May 21, 2026

Jordain Carney & Calen Razor of Politico: “Senate GOP leaders have canceled plans to vote this week on a party-line immigration enforcement bill.... Several Republican senators said action on the legislation would wait until after a weeklong Memorial Day recess — guaranteeing that Congress would blow a Trump-set June 1 deadline for the immigration funding.... House GOP leaders quickly followed suit and canceled plans for a Friday vote on the immigration package. Members will instead head home for the recess after votes wrap up Thursday night. The Senate’s decision was driven by fierce internal divides over a politically sensitive issue not related to the core purpose of the bill — pumping tens of billions of dollars into Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other agencies. It came after Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche struggled Thursday to quash GOP concerns over a newly announced $1.8 billion 'anti-weaponization' fund. Leaders had already concluded they would have to omit a $1 billion Secret Service funding line item that could have gone toward Trump’s White House ballroom due to internal dissension.”

Meredith Hill & Kelsey Brugger of Politico: “A bipartisan House effort is afoot to kill the $1.8 billion 'anti-weaponization' fund created by the Justice Department that could pay allies of ... Donald Trump.... Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) and Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.) have drafted text and are taking steps to unveil the legislation soon, the people said.Speaker Mike Johnson raised the level of urgency to block the fund among some congressional skeptics when he refused to say Wednesday whether violent Jan. 6 convicts should have access to the taxpayer money.”

Tonight is Stephen Colbert's last show on CBS. On that note, Jimmy Kimmel has a nice opening to his monologue: ~~~

~~~ Chris Hacker, et al., of the Washington Post: “... Donald Trump has long been critical of the late-night comedy shows that roast him daily. But his second term has been marked by his hostility toward late-night comics and his administration taking action against the networks that carry these shows. In some cases, networks made programming decisions that carried suspicions of political interference. So, how have the late-night hosts reacted?... They’ve turned up the heat, according to a Washington Post analysis of six late-night comedy shows critical of the president.... The proportion of late-night material with Trump as the target of the joke has steadily climbed, even amid the administration’s threats and criticism from top officials.”

They Really Don't Know What They're Doing. Jacob Wendler, et al., of Politico: “The White House abruptly delayed ... Donald Trump’s signing Thursday of an executive order on artificial intelligence — as the president publicly distanced himself from the AI policy his staff had crafted and readied for his approval. The abrupt delay came after companies and trade groups had already been briefed on the forthcoming order and AI company executives had been invited to attend the ceremony. 'I didn’t like certain aspects of it. I postponed it,' Trump told reporters during a Thursday morning event at the White House.... 'I think it gets in the way of — we’re leading China. We’re leading everybody, and I don’t want to do anything that’s going to get in the way of that.'”

Toadies Approve Arc de Trump. Luke Broadwater of the New York Times: “The Commission of Fine Arts on Thursday approved ... [Donald] Trump’s plan to build a 250-foot triumphal arch in Washington, even after the president rejected the panel’s suggestion to remove the large statues of golden eagles and a winged angel atop the structure.... Mr. Trump did agree to accommodate some of the panel’s suggested changes, including removing the statues of gold lions that were positioned lower on the arch. The arts panel, which is filled with Mr. Trump’s appointees, has an advisory role on the design of the project, but no enforcement power. The same panel also fast-tracked approval of Mr. Trump’s $400 million ballroom.... The plans are scheduled to go next month before the National Capital Planning Commission, which is also controlled by allies of Mr. Trump. The project also faces a legal challenge.”

Glenn Thrush of the New York Times: “Under [Todd] Blanche, the pace of investigations against Mr. Trump’s perceived enemies has accelerated — most strikingly, the indictment of the former F.B.I. director, James B. Comey, for posting on social media an image of seashells that prosecutors cast as threatening. Mr. Blanche has used his new perch to boost debunked election conspiracy theories promoted by the president. But the moves that most starkly illustrated Mr. Blanche’s evolving approach came this week. In announcing on Monday a $1.8 billion fund that would benefit those who claim they were targeted by the federal government, he effectively forged a pipeline to funnel taxpayer money to Trump allies, among them supporters who ransacked the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.... Then came a stealthy stunner. The department inserted a supplement to the fund agreement that granted Mr. Trump, his family and their businesses immunity from ongoing inquiries into their taxes, an extraordinary move that could shield the president from significant financial liability — issued under Mr. Blanche’s signature.... The fund proposal has been under broad consideration for months, although not necessarily linked to the I.R.S. case.” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I've tended to think of Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) as somewhat of a lightweight, but he sure came into his own in his remarks to Todd Blanche during Tuesday's Senate hearing: ~~~

Dan Merica & Hannah Knowles of the Washington Post: “The Democratic National Committee released a long-awaited autopsy of the party’s failed 2024 presidential campaign on Thursday, but party leaders took the awkward position of asserting that the report itself 'does not meet our standards.' The report was released 'for full transparency,' according to DNC Chair Ken Martin, who has faced months of anger over his earlier decision to withhold it.... The draft report, which was prepared by Democratic strategist Paul Rivera, argues that the White House, under President Joe Biden, did not do enough to set Harris up for political success.... The autopsy goes beyond decisions made during the 2024 campaign, lamenting that in the years since Barack Obama’s landslide presidential victory in 2008, 'Democrats have lost ground at every level of government' and missed opportunities to invest in states and local officials. The report calls for greater focus on voters in 'Middle America' and the South who it laments have 'come to believe they are not included in the Democratic vision.' 'Harris wrote off rural America, assuming urban/suburban margins would compensate,' the report states.”

     ~~~ Here's Politico's report, which is worth reading because its perspective is different from the WashPo's. You can read the report itself here, via the DNC. 

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Devlin Barrett of the New York Times: “The $1.8 billion fund created by the Trump administration this week to pay people who claim mistreatment by the federal government appears to violate longstanding Justice Department standards and practices, as well as a policy directive issued by the administration last year, legal experts said on Wednesday.... 'I have never heard of the department ever being willing to grant blanket immunity,' said Jennifer Ricketts, a former branch director in the department’s civil division. 'That seems blatantly corrupt. It’s a shocking gift to the president.'... The deal struck between the president’s lawyers and his own administration, without oversight of a judge, could involve major payouts to people who had not sued the government, as well. 'I’ve just never seen litigation risk outside the four corners of the complaint being used as justification for something in a totally unrelated lawsuit,' Ms. Ricketts added.... Justice Department veterans also said the new fund appeared to contradict a specific policy instituted by the Trump administration last year under former Attorney General Pam Bondi that largely prohibited payments to groups not involved in an underlying lawsuit.”

Peter Baker of the New York Times: Donald “Trump has used the federal government to advance his own personal interests and those of his family and allies more expansively and openly than any past occupant of the White House.... But as Mr. Trump, the only convicted felon ever elected president, heads deeper into his second term, he seems even less inhibited by the rules, written or unwritten, that governed his predecessors. While deeply unpopular with the general public, he has demonstrated as recently as this week that he remains the undisputed master of his own party, and therefore appears to feel that he can do as he likes without fear of Congress standing in his way.... '... [No past presidents have] succeeded to the extent of the Trump family in the level of graft achieved,' [said Barbara A. Perry, a presidential scholar at the University of Virginia].... 'They have won the presidency twice, emasculated Congress, created a supportive high court, and reshaped the law and institutions to absolve them of any wrongdoing, while making billions of ill-gotten dollars.'...

“Just last week, a disclosure form indicated that Mr. Trump’s investment portfolio executed more than 3,600 trades in the first three months of this year alone, many involving companies that he has favored with access or policies. His portfolio bought stock in companies run by 15 of the 17 chief executives he brought with him to China last week.... His family has profited enormously off his new cryptocurrency business at the same time the president has rolled back regulation of the industry.... Mr. Trump’s sons and son-in-law are involved in multibillion-dollar business ventures in the Gulf Arab states at the same time the president is making those nations favorites of his foreign policy.” Update: the link has been changed to one that appears to be a gift link.

Jeffrey Toobin of the New York Times: “... Todd Blanche, the acting attorney general, just gave ... [Donald] Trump ... pre-emptive exoneration from all potential criminal liability for certain financial crimes. He also guaranteed that the federal government would not be able to pursue tax claims against the president (or his family or his businesses). Mr. Blanche wrote a new chapter in the history of the presidency, elevating the office to a point where Mr. Trump and his family are declared exempt from the rules that apply to his fellow citizens.... By my reading, [Blanche's one-page] document explicitly forbids the government from challenging the legality of any trusts, which can survive in perpetuity. In this way, Mr. Blanche’s memo is a gift to subsequent generations of the Trump family.... The Supreme Court’s 2024 decision in Trump v. United States already foreclosed investigation or prosecution of the president for any 'official' actions taken while in office. But the Blanche document excuses him from federal inquiry for civil enforcement like tax audits and lawsuits to recover back taxes. It’s this civil immunity that makes Mr. Blanche’s offering better than a presidential pardon, which can only offer protection from criminal charges.” ~~~

~~~ Marie: Trump said yesterday that he "wasn't involved" in setting up these extraordinary gifts to himself and his family and his arm of thugs. Of course we know that's a lie. I feel pretty secure in speculating that Pam Bondi was fired because she didn't understand that her job hung on cutting such a deal for Trump. Blanche probably told Trump pretty much how he would finagle this plot to defraud the taxpayers, AND he let Trump know that "he alone could do it." So ta ta, Pambo.

Adam Liptak of the New York Times: “The whole enterprise was a jarring shock to the conventional understanding of the constitutional system, raising what legal experts said were profound questions about presidential power. If the arrangement is allowed to stand, they said, Mr. Trump will have managed simultaneously to thwart Congress’s power of the purse and the ability of the courts to police the separation of powers. Indeed, Tuesday’s addendum flirted with a grave question with no settled answer: Can the president pardon himself?... Legal experts struggled to make sense of this week’s developments, saying tentatively that it was unlikely anyone could sue to stop the moves.” The link appears to be a gift link. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I'd take some of Liptak's analysis with a grain of salt, but he does offer some perspectives that judges might share. Oh, and if he is right, Congress could solve most of the problem simply by disabling the Judgment Fund until a lawful presidency is established. (This would mean Congress itself would have to approve every settlement with the federal government, but I'm sure those geniuses could figure out a way to do that somewhat efficiently.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: In general, I think everyone is wrong who says this whole Trump-Blanche conspiracy is "legal." Like Todd, these folks come up with some convoluted theories of law without ever considering the fundamental principle of arms'-length transactions; that is, the parties to an agreement must act "without pressure, coercion, or preexisting personal ties." Todd Blanche is not only Trump's subordinate -- so dependent upon Trump for his livelihood -- he is also Trump's former personal lawyer -- Blanche testified in his Senate confirmation hearing that he had a “continuing duty of loyalty and confidentiality” to Trump. Therefore any ruling, order, or determination Blanche makes that specifically and uniquely benefits Trump or his family members is unenforceable (just as a contract between you and me would be invalid if I threatened to harm you if you didn't sign it).

“There Has Never Been an Example of Presidential Corruption Like This.”... New York Times Editors: “The [slush] fund manages to combine three of Mr. Trump’s most alarming behaviors. One, it is an obvious form of corruption, coming from a president who has used his office to enrich himself, his family and his allies. Two, the fund continues his pattern of using the Justice Department as an enforcer to punish his perceived opponents and protect his friends and allies. Three, the fund is his latest attempt to rewrite history about the 2020 election and the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on Congress.... He is destroying pillars of American democracy to empower himself. He claims elections are legitimate only if he wins. He uses federal law enforcement to investigate and prosecute his perceived enemies. He purges his party of officials who defy him. He describes members of the other party and civil society as traitors and enemies. He incentivizes his supporters to break the law on his behalf and rewards them when they do. He directs his allies to change election rules to keep his party in power.... Americans should be cleareyed about what the president is doing. He is taking their money and showering it on criminals.” Update: the link has been changed to one that appears to be a gift link.

Jamelle Bouie& of the New York Times: “This isn’t the 'honest graft' of Tammany Hall — corruption as the price paid for public improvement. It is petty theft. It’s stealing from the Treasury and using your authority, enhanced by the baroque theories of your allies on the Supreme Court, to make yourself unaccountable. It is government as protection racket and the president as mob boss (a role that Trump has clearly embraced).... Democrats, who may sweep into power this fall, wasted their last chance at accountability. The results, unfortunately, are all around us. They waste this next one, if it comes, at their peril — and ours.” MB: I would quibble with Bouie to this extent: this is not petty theft; it's really, really grand larceny.

Some People Can't Stop Being Heroes. Luke Broadwater of the New York Times: “Two police officers who defended the Capitol against a pro-Trump mob on Jan. 6, 2021, sued the Trump administration on Wednesday to try to block the creation of a nearly $1.8 billion fund that they say will be used to reward the rioters and right-wing militia groups who tried to stop Congress from certifying the election results that day. The lawsuit, filed by former Officer Harry Dunn of the U.S. Capitol Police and Officer Daniel Hodges of Washington’s Metropolitan Police, alleges that the Trump administration has created a “slush fund to finance the insurrectionists and paramilitary groups that commit violence in his name.” It names as defendants ... [Donald] Trump as well as acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. The suit contends the administration has exceeded its statutory authority by creating the fund without the authorization of Congress.” (Also linked yesterday.)

Some People Can't Stop Being Thugs. Alan Feuer of the New York Times: “Some [Jan. 6 rioters] felt that the fund validated their self-image as victims of the government. Others felt elated — albeit somewhat stunned — at the prospect of a payout. And not a few felt a bit confused at how the process of filing claims and receiving checks could play out. 'So many questions,' said Enrique Tarrio, the leader of the far-right Proud Boys who was sentenced to 22 years on a seditious conspiracy conviction arising from the riot. 'But it’s a good direction.'... The possibility that people who ransacked the Capitol, smashing windows and fighting with the police, could get money from the same federal government they attacked was the latest head-spinning twist in the effort to rewrite the history of Jan. 6. At a congressional hearing on Tuesday, Todd Blanche, the acting attorney general, did not rule out violent rioters receiving payouts from the fund. It has not been lost on many Jan. 6ers that by deeming them worthy of reparations, the most powerful officials in the country have effectively validated their claims of having been wronged by the federal government — claims that, in many instances, were roundly rejected by the judges of both parties who oversaw their cases.” The link appears to be a gift link.

Zeeshan Aleem of MS NOW: “It’s becoming clear that Trump isn’t just committed to protecting the rogues who tried to overthrow the government — he could be trying to build an army of them.... The emerging picture is that the 'Anti-Weaponization Fund' could be a way to offer cash to a pro-Trump paramilitary.... The whole enterprise of creating financial incentives for subverting the government is so brazen that even Senate Republicans are openly expressing unease. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., told NOTUS on Wednesday, 'Imagine that — a fund that is set up to compensate people who assaulted Capitol police officers?'” ~~~

~~~ YES BUT. Marie: I remember when Trump said this (Jan. 7, 2021): ~~~

     ~~~ Of course, if I'd watched the outtakes of that speech, I might have realized the insurrectionists' slush fund was inevitable, if the voters ever put Trump in a position to establish it.

Shawn McCreesh & Tyler Pager of the New York Times: “On Wednesday at noon..., [Donald] Trump returned to ... [New London,] Connecticut..., to give the commencement address to the United States Coast Guard Academy for his second time as commander in chief. 'I’m thrilled to become the first president to ever give a second keynote address to this storied institution,' he said to a sea of young men and women in starchy crisp whites. 'I am very proud of that honor.' In fact, he is not the first president to ever give a second keynote address to this storied institution. Bill Clinton did it twice. So did George W. Bush. And Barack Obama.... Mr. Trump’s commencement address on Wednesday was mostly a mixture of jokes, high praise and written remarks about the danger and derring-do of the seafaring life the Coast Guard graduates had chosen for themselves. But, just like nine years ago, there were detours into choppy waters.” McCreesh goes on to recount a number of stupid and embarrassing things Trump said and to compare some of those with the stupid and embarrassing things he said at the academy's 2017 commencement. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I'm happy to say that today, the New York Times isn't even trying to make Trump seem like a real president. 

Noah Shachtman of the New York Times: “... there’s no arch high enough, no ballroom gilded enough, to distract from the mountain of corruption [Donald Trump is] constructing.... Despite his enormous influence, he’s had relatively few legacy-making accomplishments.... But openly monetizing the presidency — that’s a true Trump innovation.... MAGA die-hards like the election-denying MyPillow chief executive Mike Lindell and the political operative Michael Caputo are already expressing interest in cash from the kitty. Some of Mr. Trump’s most dangerous supporters are likely to jump in behind them.” Update: the link has been changed to one that appears to be a gift link.

The Intention Is to Insult Your Intelligence. Dan Diamond of the Washington Post: “The Trump administration does not plan to seek approval from Congress for ... Donald Trump’s planned 250-foot arch, arguing that they do not need it because lawmakers a century ago authorized a somewhat similar project that was never built.... Administration officials have cited a 1924 report by a federal commission charged with designing the Arlington Memorial Bridge. That report called for building a pair of 166-foot-tall columns, surmounted by statues, on Columbia Island that would frame the nearby Lincoln Memorial. Congress formally ratified the commission’s report in 1925, and the Memorial Bridge was soon built. However, the columns were not constructed, and Trump officials today argue that in building the arch they would be carrying out past lawmakers’ wishes.” Update: the link has been changed to a gift link.

This Is Extraordinary. Katie Robertson of the New York Times: “Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon and owner of The Washington Post, said on Wednesday that ... [Donald] Trump was 'more mature, more disciplined' in his second term and defended his recent cuts to The Post’s newsroom. 'Trump has lots of good ideas, and he’s been right about a lot of things,' Mr. Bezos said in a lengthy interview with the journalist Andrew Ross Sorkin on CNBC’s “Squawk Box.” 'You have to give him credit where credit is due.' Mr. Bezos has faced a great deal of criticism for what many perceive as attempts to curry favor with the Trump administration this time around, after clashing with Mr. Trump in his first term. Mr. Bezos sat at the dais at the president’s inauguration last year, and Amazon recently paid $40 million for a documentary about the first lady, Melania Trump, which it promoted with a $35 million rollout.” ~~~

     ~~~ Here's more from CNBC. Here's the transcript, via CNBC.

     ~~~ Marie: This is further evidence of the premise that money makes some people very stupid. The best cure I can think of for this malady is an aggressive progressive tax schedule that separates afflicted people like Bezos from the cause of their illness.

Another A-mazing Coincidence. Kenneth Vogel & Christina Jewett of the New York Times: “The tobacco company Reynolds American donated $5 million to a super PAC backed by ... [Donald] Trump last month, about one week before his administration rolled out a new policy that could prove lucrative to the tobacco industry. The donation, which came through a Reynolds subsidiary and brings to $8 million the total donated by the subsidiary to MAGA Inc., the Trump-backed super PAC, was revealed in a campaign finance report filed Wednesday night. The donation came on April 30. Two days later, a top executive at Reynolds and two lobbyists who represent the company had lunch with Mr. Trump at his golf club in Jupiter, Fla.... Less than one week later, the F.D.A. issued new guidance that could pave the way for major tobacco companies to begin selling flavored vapes and to snare a chunk of the $6 billion e-cigarette market away from illegal Chinese competitors.” The link appears to be a gift link. Read the details.

Thanks, Marco! What This Country Really Needs Is Another War. Ali Watkins of the New York Times: “Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered a rare direct appeal to the Cuban people in a video posted on Wednesday, the anniversary of their independence from Spain and U.S. military occupation, urging them to align with the Trump administration as it seeks to weaken the Cuban regime. 'President Trump is offering a new path between the U.S. and a new Cuba,' Mr. Rubio said in the brief video address, which was reported on Wednesday by Axios before it was posted. In the address, which was in Spanish with English subtitles and posted on the State Department’s YouTube channel Wednesday morning, Mr. Rubio mentions the former Cuban leader, Raúl Castro, around the one-minute mark. Mr. Castro, who also served as defense minister, is expected to be indicted by the Justice Department on Wednesday for having ordered the shooting down of two civilian planes in 1996.” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Jack Nicas of the New York Times: “Cuba is open to changes to its economy and government, and eager to continue negotiations with the United States, but it does not believe Washington is participating in talks in good faith, Cuba’s ambassador to the United Nations [Ernesto Soberón Guzmán] told The New York Times.... But ... 'obviously it does not help a climate of dialogue and trust that every other day there are statements like, “We are ready to take over Cuba,’” referring to recent comments by ... [Donald] Trump. 'Warmongering rhetoric does not help,' he said. 'Building different pretexts for military aggression against Cuba, which is what they are building, does not help.'” ~~~

~~~ Perry Stein, et al., of the Washington Post: “A federal grand jury in Miami has indicted former Cuban president Raúl Castro in an attempt to hold him accountable for the 1996 killing of four people, three of them Americans. Top Justice Department announced the indictment Wednesday in Miami, the heart of the Cuban exile community. The extraordinary indictment, which was returned by a grand jury in April, comes as the Trump administration has ratcheted up pressure to try to force political turnover in communist Cuba, and it is the latest example of the administration using its Justice Department to sway foreign policy. Castro faces charges of murder, conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals and destruction of aircraft, according to the court docket. Others also were charged, court records show.” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Filip Timotija of the Hill: “The U.S. aircraft carrier USS Nimitz and its strike group arrived in the Caribbean this week amid U.S. tensions with Cuba and as ... [Donald] Trump has threatened to invade the island. The Nimitz-class battleship; its air wing made up of F/A-18E Super Hornets, EA-18G Growlers and C-2A Greyhounds; along with USS Gridley, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, and USNS Patuxent, a Henry J. Kaiser-class underway replenishment oiler, are in the Caribbean Sea, the U.S. Southern Command (Southcom), which oversees U.S. military action in the Caribbean and Latin America, announced on Wednesday.” 

Dear Carmen, I had just tied my apron when I discovered I had misplaced the recipe for your wonderful chocolate cake. Could you please send it right away? Also the bundt cake recipe, as I just bought an exquisite bundt cake pan. Your BFF, Marie. P.S. My friend at the New York Times (who is taking a baking class!) sends her regards to Judge Aileen.   

Chris Cameron of the New York Times: “The Justice Department has charged a former prosecutor with stealing records related to the special counsel investigation of Donald J. Trump’s mishandling of classified documents. In a nine-page grand jury indictment, the department accused Carmen Lineberger, the former managing assistant U.S. attorney in Fort Pierce, Fla., where Mr. Trump’s classified documents case was handled, of defying a Jan. 21, 2025, order by Judge Aileen M. Cannon, sealing a potentially damning final report by Jack Smith, the special counsel. Prosecutors said Ms. Lineberger emailed an internal memorandum and a report — an apparent reference to the report by Mr. Smith — to a personal address, concealing the files’ content by naming them 'chocolate cake recipe' and 'bundt cake recipe.' The emails were sent in September and December of last year. The indictment does not accuse her of sharing the files with anyone.... Ms. Lineberger was arraigned in West Palm Beach, Fla., on Wednesday, the Justice Department said. She was charged on Tuesday with a major felony — destruction, alteration or falsification of records in federal investigations — that is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.” Politico's report is here.

Maggie Astor of the New York Times: “The Trump administration has fired two leaders of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, an influential panel of experts who determine what medical screenings and procedures insurance companies must cover for millions of Americans at no cost. The two leaders, Dr. John Wong and Dr. Esa Davis, received letters notifying them of their firings on May 11. The New York Times obtained copies of the letters. In the letters, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wrote that he had 'directed a review' of U.S.P.S.T.F. appointments 'to ensure clarity, continuity, and confidence in the Department’s exercise of its appointment and supervisory responsibilities, and to protect the integrity of the Task Force’s work.'... Last month, Mr. Kennedy said he planned to reform the panel, which he called 'lackadaisical and negligent.' Over the past year, Mr. Kennedy has undermined the task force’s work by indefinitely postponing its last three meetings and not replacing members whose terms were scheduled to end in December.” (Also linked yesterday.)

What Trump, RFKJ, Marco & Chainsaw Elon Have Wrought. Apoorva Mandavilli & Stephanie Nolen of the New York Times: “Public health experts around the world and health workers on the ground say that the response [to the Ebola crisis in East Africa] has been significantly hindered by the near-absence so far of the United States, historically the leader in any major outbreak. The United States used to fund robust disease surveillance networks across the region and maintained emergency teams to take charge in public health crises like this one. Much of that work ended with the shutdown of the U.S. Agency for International Development early last year. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has also lost hundreds of experts, including some in the Democratic Republic of Congo, who could have helped contain the epidemic. Epidemiologists and others who worked on previous Ebola outbreaks say that the fact that this one came to international attention weeks, or perhaps months, after it began and had already spread across international borders, is a direct result of the weakened surveillance. American officials did not learn of the outbreak until Thursday, nine days after the World Health Organization did, and almost a month after the first person died.” ~~~

~~~ Lena Sun & Lauren Weber of the Washington Post: “The White House resisted allowing an American doctor exposed to Ebola while working in the Democratic Republic of Congo to return to the United States..., delaying the evacuation and care of Peter Stafford, who was ultimately transported to Germany.... The resulting back-and-forth delayed Stafford’s evacuation and treatment because 'they would not allow him to be transported to the United States,' said one individual.... Infectious-disease physicians who have cared for Ebola patients say the mainstay of treatment is early recognition of infection coupled with effective isolation and advanced supportive care because an infection can progress within days to multi-organ failure.... The administration’s reluctance to bring an infected American back to U.S. soil marked a sharp contrast with the 2014 West Africa Ebola outbreak, when the first two American patients were evacuated to Atlanta for treatment. Donald Trump harshly criticized the move at the time, and individuals familiar with the current response say the optics of bringing a possible Ebola patient into the country remain major concerns inside the White House.” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Megan Messerly, et al., of Politico: “Public health experts ... say neither hantavirus nor Ebola represents an immediate threat to the average American. But the trust deficit leftover from Covid is showing up in the public response to the two viruses — and laying bare the challenge for public health officials if either escalates, or when the next major pandemic arrives. That mistrust could be particularly pronounced within President Donald Trump’s base, including some Make America Healthy Again supporters who embraced the so-called medical freedom movement during Covid.... Far-right activist and MAGA influencer Laura Loomer framed the current Ebola outbreak as “another virus to steal another election” and demanded the firing of any 'Fauci holdovers' in the government, referring to longtime public health official and former Chief Medical Adviser Anthony Fauci. Conservative actor James Woods said the media would use both viruses to promote the use of mail-in ballots. And former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said, 'I did not cooperate last time and I won’t the next time.'”

Michael Gold of the New York Times: “Senate Republicans appeared ready on Wednesday to jettison a politically divisive plan to provide $1 billion in security funds for ... [Donald] Trump’s White House ballroom project in a filibuster-proof immigration bill, after a mini-revolt in their ranks over including it. 'My understanding is that the security money has come out, and my understanding is it’s because the votes aren’t there,' said Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana, as he left a meeting of Republican senators. The bill was still being finalized and G.O.P. leaders declined to comment on what would be included. It was not yet clear, for instance, whether they would attempt to tuck general funds for the Secret Service into the measure that could be tapped for the same purpose without being explicitly tied to the ballroom.” ~~~

     ~~~ Politico's story is here. It doesn't mention the possibility that the Senate would sneak funding into the Secret Service's general funds. MB: That sure sounds plausible to me.

Ebony Davis of MS NOW: “A federal judge on Wednesday ordered White House personnel to continue complying with the decades-old Presidential Records Act after the Justice Department argued in a legal opinion last month that the law was 'unconstitutional' and that ... Donald Trump has the authority to destroy presidential records from his term. In response to a lawsuit challenging that memo, U.S. District Judge John Bates found the 1978 law is likely constitutional and issued a preliminary injunction effectively blocking the legal opinion, released by the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel. 'On the merits, the Records Act is likely constitutional. It was validly enacted by Congress under the Property Clause because Congress may prospectively designate presidential records as federal property and then regulate that property,' Bates wrote in the 54-page ruling.” The New York Times story is here.

Benjamin Mullin & Jessica Testa of the New York Times: “James Murdoch is acquiring roughly half of Vox Media, a dramatic expansion in American media for the younger son of the industry titan Rupert Murdoch. The deal includes Vox Media’s podcast network as well as New York magazine, a publication once owned by Mr. Murdoch’s father. Mr. Murdoch, 53, emphasized that he was not looking to acquire a 'daily news business' but rather wanted 'longer-form, thoughtful journalism that can really speak to the culture,' he told The New York Times in an interview on Tuesday.” (Also linked yesterday.)

Katharine Seelye of the New York Times: “Barney Frank, the brassy, lightning-quick former Massachusetts representative who for decades was the most prominent gay politician in the country and who was an author of the most significant overhaul of the nation’s financial regulations since the Great Depression, died on Tuesday at his home in Ogunquit, Maine. He was 86.” (Also linked yesterday.)

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Colorado. Three Cheers for State Democrats. Jack Healy of the New York Times: “Gov. Jared Polis of Colorado, a Democrat, was censured by his own party on Wednesday night over his decision to free Tina Peters, a high-profile election denier and supporter of ... [Donald] Trump who had been serving a nine-year prison sentence for tampering with voting machines. The censure by the Colorado State Democratic Party came after more than 700 infuriated Democrats signed onto a grass-roots effort to rebuke Mr. Polis for commuting Ms. Peters’ prison sentence last week. The censure measure, voted on during a state party central committee meeting on Wednesday night, passed with 89.8 percent support.... Dozens of Democratic leaders in Colorado — and some Republicans — spent months beseeching Mr. Polis in public and private to reject Ms. Peters’ application for clemency. They argued that despite her age, 70, and status as a first-time felon, Ms. Peters posed a threat to elections and democracy and was unrepentant.” An NBC News report is here.