April 16, 2026

Tracey Tully of the New York Times: “Analilia Mejia, a progressive Democrat, was elected on Thursday to a New Jersey House seat after a race that was heavily defined by attitudes toward ... [Donald] Trump and outside spending by a pro-Israel lobbying group. Ms. Mejia, an organizer by trade who helped run Senator Bernie Sanders’s 2020 presidential campaign, will replace Gov. Mikie Sherrill in the largely affluent and suburban 11th Congressional District. Ms. Sherrill, a moderate Democrat, resigned from her seat after being elected governor in November, leaving a rare vacancy at a critical moment for Congress. Ms. Mejia was ahead of her Republican opponent, Joe Hathaway, by about 59 points when The Associated Press called the race in her favor minutes after polls closed at 8 p.m. Ms. Mejia ... has already entered the race for a full, two-year term in November. In a district where registered Democrats significantly outnumber Republicans, she is expected to have a distinct edge as she competes for the seat as an incumbent.” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I'm not 100% sure about this, but I think Mejia's win will make the balance in the House 217 Republicans to 214 Democrats. That means Republicans can afford to lose only one vote to win passage of a bill if Democrats unanimous vote against it (assuming all members of both parties vote).

Tyler Pager, et al., of the New York Times: Donald “Trump intends to nominate Cameron Hamilton to run the Federal Emergency Management Agency after he was pushed out as acting leader nearly a year ago....  Mr. Hamilton, who has limited disaster management experience, is a former Navy SEAL who worked for a defense contractor and ran unsuccessfully for Congress in Virginia before taking over FEMA. Mr. Hamilton was ousted from that position after he told members of Congress that the agency should not be eliminated. Mr. Trump had said early in his second term, 'I think we’re going to recommend that FEMA go away.' But when Congress pressed him on the agency’s future in a hearing last May, Mr. Hamilton contradicted that outlook.... His nomination could raise concern among emergency managers because of a federal law passed after Hurricane Katrina requiring that the FEMA administrator carry extensive experience managing disaster response.” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Crap. I was pulling for the FEMA fellow was was teleported to a Waffle House. I once got stuck in a disastrous flood that closed I-95, and the only open restaurant I could reach was a Waffle House. How excellent would it be if flood victims could teleport to a Waffle House? 

Alana Wise of NPR: "The U.S. House voted on Thursday to extend temporary protected status for Haitian migrants through 2029, with several Republicans supporting the Democratic-endorsed measure to curb ... [Donald] Trump's immigration crackdown. The vote was split 224-204, with 10 Republicans joining the Democrats in approving the resolution. Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), who led the effort, used a congressional procedure called a discharge petition to force a vote to the floor.... The bill now heads to the Senate, where it faces an uphill battle against a Republican majority. If it does pass the Senate, the White House has said that Trump would veto the bill.”

Motoko Rich of the New York Times: “Amid a growing dispute with the Trump administration over the legitimacy of American attacks in Iran, [Pope] Leo used a speech on Thursday in Cameroon to express 'woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic and political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth.... Blessed are the peacemakers.... The world is being ravaged by a handful of tyrants, yet it is held together by a multitude of supportive brothers and sisters.' The pope was speaking in a region of Cameroon where separatists have been clashing with the government for a decade, and he praised local religious leaders seeking to end that conflict. But against the backdrop of American efforts to use Christian theology to justify the Iran campaign, the pope’s words seemed as directed at the Trump administration as they were at separatist leaders and the government of Paul Biya, 93, the world’s oldest president and an authoritarian who has ruled Cameroon for more than 40 years.”

John Ismay of the New York Times: “Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday renewed his threat to attack Iran’s electrical infrastructure if the cease-fire between Washington and Tehran failed. 'Our forces are maximally postured to restart combat operations should this new Iranian regime choose poorly and not agree to a deal,' Mr. Hegseth said during a briefing to reporters at the Pentagon. 'We are locked and loaded on your critical dual-use infrastructure, on your remaining power generation and on your energy industry.... We’d rather not have to do it..., but we’re ready to go at the command of our president and at the push of a button.' Under international law, intentionally targeting a country’s energy infrastructure could constitute a war crime....

“Mr. Hegseth [and] Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff..., then discussed the U.S. naval blockade of ships traveling to and from ports in Iran.... [Donald] Trump announced the blockade on Sunday, after peace talks with Iranian leaders ended without a breakthrough. Under international law, a naval blockade is an act of war.... The defense secretary also called out journalists who are reporting on the war, comparing them to the Pharisees who criticized Jesus of Nazareth for performing miracles. 'The Pharisees scrutinized every good act in order to find a violation,' Mr. Hegseth said, 'only looking for the negative.' He then referred to the rescue of two downed F-15 aircrew members in Iran over Easter weekend as 'miracles.'”

Donald Trump has violated public trust. Congress must be unequivocal in denouncing the president's misconduct and stand up for the American people and our democracy. To this end, I have introduced a censure resolution that will send a strong message to this president and future presidents that their abuses of power will not go unchecked, while leaving the question of removing Trump from office to the voters to decide. I am confident that the American people will decide to deliver a resounding rebuke of President Trump's innumerable improprieties and abuses. And they will express that judgment at the ballot box. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, December 18, 2019, statement regarding her vote of "present" in the matter of the impeachment of Donald Trump ~~~

~~~ Jacob Rosen & Olivia Gazis of CBS News: "Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard asked the Justice Department to investigate two former government officials who played a central role in ... [Donald] Trump's first impeachment inquiry.... The referrals came after Gabbard criticized how former Intelligence Community Inspector General Michael Atkinson handled the 2019 whistleblower complaint earlier this week, releasing a trove of documents linked to Atkinson. The whistleblower — whose identity has not been formally disclosed — reported an 'urgent concern' about ... Trump's request for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden. The complaint also expressed concerns about how records of a Trump-Zelenskyy phone call were handled, and about the role of Mr. Trump's then-personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, in the U.S.'s relationship with Ukraine." Thanks to RAS for the lead.

New York Times rendering. Note the teeny, tiny person on the left.

~~~ Dan Diamond of the Washington Post: “A federal panel approved early designs for ... Donald Trump’s planned 250-foot triumphal arch, even as members of the public urged Trump-appointed arts commissioners to block the project — and one commissioner suggested shrinking it. Thursday’s vote by the Commission of Fine Arts, whose job is to vet the design of monuments and other major projects in the capital, does not give final approval for the project. Commissioners instructed Nicolas Charbonneau, an architect at the firm Harrison Design who is leading the project, to make some revisions to his plans and present them again at a later meeting.... On Thursday, several members of the public testified in opposition to Trump’s proposal.... The fine arts commission received about 1,000 comments on the proposal in a public-comment period, and they were '100 percent' against the project, said Thomas Luebke, who serves as the commission’s secretary. The commissioners, all of whom were appointed by Trump, generally supported the president’s idea.”

Dan Diamond & Jonathan Edwards of the Washington Post: “A federal judge set new limits on ... Donald Trump’s planned White House ballroom, saying construction could proceed only on an underground portion of the project deemed necessary by the military, and not on the 90,000-square-foot aboveground addition that Trump has eyed to entertain VIP guests. 'National security is not a blank check to proceed with otherwise unlawful activity,' U.S. District Judge Richard Leon wrote Thursday. He said the Trump administration could also take steps to secure the construction site to make it safe for people on the White House grounds. 

“Leon, an appointee of President George W. Bush, last month ordered a halt to Trump’s planned $400 million project, ruling that it could not continue until the president obtains approval from Congress. But Leon permitted further construction to ensure 'the safety and security of the White House' after Trump officials said work on an underground emergency bunker was necessary to protect the president, his family and his staff. The Trump administration swiftly appealed Leon’s ruling, and a three-judge panel at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit last week asked Leon to clarify what parts of the project were paused before it rules on the case.” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Sounds practical to me. If Trump wants to enjoy his new construction project, he can do it deep in the pit he dug.  

Joe Heim, et al., of the Washington Post: “'Former Virginia Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax shot and killed his wife inside of their home and then shot and killed himself,' Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said at a news conference Thursday morning outside the couple’s home in the Annandale area of Fairfax. 'This has been an ongoing domestic dispute surrounding what seems to be a complicated or messy divorce.' Davis said that Fairfax, 47, was recently served paperwork related to an upcoming court proceeding. The couple, he said, were separated but living together. They married in 2006. Both of the couple’s children, a teenage boy and girl, were at home when the shooting occurred, Davis said. According to Davis, Fairfax shot his wife several times in the basement and then ran upstairs to a bedroom, where he shot and killed himself. The couple’s son called 911, he said.... Fairfax, a Democrat, was elected to Virginia’s second-highest office in 2017.... He served with former governor Ralph Northam and was once a favorite to become the state’s governor.” An NBC News story is here.

Susannah George & Suzy Haidamous of the Washington Post: “... Donald Trump announced a pause in fighting in Lebanon on Thursday. Lebanon and Israel have 'agreed that in order to achieve PEACE between their Countries, they will formally begin a 10 Day CEASEFIRE,' Trump said in a social media post.... Trump’s announcement followed a call he had with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Thursday, in which he expressed 'his commitment to fulfilling the Lebanese request for a ceasefire as soon as possible,' according to a statement from Aoun’s office.... However, it is unclear how successful the ceasefire will be as Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed group that is fighting Israel and the target of Israeli strikes across Lebanon, has said it is opposed to Lebanese-Israeli talks.” This is an update of a story linked earlier today. ~~~

     ~~~ Mallory Wilson of the Hill: “'It has been my Honor to solve 9 Wars across the World, and this will be my 10th, so let’s, GET IT DONE!' he wrote. In a follow up Truth Social post, the president said he is inviting Netanyahu and Aoun to the White House 'for the first meaningful talks between Israel and Lebanon since 1983' but didn’t say when.” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I don't get it. As I understand it, Aoun has very little control over Hezbollah. Maybe Trump doesn't know that. At any rate, this idea that Trump has "solved" another war seems like the fantasy of a crazy old man. Ah well, as a crazy old man would say, "We'll see what happens."

David Dwyer of ABC News: “Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas on Wednesday delivered a televised broadside against progressivism, a political philosophy he described as an existential threat to America and the principles that founded it 250 years ago. 'Progressivism seeks to replace the basic premises of the Declaration of Independence and hence our form of government,' Thomas said in a speech at the University of Texas Austin Law School pegged to the nation’s upcoming milestone birthday.” Thanks to Akhilleus for the link. See also his comments and RAS's in Thursday's thread.

digby republishes some of the indispensable Aaron Rupar's tweets on Maria Bartiromo's interview of Donald Trump. The poor old guy is so confused he doesn't know, for instance, that he appointed Amy Phony Barrett to the Supreme Court right before the 2020 election. He seems to think she died during Obama's term in office (which ended January 2017). Or right after Obama's term ended. Or something. digby: "Those who think this is normal need to have their heads examined too." Yup. Thanks to RAS for the link. Lawrence O'Donnell, BTW, covered some of the Trump-Bartiromo interview, too, during his opening segment.

Paul Campos (in LG&$) is disgusted: "Everyone associated with the Trump administration is the scum of the earth," he writes. And here's what disgusts him:

      ~~~ Carol Miller & Syra Blanes of the Miami Herald: "The Trump administration has abruptly canceled an $11 million contract with Catholic Charities to shelter and care for migrant children who enter the U.S. alone, ending a relationship between the Catholic Church and the U.S. government dating back to the first arrivals of Cuban exiles in South Florida. The development comes amid rising tensions between the administration and American Catholics over ... Donald Trump’s heated criticism of the Vatican’s first American pope, Leo XIV.... The Office of Refugee Resettlement, part of the federal Department of Health and Human Services, has paid Catholic Charities in Miami for several years to house immigrant children who enter the U.S. without parents or adult supervision." Thank to RAS for the link to Campos' post. If you can't access the Herald's story, Campos has republished a good part of it.

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Marie: I was going to suggest you watch the first five minutes of the video here, but Ben Rhodes' remarks in the second five minutes are worth hearing, too: ~~~

Anton Troianovski of the New York Times: Donald “Trump is trying to cast his Iran war as all but over, a done-and-dusted success. But after years of trying to impose his own reality on the world, he has now run into a crisis that is not bending to his narrative.... Analysts say the 40 days of U.S.-Israeli bombardment that ended with last week’s cease-fire appear to have increased the power of the military and hard-liners in the Iranian system. Despite the widespread destruction and the killings of officials by the U.S. and Israeli militaries, the Iranian regime is acting emboldened, having demonstrated that it can wreak havoc in global trade and send U.S. gas prices soaring.... Iran appears to have taken note of the leverage it has against Mr. Trump, given the pain of rising gas prices and Republican worries that the unpopularity of the Iran war could hurt the party in the midterm elections in November.”

Susannah George & Suzy Haidamous of the Washington Post: “... Donald Trump said leaders of Lebanon and Israel would speak Thursday for the first time in 34 years amid a flurry of regional diplomacy supporting the shaky ceasefire between the United States and Iran that is set to expire next week.... Galia Gamliel, a member of Israel’s security cabinet, said Thursday morning that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun would speak. Lebanon’s presidential office, however, said it was unaware of the reported interaction.” MB: I don't know, but it seems to me this report reads a lot like a piece of Trump propaganda; the reporters seem to go out of their way to normalize Trump's haphazard “diplomacy.”

Here's what happens when three ignorant, self-important bozos try to bully a real theologian. The ignoramuses, unfortunately, are not Cliff Clavin of "Cheers," but you wouldn't know it to hear their literal pontificating: ~~~ 

For over a thousand years, the Catholic Church has taught just war theory and it is that long tradition the Holy Father carefully references in his comments on war.... [A just war] must be a defense against another who actively wages war, which is what the Holy Father actually said: ‘He does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war.’... When Pope Leo XIV speaks as supreme pastor of the universal Church, he is not merely offering opinions on theology, he is preaching the Gospel. -- Bishop James Massa, chair of the U.S. Catholic bishops doctrinal committee ~~~

~~~ Elizabeth Dias of the New York Times: “The three most politically powerful men in America — ... [Donald] Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Speaker Mike Johnson — have intensified their criticism of Pope Leo XIV, who has repeatedly spoken about Roman Catholic Church teaching against war and for peace in recent days. Their fight ... is fundamentally religious, as the Republican leaders are now arguing with the pope over theology to support the U.S. and Israeli military campaign in Iran. On Wednesday on Capitol Hill, Mr. Johnson, who is not Catholic but evangelical, said that he 'was taken a little bit aback' when Pope Leo said last week that Jesus does not listen to the prayers of 'those who wage war' and that their 'hands are full of blood.'... 'There’s something called the just war doctrine,' Mr. Johnson said. After Mr. Vance, who has been a Catholic for about seven years, admonished Pope Leo to be more 'careful' if he was 'going to opine on matters of theology,' the chairman of the U.S. Catholic bishops’ doctrine committee shot back....”

Meloni Jilts Trump. Jason Horowitz of the New York Times: “For years, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of Italy enjoyed leverage as the right-wing leader who could bridge the gap between Europe and ... [Donald] Trump.... [But] after suffering major political setbacks because of her association with Mr. Trump, who is deeply unpopular in Italy and seen as the cause of rising gas prices, Ms. Meloni seized on an opportunity to extricate herself from a relationship that had grown domestically and internationally poisonous. After Mr. Trump launched a broadside on Monday against Pope Leo XIV, Ms. Meloni rallied to the American pontiff’s defense, saying, 'I find President Trump’s remarks about the Holy Father unacceptable.' Mr. Trump, clearly jilted, lashed out at Ms. Meloni, saying in an interview with an Italian newspaper on Tuesday that he hadn’t talked to her 'in a long time,' was vexed by her lack of participation in the war in Iran and was 'shocked by her,' adding, 'I thought she was brave, but I was wrong.' He ... snapp[ed], 'She’s the one who’s unacceptable.' On Wednesday, he added in a television interview that with Italy, 'we do not have the same relationship.'” 

Katie Rogers of the New York Times: “In a 12-hour span this week..., [Donald] Trump promised that the war with Iran was ending soon. He picked a fight with the pope on social media. He threatened to fire the chair of the Federal Reserve. He posted an illustration of himself receiving an encouraging hug from Jesus Christ. This is what it looks like when Mr. Trump is under pressure.... What makes this different from all the other times is that he cannot post his way out of a war he started without congressional permission or without the support of voters.”

Karen Tumulty of the Washington Post: “The willingness of his supporters on the Christian right to shrug off the apostasies and antics of ... Donald Trump has been put to new tests, as his behavior has become even more erratic.... Of the many unlikely turns in the Trump era, ranking high is the fervor with which religious conservatives have embraced an irreverent, thrice-married Manhattan real estate developer given to regular outbursts of vulgarity, lying and vindictiveness.... It is hard to see an upside for Trump in lashing out at Pope Leo XIV.... The attack on the pontiff — which came the same day that Trump put out the Jesus-like image of himself on social media — dismayed even some of the president’s staunchest supporters among Catholic leaders.”

Fat Jesus. Marie: The following is encouraging, not just because some of these memes are pretty funny, but also because so many people are of a mindset to mock Trump:

When I read Akhilleus' post yesterday morning about immigration czar Tom Homan, I couldn't believe it. I mean, Homan looks like a guy who would bow his head in genuine shame and say, "Sorry, Fadda," if the priest caught him in some boyish indiscretion. But no: ~~~

~~~ Charlie Nash of Mediaite: “... Newsmax host Rob Schmitt asked [Tom Homan], 'The Catholic Church is sending a pretty loud message that the West, the United States, needs to just accept masses and masses of migrants from all over the world. What’s your response to that?' 'Well, it’s unacceptable, and I’ve called the pope out before,' replied Homan. 'I’m a lifelong Catholic. Baptized, first communion, confirmation. Look, I’ve spent my whole life in the Catholic Church, but I’m disappointed that they want to weigh in on political issues like this. There are enough problems with the Catholic Church – and I know because I’m a member of the Catholic Church – that they need to fix and concentrate on and leave politics alone.'... Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Homan also urged the Vatican to 'stay out of immigration.'” Apparently, old Tom did not learn the lesson of humility in those confirmation classes. Maybe he was sitting in the back pew shooting spitwads. Sorry, Fadda. (Also linked yesterday.) 

Robert Jimison & Megan Mineiro of the New York Times: “Senate Republicans on Wednesday blocked the latest Democratic-led effort to curb ... [Donald] Trump’s authority to wage war on Iran, as a fragile cease-fire frays, dueling blockades choke traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and failed talks leave the next phase of the conflict uncertain. The move to take up the measure failed on a vote of 52 to 47. It fell largely along party lines, with Republicans and a single Democrat, Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, opposed and Democrats joined by a lone Republican, Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, in favor. It was the fourth time in recent weeks that Democrats have tried and failed to force Congress to reassert its war powers as the conflict, now stretching into its second month, continues. The repeated defeats underscore the durability of Republican backing for Mr. Trump, as his allies on Capitol Hill have foregone oversight of the war and repeatedly sought to avoid placing meaningful constraints on his authority. Still, in the run-up to the vote, some G.O.P. lawmakers suggested that their patience was wearing thin as the conflict drags on....” An NBC News report is here. A related Politico report is here.

Megan Mineiro of the New York Times: “The Senate on Wednesday blocked a Democratic bid to cancel arms sales to Israel, but the party’s concerns over the war against Iran widened its rift over arming the longtime U.S. ally. Progressive senators led by Senator Bernie Sanders, independent of Vermont, have long been critical of robust American aid for Israel’s military. But several Democrats who in the past had opposed efforts by Mr. Sanders and others to block U.S. arms transfers changed course and registered their disapproval of the sale of armored bulldozers and 12,000 bombs. On Wednesday, 36 Democrats voted to take up a measure that would block the sale of the 1,000-pound bombs, while 40 Democrats voted in favor of a measure to bar the sale of the bulldozers that Israel has used to level entire neighborhoods in Gaza and Lebanon. Roughly a dozen more Democrats voted for those measures than have voted for similar ones in the past. Republicans voted en masse against taking up the measures.”

Andrew Ackerman of the Washington Post: “... Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened to fire Federal Reserve Chair Jerome H. Powell if he does not step down from the central bank.... 'Well then I’ll have to fire him, okay?' Trump said on Fox Business about Powell’s tenure as chairman, which ends May 15.... Trump also refused to distance himself from the Justice Department’s criminal probe into the Fed’s $2.5 billion office renovation, which prosecutors have used to ratchet up pressure on the Fed even as the department’s legal case has faced legal and political headwinds. Trump declined to direct the Justice Department to stand down from the investigation, which a federal judge last month found to be part of a broader White House pressure campaign against the Fed.... The central bank has denied any wrongdoing in the renovation, and a federal judge last month quashed a pair of grand jury subpoenas, finding that prosecutors had no evidence of a crime.... Fed governors generally can’t be removed except for cause, and Powell has said he has no plans to leave the agency until the probe is finished.” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Julie Tsirkin of NBC News: “During an interview with Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo that aired Wednesday..., Donald Trump suggested Sen. Thom Tillis, a centrist Republican who has occasionally broken with the president, 'already quit' the Senate and wouldn’t be a factor in confirming his nominees. But Tillis is still here. And as a member of the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, he’s exercising his ability to single-handedly block Kevin Warsh, Trump’s nominee to replace Jerome Powell as the head of the Federal Reserve.... Tillis called Warsh 'a perfect candidate,' but maintained that he would not vote to confirm him until the Trump administration ends its federal criminal probe into Powell... [Warsh] cannot be confirmed without Tillis’ vote, as long as Democrats remain unified against Trump’s pick.” MB: Trump seems very confused.

Ballroom, original concept of arch, 76-foot arch, 250-foot arch. Models on view at White House. 
New York Times photo.

~~~ Marie: Every time Trump opens his mouth, he says something stupid. Some of his remarks, of course, are more stupid than others. The one cited here is really embarrassing. He might as well have screamed, "I'm an ignorant oaf": ~~~  

The one that people know mostly is the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France, and we’re going to top it by, I think, a lot.... The only thing they have is history. -- Donald Trump, December 2025 ~~~

~~~ Arc de Trump. Luke Broadwater & Zachary Small of the New York Times: “The Commission of Fine Arts, which is filled with Mr. Trump’s appointees, is scheduled on Thursday to consider Mr. Trump’s plan to build a 250-foot arch on the other side of the Potomac River from the Lincoln Memorial. But Mr. Trump’s push to build the giant arch — more than quadrupling its size from original plans — has alienated early proponents of the project, classical architects and veterans groups who say it will diminish nearby Arlington Cemetery. It has even alarmed Catesby Leigh, an architecture critic who encouraged Mr. Trump to build a triumphal arch, most recently in a 2025 article in The American Mind, an online magazine of the Claremont Institute, a right-wing think tank.... 'I was proposing a celebratory project,' Mr. Leigh said. 'It’s way too big for that site.'...” ~~~

~~~ When One Arc de Trump Is Not Enough. Dan Diamond of the Washington Post: Rodney Cook, a long-time proponent of classical triumphal arches, was “appointed by ... Donald Trump to the Commission of Fine Arts, a federal panel that helps approve the design of monuments and major projects in the capital. The commission on Thursday will review Trump’s proposal for a 250-foot arch.... 'I think the president should do three,' Cook said in an interview from Italy last week, citing two more potential locations in Southeast Washington that, together, he believed would satisfy architect Pierre L’Enfant’s original vision for the capital.... [Cook's plan] would include two more arches by the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge and the John Philip Sousa Bridge that would greet visitors as they enter Washington from the south. He also declined to say whether he would vote for Trump’s proposed 250-foot arch, adding that he had many questions about the plan — and expected to weigh it carefully in his role of chairman of the fine arts commission, having been elected earlier this year.”

Brian Kaylor, a Public Witness: “For the second month in a row, Pete Hegseth, who likes to call himself 'secretary of war,' read a violent prayer — that echoes a scene in the Quentin Tarantino film Pulp Fiction — during a worship service at the Pentagon on Wednesday (April 15) to bless the U.S. war against Iran and call for 'great vengeance and furious anger.' Hegseth also argued that what they hear in the worship service should impact the policy and military decisions they make — including decisions related to the war.... In Pulp Fiction, Samuel L. Jackson’s character claims to quote that Bible verse but takes poetic license with the text ... as he prepares to unload his gun at an unarmed man.” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Hegseth is truly a mad man. BTW, Chris Hayes said that all the departments of war all over the world had changed their names to "department of defense." Only Hegseth has tried to change the Department of Defense to the Department of War.

More Killings in Our Name. Francesca Regalado of the New York Times: “The United States military said it had struck a boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Wednesday, killing three people that it accused of smuggling drugs. The U.S. Southern Command, which oversees military operations in Latin America and the Caribbean, announced the strike on social media. It shared a 20-second video showing a boat engulfed with bright light as it moves through water. Seconds later, the boat appears to continue floating while aflame. It was the third such strike in three days, and the 51st attack against boats in the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific that the United States said were engaged in the narcotics trade. The attacks slowed in March but continued at an increased pace in the past week.”

Marie: I've thought for years that Marco Rubio was a jerk. It turns out I overestimated him. He's an evil jerk. ~~~ 

Adam Taylor of the Washington Post: “The Trump administration is pushing countries around the world to sign a joint declaration that calls for 'trade over aid' and explicitly rejects America’s history as a leading provider of humanitarian assistance and other support to the developing world. In a cable sent Wednesday to all U.S. embassies and consular posts, Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered American diplomats to issue a démarche — an official call to action — to foreign nations no later than Monday that asks for their backing before the U.S. initiative is introduced at the United Nations at the end of April.... The move comes as the Trump administration has sought to dramatically remake the global aid system, dismantling the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and pulling back funding from multilateral efforts at the United Nations, arguing that such initiatives have led to waste, fraud and dependency. Other major donors of foreign assistance, including France, Germany and Britain, have followed the Trump administration’s lead and scaled back their efforts, leading to what some have called a 'great aid recession.' Studies have suggested that such a sweeping rollback of funding could result in 9.4 million deaths by 2030.” ~~~

~~~ Marie: Several days ago, RAS (I think it was) linked to a post by Marisa Kabas of the Handbasket in which Kabas published an excerpt of Nicholas Enrich's book Into the Wood Chipper. Enrich, formerly USAID’s acting assistant administrator for global health, turned whistleblower after experiencing the Trumpies' gutting of the agency. Kabas writes that Enrich "shows the scary lack of public health expertise among the Trump team..., their fundamental ignorance to USAID’s mission — 'I assumed it was just, you know, abortions' — and the life or death decisions they forced people like Enrich to make in the name of supposed efficiency." Evidently, the handhanded, ignorant way in which the DOGE boys dismantled US AID was of no concern to Little Marco.

Rebecca O'Brien of the New York Times: “Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer and her top aides and family members routinely sent personal messages and requests to young staff members that are now under review by the department’s inspector general. Ms. Chavez-DeRemer and her former deputy chief of staff sent texts asking employees to bring wine to them during trips for the department. Sometimes the requests came in the middle of the workday. Ms. Chavez-DeRemer’s husband exchanged text messages with young female staff members, as did her father. Some of the young women were instructed by Ms. Chavez-DeRemer and the former deputy chief of staff to 'pay attention' to the men, according to people familiar with the investigation.... The messages were gathered as part of a monthslong investigation into Ms. Chavez-DeRemer’s leadership of the department, which began with a complaint filed to the inspector general’s office claiming widespread misconduct. The inquiry has revealed deep frustration in the department with Ms. Chavez-DeRemer....”

Republicans in Disarray. Michael Gold of the New York Times: “Members of the House of Representatives came back from their two-week break on Tuesday night as planned, and cast votes to name no fewer than 14 post offices. After accomplishing that, majority Republicans’ plans went awry. By Wednesday morning, their efforts to renew a warrantless surveillance program that is set to expire next week had run into trouble, and a Democratic bid to force a vote to restore deportation protections that ... [Donald] Trump is trying to end for Haitians living in the United States was on track to succeed.The one-two punch ... showed how the party’s minuscule vote margin and the political headwinds it is facing have conspired to snarl its agenda. And it underscored the dysfunction that has taken hold in the House, where a bipartisan deal to end the two-month-long shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security remains stalled while Republican leaders refuse to take it up because of resistance in their ranks.” ~~~

     ~~~ The Guardian's story on the warrantless surveillance program is here. ~~~ 

     ~~~ Kyla Guilfoyl of NBC News: "The House voted Wednesday to advance a measure that would reinstate temporary protections for Haitians living in the U.S., with six Republicans voting alongside Democrats to oppose a key component of ... Donald Trump's immigration policy.  The measure, brought forward through a parliamentary move known as a discharge petition by Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., co-chair of the House Haiti Caucus, won a key procedural vote to advance to a final vote set for Thursday. The legislation seeks to grant Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to eligible Haitian immigrants for three years."

Pooja Salhatra of the New York Times: “The California Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered the lawyer John Eastman disbarred for his role in seeking to overturn the 2020 election in favor of Donald J. Trump. Mr. Eastman had concocted a legal strategy to put forward fake electors for Mr. Trump in several swing states that the candidate had lost in order to have Congress block or delay certification of Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s victory on Jan. 6, 2021. He also promoted what a lower court judge called a “wild theory” that Mike Pence, Trump’s vice president, could unilaterally declare Mr. Trump the victor during a certification proceeding that day. Since then, Mr. Eastman has insisted that the 2020 election was stolen, that he did nothing wrong and that he was simply representing Mr. Trump. On Wednesday, the court ordered Mr. Eastman’s name 'stricken from the roll of attorneys.' He was also asked to pay $5,000 to the State Bar of California.” Politico's report, by Kyle Cheney, is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Rick Hasen of Election Law Blog: "I have little doubt that Eastman will seek United States Supreme Court review, raising arguments under the First Amendment and potentially under the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. He likely will find at least a Justice or two sympathetic to these arguments."

A Kavanaugh Stop Kerfuffle. Ann Marimow of the New York Times: “Justice Sonia Sotomayor issued a rare public apology on Wednesday for criticizing a Supreme Court colleague, Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh, in surprisingly personal terms during a public appearance last week. 'I made remarks that were inappropriate,' Justice Sotomayor said in a statement in response to questions from The New York Times and other media outlets. 'I regret my hurtful comments. I have apologized to my colleague.'... The controversy began at the University of Kansas Law School last Tuesday when the justice was asked about the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration — and specifically her blistering dissent to a temporary ruling the court issued in September permitting immigration-related stops in the Los Angeles area....

“[Last Tuesday, Justice Sotomayor] suggested that a concurrence written by Justice Kavanaugh in that case showed he was out of touch with the experiences of working-class people. He had emphasized that the majority was permitting 'brief investigative stops.' 'There are some people who can’t understand our experiences, even when you tell them,' [Ms. Sotomayor] said during the conversation with two Kansas alumnae.... 'This is from a man whose parents were professionals and probably doesn’t really know any person who works by the hour or the piece like I do,' she added.” An NBC News story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: One of the many reasons I am not a Supreme Court justice: I would not have apologized for knocking the Court's beermeister. I would have let O'Kavanaugh squirm. If he wanted to try to further explain his insensitive opinion, fine. He likely would only dig the hole deeper. 

Mark Sherman of the AP: “Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson has delivered a sustained attack on her conservative colleagues’ use of emergency orders to benefit the Trump administration, calling the orders 'scratch-paper musings' that can 'seem oblivious and thus ring hollow.' The court’s newest justice, Jackson delivered a lengthy assessment of roughly two dozen court orders issued last year that allowed ... Donald Trump to put in place controversial policies on immigration, steep federal funding cuts and other topics, after lower courts found they were likely illegal. While designed to be short-term, those orders have largely allowed Trump to move ahead — for now — with key parts of his sweeping agenda. Jackson spoke for nearly an hour on Monday at Yale Law School, which posted a video of the event on Wednesday.” Read on.

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New York. Grace Ashford & Jeffery Mayes of the New York Times: “Hours after Gov. Kathy Hochul declared that she would back a new surcharge tax on so-called pieds-à-terre in New York City worth more than $5 million, various stakeholders on Wednesday were trying to game out if the proposal would become reality. Prior attempts have failed, often under the weight of opposition from real estate interests and even the union representing doormen. But this year may be different. The election of Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist, has given the tax-the-rich movement visibility and momentum, and Democratic leaders seemed enthusiastic about the proposed tax on pieds-à-terre, or second homes, in the city. Mr. Mamdani took to social media to claim victory, releasing an elaborately scored video shot in front of one of New York’s most expensive buildings in which he proclaimed, 'Today, we’re taxing the rich.'” ~~~

     ~~~ Texas. BUT, as akaWendy proved, a Democrat doesn't have to be a socialist to favor taxing the ultra-wealthy. (Also linked yesterday.)

Virginia. Clara Morse & Gregory Schneider of the Washington Post: “Massive amounts of money are flowing into Virginia’s redistricting referendum as Democrats and Republicans from across the nation wrestle for control of the House of Representatives, but the identities of individual contributors — and their agendas — remain cloaked in secrecy. About 95 percent of the total $93 million raised so far in Virginia, as of a Monday night filing deadline, came from nonprofit groups not required to disclose their donors, according to state elections records. The proportion of dark money turning up on both sides of the campaign outstrips last year’s similar referendum in California, where wealthy individuals, political committees and unions gave far more than similar nonprofits.... If voters approve an April 21 referendum, Democrats have promised to implement a map that gives them an advantage in 10 districts. The main vote-yes group, Virginians for Fair Elections, has reported raising $64 million — far more money than its fragmented opponents. The group has spent $16 million on television ads, outspending anti-redistricting groups 10 to 1 on the airwaves, according to a Post analysis of data provided by tracking firm AdImpact.”