March 7, 2026

Some people maintain a positive attitude, even after the trauma of a homegoing. Thanks to RAS for the link: ~~~

Aamer Madhani, et al., of the AP: “... Donald Trump said Saturday that the United States and Latin American countries are banding together to combat violent cartels as his administration looks to demonstrate it remains committed to sharpening U.S. foreign policy focus on the Western Hemisphere even while dealing with five-alarm crises around the globe. Trump encouraged regional leaders gathered at his Miami-area golf club to take military action against drug trafficking cartels and transnational gangs that he says pose an 'unacceptable threat' to the hemisphere’s national security.” ~~~

     ~~~ Isabella Murray, et al., of ABC News: "... Donald Trump joined leaders from over a dozen other countries Saturday morning at a 'Shield of the Americas' summit in Doral, Florida, where he boasted of the United States' military actions and issued warnings against Latin American adversaries. The White House claimed the coalition is committed to cooperating with the U.S. in taking on the cartels and securing the American border following the capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.... Trump repeatedly touted the U.S. military's actions during his second term highlighting the military operation to capture Maduro, and warning of imminent action in Cuba.... '"Cuba's at the end of the line.... They have no money. They have no oil. They have a bad philosophy. They have a bad regime that's been bad for a long time.' He added, '... [Cuba will] have a great new life, but it's in its last moments of life the way it is.... [Ousted Homeland Security Secretary Kristi] Noem was at the meeting along with secretaries Marco Rubio, Howard Lutnick and Pete Hegseth, however she was not mentioned by the president when he personally name checked and thanked the Cabinet members in attendance." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: So Kirsti Noem, our new special envoy to the Shield of the Americas, was there for the inaugural event. (Is there a hostage video?) The stars of the event, however, started with Marco Rubio, who addressed the group in Spanish. Then along came Drunk Pete. Perhaps miffed that multilingual Marco outshone him, Hegseth defiantly declared, "I only speak American." Pete is such a blockhead that he doesn't realize that everybody at the event was American, and everyone there spoke American. Here's a clue, Pete: you were at a meeting of the "Shield of the Americas." Speaking "American," you obtuse nincompoop, is not necessarily speaking English. Then Donald Trump gets up there and tries to outdo Pete's embarrassing insult to all the American guests. Old Donald, he sez, "... I’m not learning your damn language. I don’t have time. I was okay with languages, but I’m not going to spend time learning your language." ~~~

     ~~~ If you look on down the page, you'll see where Max Boot of the Washington Post was troubled by the fact that Trump's ambassadors around the world were insulting and offending the people in the countries to which he had dipatched them. We should not be surprised our diplomats don't "do" diplomacy when the man who picked them doesn't, either.  

AP: “A federal appeals court this week sided with a lower judge’s ruling against the Trump administration’s efforts to end temporary protected status for roughly 350,000 Haitians living in the U.S. The U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., issued the 2-1 ruling on Friday. 'The government’s failure to meet its burden of demonstrating irreparable harm alone justifies denying emergency relief that would upend the status quo and increase uncertainty while this appeal proceeds,' the court said.”

In the Still of the Night. Olivia George of the Washington Post: “...  more than five years [after the January 6, 2021 insurrection], and three years since Congress ignored its own deadline to install it, a memorial plaque recognizing the service of law enforcement that day is finally on display in the very building they defended from a mob of ... Donald Trump’s supporters intent on overturning his 2020 election loss. In the predawn hours Saturday, around 4 a.m., staff with the Architect of the Capitol bolted the bronze plaque to a granite wall near an entrance on the west front, close to where the armed crowd had amassed and scaled scaffolding set up for the inauguration.... The quiet installation, which Congress ordered completed by mid-March 2023, marks the latest turn in the contested effort to remember Jan. 6, as Trump continues to reframe the riot as patriotic and the rioters as victims of a weaponized justice system....

“Democrats have pressed for implementation in the years since, saying the only thing keeping the plaque from public view was that House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) had yet to instruct the Architect of the Capitol — which oversees the complex — to install it. A spokesperson for Johnson at the time argued the project was 'not implementable.'” MB: Not implementable, because Bible Mike is afraid of Donald Trump. Thanks to Ken W. for the link.

From the pinned item at 11:00 am ET on today's New York Times liveblog of the Iran war: “Mr. Trump ... said Iran had 'apologized and surrendered to its Middle East neighbors.' His remarks came after a televised speech earlier on Saturday by Masoud Pezeshkian, the Iranian president, who is also a member of the interim three-person council running the country. While Mr. Pezeshkian apologized to Gulf states for shooting scores of missiles and drones at them in retaliatory strikes, he also called Mr. Trump’s demand for unconditional surrender 'a dream that our enemies will take to the grave.'... And later on Saturday afternoon — after criticism from Iranian hard-liners — Mr. Pezeshkian issued another statement. 'We have not attacked our friendly and neighboring countries. Rather, we have targeted U.S. military bases, facilities, and installations in the region,' he said on social media.” ~~~

     ~~~ Here is Trump's full social media post, via Paul Campos in LG&$. Campos writes, "...  we have to deal with the knowledge that a certifiably crazy person is the Commander in Chief of the world’s most powerful military, while several of the most important politicians in Congress believe quite literally in the idea that the attack on Iran is the beginning of the Armageddon prophesied in the Book of Revelation.... One big problem on the liberal left is that a lot of people are simply incapable of believing that Mike Johnson et al really do believe what they say they believe, because if you’re not a fundamentalist Evangelical, what these people say they believe sounds utterly insane...." Thanks very much to RAS for the link. RAS correctly paraphrases Trump's post: "The war is over. Iran has surrendered.. Though we are going to bomb them even harder until they surrender."

Marie: Here's an interesting follow-up to Kristi Noem's firing. Harry Sisson dug into the file and found an old clip -- which appears to be from a February 2025 CPAC discussion -- in which ICE Barbie discusses in some detail her interaction with Donald Trump about the ad campaign. A whole year ago, Noem described the campaign as Trump's idea. Following that clip, Sisson airs a Daily Caller clip from this week, a clip in which a Daily Caller reporter says the White House worked on the ads with Noem. As Sisson says, it's impossible to know who's lying here and to what extent. But at this point, it appears that Noem may have been telling the truth about Trump's knowledge of the ad campaign. Her "mistake" was not knowing any better than to finger him as the originator of an ill-conceived, taxpayer-funded campaign: ~~~ 

~~~~~~~~~~ 

Another Dismal Day in Trumplandia 

The New York Times live updates of developments in the Iran war are here. From the pinned item at 5:00 am ET: “The Israeli military said it had launched 'a broad-scale wave of strikes' on Iranian government infrastructure in the early hours of Saturday. Soon after, Iranian state media said Israeli strikes had hit the area near Mehrabad Airport in Tehran. Two Tehran residents ... said in text messages that it appeared to have been badly damaged and that they could see what looked like commercial planes burning on the tarmac.... Separately, the Israeli military said missiles were launched toward Israel from Iran early Saturday....

The Israeli military has also intensified its campaign in Lebanon against Iran-backed Hezbollah militants. On Friday, it struck the southern outskirts of Beirut and issued additional evacuation warnings in Lebanon. About 300,000 people in Lebanon have fled their homes since the bombing began, the Norwegian Refugee Council estimated.... More than 200 people in Lebanon have been killed, according to the Lebanese health ministry.” ~~~

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

Erratic Megalomaniac Demands Unconditional Surrender. David Sanger of the New York Times: Donald “Trump declared on Friday that he would settle for nothing short of 'unconditional surrender' by Iran, the latest and broadest expansion of his goals for the conflict, and one that could portend a much longer conflict if he persists in that aim. Six days into the Israeli and American bombing campaign, Iran has shown no interest, at least publicly, in surrendering. Instead, it has done the opposite, expanding the war to Arab states that host American bases.... Mr. Trump’s statement came in a social media post, in which he said that after the country’s surrender would come 'the selection of a GREAT & ACCEPTABLE Leader(s),' and promised that the United States and its allies 'will work tirelessly to bring Iran back from the brink of destruction.' His statement was the latest in the shifting goals Mr. Trump has laid out for the war, leaving his aides, and congressional allies, struggling to keep up and at times contradicting the president.” Politico's story is here. (Also linked yesterday.)

Courtney Kube, et al., of NBC News: "... Donald Trump has privately expressed serious interest in deploying U.S. troops on the ground inside of Iran, according to two U.S. officials, a former U.S. official and another person with knowledge of the conversations. Trump has discussed the idea of deploying ground troops with aides and Republican officials outside the White House while outlining his vision for a post-war Iran in which Iran’s uranium is secure and the U.S. and a new Iranian regime cooperate on oil production similar to how the U.S. and Venezuela are, the sources said. The president’s comments ... have ... focused ... on the idea of a small contingent of U.S. troops that would be used for specific strategic purposes.... The [sources] said Trump has not made any decisions or given any orders related to ground troops." ~~~

     ~~~ Dan Lamothe of the Washington Post: “The Army in recent days abruptly canceled a major training exercise for the headquarters element of an elite paratrooper unit, officials said, fueling speculation within the Defense Department that soldiers specializing in ground combat and a range of other missions may be sent to the Middle East as the conflict with Iran widens. The 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg in North Carolina includes a brigade combat team of about 4,000 to 5,000 soldiers ready to deploy on 18 hours notice....” (Also linked yesterday.) 

S.V. Date of the Huffington Post: “The U.S. torpedoing of an Iranian frigate off Sri Lanka this week may have violated the Geneva Conventions by failing to help rescue sailors from the stricken warship, an act that could potentially endanger American service members in this and future wars. The 312-foot Dena and its 130-member crew, many of them musicians in the Iranian navy band, had just finished participating in an Indian government naval exercise and cultural exchange that the U.S. Navy had also participated in and were on the way home on Wednesday. After clearing Sri Lanka, it was struck by a torpedo fired from a U.S. Navy submarine about 20 miles from the island’s southern tip. The weapon appears to have ruptured the hull from beneath, and the warship quickly sank. The submarine did not attempt to rescue Iranian sailors in the water.” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: In addition, it's possible that the Dena was unarmed and that the U.S. was in a position to know this. According to Art Intel, "

Iranian officials claim the IRIS

Dena was unarmed and in a 'non-combat configuration' when sunk by a U.S. submarine on March 4, 2026, as it was returning from the MILAN 2026 exercise. The vessel was reportedly operating under 'peace protocol' requiring it to be without live ammunition. However, the Dena is a modern warship capable of carrying missiles and guns.... While some sources indicate the ship was defenceless, official records from India's Press Information Bureau noted that 'live firings as part of surface gun shoots, as well as anti-air firings, were also undertaken' during the exercise, casting some doubt on a total ban on ammunition." Drunk Pete & Joint Chiefs chair "Raisin'" Caine gloated/boasted about the strike; Caine claimed "To hunt, find and kill an out-of-area deployer is something that only the United States can do at this type of scale." But the U.S. would have known the Dena passengers were band members on their way back from the Indian cultural exchange, because the U.S. was also invited to the event and backed out only at the last moment. IMO, there's nothing impressive and quite a bit that's dodgy about blowing up a boatload of clarinet players, then failing to try to rescue survivors.

Ellen Francis & Michael Birnbaum of the Washington Post: “... Donald Trump’s administration spent the past year dismissing Europeans as pathetic and irrelevant. Now, as he wages a war alongside Israel to force regime change in Iran, he wants Europe to cheer him on. European leaders, who distanced themselves from the U.S. attack in its early hours, are ramping up their response to a crisis spreading beyond Iran. France, Italy and others are deploying military reinforcements to the region to defend their bases and partners. Britain has now allowed U.S. forces to use its bases to block Tehran’s retaliation. But the European moves so far fall short of the applause Trump is seeking for an assault without clear end.... The administration wants access to strategic European air bases and logistics hubs to facilitate its aerial barrage. And Trump is rebuking countries that don’t offer unflinching support, like Britain, or anyone who takes a forceful stand against the war, namely Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.” ~~~

~~~ Fortunately, Zelensky Knows the Meaning of “Chutzpah.” Sophie Watson of the Kyiv Post: “President Volodymyr Zelensky said the US had requested Ukraine’s support in defending against Iranian drone attacks in the Middle East on Thursday.... 'We received a request from the United States for specific support in protection against “shaheds” in the Middle East region,' Zelensky said. 'I gave instructions to provide the necessary means and ensure the presence of Ukrainian specialists who can guarantee the required security.... [In a Politico interview,] Donald Trump warned him to 'get on the ball' in US-led peace negotiations with Russia.... Despite all evidence to the contrary..., [Trump] also repeated his frequent assertion that Russian President Vladimir Putin is 'ready to make a deal.'” The Washington Post story is here. Thanks to Akhilleus for the lead. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Don't think that Trump has realized he was wrong about U.S. allies and that his mistreatment of European nations has been abominable. No, he's a narcissist, and he believes that no matter his own behavior (which is perfect!), the rest of the world owes him respect, fealty and whatever he wants. ~~~

    ~~~ AND There's This. Max Boot of the Washington Post: “... in December, the Trump administration recalled more than two dozen career ambassadors, and it has been slow to fill vacancies. The result is that the U.S. lacks ambassadors in such important countries as Brazil, Egypt, Germany, Indonesia, Iraq, Pakistan, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates. Even more troublesome, however, might be the behavior of the ambassadors who are in place. Rather than promoting U.S. interests, many of Trump’s mini-me envoys are alienating their host countries by insulting critics and offending local sensibilities.... In some cases, Trump’s appointees aren’t even waiting to be confirmed before causing diplomatic incidents.... Though their offensive antics might delight Trump, these Ugly Americans further alienate vital allies.... Trump does enough damage to America’s reputation by himself. He doesn’t need help from his undiplomatic diplomats in alienating the rest of the world.” The link is a gift link. MB: I was unaware of many of the incidents Boot cites, and it's good to know just how bad Trump's "diplomats" are at representing us.

WWIII, Here We Come. Noah Robertson, et al., of the Washington Post: “Russia is providing Iran with targeting information to attack American forces in the Middle East, the first indication that another major U.S. adversary is participating — even indirectly — in the war.... The assistance ... signals that the rapidly expanding conflict now features one of America’s chief nuclear-armed competitors with exquisite intelligence capabilities. Since the war began Saturday, Russia has passed Iran the locations of U.S. military assets, including warships and aircraft, said the three officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the matter’s sensitivity.” The link is a gift link. (Also linked yesterday.)

Edward Wong of the New York Times: “The State Department is declaring an emergency with the war in Iran to bypass Congressional approval and sell more than 20,000 bombs to Israel that are valued at nearly $660 million, according to two current U.S. officials and a former official.... The State Department issued a statement Friday night that said Secretary of State Marco Rubio has determined that 'an emergency exists that requires the immediate sale' to Israel of 12,000 large bombs that are 1,000 pounds each.... The other parts of the sale include 10,000 bombs of 500 pounds each and 5,000 small-diameter bombs. These arms, along with services and accessories that are part of the sale, are valued at more than $500 million. The State Department did not mention these details in the announcement, but two current U.S. officials and a former, Josh Paul, who worked on weapons transfers at the State Department, said they were part of the emergency sale.”

King of the World! Andrew Feinberg of the Independent: Donald Trump “told CNN in an interview on Friday that he believes his administration is close to toppling the communist government that has led Cuba, the Caribbean island just 90 miles off the Florida coast, since 1959. 'Cuba is gonna fall pretty soon,' said [Trump], who spoke with CNN correspondent Dana Bash by phone.... 'They want to make a deal, and so I’m going to put [Secretary of State] Marco [Rubio] over there and we’ll see how that works out. We’re really focused on this one right now. We’ve got plenty of time, but Cuba’s ready — after 50 years,' Trump continued. 'I’ve been watching it for 50 years, and it’s fallen right into my lap because of me ... and we’re doing very well.'” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Perry Stein & Jeremy Roebuck of the Washington Post: “The Justice Department has formed a working group to examine possible federal charges against officials or entities within Cuba’s government.... The formation of the group could be a significant step in the Trump administration’s public push to topple the regime in Cuba.... The working group is exploring potential crimes related to immigration, economics and more.... Officials from government agencies including the Treasury Department will be part of the recently formed group. Treasury’s involvement could mean the Trump administration is considering further sanctions against Cuba, already the subject of intense U.S. economic sanctions.” ~~~

     ~~~ Glenn Thrush, et al., of the New York Times: “The U.S. attorney in South Florida has ordered a broad-ranging inquiry into Cuba’s leaders and Communist Party officials for drug, immigration, economic and violent crimes with a goal of bringing fast indictments.... The move comes as ... [Donald] Trump is ratcheting up his rhetorical assault on Cuba’s leadership, and he has gone so far as to recently suggest that he might attack the island nation 90 miles off the Florida coast after he is finished with the Iran war.... Leading the new effort in Florida is Jason A. Reding Quiñones, a relatively inexperienced federal prosecutor and Trump loyalist who is also overseeing an investigation into the fantastical 'grand conspiracy' by Democrats that Mr. Trump has claimed, without evidence, was waged to destroy him. Mr. Quiñones has convened a new working group, which includes prosecutors in his office, F.B.I. agents and officials with the Treasury Department, the State Department, the Health and Human Services Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Good for the NYT reporters for describing Trump's "grand conspiracy" theory as "fantastical." Not long ago the adjective might have been something like "controversial," or there might have been no adjective at all, leaving the reader to believe that Democrats very well might be engaged in a grand conspiracy to destroy our dear leader. The victories for fair & accurate reporting are not grand, but there are a few here and there.

Matt Peterson of CNBC: "A difficult jobs report comes at a tough time  for the White House. Gas prices are rising due to the war in Iran, while stock market turmoil is making savers and retirees antsy about the state of their 401(k)s. Data released Friday showing a loss of 92,000 jobs in February will put pressure on the Trump administration to reconsider military and homeland security policies that have complicated the nation’s economic outlook. But there may simply not be enough time to force through a substantial policy shift that could improve the economic outlook before the November midterms." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Stan Choe of the AP: “Oil shot to its highest price since 2023 after surging again Friday because of the Iran war, and a weak update on the U.S. job market knocked stocks lower to cap Wall Street’s worst week since October. The S&P 500 dropped 1.3% after a report showed U.S. employers cut more jobs  last month than they created and after oil prices spiked above $90 per barrel. The combination of a weak economy and high inflation is a worst-case scenario for investors because the Federal Reserve has no good tool to fix both problems at the same time. The Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged as many as 945 points before finishing with a loss of 453, or 0.9%, and the Nasdaq composite sank 1.6%.” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Steve Kopack of NBC News: "U.S. crude oil recorded its biggest weekly gain on record, dating back to the inception of the West Texas Intermediate oil contract in March 1983, as the escalating Iran war threatens global energy supplies. On Friday alone, U.S. crude oil spiked more than 12% to more than $91 per barrel, its highest price since late 2022. Since the start of the year, the price of U.S. crude has risen nearly 60%."

Irie Sentner of Politico: “In 2024, Donald Trump won back the White House..., mobilizing his MAGA movement to coalesce around his promises to bolster the economy, avoid foreign wars and enact a mass-deportation operation. In the past week alone, the president has seen the job market contract and oil prices spike. He started a new war with Iran that has sparked a broader regional conflict and so far claimed the lives of half a dozen American troops. He shook up his Homeland Security Department, firing Kristi Noem, the secretary overseeing his deportation agenda, amid allegations of disorder and mismanagement at the agency. And he is expected to endorse the less-MAGA of the two GOP Texas Senate candidates after they skidded into a bitter primary runoff. It’s a politically perilous time for Trump, who must hold together a fracturing coalition and convince voters to show up for Republicans come November.... The latest blow came this morning, when the Labor Department announced the economy had shed 92,000 jobs in February and lowered estimates for the previous two months.” (Also linked yesterday.)

Chris Cameron & Jonah Bromwich of the New York Times: “The Department of Justice on Friday attacked the federal judiciary, accusing judges who ruled against the Trump administration of undermining ... [Donald] Trump’s authority.... Its attack came in a court filing in its appeal of four district court rulings that had struck down Mr. Trump’s executive orders attempting to bar prominent law firms from government business. 'Courts cannot tell the president what to say,' the 97-page legal brief began, adding that four federal judges had 'bent over backwards' to rule against Mr. Trump and were 'encroaching on the constitutional power of the president,' in what the document described as 'a grave error for the district courts.'... [The filing's] ferocity came as a surprise given that, earlier this week, the Justice Department indicated that it was ready to abandon the case entirely. On Monday, it filed a motion with the D.C. court, asking it to dismiss the case. But the next day, after the department’s decision to leave the appeal behind had received extensive news coverage, it reversed course.... It was not immediately clear what had prompted the about-face, but Mr. Trump and other top administration officials have often bristled at the perception that they have backed down from a public fight.” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I have not read the DOJ's motion, but based on this NYT report, the DOJ's "reasoning" seems ridiculous. "Courts cannot tell the president what to say"?? In general, that's true, but what a person or a president* says is different from an executive order which, by its very definition, compels others to perform (or not to perform) some action(s). In the executive order against one law firm, Trump "directed the cancellation of all government contracts ... and the suspension of any security clearances of its employees. The order also barred [the firm's] employees from federal buildings, banned them from communicating with government employees and prevented them from being hired at government agencies." This is not a free-speech issue.

Marie: Up until a year ago, federal judges believed they could count on DOJ lawyers to tell them the truth, and most judges took DOJ representions as fact. Not anymore: ~~~ 

~~~ Matthew Chapman of the Raw Story: '... a plaintiff representing themselves in North Carolina exposed ... a line attorney for the U.S. Justice Department..., along with his entire office..., for having made-up quotes in court filings. According to Bloomberg Law, 'The US attorney’s office is representing the Defense Department in a lawsuit by a North Carolina pro se litigant challenging a policy limiting availability of GLP-1 weight loss medications for TRICARE for Life participants. The plaintiff asserted that a response brief signed by assistant US attorney Rudy Renfer included fabricated quotes and misstated the holdings of several cases.' 'In a reply, Renfer said he "inadvertently included incorrect citations to case law from this circuit" and attributed the errors to the "inadvertent filing of an unfinalized draft document,"' the report continued.... Neither Renfer nor his office have confirmed or denied the filings were made using AI. U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert Numbers ... wrote that 'because of the seriousness of these issues,' leadership at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina are summoned for a hearing to explain what happened and justify why Renfer shouldn't be sanctioned."

Arc de Trump News. Dan Diamond of the Washington Post: “Congressional Democrats have joined a legal challenge to ... Donald Trump’s planned 250-foot triumphal arch, arguing in U.S. District Court that the project must receive congressional approval before moving forward. The top Democrats on committees overseeing federal lands and natural resources filed an amicus brief Friday, citing the Commemorative Works Act, a 40-year-old federal law that governs the design and placement of memorials in Washington. Under the law, certain parts of the city — including Memorial Circle, a traffic roundabout near Arlington National Cemetery, which Trump is eyeing for his planned arch — are considered protected land, and monuments built there would require congressional authorization.... [Sen. Angus] King (I-Maine) also requested a review from the Congressional Research Service, the nonpartisan think tank that serves lawmakers, which independently concluded that an arch built in Memorial Circle would require congressional authorization.... 'The law is clear that any structure in this zone — of which Memorial Circle is certainly part — has to have the express approval of Congress.' [King said. Rep. Jared] Huffman [D-Calif.] said the president’s plans raise 'moral and political' questions, including whether the arch is a 'vanity project' rather than a necessary monument.”

Huh. Jonah Bromwich & Devlin Barrett of the New York Times: “The Florida Bar, which examines attorney conduct in the state, retreated on Friday from its earlier assertion that it was investigating Lindsey Halligan, a former U.S. attorney in Virginia who brought politically charged cases against some of ... [Donald] Trump’s foes.... On Friday, a spokeswoman for the bar, Jennifer Krell Davis, said that ... her organization had 'erroneously' stated 'that there is a pending bar investigation' of Ms. Halligan. 'There is no such pending bar investigation,' Ms. Davis said in a statement, adding that her organization had received a complaint against Ms. Halligan, and  'consistent with standard practice, the bar is monitoring the ongoing legal proceedings underlying the complaint.'...

But wait! There's more to the story: ~~~ 

“The question of ethics investigations into Trump administration lawyers drew attention earlier this week when the Justice Department issued a proposal saying it would seek to pre-empt state bar investigations into ethics complaints against department lawyers. Some lawyers considered that action a veiled threat to usurp the authority of state courts and bar disciplinary bodies to police the conduct of lawyers.” MB: I don't know about you, but I'm seeing some cause & effect here. ~~~

~~~ The AP story is here. 

And the Horse She Rode In On. Zolan Kanno-Youngs & Hamed Aleaziz of the New York Times: “Kristi Noem was not fired after federal agents in Minneapolis shot and killed two American citizens. She was not ousted when a chief judge in Minnesota said her immigration agency had violated more court orders than some federal agencies do in their entire existence. Nor did it happen when she described a Veterans Affairs nurse shot by her agents as a domestic terrorist, or when she falsely claimed he had brandished a weapon before he was pinned down and killed. Rather, Ms. Noem was ousted shortly after she appeared to cross one of the few red lines of the Trump White House: She appeared to shift responsibility for her own political problems back to ... [Donald] Trump.... Ms. Noem’s comments [at Congressional hearings] suggested Mr. Trump had signed off on a massively expensive ad campaign that even some in her department found cringe worthy — with Ms. Noem on a horse at Mount Rushmore.... The decision to remove Ms. Noem was another reminder that Mr. Trump’s barometer for his cabinet is not just measuring policy actions on the ground as much as an appearance of disloyalty and political optics.” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Kristi Noem could be a whiz at IQ tests. I have no idea. Nevertheless, I know she is a stupid person. This was apparent back when she boasted that killing her puppy and a goat buck was a "leadership lesson" about how good she was at making tough choices. It was apparent in the bad choices and shocking statements she made when she was governor of South Dakota and when she was DHS Secretary. It is clear that she had been schooled on the importance of pleasing Trump because she knew to make long, embarrassing encomia to him during Cabinet meetings. So why oh why didn't she know not to shift the blame to Trump for her corrupt and self-serving ad campaign? If she did so to save her own neck, it was a foolish miscalculation. If she did so because it was true, that was a foolish time to suddenly start telling the truth; she readily lied under oath on other matters. ~~~

     ~~~ Ryan Mancini of the Hill: “Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) on Friday said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was 'dead as fried chicken' after he pressed her during a Senate hearing about a $220 million ad campaign not approved by ... [Donald] Trump, days before the president fired her. 'I was stunned when Noem answered categorically that the president approved every single bit of it,' Kennedy said on Fox News. 'Later that day, I got a call from President Trump. He was mad as a mamma wasp. He said, “Kennedy, I hope you understand that I had nothing to do with this.” I said, “I do believe you, Mr. President.”'” Kennedy went on to boast about how he's always looking out for the taxpayer's money.

Janay Kingsberry & Travis Andrews of the Washington Post: “The Kennedy Center plans to go quiet in four months but had a noisy Friday that involved it suing a jazz drummer while facing a lawsuit brought forth by a Democratic lawmaker — all in the backdrop of a resignation from the executive director of the National Symphony Orchestra.... Drummer and vibraphonist Chuck Redd was a longtime host of the center’s annual Christmas Eve Jazz Jam, but canceled 2025’s holiday appearance following the center’s legally questionable name change. At the time, [Kennedy Center President Richard] Grenell strongly rebuked Redd’s decision and threatened to seek punitive damages.... On Thursday, the Kennedy Center filed a lawsuit against Redd..., citing a breach of contract.... Meanwhile, Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio) asked a federal court on Friday to block Trump’s plans to close and potentially demolish the Kennedy Center. Beatty, who sued Trump in December to try to remove his name from the building, amended her lawsuit..., seeking to halt any steps toward closing, demolishing or renovating the center....” ~~~

~~~ Adam Nagourney of the New York Times: “The executive director of the National Symphony Orchestra announced Friday that she was stepping down, the latest blow to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as it struggles with declining audiences, artist cancellations and the departure of its opera company in the wake of ... [Donald] Trump’s effort to put his imprint on the center. In an interview, the executive director, Jean Davidson, said she had long wanted to run an arts center like the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills, Calif., where she is headed in May. But she said that her decision to move less than three years after she took the Kennedy Center job reflected frustration at the turmoil that has engulfed the center since Mr. Trump named himself as chairman, installed a loyalist, Richard Grenell, as its president, and renamed it the Trump-Kennedy Center. ”

Rachel Roubein of the Washington Post: “The nation’s controversial top vaccine regulator is leaving his job at the end of April, federal health officials said Friday. Vinay Prasad had begun his role leading vaccines and complex treatments for difficult diseases in May, but has had a rocky tenure at the Food and Drug Administration over the past year, overseeing divisive decisions about drugs and a new plan to tighten vaccine approvals.... Prasad, a key ... ally [of FDA Commissioner Marty Makary], had been ousted at the direction of the White House in July after a right-wing pressure campaign over his handling of drug approvals and past support for Democrats. He was hired back less than two weeks later after Makary, who championed and elevated Prasad, reached out to the White House. The White House then reevaluated criticisms of Prasad and supported his return after finding them disingenuous.” Since then, he has made “controversial” decisions regarding vaccine approvals. An ABC News story is here.

Marisa Kabas of the Handbasket: After reviewing body camera footage which I obtained through a contested FOIA request & subsequent suit, "my main takeaway is this: The people representing the Trump administration knew they were entering a privately-owned building, and the DC MPD allowed them to enter despite that fact.... The footage shows local police officers were brought into a situation of which they were given very little background, and for which they were ill-equipped to handle.... The litigation over who has lawful control of the USIP building plays on, with the Trump administration remaining control of the building for now."     

Julie Bosman of the New York Times: “Three former presidents, a sitting mayor and governor, business executives, clergy members and gospel singers gathered on Friday morning on the South Side of Chicago at a public memorial service for the Rev. Jesse Jackson. The service on Friday, by turns celebratory and solemn, drew thousands of Chicagoans and capped two weeks of memorials to Mr. Jackson, whose oratory and activism arguing for racial equality and opportunity made him one of the most powerful civil rights figures of his time. The Jackson family welcomed three of the four living former U.S. presidents, who sat together in the front row: Barack Obama, Joseph R. Biden Jr. and Bill Clinton. Former Vice President Kamala Harris, Gov. Gavin Newsom of California, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Jill Biden, the former first lady, also attended.”

Michelle Boorstein of the Washington Post: “From Indonesia to Nigeria to Greece, people around the world see some slice of their fellow citizens as immoral or unethical. But there is only one country where the majority of residents say their countrymen are 'bad': the United States. A striking survey released Thursday finds that 53 percent of American adults describe the morality and ethics of their fellow citizens as 'bad' (somewhat bad or very bad).”

Maggie Penman of the Washington Post: “A classically trained opera singer, [Andrew Hiers] didn’t have a steady singing gig for months. In January, the day after he turned 38, he started a job as a car salesman at a dealership near his home in Cocoa, Florida.... But selling cars was harder than he imagined, and he wanted something to set him apart from his more experienced colleagues. So he started making videos of himself performing robust opera arias while standing outside on a car lot, wearing his name tag.... The videos have resonated far and wide in a way that has surprised and delighted Hiers, who really was just hoping to sell some cars. Whether they will be effective at their original aim remains to be seen — Hiers has only sold one car since he started the job a little over a month ago.” ~~~

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California Congressional Race. Melanie Mason & Ben Fox of Politico: “Republican Rep. Darrell Issa is calling it quits — again. Issa, a polarizing fixture of Southern California politics for more than two decades and an ally of ... Donald Trump, announced he will retire at the end of his term – a decision that could help Democrats win his district in the midterms. Issa made the announcement Friday, soon after the deadline passed to register as a candidate in a district that was redrawn last year and transformed from one that heavily favored Republicans to one that now gives Democrats the edge. Issa’s unexpected decision is an about-face from less than three months ago, when the veteran lawmaker declared 'I’m not quitting on California' after briefly considering running for a Texas congressional seat instead.... Issa said he was giving San Diego Supervisor Jim Desmond his 'enthusiastic endorsement' in the race to succeed him. Desmond had previously planned to run in a neighboring district, but filed for Issa’s seat Friday morning, amid speculation that Issa would drop out.”

Texas. Christina van Waasbergen of Courthouse News Service: “A 65-year-old Tesla employee claims Sixth Street mass shooting suspect Ndiaga Diagne assaulted her in December while working at a Tesla facility, according to an amended complaint filed Thursday in Travis County District Court. Lillian Mendoza Brady is suing Tesla, claiming the electric car company negligently failed to keep her safe from Diagne. 'Defendant maintained a policy and practice of permitting and sanctioning employee prayer breaks within common areas of the facility. During a sanctioned break, defendant’s employee Ndiaga Diagne was engaged in the act of prayer in a common area. He violently and without provocation physically assaulted plaintiff,' the complaint says.”