March 1, 2026

Reis Thebault of the New York Times: “Some of [Jeffrey Epstein]’s victims have said they were trafficked [at his New Mexico mansion], famous figures visited, and Mr. Epstein mused about turning Zorro into a headquarters for outlandish genetic engineering experiments. And yet, New Mexico leaders say there has never been a thorough investigation of the criminal activity that may have occurred at the ranch during the 26 years the convicted sex offender owned it. A state-led inquiry into Mr. Epstein’s actions was taken over by federal prosecutors [from the Southern District of New York] in 2019, and then apparently fizzled.... Last month, lawmakers in New Mexico, spurred by the Justice Department’s latest release of Epstein documents, voted unanimously to ... [impanel] a bipartisan four-member 'truth commission' in the State Legislature, equipped with subpoena power, to probe the sordid history of Zorro Ranch. The state’s attorney general also announced he would reopen an investigation his office had closed shortly before Mr. Epstein’s death in 2019.

“Since Mr. Epstein’s death, the property has changed hands, potentially complicating the state’s investigation. The new owner, a Dallas real estate magnate and former state senator named Don Huffines, is running for comptroller of Texas, an inopportune moment for investigators, though he has said he would cooperate with law enforcement.” MB: I'd sure like to know why the feds took over the state's inquiry and then dropped it during Trump's first presidency*. That looks mighty fishy to me. 

Ethan Beck, et al., of the Washington Post: “The San Francisco Ballet has pulled out of its planned run at the Kennedy Center this spring, making it the latest group to cancel performances at the center.”

Texas. Sonia Rao, et al., of the New York Times: “A shooting early Sunday morning that started at a bar in Austin, Texas, is being investigated by the F.B.I. as a potential act of terrorism, the authorities said.” ~~~

      ~~~ Jeremy Roebuch & Molly Hennessey-Fiske of the Washington Post: “Investigators have identified the gunman, who was killed by officers at the scene, as Ndiaga Diagne, a 53-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen from Senegal, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a continuing investigation. He wore a hoodie that read 'Property of Allah' with an undershirt bearing an Iranian flag design as he opened fire on weekend revelers at Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden, a popular nightspot in Austin’s Sixth Street entertainment district, the people familiar with the matter said. Officers later found a Quran in the SUV he drove to the area.”

~~~~~~~~~~ 

⭐The Peace* President* Sends Kids to War, Day 2. Today's New York Times liveblog of developments in the U.S./Israeli/Iran war is here. (Link fixed.) From the pinned item: “Iran targeted Israel and U.S. allies in the Gulf on Sunday over the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as Israel bombarded the Iranian capital of Tehran in a campaign that risked devolving into a protracted conflict with no clear exit.... Iran’s leaders vowed on Sunday that Ayatollah Khamenei’s death would not deter them. The country’s top national security official, Ali Larijani, said Iran would hit Israeli and American targets 'with a force they have never experienced before.' Speaking to state media, he said an interim committee would run the country until a new leader was chosen.” ~~~

Aaron Boxerman: “Iran has vowed retaliation for the death of its supreme leader.... [Donald] Trump warned that if Iran 'hit very hard today,' the United States would 'HIT THEM WITH A FORCE THAT HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE,' in a post on social media.” [MB: He writes like a child.]

Eshe Nelson: “The eight oil-producing countries in the group known as OPEC Plus said on Sunday that they would increase oil production by 206,000 barrels a day in April, which could help mitigate the impact on oil prices of disrupted shipments in the Middle East.” 

Christina Goldbaum: “President Masoud Pezeshkian of Iran said on Sunday that an interim leadership council established after the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had begun its work and reaffirmed his earlier pledges to avenge Khamenei’s death.”  

Minho Kim: “Senator Mark Warner of Virginia, the top Democrat of the Senate Intelligence Committee, was asked on CNN whether the attack on Iran would make the United States safer.... He raised the possibility that a more radical, aggressive faction within Iran’s armed forces could take power and accelerate the country’s nuclear program.... Warner also said ... [Donald] Trump rushed forward with what he described as 'a war of choice' without first consulting with lawmakers or seeking a declaration of war through Congress. He said he hadn’t received any intelligence that 'Iran was on the verge of launching any kind of pre-emptive strike against the United States of America,' and emphasized that the majority of Americans were against involvement in the wars in the Middle East.” 

Helene Cooper: “Three U.S. service members have been killed in action and five have been seriously wounded, the Pentagon said in announcing the first American troops to die in President Trump’s war with Iran. United States Central Command did not say where the troops were killed. Two military officials said that an Army base housing American troops in Kuwait was one of the many American bases in the region that had been hit in retaliatory Iranian strikes. Several other troops 'sustained minor shrapnel injuries and concussions and are in the process of being returned to duty,' Central Command said in a social media post on Sunday.” 

Minho Kim: “Republican lawmakers are defending the president’s decision. Senator Dave McCormick of Pennsylvania said on Fox News that the War Powers Resolution of 1973 gives the president 60 days to commit armed forces to military actions before having to seek congressional approval. Representative Pat Harrigan of North Carolina also said Trump 'followed the law,' echoing the same argument. But the War Powers Act gives presidents that limited power for a 60-day military action only in case of 'a national emergency created by attack upon the United States,' a condition that Democrats say was not met.”

Tyler Pager: “In a new six-minute video released on Truth Social..., [Donald] Trump says the United States is engaged in one of the 'largest, most complex, most overwhelming military offenses the world has ever seen.' The president said combat operations 'continue at this time in full force' and said they would continue 'until all of our objectives are achieved.' He did not specify what the objectives are. [MB: Uh, forget D-Day??] 

“Trump expressed condolences for the American troops who were killed in the Middle East and predicted there would be more causalities in the coming days.”

Robert Jimison: “Trump administration officials plan to brief lawmakers from the House and Senate on Capitol Hill about the military campaign in Iran during a pair of closed-door meetings on Tuesday. Secretary of State Marco Rubio; Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth; John Ratcliffe, the C.I.A. director; and Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will answer questions during the classified setting, according to three people familiar with the plans.” 

Stephen Castle: “Keir Starmer, Britain’s prime minister, has agreed to let the United States use British military bases to help destroy Iranian missiles 'at source in their storage depots, or the launchers which are used to fire the missiles.'” 

     ~~~ The AP's live updates for today are here. 

Farnaz Fassihi & Christiaan Triebert of the New York Times: “Large crowds of Iranians poured into the streets of Tehran and other cities across Iran overnight, celebrating the news that Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had been killed.... The ayatollah’s death ... represented a historic shift for Iran’s theocratic regime. Many Iranians ... rejoiced, even as the threat of more attacks by U.S. and Israeli forces cast a pall over some celebrations. Landlines and cellphone service were down across Iran, making it difficult to gauge public sentiment in the nation of more than 90 million people.... Early reports of the death toll in Iran suggested that more than 100 people had been killed in the first wave of strikes.... For Iranian supporters of Mr. Khamenei who considered him a revered religious figure, watching the celebrations was difficult, they said on social media. But they were noticeably absent from the streets. Mr. Khamenei, who had the final say in all government decisions in Iran, personally ordered security forces to use lethal force against protesters in January, leading to a massacre that rights groups say killed at least 7,000 people, with numbers expected to rise.”

William Christou & Angela Guiffrida of the Guardian: “Iran struck the world-famous Fairmont hotel in Dubai, setting the hotel alight, as the war launched by the US and Israel on Iran quickly spread to the rest of the Middle East on Saturday.... Elsewhere in the Gulf, previously considered oases of stability in the Middle East, similar scenes unfolded. Within hours of the first US and Israeli bombs being launched, Iran responded with a wide-ranging attack targeting more than six countries, pulling in places that had been previously untouched by the escalating crisis.” The reporters recount events throughout the region.

The link to yesterday's New York Times liveblog is a gift link. Throughout the day, I highlighted what I thought were the most important entries. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ The AP's live updates yesterday are here.  

As RAS pointed out yesterday, Trump's "Board of Peace" has launched its first war, suggesting it is already "Bored of Peace." ~~~

~~~ Bored of Peace. Julian Borger of the Guardian: “The first war of Donald Trump’s Board of Peace era has begun – an unprovoked attempt at regime change in collaboration with Israel, with no legal foundation, launched in the midst of diplomatic efforts to avert conflict, and with minimal consultation with Congress or the American public. Trump’s recorded eight-minute address after the first bombs had fallen made clear that this would be no limited strike aimed at cajoling Tehran into concessions at the negotiating table. He warned that if Iran’s Islaic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) did not surrender, they would be killed, and the country’s armed forces, its missiles and navy would be smashed.... The attack on Iran is a clear violation of the UN charter, in any absence of any credible, imminent Iranian threat to the US.... On the Board of Peace, however, there is no requirement for Trump to justify himself. There are no rules other than those giving Trump the power to make them up as he goes along. It has become increasingly clear that the board is not primarily a forum for resolving conflict, but a vehicle for the president’s political and financial interests.” ~~~

~~~ Max Boot of the Washington Post: “... Trump’s isolationist instincts have always conflicted with his militaristic impulses — his nonstop threats against other countries and his celebrations of U.S. military prowess. Once again, on Saturday, his militarism overpowered his isolationism as the 'president of peace' launched another major attack on Iran — the second in less than a year.... His justifications for his actions were curious and unconvincing. In many ways, they were reminiscent of the strained — and ultimately discredited — justifications that President George W. Bush offered for his invasion of Iraq.... Killing Iranian leaders is relatively easy for the U.S. or Israel, but toppling the entire regime would be very difficult, probably impossible with aerial attacks alone.... [And] U.S. and Israeli stockpiles of guided-weapons systems, including air defense interceptors, have already been depleted by Trump’s 2025 attacks on Iran and on the Houthis in Yemen.... Wars are inherently risky and unpredictable. The U.S. should engage in them only if it absolutely has to. There is no reason to think this war is necessary.” ~~~

Barak Ravid, et al., of Axios: "Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed in an Israeli strike Saturday as part of a massive joint military operation between the U.S. and Israel, Iranian state media confirmed.... The Iranian government announced 40 days of public mourning following the "martyrdom" of the 86-year-old ayatollah, who had ruled Iran for over 36 years."

France 24: "US-Israeli air strikes killed at least 85 people at a girls’ school in southern Iran, Iran's judiciary said. The state-run IRNA news agency reported the strike happened in Minab in Iran’s Hormozgan province. Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard has a base in the city." (Also linked yesterday.)  ~~~

     ~~~ Erika Solomon, et al., of the New York Times: “Dozens of people, probably most of them children, were killed in a strike that hit a girls’ elementary school in southern Iran, according to Iranian health officials and state media. It was one of two strikes that appear to have hit schools since U.S. and Israeli warplanes launched their attack on Iran around 10 a.m. local time. Saturday is the start of the workweek in the country, and many Iranians had already dropped off their children ... as explosions began to shake the capital and many cities across Iran.”

Karim Sadjadpour of the Atlantic gets to the heart of it: “The immediate trigger for this crisis was the massacre of tens of thousands of Iranians whom Trump incited, and then abandoned, and now has called upon to rise up. He has chosen military action with an unclear endgame, relegating the U.S. military, regional partners, and 92 million Iranians to serve as anxious participants in an unscripted geopolitical drama. That is the ultimate hubris: a president more focused on the spectacle of power than its consequences, facing off against a martyrdom-obsessed theocrat who is more prepared to see his nation burn than his own power extinguished.” Thank you to akaWendy for this gift link. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Julian Barnes, et al., of the New York Times: “The C.I.A. had been tracking Ayatollah Khamenei for months, gaining more confidence about his locations and his patterns.... Then the agency learned that a meeting of top Iranian officials would take place on Saturday morning at a leadership compound in the heart of Tehran. Most critically, the C.I.A. learned that the supreme leader would be at the site. The United States and Israel decided to adjust the timing of their attack, in part to take advantage of the new intelligence, according to officials with knowledge of the decisions. The information provided a window of opportunity for the two countries to achieve a critical and early victory: the elimination of top Iranian officials and the killing of Ayatollah Khamenei.... Israel, using U.S. intelligence and its own, would execute an operation it had been planning for months: the targeted killing of Iran’s senior leaders.” Update: the link has been changed to one that appears to be a gift link.

Peace* President* Starts “Ultimate War of Choice.” David Sanger of the New York Times: Donald “Trump has embarked on the ultimate war of choice. He was not driven by an immediate threat. There was no race for a bomb. Iran is further from the capability to build a nuclear weapon today than it has been in several years, thanks largely to the success of the president’s previous strike on Iranian nuclear enrichment sites, in June.... His own Defense Intelligence Agency concluded last year that it would be a decade before Iran could get past the technological and production hurdles to produce a significant arsenal. And there were no indications of a coming Iranian attack on the United States, its allies or its bases in the region.... Unlike past presidents putting American forces at risk..., Mr. Trump did not spend months building a case for war. He never presented evidence of an imminent threat, or answered the question of why a nuclear program he claimed he had 'obliterated' eight months ago was now on the brink of revival. His pretaped video, released in the middle of the night as the missiles started exploding in Tehran, recited a list of long-running grievances with Iran, including its brutal use of terror.” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Sanger argues that Trump went to war "largely because he apparently sensed a remarkable moment of weakness for the government — and an opportunity for the United States to topple Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps...." Sanger is attributing to Trump a quasi-valid, semi-acceptable reason for striking Iran. That, IMO, is a disservice to reality -- and to journalism. My guess is that Trump did it to (a) distract MAGAts from the accusation -- which finally got a lot of attention this week -- that he had sexually and physically abused a young girl; and (b) to entertain himself with the pretense he is a war hero. (It was only this week that he said he was disappointed he couldn't award himself the highest military decoration: the Medal of Honor. And after Trump & Netanyahu struck Iran's nuclear facilities in June, he said both of them were war heroes because of the strikes. Pocketa-pocketa.) ~~~

     ~~~ Update: Ah, I see where contributor Jeanne agrees with me on (a) (see today's Comments) & Steve M. -- though he disagrees on (a) -- agrees with me on (b): ~~~

     ~~~  Steve M.: "This is the foreign policy equivalent of the ballroom or the arch. So what if it destabilizes the world and gets a lot of innocent people killed? It makes Trump feel special." Steve also argues that all those anti-war MAGAts woke up this morning reborn as pro-war propagandists. (Also linked yesterday.) MB: Want some evidence Steve is right about born-again MAGA warmongers? See Elliott Morris's post linked below. ~~~

     ~~~ Phillips O'Brien suggests a third motive: "Remember [Trump] is laser-focussed on the 2026 elections now. I think we can assume ... that he believes a successful military operation to overthrow the Iranian regime will reap him major political benefits. For he certainly does not care about the Iranian people...." MB: All of these motives seem plausible to me. And they may all be true. (Also linked yesterday.) But wait! There's more.~~~

     ~~~ Michael Birnbaum, et al., of the Washington Post: “... Donald Trump launched Saturday’s wide-ranging attack on Iran after a weeks-long lobbying effort by an unusual pair of U.S. allies in the Middle East — Israel and Saudi Arabia — according to four people familiar with the matter.... Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman made multiple private phone calls to Trump over the past month advocating a U.S. attack, despite his public support for a diplomatic solution.... Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, meanwhile, continued his long-running public campaign for U.S. strikes against what he views as an existential enemy of his country.... Saturday’s attack on Iran was a break from decades of U.S. decision-making to hold back from a full-scale effort to depose the regime of a country of more than 90 million people. It also marked a stark shift from Trump’s own previous military forays, which until now have been far narrower in scope.” ~~~

     ~~~ Rachel Maddow asks cui bono, follows the money (as one does with all matters Trump) and puts it all together to answer that question. Highly recommended: ~~~ 

Here is the transcript of Donald Trump's recorded remarks about the U.S./Israeli war against Iran, via the AP. I posted a link to the video yesterday. (Also linked yesterday.)

Lisa Mascaro of the AP: “Key members of Congress are demanding a swift vote on a war powers resolution that would restrain ... Donald Trump’s military attack on Iran unless the administration wins their approval for what they warn is a potentially illegal campaign that risks pulling the United States into a deeper Middle East conflict. Both the House and Senate, where the president’s Republican Party has a slim majority, had already drafted such resolutions long before the strikes Saturday. Now they are ready to plunge into a rare war powers debate next week that will serve as a referendum on Trump’s decision to go it alone on military action without formal authorization from Congress.... But most Republicans, particularly their leaders, welcomed Trump’s move against Iran.” A Politico story is here.

Giselle Ewing of Politico: “Some of ... Donald Trump’s Capitol Hill critics were quick to condemn his administration’s military action against Iran early Saturday, criticizing what they described as an unjustified act of war that hadn’t been approved by Congress.... Other lawmakers, including longtime Iran hawk Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) rejoiced at the joint U.S.-Israel operation, calling it  'necessary and long justified.'” (Also linked yesterday.)

Marie: In one way, this is a traditional war: old men killing young people. 

New York Times Editors: “In his 2024 presidential campaign, Donald Trump promised voters that he would end wars, not start them. Over the past year, he has instead ordered military strikes in seven nations.... He has offered no credible explanation for why he is risking the lives of our service members and inviting a major reprisal from Iran. Nor has he involved Congress, which the Constitution grants the sole power to declare war. He has issued a series of shifting partial justifications, including his sporadic support for the heroic Iranian people ... and his demand that Iran forswear its pursuit of a nuclear weapon. That Mr. Trump declared the Iranian nuclear program 'obliterated' by the strike in June — a claim belied by both U.S. intelligence and this new attack — underscores how little regard Mr. Trump has for his duty to tell the truth when committing American armed forces to battle. It also shows how little faith American citizens should place in his assurances about the goals and results of his growing list of military adventures.” Update: the link has been changed to what appears to be a gift link. (Also linked yesterday.)

Ruth Igielnik of the New York Times: “The public’s appetite for a U.S. attack on Iran was low before ... [Donald] Trump and Israel took action on Saturday. Most Americans said they were either opposed to such action (49 percent) or were not sure (30 percent), according to University of Maryland poll taken two weeks ago. Among Republicans there were reservations, with 40 percent in favor of a strike, 25 percent opposed and 35 percent who said they did not know. An AP-NORC poll, conducted last week, showed low confidence in [Mr.] Trump’s ability to handle military force. Only 27 percent of Americans, and just 14 percent of political independents, said they trusted him to make the right choices when it comes to the use of military force abroad.” The link appears to be a gift link. ~~~

     ~~~ Elliott Morris of Strength in Numbers: “Last June, after the U.S. bombed strategic military targets in Iran, I published an article compiling polls that showed just 16% of Americans supported 'getting involved in the Israel-Iran conflict,' including just 19% of Trump voters.... A YouGov snap poll fielded Saturday — the day of the strikes — found 34% of Americans approve of the U.S. attacks on Iran, with 44% disapproving and 22% unsure. The partisan breakdown reflects strong polarization in opinion: Republicans approve 69–12, Democrats disapprove 70–10, and independents lean heavily against — 52% disapprove, 20% approve.”

Jennifer Bahney of Mediaite: “The Kennedy Center Honors will continue in a new location and with a new name while the Performing Arts Center is closed for renovations, President Richard Grenell told Washington’s WTOP news radio. 'It will definitely go forward,' Grenell said. 'It will probably just be in a smaller venue, which just means ticket demand will be even higher.'... In addition to the venue change, the awards ceremony will now bear the current president’s name and be known as the 'Trump Kennedy Center Honors.'” So not really a Kennedy Center Honor. Just a prize for giving Trump stuff.

Benjamin Weiser, et al., of the New York Times: “Aside from [Jeffrey] Epstein’s longtime conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell, none of his friends or associates have been criminally charged in the United States. In the six-plus years since his death, the lack of prosecutions has given rise to outrage and conspiracy theories about why powerful people have gone unpunished. The millions of pages of recently released Justice Department emails, prosecutorial memos, interview transcripts and other records help explain why more people weren’t charged and why Mr. Epstein was able to act with impunity for so long. Part of the reason was a series of missed opportunities, in both Democratic and Republican administrations, to bring him and others to justice.... The records also show that prosecutors did not aggressively pursue other potential avenues, such as how Mr. Epstein moved his money through banks around the world. They did not interview any of the men who were Mr. Epstein’s main financial sponsors.” ~~~

We don’t have those sort of generic, open-ended kinds of crimes [like 'abuse of public office'] in the United States. -- Paul G. Cassell, law professor who represented Virginia Giuffre ~~~ 

~~~ Michael Shear of the New York Times: “The police in Britain have arrested a former ambassador and a member of the royal family. French prosecutors are investigating the country’s culture minister. The former prime minister of Norway has been charged with “gross corruption.” And authorities in Latvia and Lithuania are looking into possible human trafficking.... Since the biggest tranche of files was made public less than a month ago, the search for criminal accountability is going on just about everywhere overseas.... But many of the people caught up in his web are Americans, including the current president, a past president and boldfaced names from Wall Street, Hollywood and Silicon Valley.... Despite the flurry of legal activity across Europe, few people are yet being held to account for crimes related to the longstanding accusations of sexual abuse and human trafficking leveled against Mr. Epstein. Instead, the focus of investigations has been on documents from the Epstein files that appear to show corruption, misconduct in office or misuse of public funds.” ~~~

Thanks to RAS for the link.

 

~~~ David Fahrenthold, et al., of the New York Times: “A small stable of doctors gave V.I.P. medical services to [Jeffrey Epstein] and the women around him. Some doctors bent or broke the ethical rules of their profession.... Mr. Epstein also used the doctors to manipulate young women from overseas who were having sex with him, according to a tranche of Epstein-related documents released by the government in January. He directed women to get pelvic exams, liposuction and mole removals, and paid for a range of specialty treatments, from $800-an-hour psychiatric therapy to a root canal. Sometimes, he abruptly cut off the women’s care.... Mr. Epstein rewarded his preferred doctors with hefty payments, Apple Watches, introductions to celebrities and vacations on his private island and his New Mexico ranch.... Mr. Epstein wrote large checks for some doctors’ research projects and charity work. And he donated more than $375,000 to Mount Sinai, much of it to a breast cancer center at the hospital run by Dr. Eva Dubin, who dated him for many years in the 1980s. Dr. Dubin became Mr. Epstein’s conduit to Mount Sinai....” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Marianne Sotomayor & Kadia Goba of the Washington Post: “House Democrats, who hope to regain the majority in the November midterms, are already charting an aggressive strategy of investigating the Trump administration next year, including using subpoena power to compel testimony from ... Donald Trump and launching impeachment proceedings against Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem. Rep. Robert Garcia (D-California) said in an interview that if he is given the gavel to lead the House Oversight Committee next term, a Democratic majority would 'absolutely' pursue an interview with Trump regarding convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.... Top Democrats on the House Judiciary and Homeland Security committees ... hinted that Attorney General Pam Bondi could also be targeted, in part for how the Justice Department has responded to a federal law that requires the release of Epstein case files. After this weekend’s massive operation against the Iranian government..., leading Democrats on the House Armed Services Committee have become even more eager to investigate Trump’s use of the military.”

Watchdog or Lapdog?? Charlie Savage of the New York Times: “The Pentagon’s new inspector general has frozen a proposal to evaluate military targeting in the Trump administration’s strikes on boats suspected of smuggling cocaine from South America, telling his staff he wanted to consult department leadership before deciding whether the review [-- which he said could become highly political --] should go forward.... The project’s fate has emerged as an early test of [Platte] Moring’s tenure [as Pentagon I.G.] and of the independence of the watchdog system.... Days after taking office last year..., [Donald] Trump fired at least 17 inspectors general, including the Pentagon’s watchdog.... [Will] the replacement inspectors general would act independently or see themselves as part of his administration’s political team[?] Mr. Trump later nominated Mr. Moring, who had worked as a Pentagon lawyer for the first Trump administration and has no previous inspector general experience.... The Senate confirmed him in a party-line vote on a large slate of Trump nominees in late December....” (Also linked yesterday.) 

According to NBC News (story linked yesterday) Donald Trump dressed down Kash Patel for his locker-room antics in Milan. Let's see how Trump likes this front-page NYT story: ~~~ 

Elizabeth Williamson of the New York Times: “To an extent not previously reported, [Alexis] Wilkins is escorted in her travels by Special Weapons and Tactics team members drawn from F.B.I. field offices around the country. SWAT teams are chiefly trained to arrest violent criminals, free hostages and thwart terrorists. But [FBI Director Kash] Patel’s demand that rotating SWAT teams provide his girlfriend with security for singing appearances, personal engagements and errands is unprecedented in the F.B.I., former agents said.... Soon after becoming F.B.I. director last February, Mr. Patel beefed up staffing in Nashville, where Ms. Wilkins lives, then assigned a SWAT team composed of four agents and two vehicles to protect her full-time, said an F.B.I. official briefed on the plans. Mr. Patel overrode F.B.I. advice that such an unprecedented arrangement first undergo a legal review, the official said. Past directors’ spouses were protected while traveling with them, but did not get a personal government detail.” (Also linked yesterday.)

Rachel Estabrook & Emily Allen of the Portland (Maine) Press Herald: “The Trump administration’s unusual decision to target asylum-seekers without criminal records has led to dozens of petitions challenging the constitutionality of their confinement. And in many of those cases, the government has lost. Many other petitions are still pending. In all, the administration heralded making 206 arrests in Maine. A month after the enforcement operation, judges have ordered that dozens of them be released, finding they pose no danger to their communities.... 'People were held in detention facilities for weeks for an immigration judge to essentially find that they were not a danger or a flight risk and should be released,' said Jenny Beverly, an immigration attorney in Portland and a former immigration judge. 'That tells me that the arrests were needless to begin with.'” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: ICE's failure rate is phenomenal. In what it called, in the most dehumanizing terms the agency could dream up, “Operation Catch of the Day,” “they rolled into town ... with Fox News sitting shotgun, saying ICE had /approximately 1,400 targets' in Maine who had charges or convictions for a range of crimes such as assault and drug trafficking.” Yet they made only 206 arrests, and at least 35 of the people they arrested already have been released, often because they were not hardened criminals. Maybe they should have called their campaign “Catch and Release.” So of a targeted 1,400 supposed worst-0f-the-worst criminals, how many did ICE arrest? A hundred? Fewer?  

~~~~~~~~~~  

We are at war, but not much changes Saturday night in the U.S.A. ~~~ 

~~~ Texas. Ali Watkins of the New York Times: “Two people were killed and 14 others were injured early Sunday when a gunman opened fired at a bar in Austin, Texas, officials said. The police killed the suspected shooter. The shooting occurred at Buford’s, a popular beer garden and nightlife destination in the Sixth Street entertainment district of Austin. A man opened fire shortly before 2 a.m. local time, officials said. The suspect was shot and killed by police officers.”