICE gnome. Once some media outlet or liberal someone points a finger at these idiots and asks why they aren't fired/indicted/jailed, Fat Hitler comes to the rescue and doubles down.
It's great. If you work for this clown, you can get away with anything as long as he feels like your wrongdoing could be used to attack his idiocy.
No wonder so many crooks, con artists, liars, grifters, and murderers work for this fat fuck.
Why we can't nice things, reason #34
Democrats in charge still want to play nice.
"Voters strongly disapprove of Trump's handling of the economy, inflation, foreign policy, and immigration, yet they think his rubber-stamp party-mates in Congress would do a better job than Democrats on all these issues. Why?
This is what happens when Democrats incessantly sing the praises of bipartisanship and refuse to say that the opposition party is bad because they think it will somehow offend Chuck Schumer's mythical Baileys if they do.
You're probably tired of hearing me say this, but it is normal politics to say that the other party is bad and your own party is better. Democrats reverse this. The party's leaders and consultants can't stop engaging in public criticism of fellow Democrats, who are accused of being 'weak and woke' and alienating voters with 'faculty-lounge language,' and they regularly vow to work across the aisle if elected, even though the people they'd work across the aisle with are the principal enablers of a very unpopular president."
And here's Chuck the Nice:
"'You will see in the next months, we’re going to be focusing on five buckets. One is housing, one is the high price of food [and] food monopolies playing a major role there. One is electricity. One is the high cost of childcare. And then, of course, health care.'
None of these messages -- these 'buckets' -- are The Republican Party is dragging this country to hell, and we need to stop them."
Democrats like AOC are routinely shouted down, not just by the Traitors, but by weak tea Democrats scared of pissing off the Archie Bunkers in their Barcaloungers shouting at the TV, but we need some of our own bomb throwers. We need to show voters who the real enemies are, and we won't do that by continuing to say we have to work with them. What kind of messaging is that? "They're not good, but we're going to work with them." What??? With that sort of messaging, plenty of voters would rather side with Don Corleone than Barney Fife.
This is why, even if we win next year, idiots will still believe the Traitors are better.
Fuck me.
Racist Piece of Shit
"Donald Trump doesn't acknowledge Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
President Donald Trump has not recognized Martin Luther King Jr. Day through official statements, proclamation or activity. It is a departure from his first term and his predecessors."
USA TODAY
Jan. 19, 2026, 2:29 p.m. ET
"TOMORROW: Nationwide “Free America” Walkout
Tens of thousands of Americans are expected to participate in walkouts on Tuesday, the one-year anniversary of President Trump’s inauguration, setting the stage for what future resistance could look like. To mark the second year of Trump’s term, people are encouraged to walk out of work, school and commerce on Jan. 20 at 2pm local time as part of the “Free America” protest."
Going Down. Unfortunately he is trying to bring hell up to us.
Dog Whistles, I'm one of you!
"In an exhaustive legal opinion released on Monday’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday, Attorney General Ken Paxton criticized decades-old guidance issued by John Cornyn, his opponent in the March 3 Republican primary for U.S. Senate, and claimed a litany of Texas initiatives meant to offset historical discrimination against people of color and women are unconstitutional.
Legal experts quickly pushed back on Paxton’s claim in a press release that the opinion is binding, arguing that the attorney general cannot unilaterally overturn state laws by declaring them unconstitutional."
Attacking civil rights on the birthday of a civil rights icon.
A long and fascinating read sent to me by a friend who used to frequent RC's pages. Recommended.
https://www.frametheglobenews.com/p/is-israel-the-bankrupt-colonyd
Just wondering...
I think there's no one now who doubts that we are in an existential battle for the heart, soul, and mind of America. This is a civil war begun by a rampant, raging, demented narcissist who seeks to kick over every democratic institution in his way, who demands loyalty and fealty to his wonderfulness but gives the same only to really big dog democracy hating dictators like Putin. We need every able bodied American who sees this administration, this Traitor controlled Congress and this supine but authoritarian minded Supreme Court as immediate and existential threats to America to man the barricades. We are getting lots of help from average Americans but not much from the leadership ranks.
Forget Democrats like Chuck and Hakeem. We need some big dogs. We need Barack and Michelle Obama. And frankly we could use Dubya as well. George W. Bush's family were practically royalty in a party that has been taken over and chained up as slaves for a fat fascist. He must absolutely hate the Orange Monster who has routinely shit on his family. I'm not looking to Dubya as any kind of avatar of leadership (god forbid), but speaking out at this time might be helpful in moving any Republicans who are not enamored of Fat Hitler and his gang of thieves and cutthroats, not to mention those chimerical independents. And Democrats surely could use the rhetorical skills and passion of the Obamas.
Actually, if all three got together and barnstormed the country, who knows what could happen? I can't believe they're scared of a fat idiot. So what's the hold up? Why haven't we heard anything? Are the Obamas waiting for the midterms? A lot of damage can be done between now then (shit, a lot of damage can be done by next Tuesday) including the cancelation of the election (at least in blue states).
We need help NOW. Bush can go back to painting pictures of his piggy toes later. I'm not as hot on getting the Clintons involved as Bill is tarnished by his past and his connections to Epstein. Hillary is still widely hated by all sorts of people, and Biden is dealing with cancer (and his skills as an inspiring rhetor are, shall we say, diminished).
I guess it's just us ordinary Americans against the fascist horde. ICE soldiers and Fatty coming, we're finally on our own.
But a little help would be nice.
Anne Applebaum, in The Atlantic, asks if Republicans in Congress Will ever step in?
"One could observe many things about this document [the letter that the president sent yesterday to the prime minister of Norway, Jonas Gahr Støre].
One is the childish grammar, including the strange capitalizations (“Complete and Total Control”). Another is the loose grasp of history. Donald Trump did not end eight wars. Greenland has been Danish territory for centuries. Its residents are Danish citizens who vote in Danish elections. There are many “written documents” establishing Danish sovereignty in Greenland, including some signed by the United States. In his second term, Trump has done nothing for NATO—an organization that the U.S. created and theoretically leads, and that has only ever been used in defense of American interests. If the European members of NATO have begun spending more on their own defense (budgets to which the U.S. never contributed), that’s because of the threat they feel from Russia."
Tom Nichols, in The Atlantic, on Unthinkable Betrayals
"As my colleague Anne Applebaum wrote today, Donald Trump’s threatening message to the Norwegian prime minister should, in any responsible democracy, force the rest of the U.S. political system to act to control him. The president is talking about an invasion that would require “citizens of a treaty ally,” as she put it, “to become American against their will,” all because he “now genuinely lives in a different reality.” And yet neither Congress nor the sycophants in the White House seem willing to stop him."
Another fascinating opinion piece, IMO. Corey Doctorow is quite a guy.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2026/jan/18/tech-ai-bubble-burst-reverse-centaur
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