May 17, 2026

Christian Nation. Ruth Graham & Elizabeth Dias of the New York Times: “Thousands of people gathered on the National Mall on Sunday for a daylong rally blending Christian prayer and political fervor, a gathering ... [Donald] Trump had touted as an opportunity to 'rededicate America as one nation under God.'... Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth ... recounted an apocryphal account of President George Washington praying at Valley Forge in the winter of 1777-1778, a moment that has become a touchstone for some Christians who argue that the founders envisioned America as an explicitly Christian nation. 'Let us pray for our nation on bended knee and let us ask our Lord and savior Jesus Christ, as Washington did on that momentous day, so help us God,' Mr. Hegseth said, to cheers from the crowd.... The rally aimed to crystallize the narrative that the nation’s founding was an intentionally Christian project, a framing disputed by many scholars.... Mr. Trump did not appear in person.... His participation consisted of a prerecorded video in which he read a chapter from the Old Testament book of II Chronicles. The video appeared to be the same one that Mr. Trump recorded in the Oval Office last month for a marathon reading of the full Bible organized by an activist in Texas.” ~~~ 

     ~~~ Marie: IOW, Trump couldn't be bothered with reading another couple of Bible verses an aide picked out. This kind of thing is not just anti-Constitutional and anti-historical, it's embarrassing to have these stupid lies perpetuated in a national setting. Here's more from Jennifer Schuessler of the New York Times who traces the origins of the Washington-in-prayer story. (The link is a gift link.) ~~~

“... the story of his dropping to his knees in solitary prayer at Valley Forge in the winter of 1777-8, at one of the bleakest moments of the American Revolution, is more legend than history. Scholars trace its first appearance to the decade after Washington’s death, in the 18th edition of a biography by Mason Locke Weems (which also included the invented tale of young George chopping down the cherry tree). Weems, an evangelical pastor and bookseller, claimed that he heard the story from a local Quaker who had come upon the general in prayer, and was so inspired that he abandoned his pacifism and embraced the cause of the Revolution.... In the 20th century, even as scholars and journalists debunked it, the tale became part of mainstream patriotic civil religion, appearing on postage stamps, stained-glass windows and the cover of The Saturday Evening Post.” 

Erica Green of the New York Times: “With his generational wealth, his 20-acre Mar-a-Lago estate..., and his lucrative family businesses around the world..., [Donald] Trump has never purported to be an ordinary American. Instead, he has argued that he could use his business savvy to help lift up the country’s forgotten men and women. But in recent weeks, as Americans feel deep economic strain from the war he launched in Iran, Mr. Trump’s actions and words have opened him up to accusations that he is either out of touch with — or indifferent to — the lives of everyday Americans. The costs are ballooning from his renovation, re-decoration and building spree in Washington, D.C., and at the White House. He goes on social media posting frenzies that often focus on his pet projects, gripes and personal triumphs, including a 22-year-old newspaper review of his television show, 'The Apprentice.'...

“When Mr. Trump was asked whether the economic hardship Americans are feeling would motivate him to make a deal to end the war[, he said] 'Not even a little bit.'... In an interview with Fox News' Bret Baier, Mr. Trump ... [said,] 'That’s a perfect statement.... I’d make it again.'... 'It’s what lawyers call an admission against interest,' [James Carville] said. 'It’s the greatest admission against interest in the history of the presidency.'... A new CNN poll found that 77 percent of Americans, including a majority of Republicans, thought Mr. Trump’s policies had increased the cost of living in their communities.” The link appears to be a gift link.

     ~~~ But Trump sure cares about his own economic well-being. Here's Liz Oyer, a former DOJ (non-partisan) pardon attorney whom Trump fired after she refused to restore Mel Gibson's gun rights. Oyer looked into Trump's recent stocks activity. Thanks to Victoria D. for the link: ~~~

Here's the AP's story on the global emergency re: the Ebola virus (NYT story linked below). 

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Let Them Eat Cake. Tony Romm & Ben Casselman of the New York Times: “Consumer prices last month rose at their fastest clip in about three years, outpacing workers’ wages, while businesses saw their costs increase at a rate not seen since 2022. Americans are racking up more debt. Families are saving less. And a key measure of consumer confidence dipped to an all-time low this month. The anxiety has bled into recent political polls, which have registered broad public disapproval of Mr. Trump’s handling of the economy. At the heart of matter is the war with Iran, which sent the average gallon of gasoline to ... more than 40 percent [of what it was] a year ago... Yet the president ... [told] reporters at one point last week: 'I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation.'... During the presidential race, Mr. Trump promised to bring down inflation and restore a sense of normalcy after years of economic tumult. Once elected, however, he began unleashing chaos of his own making, chiefly through his eye-watering tariffs, which caused import prices to rise.” ~~~

     ~~~ And What About Farmers -- Who Lean Trump? Nathan Borney of Axios: "Farmers across the Midwest are entering planting season under mounting financial pressure, as the Iran conflict drives up diesel and fertilizer prices — deepening an agricultural downturn that some say is the worst since the crisis of the 1980s.... Trump said China's Xi Jinping agreed to buy 'billions of dollars' worth of soybeans during their summit this week but no specific deals have been announced." MB: Nothing could be more foolish that trying to take Trump's word to the bank.

Franklin Foer of the Atlantic: “Xi used [Trump's] visit to humor the lame-duck president, waiting for his time to pass. During the first Trump administration, foreign leaders flattered and accommodated the president out of deference to American power. They feared it; they relied on it. During the second administration, and especially since the beginning of the Iran war, their calculus has quietly shifted — not because the strategy of obsequiousness has failed, but because it’s no longer worth the trouble. Like many of his counterparts around the world, Xi has begun to assume that it’s not just Trump who is term-limited; it’s also his nation.... Supporters of the war argued that it would deal China a severe blow by eliminating one of its most potent allies. But the Gulf nations most threatened by Iran have actually turned to China.... Without exerting itself much, Beijing has profited from America’s self-immolation.” Thanks to akaWendy for this gift link. (Also linked yesterday.)

Marie: They really don't know what they're doing, and they make that worse by firing people who do: ~~~

~~~ “Thank You for Your Service.” Jennifer Hansler of CNN: “Amid ongoing foreign policy crises around the globe and as the Trump administration struggles to reach a deal to end the war with Iran, the State Department last week finalized the firings of nearly 250 foreign service officers in a brief, impersonal email. 'Your reduction in force separation will be effective today,' part of it read. 'Thank you again for your service to the Department.' Those reductions in force (RIFs), which were initiated last July, also impacted more than 1,000 civil service officers, and saw the firings of entire staffs in offices that former officials say would have been able to provide guidance on the war in Iran, which is having severe consequences for the US and global economy. ”

Carl Hulse of the New York Times: “The Republican bid to provide $1 billion for ... [Donald] Trump’s White House ballroom project in a filibuster-proof budget bill hit a significant roadblock on Saturday when the Senate’s top parliamentary referee ruled that the money did not qualify to be included in the measure. In a finding announced by Senate Democrats, Elizabeth MacDonough, the nonpartisan parliamentarian, determined that the proposed $1 billion for security enhancements for the ongoing White House project ran afoul of budget reconciliation rules. The ruling by Ms. MacDonough, the arbiter of complex Senate rules, meant that the proposal would need to be adjusted or be subject to a 60-vote threshold. That would effectively kill the funding, since Democrats are uniformly opposed....  It sent Republicans back to the drawing board to figure out how to salvage the funding, which was already threatening to become a political problem for the G.O.P.” Politico's story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: You read that right. GOP senators are going to "scramble" to make sure taxpayers pay for Trump's supposed "taxpayer-free" ballroom.

Yan Zhuang of the New York Times: “The World Health Organization declared late Saturday that the spread of the Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda was a global health emergency, a day after Africa’s leading public health authority first announced an outbreak in a province in northeastern Congo linked to dozens of suspected deaths. By Saturday, cases had also been confirmed in Kinshasa, Congo, and in Kampala, Uganda, the capital cities of each country, the W.H.O. said. In Congo’s Ituri Province, where the outbreak was first identified, 246 suspected cases and 80 deaths attributed to the virus had been reported, although only eight cases had been definitively linked to the virus through laboratory testing. The scale of the outbreak could be far larger than currently detected and reported, the W.H.O. said in declaring a 'public health emergency of international concern.' Eight of 13 samples collected in various areas tested positive, the agency said.”  

     ~~~ Marie: But lucky for me, I can't get Ebola because my president* dropped out of W.H.O. In case there's something wrong with my logic, he hired an expert penis-implanter who is set to tell me there's nothing to worry about. 

Jamelle Bouie of the New York Times: “The Voting Rights Act of 1965 ... revitalized American democracy and stands as one of its great achievements.... It was, itself, the product of an explosion of democratic energy. The V.R.A. was forced onto the national agenda by the tireless work of the grass roots activists in the Civil Rights Movement.... The V.R.A. was not, contra John Roberts and the rest, an expression of colorblindness, indifferent to the social realities of the United States.... It was the most significant attempt in this country’s history to realize the promise of political equality.... [The Court's] voting rights rulings, from Shelby County v. Holder in 2013 to Callais in 2026, come from a court that has placed itself above the people at large.... Callais ... [is] a flashing warning that our democracy is being crushed underneath the imperial authority of an arrogant and reactionary juristocracy. We can either discipline that court — and put it in its place — or accept our fate as its subjects.” ~~~

~~~ Heather Cox Richardson: Today is the 72nd anniversary of the decision in Brown v. Board of Education. Richardson goes on to outline, in brief, the history of how the Voting Rights Act of 1965 came to be. Definitely worth the reminder.

Bill Carter in a New York Times op-ed: Stephen “Colbert is leaving the Ed Sullivan Theater this Thursday, after around 1,800 shows. CBS has said, definitely and defensively, that this is purely a business decision. Nobody really believes that, but even the No. 1 late-night show is not the moneymaker it once was. It’s expensive to produce. The broadcast ratings are not what they used to be. Those viewers who are left are disproportionately older, and of less interest to advertisers.... Paramount had already taken steps widely seen as currying favor with the administration, most notably when it signed off on a $16 million payment to settle a lawsuit Mr. Trump brought against CBS News’s '60 Minutes,' even though legal experts said Mr. Trump had very little chance of prevailing in court. In a monologue, Mr. Colbert called the settlement a 'big fat bribe.' He got word he’d been canceled just days later. A week or so after that, the deal [allowing Paramount to purchase CBS] was approved [by the feds].... In forcing Mr. Colbert out and shutting down a 33-year late-night franchise..., CBS is assenting to its own diminishment. The biggest loss is to core America values, such as the right to speak freely, even in brutally mocking terms, about those in power.” The link appears to be a gift link.  

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Louisiana Senate Race. Michael Gold of the New York Times: “Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana on Saturday lost his Republican primary and the chance to seek a third term, after ... [Donald] Trump targeted him for defeat in retaliation for voting to convict him in his impeachment trial five years ago. In a result that underscored the durability of Mr. Trump’s grip on his party, Representative Julia Letlow, the president’s chosen candidate, finished well ahead, drawing about 45 percent of the vote. John Fleming, the state treasurer and a former Trump administration official, edged out Mr. Cassidy to finish second, with about 28 percent of the vote. Both Ms. Letlow and Mr. Fleming will advance to a runoff on June 27, according to The Associated Press.” The AP report is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: The real lesson here: there was no point whatsoever in Kennedy's prostrating himself before the Orange Godzilla & voting to confirm Bobby Kennedy, Jr. Kennedy was going to be primaried out anyway. RFKJ is our HHS secretary because Doctor Bill Cassidy put his self-interest before the interests of millions of Americans.  

Maine Senate Race. Wherein NYT opinionators Agree that Graham Platner, the Democrats' U.S. Senate candidate for Maine, is the Democrats' version of Donald Trump. Steve M. explains why the Times' bright lights don't know what they're talking about. It's quite fundamental and should be obvious (and you should read the opinion columnists' "reasoning," which Steve transcribes): Steve concedes that Platner has real skeletons in his closet, but writes, "... Platner is not running as that guy. He's running as a person who has stopped being that guy. You can conclude that the reformed version of Platner is phony, and that he hasn't really grown or changed, but his supporters believe, or want to believe, that he has changed. They're supporting the person he's been on the campaign trail, not the person he was when he got that [Nazi] tattoo and said those offensive things [about women].... Trump voters ... support [Trump] precisely because he demonizes immigrants, Muslims, liberals and other political opponents, the media, women (especially Black female reporters) who challenge him ... the list goes on.... Platner's supporters wish he didn't have that baggage. Trump's supporters don't even see his baggage as baggage. It's a feature, not a bug. That's the difference between the two parties." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Steve's rebuttal is a reminder of why you have to be careful when a "reasonable" conservative poses an argument that sounds "reasonable" on its face. As often as not, his argument is a trick, one that contains a logical fallacy that may not be immediately evident. A dozen years ago, I let David Brooks catch me up. I realized my mistake soon afterwards, but not before I had already published a remark that conceded his false point. 

New York. Stefanos Chen & Ashley Southall of the New York Times: “Thousands of workers for the Long Island Rail Road walked off the job early Saturday morning, staging the first strike in more than 30 years for America’s busiest passenger railway and grinding service to a halt. After three years of failed contract negotiations, two federal interventions and a volley of last-minute bargaining, unions representing about half of the work force decided to take to the picket line to protest what they called insufficient wage increases. Five unions representing more than 3,500 workers — including engineers, signalmen and machinists — called the strike after contract discussions with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the state agency that runs the railroad, fell apart. Kevin Sexton, a vice president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, one of the unions, said the two sides could not agree on raises in 2026, or on issues like health care contributions.” (Also linked yesterday.)

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Venezuela. Simon Romero of the New York Times: “A scandal-plagued billionaire tycoon close to Venezuela’s deposed president, Nicolás Maduro, was extradited to the United States on Saturday, Venezuela’s government said. The extradition of Alex Saab, a Colombian-born businessman whom U.S. prosecutors have accused of enriching himself through lucrative government contracts, marks an escalation of a purge by Venezuela’s new acting president, Delcy Rodríguez. She is targeting figures who helped keep Mr. Maduro in power for more than a decade. Ms. Rodríguez, who was Mr. Maduro’s vice president and rose to power with the Trump administration’s blessing after U.S. forces captured Mr. Maduro in January, fired Mr. Saab from his post as industry minister shortly after Mr. Maduro was seized and taken to the United States. Her government detained Mr. Saab in early February at the Trump administration’s request, underscoring Washington’s new sway over Venezuela.”