April 25, 2026

Video shows Donald & Melania Trump being evacuated from White House Correspondents' Association dinner: ~~~ 

~~~ From a New York Times liveblog: Donald “Trump was rushed from the stage after gunfire broke out in the hotel where the White House correspondents’ dinner was being held on Saturday night. The president appeared to be unharmed and was posting on social media, saying that he would soon hold a news conference at the White House. The F.B.I. said a suspect was in custody after the Secret Service called 'a shooting incident' near a security screening area. According to the White House press pool, a group of reporters who travel with the president, a member of the Secret Service shouted, 'Shots fired,' and agents with guns drawn sprinted through the aisles to reach the president.

“Guests were about five minutes into the dinner hour when a commotion could be heard toward the back of the ballroom. Gasps were heard and then hundreds of attendees dropped under their seats at their tables. Security officials with weapons drawn emerged on the dais as the president and the first lady, Melania Trump, were quickly escorted out. Mr. Trump later wrote on social media, 'The First Lady, plus the Vice President, and all Cabinet members, are in perfect condition.'”

Maggie Haberman: “This is the same hotel outside of which John Hinckley Jr. tried to assassinate President Ronald Reagan in 1981.” 

Maggie Haberman: In televised remarks, “Trump said this was 'not a particularly secure building.' He then said that the episode underscored why the White House needed beefed up security, and its own ballroom.” MB: Right.

Tyler Pager: “Trump said a Secret Service agent was shot but was saved by a bulletproof vest.... Trump said he wanted to stay and resume the dinner - 'I fought like hell' - but was told by security that he had to leave.... Todd Blanche, the acting attorney general, said he expected charges to be filed shortly against the suspect.... Trump gave the first question to Weijia Jiang of CBS News, the president of the White House Correspondents’ Association, which was hosting the dinner. He praised her for doing 'a fantastic job.'... Trump said the shooter did not get anywhere close to him, and did not breach the doorway into the main ballroom.”

Chelsia Marcius: “The man in custody is Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, Calif., according to two law enforcement officials....” 

 Campbell Robertson: “In a news briefing, the interim D.C. police chief, Jeffery W. Carroll, said that 'an individual charged a Secret Service checkpoint' armed with a shotgun, handgun and multiple knives. Carroll said that the suspect had not been struck by gunfire but was transported to a local hospital to be evaluated. A Secret Service officer was shot and was taken to a hospital, where he was 'in good spirits,' Carroll said. Carroll said that the security plan for the dinner was established by the Secret Service and that it worked.... Sean M. Curran, the U.S. Secret Service director, said the president had spoken to the officer who had been shot at.”...

“Jeanine Pirro, the D.C. U.S. attorney, said the suspect was being charged with two counts: using a firearm during a crime of violence, and assault on a federal officer using a dangerous weapon. Pirro said that the defendant would be arraigned on Monday in federal court and that she expected more charges to follow.... Chief Carroll said the authorities believe that the suspect was a guest at the hotel and fired a shot but that the investigation was in its very early stages. He did not say whether the Secret Service officer who was injured by gunfire was shot by the suspect.” 

Here's video Trump released of officers apprehending Allen:

The AP's liveblog is here. 

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Carolyn Johnson of the Washington Post: “Multiple scientists who serve on an independent board established to guide the nation’s nearly $9 billion basic science funding agency were terminated from their positions Friday by ... Donald Trump. Members of the National Science Board, which helps govern the National Science Foundation, were dismissed in a message from the Presidential Personnel Office thanking them for their service.... The NSF has a long history of supporting technology and research that powers many innovations the world relies on today....  In the president’s budget request last year, there was a proposed 55 percent cut to NSF’s budget. Congress rejected those cuts. The president’s budget request for fiscal year 2027 also proposes a deep cut to NSF.... The shake up on the National Science Board is similar to changes seen on other science-related advisory boards in the federal government since Trump took office for his second term.” The link is a gift link.

The Most Corrupt Administration in U.S. History, Ctd. David Fahrenthold, et al., of the New York Times: “To build his mammoth White House ballroom..., [Donald] Trump last summer chose Maryland-based Clark Construction. Since then, Mr. Trump has repeatedly sung the company’s praises, even saying he wanted it to refurbish projects all over Washington. In January, government documents show, the Trump administration secretly gave the company a no-bid contract to do another job at a sharply inflated price. The National Park Service wanted to repair two ornamental fountains in Lafayette Park, across Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House. The Biden administration in 2022 had estimated the work would cost $3.3 million. But Mr. Trump’s government agreed to pay Clark $11.9 million to do it, and later added tasks that increased the contract to $17.4 million, the documents show.... 

“By law, federal agencies are generally supposed to seek competing bids to find the vendor that provides the best deal.... On Friday, Mr. Trump took credit for the repairs. 'The first time Lafayette Park Fountains, opposite the White House, have worked in decades,' he wrote on social media. 'My Great Honor to have funded this project (and many others!), and helped.'... The bill for the fountain repairs is being paid by the government....  Contracting experts said ... that the government had repeatedly used unusual procedures to bypass competition for the project and increase the price it expected to pay.” Thanks to RAS for this gift link. 

     ~~~ Marie: So Trump breaks the law by letting a no-bid contract, then inflates the price several times, breaking the law again and again. Then he lies and says he paid for it. He also implied that Clark Construction was building the ballroom for free. That isn't true, either.

Trump Calls Off Jarhead & Witless's Excellent Adventure. From the New York Times liveblog, linked below. Luke Broadwater: Donald “Trump on Saturday called off a trip by two of his top negotiators to Islamabad, Pakistan, just before they were set to leave for talks about a potential deal to end the war in Iran. 'I’ve told my people a little while ago, they were getting ready to leave, and I said, “Nope, you’re not making an 18-hour flight to go there. We have all the cards,’” Mr. Trump said in a statement. “They can call us anytime they want, but you’re not going to be making any more 18-hour flights to sit around talking about nothing.' Steve Witkoff, the special envoy, and Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law, had been scheduled to travel to Pakistan on Saturday, along with top aides to Vice President JD Vance. Officials in Pakistan have been mediating between the United States and Iran to try to end more than a month of war in the Middle East. The cancellation of the trip is the latest sign that Iran and the United States are far from reaching a deal to end the war.”

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Klepto Brothers Jarhead & Witless Are Back on the Road to Islamabad. Brother JayDee Is Still on Standby. From the pinned item in the New York Times liveblog of developments in the Iran war. “Jared Kushner, a son-in-law of ... [Donald] Trump’s, and Steve Witkoff, a special envoy, are traveling to Pakistan on Saturday for discussions on the war in Iran.... Both the United States and Iran are blocking the transit of ships through the [Strait of Hormuz], which remains a critical issue in peace talks.... Fighting between Israel and Hezbollah intensified on Friday, a day after Mr. Trump announced a three-week extension of the cease-fire in Lebanon.”

It's All Trump's Fault. William Broad & David Sanger of the New York Times: “As nuclear talks restart in Pakistan this weekend... , [Donald] Trump will confront the complicated legacy of his own decision, eight years ago, to cancel what he has called 'a horrible, one-sided deal.' That Obama-era agreement suffered from flaws and omissions. It would have expired after 15 years, leaving Iran free after 2030 to make as much nuclear fuel as it wanted. But once Mr. Trump withdrew from the deal in 2018, the Iranians went on an enrichment spree much sooner, leaving them closer to a bomb than ever before. Now, Mr. Trump’s negotiators are dealing with the consequences of that decision, which he made over the objections of many of his national security advisers at the time.... Today, international inspectors say, Iran has a total of 11 tons of uranium, at various enrichment levels. With further purification, that is enough to build up to 100 nuclear weapons — more than the estimated size of Israel’s arsenal. Virtually all of that cache accumulated in the years after Mr. Trump abandoned the Obama-era deal.”

Maureen Dowd of the New York Times compares Trump's failed attempt to subdue Iran with O. Henry's famous short story, "The Ransom of Red Chief." You can read Dowd here; you can read O. Henry here. 

Paul McLeary of Politico: “Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth alternated between declaring victory in Iran while also pledging to inflict 'maximum violence' on the country on Friday, continuing the Trump administration’s split-screen approach that juxtaposes a war that’s already won with continued troop buildups and demands for help from allies. The contradictory messaging — that the war is won but new fighting may be necessary — has been a hallmark of White House and Pentagon briefings since the opening days of the two-month-old war. But it also serves to highlight the Trump team’s failure to articulate an endgame, particularly as peace talks in Pakistan have foundered and Iran continues to block the Strait of Hormuz.”

     ~~~ Marie: This isn't merely a "failure to articulate an endgame"; it's a failure to articulate a purpose for beginning the war. Drunk Pete seems to think that "maximum violence" is the point of war, when in fact, winning results you hoped to achieve when you waged the war is the point of it. "Maximum violence" appears to be Pete's "substitute goal" for a war waged with no particular purpose in mind. Other stories linked today demonstrate how corrupt the Trump administration is, but Hegseth here is showing off how inept it is, too. As wiser folks than I have pointed out, corruption and ineptitude go hand-in-hand in authoritarian regimes.. 

Stephen Castle & Emma Bubola of the New York Times: “Britain and Spain pushed back against Washington on Friday in response to a report that the Trump administration is considering whether to punish the two nations over their failure to offer full-throated support for the war against Iran. An internal Pentagon email, reported by the Reuters news agency, suggested that options under review include withdrawing American support for Britain’s sovereignty over the Falkland Islands — which are also claimed by Argentina — and seeking to suspend Spain from NATO.... The report follows a succession of statements from an administration that has appeared disdainful of international law, questioned the value of the NATO and scolded allies who did not join the fight against Iran....

A spokesman for Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain said on Friday that ... 'sovereignty rests with the U.K. and the islanders’ right to self-determination is paramount.'... The furor comes at a sensitive moment, with King Charles III preparing for a state visit to the United States beginning Monday.... Spain has taken a clearer position against the Iran war than Britain, for which Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, was unapologetic on Friday. 'The Spanish position is absolutely clear. collaboration with the allies, but always within international law.'”

     ~~~ Marie: If I were Charles, I'd catch a cold (or something) and stay home. He could get all better after the state visit date had passed and travel around the country drumming up business for Burberry's and Fortnum & Mason and maybe making a few speeches about saving the environment from Trump & Lee Zeldin. Or whatever else he had planned to do while in the U.S. Or he could just stop by Canada. More on Charles' visit linked below.

Eric Schmitt of the New York Times: “The U.S. military attacked a boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Friday, killing two people and raising the death toll to at least 182 in the campaign against people the United States accuses of smuggling drugs at sea. Gen. Francis L. Donovan of the Marine Corps, the head of the Southern Command, ordered the strike, the command said in a statement on social media, which included a 16-second video showing a boat bobbing in the water and then exploding. The attack, the 53rd since the U.S. campaign against the boats in the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific started last September, continued a recent acceleration in the pace of strikes. It was the sixth this month. Experts on the use of lethal force have said that the strikes are illegal, extrajudicial killings, because the military cannot deliberately target civilians who do not pose an imminent threat of violence, even if they are suspected of engaging in criminal acts. The Trump administration has not provided evidence of drug smuggling.” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: You can see how convenient these murders are. There's no need to go through the rigamarole of a pesky trial, and the evidence is all at the bottom of the deep blue sea so it's difficult to prove the victims are not drug traffickers (drug trafficking is not a capital offense in the U.S.). Besides, Trump & Hegseth view their killing spree and sport. 

This Is So Embarrassing. Dan Diamond of the Washington Post: “When King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrive at the White House on Monday..., Donald Trump hopes to flaunt his latest White House renovation: a new black granite path that the royals are expected to take to the Oval Office. 'It’s called charcoal,' Trump told reporters Thursday, touting the contrast with the White House’s white walls.... 'Such attention to detail is rarely seen in the modern era!' reads a plaque written by Trump, celebrating the marble flooring he installed in the Palm Room.” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Charles & Camilla live in some of the grandest palaces in Great Britain; their homes and apartments are handsomely decorated. Neither will think much of gold-painted Home Depot appliques or granite walkways. By coincidence, in the past two weeks, I have had new granite pathways and steps laid at my house here in the Granite State. Chuck & Cam, if you'd like to come take a tour, you're most welcome to stop by. No Home Depot geegaws, I'm afraid, But the handles on a couple of the toilets "look" like gold. You'll feel right at home in the loo.

The Most Corrupt Administration in U.S. History, Ctd. Minho Kim of the New York Times: “Two government watchdogs sued ... [Donald] Trump and the White House on Friday over internal guidance that instructed that some text messages exchanged between officials could be deleted, despite a law generally mandating the preservation of presidential records. The watchdogs, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington and the Freedom of the Press Foundation, also asked a federal judge to overrule a separate but related Justice Department memo, which declared unconstitutional a longstanding federal law requiring safeguarding of presidents’ records, including text messages. The White House guidance cited the memo. Their lawsuit comes amid a torrent of accusations that the Trump administration has disregarded record-keeping and document disclosure required by law, even as the president and his officials have sought to transform the government and push the legal bounds of their power. They have displayed a particular willingness to skirt record-keeping requirements on text messages exchanged among top officials.... On April 1, lawyers at the Justice Department asserted that the Presidential Records Act, which became law in 1978 after the Watergate scandal engulfed Richard M. Nixon’s presidency, was unconstitutional. ” ~~~

     ~~~ See Akhilleus' and RAS's commentary on the underlying memo at the end of yesterday's Comments thread. 

The Most Corrupt Administration in U.S. History, Ctd. Peter Charalambous of ABC News: "A federal judge is raising concerns about whether Donald Trump's attempt to sue the IRS for $10 billion can proceed, signaling she could throw out the case because the president oversees the government entities he is suing. Judge Kathleen Williams raised the issue in an order on Friday denying a request to delay the case amid possible settlement talks. She noted that Trump and the defendants -- the Treasury Department and IRS -- may not be 'sufficiently adverse' to one another for the case to proceed.... Williams ordered both Trump's lawyers and the Department of Justice to submit briefs about why the case should proceed and set a hearing for next month.... A group of former government officials last month filed an amicus brief with the court to raise concerns about the ethics of the president suing his own government for billions."

The Most Corrupt Administration in U.S. History, Ctd. Michael Grynbaum of the New York Times: “David Ellison, the billionaire media mogul, feted ... [Donald] Trump and top members of his administration at a private dinner in Washington on Thursday as his company, Paramount, seeks federal sign-off on a $111 billion deal to buy Warner Bros. Discovery. The gathering, at the U.S. Institute of Peace, included top executives and journalists from CBS News, which Paramount owns. Bari Weiss, the network’s editor in chief, joined Mr. Ellison at Mr. Trump’s table, and Norah O’Donnell, the former 'Evening News' anchorwoman, also attended, according to two people briefed on details of the closed-door event. Among the guests was Todd Blanche, the acting attorney general. Mr. Blanche oversees the Justice Department, whose antitrust division is set to review the Warner Bros. acquisition. The deal would place CNN and HBO, among other outlets, under Mr. Ellison’s control. Paramount’s chief legal officer, Makan Delrahim, also sat with Mr. Trump, the people said.... [Stephen  Miller and Pete Hegseth ... are expected to attend the Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday as guests of CBS News.]” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: It is just perfect that an oligarch with vital business before the government hosts the principal "deciders" at the HQ of an organization which Trump is trying to shutter. Meanwhile, as a case against the shutdown drags its way through the courts, Trump has renamed the building for himself. The organization promotes peace, BTW, while Trump is celebrating a war he started for the fun o fit. Just effing perfect. This is not the stuff of irony; this is the oligarchs thumbing their noses at Constitutional principles of good government. And, of course, at us. Here's a toast to the little people, you and me, the suckers and losers who have made all this possible. 

Kathryn Wilkens of Mediaite: “Paul Ingrassia, an aide to ... Donald Trump, is under fresh scrutiny after a Friday report from the Daily Mail alleged he sent a string of inflammatory messages targeting fellow Republicans and Jewish politicians, calling them “fat Jewish Zionish f*cks.' According to the outlet, Ingrassia — who previously served as a White House liaison to the Department of Homeland Security — appeared in a group chat with other Trump aides.... Ingrassia allegedly responded [to a comment by another person on the chat] with an anti-Semitic remark aimed at Rep. Randy Fine (R-FL), writing, 'It’s because our candidates are fat Jewish Zionist f*cks,' while sharing what the report described as an altered image of Fine. The Daily Mail said the photo had been digitally manipulated 'to make him appear significantly larger.'” Ingrassia's lawyer denied the allegations. 

Yo, Todd! No Public Hangings? No Guillotine? No Heads on Pikes? Devlin Barrett & Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs of the New York Times: “The Trump administration said on Friday that it would allow firing squads and readopt lethal injection as part of a broader push to revive the death penalty. In an accompanying report, Todd Blanche, the acting attorney general, said that decisions by President Joseph R. Biden Jr. to pull back on capital punishment 'inflicted untold damage on victims of crime, and, ultimately, to the rule of law itself.' The Justice Department, he said, had reauthorized the use of pentobarbital to execute federal inmates and would also permit additional methods of execution, like the use of firing squads. The 48-page report added that the Bureau of Prisons should follow the example of states that had expanded their execution protocols amid fights over the legality and availability of lethal injection drugs.” (Also linked yesterday.) An Independent story is here. See also Akhilleus's commentary on this near the end of yesterday's thread. ~~~

~~~ Chris Geidner, the Law Dork: “... there is always the underlying reality that former President Joe Biden commuted the death sentences of all but three people on federal death row. In fact, much of the “report” is actually more of a political document — containing, as it does, a section going after Merrick Garland’s tenure as attorney general: 'The Department Abandoned Its Obligation to Seek and Implement Capital Sentences.'... The point of the report was, like most things during Trump’s second term, to present a picture that opposes Biden and those who worked in his administration.... And yet, Trump’s first term serves as a reminder that when whatever comes after Trump eventually comes, strong action must be taken to reverse whatever dangerous inhumanity Trump, Blanche, and others put in place now. ”

U.S. Attorney Boxwine Ends Fake Probe of Fed Chair. Salvador Rizzo & Andrew Ackerman of the Washington Post: “The Justice Department has dropped a criminal investigation into the Federal Reserve after months of probing the independent central bank’s $2.5 billion building renovations and failing to turn up evidence of a crime. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, the top federal prosecutor in D.C., said in a social media post Friday that she had closed the probe, though she added that it could resume later if the Fed’s inspector general finds evidence of wrongdoing in its own review of the construction project’s cost overruns.... A bipartisan group of lawmakers and a federal judge in D.C. had criticized the criminal investigation into Fed Chair Jerome H. Powell as an abuse of power by the Justice Department, which has pursued ... Donald Trump’s perceived foes with often shaky allegations of criminal conduct since last year.” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Christopher Rugaber, et al., of the AP: “The move could lead to a swift confirmation vote by the Senate for [Kevin] Warsh, a former top Fed official whom ... Donald Trump ... nominated in January to replace Powell. Powell’s term as chair ends May 15. Sen. Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, had said he would oppose Warsh until the investigation was resolved, effectively blocking his confirmation.” (Also linked yesterday.)

Joe Sommerlad of the Independent: “Sarah Fitzpatrick, The Atlantic investigative journalist behind last week’s bombshell story about FBI Director Kash Patel, has said she has since been 'inundated' with messages from new sources corroborating her reporting.... '... one of the things that has been most gratifying, after – immediately after the story published was, I have been inundated by additional sourcing going up to the highest levels of the government, thanking us for doing the work, providing additional corroborating information.'... Fitzpatrick’s story alleged that Patel drinks to excess – so much so that, in one instance, breaching equipment was ordered to break into a locked bedroom when he did not respond to inquiries about his well-being.... Patel has denied the allegations, dismissed the article as a 'hit piece,' and, on Monday, launched a $250 million defamation lawsuit against the magazine.”

Trevor Aaronson of the Intercept: "FBI Director Kash Patel was twice arrested in incidents involving alcohol, once for public intoxication and once for public urination after leaving a bar, he admitted in a 2005 letter about disclosures on his Florida Bar application." The article includes a facsimile of the letter. (Also linked yesterday.) 

Maria Sacchetti of the Washington Post: “A federal appeals court ruled Friday that ... Donald Trump’s declaration of an 'invasion' at the U.S.-Mexico border was illegal, effectively clearing the way to reopen the United States to migrants seeking asylum. It was not clear when asylum processing would resume, and the Trump administration is likely to appeal the decision.... Trump issued the proclamation ... on the first day of his second term, barring entry to asylum seekers for public safety, health and economic reasons 'until I issue a finding that the invasion at the southern border has ceased.'” (Also linked yesterday.) The New York Times report is here. 

Catherine Porter of the New York Times interviews Marie-Thérèse Ross-Mahé, the 85-year-old widow of an U.S. military veteran. Ms. Ross-Mahé thought she was in the U.S. legally, but ICE agents broke into her house on April 1, detained and imprisoned her, likely at the instigation of her stepson, a courthouse security officer & former state trooper. The French consul general in New Orleans secured her release on April 16, & the U.S. flew her back to France. 

Jonah Bromwich of the New York Times: “The U.S. government on Friday evening conceded that the Venezuelan government could pay for Nicolás Maduro’s defense lawyers, an issue that had been hanging over the case for weeks. In a letter filed in Manhattan federal court, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, said that the Treasury Department had issued amended licenses that would allow defense lawyers for Mr. Maduro, the former president of Venezuela, and his wife, Cilia Flores, to receive payments from their country’s government. The department had previously blocked those payments, setting off furious protests from defense lawyers. The development comes a month after a hearing in which the judge presiding over the case, Alvin K. Hellerstein, sharply questioned the government as to why the funds were being blocked. The judge even suggested that if the United States did not change course, he might consider dismissing the case, a suggestion that had been made by a lawyer for Mr. Maduro, Barry J. Pollack.”

The Most Corrupt Administration in U.S. History, Ctd. Christina Jewett & Benjamin Mueller of the New York Times: “For most of last year, Calley Means, a top aide to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., was advising on changes to the American health system while running a rapidly growing wellness company poised to benefit from Trump administration health policies.... Mr. Means held between $25 million and $50 million in stock in the company, Truemed, through November, as he continued to serve as its president. For months, Mr. Means has ignored questions from Democrats in Congress about his finances.... Truemed helps people buy products, including $10,000 saunas and radiation-blocking underwear, with health savings accounts that are not subject to federal income tax.... [Donald] Trump broadened the pool of people who could use such accounts last summer.... The records The Times obtained cover a period when Mr. Means worked as a special government employee. In November he became a permanent full-time employee and, he said, divested and resigned from Truemed.”

Al Weaver of NOTUS: "Senate Republicans have sidelined the SAVE America Act, arguing that it shouldn’t be anywhere near the top of the party’s priority list, especially amid the Iran war and growing economic woes. Republican leaders this week were forced to remove the proposal as pending business in the chamber as they shifted gears to pass the budget resolution. That effectively benched the bill — which has been championed by ... Donald Trump..., conservative members and influencers.... Senate Majority Leader John Thune and others have indicated in the past that there is no path for the bill to pass."

AP: “An appeals court on Friday reversed an $8.2 million defamation verdict awarded to Alabama politician Roy Moore, who sued a super PAC over a 2017 political ad detailing misconduct accusations against him. The panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Moore failed to prove the organization acted with malice, one of the legal standards for cases involving public figures. The three-judge panel vacated the defamation verdict and ordered the trial judge to enter a summary judgment in favor of Senate Majority PAC. Moore, a former Republican judge known for his hard-line stances opposing same-sex marriage and supporting the public display of the Ten Commandments, lost the 2017 Senate race after his campaign was rocked by misconduct allegations against him.” MB: This isn't only bad news for Roy (and three cheers for that), it's also bad news for Kash Patel's defamation suit against the Atlantic.

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Florida Congressional Race. Kadia Goba of NOTUS: "Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, the embattled, now-former congresswoman who resigned from Congress this week ahead of potential expulsion, plans to defiantly run for reelection. Cherfilus-McCormick filed on April 17 to run again for her seat, and a campaign aide confirmed to NOTUS she is running — as a Democrat. Cherfilus-McCormick stepped down from office Tuesday, a half hour before the House Ethics Committee was scheduled to recommend punishment on an array of charges. The panel had previously found her guilty of 25 ethics violations, including allegedly stealing $5 million dollars in federal disaster-aid funds used to bolster her 2021 campaign as well as campaign-finance violations.... Cherfilus-McCormick also faces criminal charges regarding the federal relief funds she received during the COVID-19 pandemic.... There are now at least five others running in the Democratic primary...."

Maine. Patrick Whittle & Marc Levy of the AP: “Maine’s Democratic governor on Friday vetoed what would have been the country’s first state moratorium on the construction of data centers. The bill passed by the Democrat-controlled state legislature would have instituted a moratorium for more than a year on data centers above a certain size and created a special council to help towns vet potential projects. But Gov. Janet Mills said she vetoed the bill because it failed to include a carve out for a project in the town of Jay that would bring needed jobs to a community that has struggled since the closure of a local mill. Proposals to impose a moratorium on data centers have been introduced in at least a dozen states, but other than Maine’s, none had even passed a legislative chamber. Such bills have faced opposition from data center developers, chambers of commerce, tech giants, labor unions and electric utilities.... Mills’ ... veto ... drew backlash from her own party....” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I disagree with Mills, and I think the veto will hurt her in her primary race for the U.S. Senate. But vetoing a bill popular with Democrats because that's what she thinks is right shows she has courage. 

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Israel. David Halbfinger of the New York Times: “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel said on Friday that he had been treated recently for prostate cancer, and his doctors said tests showed that the early-stage disease had 'disappeared' after radiation therapy.”