March 19, 2026

Lies & the Lying Liars. Isabel Kershner of the New York Times: “An Israeli strike on Iran’s South Pars gas field was coordinated with the Trump administration in advance, according to three Israeli officials, despite ... [Donald] Trump’s initial assertion...[:] 'The United States knew nothing about this particular attack,' Mr. Trump wrote in the social media post late Wednesday, saying that Israel had 'violently lashed out.' A day later, Mr. Trump appeared to have changed course. Speaking to reporters Thursday at the White House, Mr. Trump implied that he had spoken about the strike ahead of time with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel. 'I told him don’t do that,' Mr. Trump said. He went on to say, 'we’re independent. We get along great. It’s coordinated.'... The attacks were the latest in a series of escalating strikes on energy infrastructure that have sent global oil and gas prices soaring. South Pars is part of the largest gas field in the world. Qatar is the world’s third-largest exporter of liquefied natural gas.”

Yes, He Said That. Right in the Face of Japan's Prime Minister. Javier Hernández of the New York Times: “At an otherwise congenial meeting with Japan’s prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, in the Oval Office on Thursday, Mr. Trump invoked the Japanese attack on [Pearl Harbor on] Dec. 7, 1941, which led the United States into World War II. He was responding to a question about why Japan and other allies had received no advance notice of the U.S.-Israeli assault on Iran. 'We didn’t tell anybody about it because we wanted surprise,' he said. 'Who knows better about surprise than Japan, OK? Why didn’t you tell me about Pearl Harbor, OK? Right?' There was some laughter from the officials and journalists gathered in the room.  'You believe in surprise, I think, much more so than us,' he added. As Mr. Trump spoke, Ms. Takaichi widened her eyes and appeared to take a deep breath. She kept her arms crossed in her lap and did not speak.” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Hernández describes Trump's stunning remark as "the latest example of Mr. Trump’s penchant for tossing aside diplomatic norms." But it isn't that. Trump simply does not know how to behave in polite company. He's always been the rude, oafish bumpkin from the outer borough who elbowed his way into Manhattan soirees but didn't know how to make appropriate small talk when he got there. This is different from someone like socialite Alice Roosevelt Longworth, who so belonged to the elite class that she felt free to advertise (on an embroidered pillow), "If you can't say something good/nice about someone, sit right here by me." You must know how to play by the rules to have license to break them. 

~~~ Luke Broadwater of the New York Times: “The federal Commission of Fine Arts has taken issue with plans for a new 33,000-square-foot security screening center for White House visitors, saying the proposed facility is too big and not beautiful enough. Members of the Commission of Fine Arts — which ... [Donald] Trump has packed with allies and supporters — had been scheduled to give preliminary approval to the project on Thursday. Instead, they delayed the vote and asked for substantial changes that would emulate the grandeur of ancient Greek and Roman structures. 'Can this building please be made shorter in length and shorter in height?' asked James C. McCrery II, the vice chairman of the panel who was the first architect on Mr. Trump’s coveted ballroom project. He added: 'It’s such a prominent thing, and its prominence then obligates it to be beautiful.' The panel made no such objections last month when it approved Mr. Trump’s 90,000-square foot, $400 million ballroom, bypassing the normal review process and fast-tracking the vote on a project that would transform the profile of the White House. (Mr. McCrery, who disagreed with Mr. Trump over the size of the ballroom, recused himself from that vote.)” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Say what? The proposed screening center is underground. It can't be "shorter." It's already "shorter" than the souls of your shoes. It is not "a prominent thing." You want Greek columns on a Nazi bunker? What am I missing here? 

Marc Caputo of Axios: "Former FBI Director James Comey has been subpoenaed in the wide-ranging 'grand conspiracy' case against the ex-officials who investigated and prosecuted ... [Donald] Trump, two sources with knowledge of the situation tell Axios. The investigation has produced more than 130 subpoenas since cranking up last year, the sources say, and targets top officials who worked under former presidents Obama and Biden. The officials, including Comey, have all decried the investigation as political persecution and lawfare.... The Trump administration's grand conspiracy theory posits that Democratic officials bent the rules, broke the law and lied under oath to investigate, prosecute and otherwise undermine Trump from his election in 2016 through his federal indictments in 2023. 

"The Comey subpoena, issued last week, relates to his alleged role in the drafting of a January 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) concerning Russia's election interference that favored Trump.... U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump nominee who threw out the federal prosecution against him in his classified documents case in 2024, is overseeing the grand jury based out of Fort Pierce in the Southern District of Florida."

Robert Jimison of the New York Times: “Senate Republicans on Thursday blocked a measure that would have barred [Donald] Trump from continuing his offensive against Iran without authorization, moving for the second time since the conflict began to shut down a Democratic bid to limit his power to use American military force without congressional approval. It was the latest in a series of efforts by Democrats in recent months to challenge Mr. Trump’s unilateral military moves and insist that Congress have a say in the use of American force abroad.... Democrats have vowed to continue forcing such votes in a bid to compel top Trump administration officials to testify publicly about the ongoing conflict in Iran, about which they have so far briefed lawmakers only in classified settings.”

Madeleine Ngo & Michael Gold of the New York Times: “Senators moved to speed the nomination of Markwayne Mullin..., [Donald] Trump’s pick to lead the Homeland Security Department, to the Senate floor, setting him up to take over the agency at the center of Mr. Trump’s mass deportation campaign. The Senate Homeland Security Committee voted, 8 to 7, to send Mr. Mullin’s nomination to the full Senate with a favorable recommendation, with most Republicans and one Democrat voting to advance the nomination. Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, the committee’s Republican chairman, defected from his party and voted in opposition. Mr. Mullin retained sufficient support on the committee, however, with the backing of Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, a Democrat. Mr. Mullin is expected to face a confirmation vote in the Senate next week.”

Paul Waldman on why Trump chose Markwayne Mullin, of all people, to run DHS: "Mullin has no law enforcement experience, no national security experience, no intelligence experience, and no experience leading a sprawling organization like DHS, which has a yearly budget of over $100 billion and 260,000 employees. Mullin did have one thing that no doubt attracted Trump’s attention: He’s a fake tough guy, which is just the kind Trump likes. That makes him a worthy successor to Kristi Noem; while she pretended she was running the agency when she was actually a cosplaying content creator, Mullin will be able to more convincingly deliver rootin’ tootin’ tough talk of the kind that will warm Trump’s heart." MB: An enlightening read. And entertaining, too. Thanks to Ken W. for the link. 

Heather Cox Richardson highlights another aborted investigation of Jeffrey Epstein -- this one by the DEA -- that mysteriously came to a halt some time after 2015. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) discovered a heavily-redacted memo in the Epstein files that alluded to the investigation and apparently named names of Epstein's alleged co-conspirators. Wyden asked the current DEA Administrator Terry Cole for a copy of the unredacted communication, and Cole was about to provide it when Trump's lawyer & deputy AG Todd Blanche stepped in & stopped Cole. 

Pooja Salhotra, et al., of the New York Times: “Elected officials in California and other states are grappling with how to respond to accusations of sexual abuse by Cesar Chavez days before the March 31 holiday honoring the labor leader’s birthday.... In the hours after the allegations became public, many state and local leaders raced on Wednesday to distance themselves from Mr. Chavez. The governors of Texas and Arizona almost immediately moved to cancel state observances of Cesar Chavez Day on March 31. In Los Angeles, Mayor Karen Bass, along with women serving on the City Council, said they were planning to sign a proclamation on Thursday to erase Mr. Chavez’s name and rename the holiday 'Farm Workers Day' in the city, the mayor’s office said. They also planned to move the annual holiday to the last Monday each March, untethering it from Mr. Chavez’s birthday. More fallout could come on Thursday, when California state lawmakers will convene in floor sessions.”

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The New York Times' live updates of developments in the Iran war are here. From the pinned item at 5:30 am ET: “Qatar said on Thursday that Iranian attacks against its energy infrastructure were continuing, as the price of oil climbed to $114 a barrel and uncertainty grew over how the widening war in the Middle East would affect energy supplies. Qatar blamed Iran for strikes on its natural gas facilities on Wednesday and Thursday, and expelled two Iranian diplomats.... Earlier drone and missile attacks against Qatar and Saudi Arabia followed Iran’s vows to retaliate for an attack on Iran’s South Pars field that Tehran said was carried out by Israel. South Pars, which Iran shares with Qatar, accounts for about 70 to 75 percent of Iranian natural gas production.... [Donald] Trump said on Wednesday night that Israel had acted alone on the South Pars attack without informing the United States, and that Qatar was not involved. He threatened to destroy the South Pars field if Qatar’s energy facilities were attacked again.” ~~~

~~~ David McHugh of the AP has more on the South Pars site. 

Sorry, this is just a picture. Haven't been able to locate the original. 

Isabel Kershner & Amelia Nierenberg of the New York Times: “Israel’s military said on Wednesday that it had killed [Esmaeil Khatib, the Iranian intelligence minister,] in an overnight airstrike. The Iranian president, Masoud Pezeshkian, confirmed the killing in a social media post later in the day, calling it 'a cowardly assassination.' Mr. Khatib is the latest top Iranian official to be killed since the United States and Israel launched their joint attack last month.... The Israeli military said Mr. Khatib’s ministry oversaw 'surveillance, espionage, and the execution of covert operations worldwide,' particularly against the state of Israel. He also played a significant role in the brutal crackdown on the recent anti-government protests in Iran, and led his ministry’s 'terrorist activities against Israeli and American targets around the world,' the Israeli military said.” (Also linked yesterday.)

akaWendy linked a couple of good columns yesterday morning, and here's one of them: ~~~

~~~ Anne Applebaum of the Atlantic: “Donald Trump does not think strategically. Nor does he think historically, geographically, or even rationally. He does not connect actions he takes on one day to events that occur weeks later. He does not think about how his behavior in one place will change the behavior of other people in other places. He does not consider the wider implications of his decisions. He does not take responsibility when these decisions go wrong. Instead, he acts on whim and impulse, and when he changes his mind — when he feels new whims and new impulses — he simply lies about whatever he said or did before.” Then she makes her case. Thanks to akaWendy for the gift link. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ AND here's the Other. Jonathan Chait of the Atlantic: “In February 2025, Donald Trump nominated Joe Kent, a 2020-election conspiracy theorist with links to the Proud Boys and white supremacists, as head of the National Counterterrorism Center. What could possibly go wrong?... [Kent's resignation letter demonstrates the] kind of conspiratorial thinking is essential to the MAGA movement. Unable to entertain the thought that Trump himself might fail, the president’s supporters insist that only treachery can explain the constant betrayals and catastrophes they see.... The theory that Trump can do no wrong is also propounded, obviously, by Trump himself. Accordingly, he responded to Kent’s resignation by telling reporters, “I always thought he was weak on security, very weak on security.... Kent’s resignation, and the administration’s response, reveal one of the paradoxes of MAGAthink: the Great Man of History as dupe.” Thanks to akaWendy for this gift link. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Michelle Goldberg of the New York Times: “Joe Kent, Donald Trump’s director of the National Counterterrorism Center..., [who resigned Tuesday,] is a deeply paranoid man with roots on the far right.... It was an act of profound irresponsibility, bordering on vandalism, for Trump to make him one of the highest-ranked intelligence officials in the country. But none of that is likely to stop Kent’s resignation from cementing the emerging narrative, on both the right and the left, that Israel has dragged America into this deeply unpopular war. It’s a powerful story because it’s partly rooted in truth, even if it taps into old antisemitic tropes about occult Jewish control.... A major distortion in Kent’s [resignation] letter is that it presents Trump as a naïve victim of the Israelis rather than an eager collaborator.” Update: the standard link provided yesterday has been changed to one that appears to be a gift link. 

It Depends Upon What the Meaning of “Imminent” Is. David Sanger & Julian Barnes of the New York Times: “... Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence ... had the unenviable task at a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Wednesday of squaring Mr. Trump’s comments about an urgent nuclear threat from Iran with a letter from one of her trusted aides that the country posed no 'imminent threat.' Her answer? Only the president can decide what is an 'imminent' threat. In other words, she was turning one of the key roles of the intelligence community’s 80,000 employees — to make nonpolitical judgments about threats to American security — over to Mr. Trump. Ms. Gabbard’s comments were necessitated by the decision of Joe Kent, her close adviser, to quit his counterterrorism position over his opposition to the war in Iran and his belief that Israel had pressured the United States into the conflict.” Politico's story is here. The AP report is here. ~~~

~~~ For a master class in how to trip up a witness, watch the first 3/4s of Sen. Jon Osoff's (D-Ga.) interrogation of Gabbard, He leaves her no opportunity to worm her way out of her predicament, largely because -- unlike Pam Bondi -- Gabbard doesn't run out the clock in this exchange by interrupting, insulting, screaming at and speaking over the Senator:   

     ~~~ Chris Hayes of MS NOW provides some useful background on Gabbard, and how she got here. Also, see the Q&A between Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) & her, which Sanger & Barnes also detail:

~~~ Gabbard & Ratcliffe (Obliquely): Trump Lied About Reason for Iran War. Robert Jimison of the New York Times: “Two top intelligence officials directly contradicted one of the Trump administration’s justifications for going to war with Iran, repeating on Wednesday the intelligence community’s conclusion that Iran was years away from developing missiles capable of hitting the United States. Testifying before the Senate Intelligence Committee, Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, and John Ratcliffe, the C.I.A. director, would not say whether the intelligence community had determined that Iran would be able to launch such long-range missiles within six months. Ms. Gabbard said that Iran 'could' combine technology from its existing space program with its missile development capabilities to 'begin to develop' an intercontinental ballistic missile 'before 2035, should Tehran attempt to pursue that capability.' But when pressed by Senator Jon Ossoff, Democrat of Georgia, Ms. Gabbard refused to provide an assessment of the threat Iran posed....

“Ms. Gabbard affirmed the conclusion reached by the Trump administration’s Defense Intelligence Agency last year that it would be a decade before Iran could get past the technological hurdles to produce weapons capable of reaching the United States. Likewise, Mr. Ratcliffe did not give a timeline when asked whether Iran would have been able to strike the United States within six months, instead focusing on its ability to reach as far as Europe and threaten U.S. bases and interests in the region.” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: That is to say, Trump started a war (a) during ongoing peace negotiations, because of (b) a threat assessment that in 10 years, a hostile country could have missiles capable of hitting the U.S., and also because (c) blowing up things and people is fun.

~~~ Gabbard &  C.I.A. Director John Ratcliffe will appear before a House committee today.

Oh, look who's getting the Never-Cross-Trump special treatment: ~~~ 

~~~ Glenn Thrush & Chris Cameron of the New York Times: “The F.B.I. has opened an investigation into Joe Kent, a counterterrorism official who was pilloried by the White House after he quit over the war with Iran, for possibly leaking sensitive intelligence, according to two people.... The investigation predated the resignation on Tuesday of Mr. Kent, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, according to those people.... Disclosure of the inquiry ... came after a coordinated Trump administration effort to discredit Mr. Kent as untrustworthy and disloyal.... Mr. Kent ... was interviewed on Wednesday by Tucker Carlson, a close friend, on his popular online podcast. Mr. Carlson, who gained notoriety for a sympathetic interview with a white nationalist last year, has been one of the most visible conservative opponents of the war and a vocal critic of Israel. Mr. Kent’s critics have long accused him of promoting an antisemitic and anti-Israel worldview.” The Semafor story, which broke the news, is here. An NBC News story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ “There Wasn’t a Robust Debate.”David Klepper of the AP: "Joe Kent ... said Wednesday that he and other senior officials with doubts about the airstrikes 'were not allowed' to share them with ... Donald Trump. Speaking on Tucker Carlson’s show, Kent said the president relied on a small circle of advisers in making his decision to strike Iran. Kent claimed Israel forced Trump’s hand despite what he said was no evidence that Iran posed an imminent threat to the U.S. 'A good deal of key decision makers were not allowed to come and express their opinion to the president,' Kent told the prominent conservative commentator. 'There wasn’t a robust debate.'”

Noah Robertson, et al., of the Washington Post: “The Pentagon has asked the White House to approve a more than $200 billion request to Congress to fund the war in Iran, according to a senior administration official.... That number would far surpass the costs of the administration’s massive airstrike campaign to date and instead seek to urgently increase production of critical weaponry expended as U.S. and Israeli forces have struck thousands of targets over the past three weeks.... The funding request is likely to stage a major political battle in Congress, as public support for the effort remains tepid and Democrats have been sharply critical.... Donald Trump campaigned on ending American adventurism abroad and frequently hammered the Biden administration for the amount of money approved to finance the war in Ukraine. By December, Congress had approved roughly $188 billion in spending for the war in Ukraine, according to the U.S. special inspector general for Operation Atlantic Resolve.... Even before the war in Iran, Trump had called for a $1.5 trillion defense budget, a more than 50 percent increase from the previous year.”

Ah, the Gas Pump Blues:  

“Apparently I’m an idiot.” Woman at Pennsylvania gas station who voted for Trump rips into him, calls him “a worthless pile of sh*t”.

[image or embed]

— Mike Sington (@mikesington.bsky.social) March 17, 2026 at 6:23 PM

     ~~~ Thanks to RAS for the link. 

Documenting the Most Corrupt Presidency* Ever. Matthew Purdy & Luke Broadwater of the New York Times: Donald Trump promised to crack down on fraudsters, BUT ... “Across both of his terms, Mr. Trump has granted clemency to more than 70 allies, donors and others convicted in fraud cases. In his second term, Mr. Trump’s pace of pardoning those convicted of fraud has increased. In the first year of his second term, he handed out nearly three dozen pardons and commutations for people accused of fraud. Mr. Trump is unabashed about using the government to reward friends and supporters and punish foes. Still, his handling of fraud cases stands out. Not only are there striking similarities between some of the crimes that were prosecuted and those that were pardoned, but the president also has excused some of those who have stolen the most.” Here's a related MS NOW report.

Dan Diamond of the Washington Post: “A federal arts commission will weigh whether to approve a commemorative gold coin featuring Donald Trump on Thursday, the administration’s latest effort to celebrate the president, even as Democrats and members of another federal committee say the idea is deeply inappropriate and potentially illegal. The proposal calls for a 24-karat gold coin depicting Trump leaning on a desk with clenched fists, based on a photograph taken by his chief White House photographer and now displayed in the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery. Such gold coins from the U.S. Mint typically sell for several thousand dollars.... But new coin designs are supposed to receive approval from two panels — and that second panel, the bipartisan Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee, refused last month to consider the proposed gold coin. In interviews, members opposed putting a sitting president on currency, saying it would break with democratic norms and reek of subservience to royalty.” Read on; there's more. ~~~

An Embarrassing Design, an Embarrassing President*.

~~~ Marisa Kabas of the Handbasket: Multiple members of the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee say that "video of their recent meeting during which they voiced strong objections to the Trump coins’ production ... has disappeared from the US Mint’s Youtube page. While this particular instance of federal censorship is about coins, the larger message is loud and clear: Dissent will not be tolerated." Donald Scarinci, chair of the committee, has asked the Mint to return the video to its site; Mint officials said they would do so, but they have not. Thanks to RAS for the link. MB: RAS titled the link, "Fear of the Petulant Toddler"; I'd wager that's right. ~~~

 ~~~ Marie: I think Trump's pose is an attempt to emulate this iconic photo of President Kennedy by NYT photographer George Tames titled "The Loneliest Job." But of course Trump gets it (1) literally backwards, and totally misses the point. (2) Trump's photo is staged (posed), which Tames' photo of Kennedy was not. (3) Trump thinks looking angry is the same as looking tough. (4) The photo of Kennedy invokes the burden of carrying the weight of the world, while Trump means to imply that he's the master of the world. (5) Trump staged the photo to aggrandize himself; Kennedy was unaware of the photographer (who was actually outside the office when he took the picture). (6) Trump certainly plans to make -- or already is making -- money off the picture.  

This is the kind of thing that happens when you are dumb enough to vote for Donald Trump. (NYT link) 

The New York Times liveblogged Sen. Markwayne Mullin's Senate confirmation hearings, held yesterday. “Senator Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma is appearing at a confirmation hearing. Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky opened with pointed statements about Mullin’s character, calling him someone who applauds violence.” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

I just wonder if someone who applauds violence against their political opponents is the right person to lead an agency that has struggled to accept limits to the proper use of force. -- Rand Paul, to Markwayne Mullin, opening Mullin's confirmation hearing ~~~ 

~~~ Michael Gold of the New York Times: “Senator Markwayne Mullin’s confirmation hearing began on Wednesday with a bitter and fiery personal clash, as Senator Rand Paul accused Mr. Mullin of having 'anger issues' and questioned whether he had the temperament to lead the Department of Homeland Security. Mr. Paul, the Kentucky Republican who is the chairman of the Senate’s homeland security committee, opened the hearing by blasting Mr. Mullin for calling Mr. Paul a 'freaking snake' and for telling a group of constituents that he 'understands completely' why Mr. Paul’s neighbor assaulted him in 2017.... Mr. Mullin, an Oklahoma Republican, acknowledged that he had said he “understood” the reason for the assault and did not apologize for his remarks. Instead, he accused Mr. Paul of smearing his character.... Mr. Paul’s opening statement set the tone for a strikingly contentious hearing in a body that often prides itself on collegiality.” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Here's the better part of the opening exchange between Paul & Mullin: ~~~

     ~~~ Scott Dance of the New York Times: “Senator Markwayne Mullin..., [Donald] Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Homeland Security, said Wednesday that if confirmed he would 'absolutely' revoke a policy that has drastically slowed the flow of federal disaster aid under the current secretary, Kristi Noem. Since June, Ms. Noem has required that her office approve any contracts or grants of $100,000 or more, creating significant delays and uncertainty for disaster-struck states and communities waiting for recovery assistance. An investigation by Senate Democrats this month found that the policy had delayed Federal Emergency Management Agency projects by three weeks, on average.... Contrasting himself with Ms. Noem, he [also] pledged to let FEMA leaders take control of their agency and said he would prioritize hiring an administrator to lead the organization.”

Julia Ainsley, et al., of NBC News report on what sure sounds like a shakedown: The shakerdowner? Corey Lewandowski, who demanded "success payments" from at least one company seeking government contracts to assist in detaining & transporting immigrants. One "senior White House official told NBC News they had received a 'dozen'  complaints from at least four companies about Lewandowski’s involvement in the contracting process during the second Trump administration."

Regina Medina of Minnesota Public Radio: "An immigration judge has ended the asylum claims of Liam Conejo Ramos and his family, according to their Minneapolis lawyer. The 5-year-old boy from Columbia Heights received national attention after he was detained by U.S. immigration authorities along with his father. Attorney Danielle Molliver, with Nwokocha & Operana Law Offices, told MPR News on Wednesday that the firm is appealing the decision handed down by U.S. Immigration Judge John Burns. Molliver said an appeal could take months or years. Molliver said if the family loses the appeal, they are expected to be deported to Ecuador, their country of origin."

Michael Gold of the New York Times: “Attorney General Pam Bondi would not explicitly commit on Wednesday to appear for a closed-door deposition with the House Oversight Committee as part of its investigation into the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and its release of material about him, telling lawmakers only that she would follow the law. During a private briefing Wednesday on the Justice Department’s investigation into Mr. Epstein and its handling of files on him, Democratic lawmakers pressed Ms. Bondi whether she still planned to appear for a deposition.... Democratic lawmakers walked out of the briefing before it ended, accusing Ms. Bondi and Todd Blanche, her deputy attorney general, of avoiding their questions. They criticized Ms. Bondi for declining to explicitly agree to the deposition and argued that Wednesday’s briefing, which the Justice Department offered before Ms. Bondi was sent a subpoena, was an effort to avoid it.” 

Colby Smith of the New York Times: “The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady on Wednesday and officials projected they would still proceed with one quarter-point cut this year, as the war in Iran upended the economic outlook. The decision marks the second meeting in a row in which the central bank has opted against a policy move, voting to keep rates unchanged at a range of 3.5 to 3.75 percent. Stephen I. Miran, who was appointed to the Fed last year by ... [Donald] Trump, issued his fifth straight dissent and voted for a quarter-point cut.... Jerome H. Powell, the Fed chair, repeatedly emphasized during his news conference on Wednesday the high degree of uncertainty associated with the [Iran] conflict, saying it was far too early to know how inflation and the labor market would be affected.” ~~~

~~~ Tony Romm of the New York Times: “Jerome H. Powell, the chair of the Federal Reserve..., who has faced withering pressure from ... [Donald] Trump just months before his term as chair ends, said on Wednesday that he would continue to lead the central bank until his replacement was confirmed by the Senate. Mr. Powell also said that even if his successor won confirmation, he would not leave the board entirely until the Trump administration concluded a criminal investigation into his handling of renovations at the Fed’s headquarters. Mr. Powell has previously denounced that inquiry as politically motivated. Technically, Mr. Powell’s term as chair ends on May 15, but he can continue to serve until a new leader is formally in place. He can also stay on as a governor until 2028. That outcome is likely to infuriate Mr. Trump, who has frequently lobbed personal attacks at Mr. Powell for not lowering interest rates more aggressively.” ~~~

~~~ Trump Said He Would Erase the National Deficit. Instead, He's Almost Doubled It. Fatima Hussein of the AP: “The national debt surpassed a record $39 trillion on Wednesday, a milestone that comes just weeks into the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran. The unprecedented figure highlights competing administration priorities, from passing a massive tax law and boosting defense spending and immigration enforcement to chipping away at the debt itself — the latter of which Donald Trump promised to do as both a candidate and as president. The Government Accountability Office outlines some of the impact of rising government debt on Americans — including higher borrowing costs for things like mortgages and cars, lower wages from businesses having less money available to invest, and more expensive goods and services. Advocates for a balanced budget also warn that the long-term trend of borrowing more and paying more in interest will force Americans to face tougher fiscal tradeoffs ahead.” ~~~

~~~ Sam Sutton of Politico: “New economic reports show inflation is ticking higher, prompting the Federal Reserve on Wednesday to keep interest rates steady. Hiring has stagnated, wage growth has fallen, and market-based interest rates are climbing amid concern over rising prices, sending mortgage rates up. And with oil now topping $100 a barrel — with no end in sight for the Iran conflict — Trump’s economy only has a thin cushion to rely on if the war in the Middle East starts to rock the economy.... The 'typical buffers that would prevent any type of external shock — like an oil price shock — from disproportionately affecting the economy are smaller than usual,' said Gregory Daco, EY-Parthenon’s chief economist. ... 'The thing that underlines every strong economy is consistency and progress, and things that promote confidence, and I just don’t see any of those attributes being displayed on a disciplined, routine basis by the White House,' said Chuck Coughlin, a veteran Republican strategist in Arizona.... 'Most of the country is looking at the president, going: “What is he doing?’'”

Marie: The National Park Service does not have a confirmed director, so I'd say that makes Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, whose department oversees the Park Service, the effective head of this very public-facing agency. As such, that makes Doug responsible for the following, and therefore an in-your-face racist: ~~~

~~~ Joe Heim & Olivia George Washington Post: “ Soon, the statue of [Caesar] Rodney ... — signer of the Declaration of Independence and enslaver — ... astride his horse, removed from public view during the 2020 racial justice protests, will be brought [from Delaware] to Washington and displayed in a much more august setting, on an outdoor concourse on Pennsylvania Avenue between the White House and the U.S. Capitol honoring Martin Luther King Jr. The National Park Service plans to install the Rodney statue temporarily in Freedom Plaza, a federal park in downtown Washington that was renamed to honor the civil rights leader in 1988. The statue would be displayed for up to six months as part of the nation’s celebration of its 250th birthday, according to Interior Department documents obtained by The Washington Post. With its planned reinstallment, first reported by Spotlight Delaware, the Rodney statue is the latest example of memorials toppled or removed in 2020’s racial reckoning that the Trump administration has since pushed to honor in the nation’s capital.” 

Manny Fernandez & Sarah Hurtes of the New York Times: “Ana Murguia and ... Debra Rojas say that [Cesar Chavez] sexually abused them for years when they were girls, from around 1972 to 1977. He was in his 40s and had become a powerful, charismatic figure who captured global attention as a champion of farmworker rights. The two women have not shared their stories publicly before, and an investigation by The New York Times has uncovered extensive evidence to support their accusations and those raised by several other women against Mr. Chavez, the United Farm Workers co-founder who died in 1993 at the age of 66.... The abuse allegations appear to be part of a larger pattern of sexual misconduct by Mr. Chavez, much of which has never been publicly revealed. The Times investigation found that Mr. Chavez also used many of the women who worked and volunteered in his movement for his own sexual gratification. His most prominent female ally in the movement, Dolores Huerta, said in an interview that he sexually assaulted her, a disclosure she has never before made publicly.” The link appears to be a gift link. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I don't know any of these women, but I feel safe in saying their stories are true. This is how it was back then (and before then, I assume). The police would not help a woman who had been raped, especially not a woman of color. This is why Donald Trump said so confidently, "When you're a star, they let you do it." No, Donald, it wasn't because you were a "star." Hundreds of thousands of White American men who had the slightest bit of status or power -- like maybe they owned a small plumbing company or were on a small-town municipal council -- could "do it."  

Clay Risen of the New York Times: “Carol Kitman, a New York photographer whose chance encounter with twin immigrant brothers in Brooklyn led to a decades-long project documenting their lives, tracking them through bar mitzvahs, weddings, military careers and, during the first Trump administration, the political scandal that made Alexander and Eugene Vindman household names, died on March 3 in the Bronx. She was 96.” 

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