Marie: I'm happy to say to day is a No-News Day -- though surely some lamebrain (alternate spelling t-r-u-m-p) will come in & change that. ~~~
~~~ I didn't embed the SNL segments I often do because I didn't think they were funny enough. I am happy to say, though, that Weekend Update co-anchor Michael Che did pick up on a question I asked last week: "How gay is Trump?"
Ashley Ahn of the New York Times: “The cease-fire between the United States and Iran remained in limbo after ... [Donald] Trump said Saturday evening on social media that he was reviewing Iran’s latest proposal but 'can’t imagine that it would be acceptable.' The comments came one day after Mr. Trump had flatly said he was 'not satisfied' with the latest offer from Iran, which Iranian state media said was sent to Pakistani mediators on Thursday evening. But on Saturday evening, the president clarified to reporters that he had only been briefed on the “concept of the deal” and had not seen the details. 'They’re going to give me the exact wording now,' he said, just before boarding an airplane in Palm Beach, Florida. In the post on Truth Social, Mr. Trump cast doubt that the latest proposal would satisfy him, asserting that Iran has 'not yet paid a big enough price for what they have done to Humanity, and the World, over the last 47 years.'” ~~~
~~~ NPR: "Key points of [Iran's] plan include a demand to resolve all issues and end the war within 30 days, instead of observing a two-month ceasefire as the U.S. had proposed. Other demands listed by the Iranian outlets include guarantees against future military aggression, the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iran's periphery, an end to the naval blockade, the release of frozen Iranian assets, payment of reparations, the lifting of sanctions, an end to fighting in Lebanon, and a new mechanism governing the Strait of Hormuz."
~~~ MB: They have quit even pretending Congress has a function, which I guess is fair inasmuch as Congress itself also has quit pretending it has a function. Although, in fairness, Trump does occasionally find the Congresscritters vexacious enough to try to swat away like mayflies: ~~~
~~~ Sean James of Mediaite: “... Donald Trump urged Congressional Republicans to 'TERMINATE THE FILIBUSTER' once again on Saturday as a way to proactively combat Democrats using 'SLEAZEBAGS' like former Attorney General Eric Holder to investigate election integrity. 'GET TOUGH REPUBLICANS — THEY’RE COMING, AND THEY’RE COMING FAST!' Trump posted on Truth Social.... 'So ironic that Cryin’ Chuck Schumer and the Democrats are hiring SLEAZEBAGS like Barack Hussein Obama’s Crooked former Attorney General, Eric Holder, and others of that ilk, to look into Voter Integrity, when this same group of Human Garbage RIGGED the 2020 Presidential Election,' Trump said.” He also called Democrats “treasonous” and said they had mounted “what, some would call, a War.” ~~~
~~~ Marie: again, to be fair, it isn't only the Article I gnats Trump is brushing aside. There are those annoying old Article III pests, too: ~~~
~~~ Sudhin Thanawala of the AP: “When a federal judge shot down a Trump administration policy of holding immigrants without bond last December, it seemed like a serious blow to the president’s mass deportation effort. Instead, a top Justice Department official insisted the ruling wasn’t binding, and the administration continued denying detainees around the country a chance for release. By February, the district court judge, Sunshine Sykes, was fed up. Sykes, a nominee of President Joe Biden, accused Trump officials in a ruling that month of seeking 'to erode any semblance of separation of powers,' adding that they could 'only do so in a world where the Constitution does not exist.' Hardly isolated, the case illustrates a broader pattern of defiance of lower court decisions in ... Donald Trump’s second term.... A a review of hundreds of pages of court records by The Associated Press also shows an extraordinary record of violations in lawsuits....
“The AP’s review also found that higher courts, including the Supreme Court, overruled the district courts and sided with the White House in nearly half of the 31 cases. Critics say those decisions are emboldening the administration to ignore judges’ orders.... '... each time this Court rewards noncompliance with discretionary relief, it further erodes respect for courts and for the rule of law[,' Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote in a dissent'.”
Marie: Yesterday I checked out a video short RAS linked, which should remind you that Trump is in coganadative (phonetic
spelling, or the best I could do at approximating a phonetic
spelling) decline. Scrolling through the comments about the video, I
found this old chestnut that gives the same impression as RAS's video
(though lacks the unwitting self-referential element), but it also has
the benefit of being LOL funny:
Rick Maese & Dan Diamond of the Washington Post: “A top fundraiser for ... Donald Trump is seeking donations for a new nonprofit that says it will support Trump’s plans to dramatically remake parts of Washington’s waterfront, including East Potomac Golf Course and the proposed National Garden of American Heroes.... The document provides the clearest indication yet that the administration intends to place the garden within West Potomac Park, a prominent stretch of federally owned land along the National Mall that is now used for recreation, sports and large public events. And it signals the seriousness of Trump’s effort to remake the historic public golf course, which government officials reportedly intend to formally take over Sunday, embarking on renovations that could temporarily close the course.
“Interior Department officials have not publicly detailed plans for either the golf course or the proposed garden. The document, circulated to potential donors in recent weeks, includes renderings of East Potomac 'reimagined' as a championship golf course and a formal memorial space — changes that could significantly alter how the public uses the land.... None of the concepts shown in the document have been publicly approved, and any changes to the site would be subject to multiple layers of a federal review process that has not yet begun.” MB: President Megalomaniac apparently thinks the presidency* includes a deed to Washington, D.C., perhaps to all federal lands (hence his damned picture on National Parks passes). This has to stop. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Sophie Hurwitz of Mother Jones: "The concept images for the golf course seem to eliminate most non-golf activities that presently exist in East Potomac, disappearing the park’s bike paths and open spaces where people picnic in the summers.... Yesterday, [Trump] posted a picture online of his own face photoshopped onto Mount Rushmore." MB: As I said this morning, ordinary people be damned. And I've got news for you, Sophie. That Mount Rushmore tweet? It's not just a Photoshopped pic; like the golf course/statues renderings, it's a concept image. (Also linked yesterday.)
Last week the courtier commonly known as Drunk Pete announced the Pentagon would remove 5,000 U.S. troops from Germany, surely to assuage the ego of President* Trumplethinsin, whose fee-fees got as bruised as his hands when German Chancellor Fred Mertz said Iran had "humiliated" the U.S. ~~~
~~~ Mark Hertling in the Bulwark: "I was commander of U.S. Army Europe in the early 2010s when U.S. forces were being drawn down in the European theater. I argued — forcefully, with members of Congress, the administration and the Department of Defense, and even my military commanders — that we shouldn’t do it.... Those tanks, armored vehicles, and supporting forces would have signaled not to our allies but to our foe, Putin, presence and commitment. I believed then, as I do now, that removing that force created an opportunity for Russia to test the NATO alliance and to pursue its longstanding objective of expanding its influence. I wasn’t persuasive enough..., and the brigade’s soldiers were ordered to return to the United States. Not long after, Russia seized Crimea and invaded Ukraine’s Donbas region.... I worry we are about to make an even bigger mistake." Hertling scoffs at Pete's claim that the troop drawdown was announced after a “thorough review,” and goes on to explain what troops stationed abroad do.
Marie: One of the reasons Trump "does everything wrong" is that he does "everything for himself" or his friends. Here's an example: ~~~
~~~ Matt Sedensky of the AP: “A hidden force is quietly pushing up costs for everything from your summer vacation to your weekly grocery bills: a weaker U.S. dollar.... The U.S. Dollar Index ... logged its steepest six-month drop in more than 50 years in the first half of 2025. Though the decline hasn’t deepened, the dollar index is still about 10% lower than the start of Trump’s term. A strong dollar makes imports cheaper and can help keep inflation in check. A weak one can increase prices on foreign goods but boost American exports. U.S. presidents have long voiced support for a strong dollar.... Trump has suggested a strong dollar puts the U.S. at a disadvantage and that a weak dollar helps American industry.... 'You make a hell of a lot more money with a weaker dollar,' he said last year, one of a number of public statements showing his preference for seeing the dollar decline.... For big multinational companies that do business overseas, a weaker dollar can spur sales for products that suddenly become cheaper. But the vast majority of U.S. businesses ... [cater] to domestic customers ... [who may be] reliant on importing goods.”
Ann Marimow & Pam Belluck of the New York Times: “A manufacturer of the abortion pill mifepristone asked the Supreme Court on Saturday to immediately restore full access to the medication, putting the contentious issue of abortion back before the justices in an election year. The request came after a lower court on Friday temporarily restricted abortion providers nationwide from prescribing the pills by telemedicine and sending them to patients by mail. That process is one of the main ways women seeking abortions have obtained the medication in recent years. If the order on Friday by a federal appeals court is upheld, it could sow confusion and upend a major avenue for abortion access across the country — not just in states with abortion bans. About one-fourth of abortions in the United States are now provided through telemedicine.... The Trump administration has defended the F.D.A. in court, but has not said in this case, or in public statements, whether it supports keeping in place the regulations that allow for pills to be mailed.” (Also linked yesterday.) The NBC News story is here. ~~~
~~~ Marie: I don't know how these emergency requests to the Supreme Court work, but if their first stop is the desk of the justice in charge of the circuit that issued the order, that would be the Fifth Circuit, and the justice who oversees the Fifth Circuit is Inquisitor Sam, who also holds the patent on the iron chastity belt with fail-safe lock. So good luck with that.
ICE Hires Torture Company to Find Children. Jose Olivares of the Guardian: “US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has awarded a contract to a private security company that has faced accusations of 'torture' and 'enforced disappearance' to assist in tracking down undocumented immigrant children who arrived in the US alone, a contracting document shows.... The agency characterizes the work of tracing immigrant children who reached the US without authorization and were released into communities while they go through immigration court proceedings as 'safety and wellness checks'.... But an internal ICE document reviewed by the Guardian last year shows ICE actually runs the operations with the aim of deporting the children or pursuing criminal cases against them – or their adult sponsors sheltering them legally in the US. A critic at the time called ICE’s efforts 'backdoor family separation'.” Thanks to RAS for the link.
~~~~~~~~~~
Florida. Wherein Polk County (central Florida) Sheriff Grady Judd said at a news conference announcing a sex trafficking sting that one of the suspects was an influencer whom Judd said "moves in big circles, even with the president.” Judd held up a photo of the influencer posing with Donald Trump & spawn Don Junior.
Louisiana Primary Elections. Liz Crampton of Politico: “Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry’s abrupt decision to postpone the state’s House primaries just days before voting was scheduled to begin has sent Republican officials scrambling.... Republicans [have] the narrowest of windows to gerrymander one or two new seats before the 2026 midterms — and is leaving candidates guessing where they might be running. Meanwhile, a lawsuit filed late Thursday challenging Landry’s ability to issue the sweeping emergency executive order threatens to further upend Louisiana’s election season. And the move only suspended the House races — meaning the rest of the primaries will continue on as scheduled.... One Louisiana Republican strategist working on a House race ... put it: 'It is.'” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Marie: I hate to tell you, but Louisiana's plight is is a harbinger of the general election to come. We know that in many states, rural areas that tend to lean Republican send in their vote tallies before Democratic-leaning urban areas do. So I fully expect Trump to do just what he advocated in 2020: stop counting votes in some states while Republicans are ahead, even though their Democratic opponents may have won more -- still uncounted -- votes. This was Trump's complaint in 2020; it will be his order in 2026. So yes, our November elections with be "an unmitigated shit show fever dream."
Louisiana Local Election. Rick Rojas of the New York Times: “An exonerated man who pulled off an unlikely victory last year to become the New Orleans criminal court clerk has been blocked from taking office after Louisiana’s governor signed a law this week abolishing the role altogether. The man, Calvin Duncan, had regained his freedom after spending 28 years in prison for murder, during which he built up a thorough understanding of criminal law to help himself and other incarcerated people challenge wrongful convictions and reduce sentences. He was set to begin in his new role on Monday. The state’s Republican lawmakers had rushed to pass the bill before then, as part of a broader effort to overhaul the judicial system in New Orleans by cutting judges and consolidating court functions. Under the measure signed by Gov. Jeff Landry on Thursday, the criminal clerk’s responsibilities — which also include managing elections in the city — will be folded into the city’s civil clerk’s office.” The link appears to be a gift link.
9 comments:
The bi-weekly sermon, served fresh:
THE FAMILY OF MAN
The "Family of Man” exhibit of photographs toured the world in the 1950’s and 60’s. Over a ten-year period in the United States and in dozens of other countries, ten million people visited the New York Museum of Modern Art’s extraordinary collection of 503 photographs of people from 63 different countries. Five million more purchased the exhibit in book form (wikipedia.org). It remains the most popular collection of photos ever published. The appeal of “The Family of Man's’” depiction of the common human experience across cultures and continents was a sign of the times.
Perhaps the extraordinary horrors men had visited upon one another in the previous decades had prepared the soil for “The Family of Man’s” popularity. Seventy to eighty-five million of the world’s then population of about 2.3 billion died in WW II. Following WW II in short order, the Korean War killed another three to five million. By the time that conflict ended in the uneasy truce that still prevails today, the United States, the Soviet Union and Great Britain had atomic weapons and the nuclear saber rattling of the 1950’s, 60’s, and 70’s had begun. My generation remembers the rank absurdity of being told to hide under their school desks in case of nuclear attack. Soon the explicit threat of the aptly named MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction) was baked into our foreign policy.
In that time, when memories of the massive cruelty humans had visited on one another remained fresh, a sense of our common humanity was hard to ignore. For a while there, differences in geography, skin color and belief systems faded into the background. Certainly, our own civil rights movement of the 1960’s, the elevation of women’s and minority rights, the protest movement against our increasingly bloody twenty-year engagement in Vietnam, and the drive toward self-determination in dozens of former European colonies were motivated by that same sense of human commonality. We may not all look the same, we may not be close neighbors, our daily lives may be vastly different, but we all share 99.9% of the same DNA and live on the same planet.
Now, sixty years later, I wonder how “The Family of Man” would play around the world.
It’s certainly not playing very well in a United States where the current president rants about immigrants from “sh__hole countries, passes on lies about Haitians eating pets, has employed a distinctly racist immigration policy, and just last week on his Truth Social account reposted a podcast wherein the host called China and India “hellholes” (nytimes.com). In his second term, the Trump immigration policy is very clear. In addition to mass deportations of brown and black people, since January 2025 legal immigration has been drastically reduced, welcoming only 1341 white South Africans in March 2026 (cato.org). The message is clear: If you’re not white, the United States is no longer a place for you.
Part II
Though 8.3 billion people now share the planet, the Republican family of man is shrinking. It no longer includes even our own Democrat leaning states. Though the data shows Medicaid fraud takes place equally in Democrat and Republican states (stateline.org), shouting “fraud,” the Trump administration has so far withheld Medicaid funds from only Minnesota, California, Illinois, New York, Maine and Colorado, all Blue States (nytimes.com). Federal disaster relief payments have followed the same pattern. Republican states are three times more likely than Democrat majority states to have their requests approved, even when on-site inspections substantiate Blue State disasters (nytimes.com).
The greatest shrinkage of all is on the moral front. Along with its closure of the southern border to asylum seekers, recently declared illegal by a U. S. Court of Appeals (nytimes.com), the Trump administration shuttered USAID, deciding we could no longer afford .3 % of our annual budget to save the lives of hundreds of thousands of people in other countries who lack food and medical care. In lieu of life-saving help, it has substituted a catchy profit-seeking slogan: “Trade, not aid” (theguardian.com). Yet the same administration has requested $1.5 trillion in military spending in its next budget, a forty percent increase over the current year, paying for a small part of it by cutting $73 billion from health, housing and education programs (nytimes.com).
It turns out Defense Secretary Hegseth’s Christian Crusade against the Shia Muslims of Iran isn’t cheap (theguardian.com).
Upon her return from her trip around the Moon, Artemis II astronaut Christina Koch said she saw Earth as a “lifeboat” hanging in a black universe. Having learned on her mission that crews must work together, she said, “Planet Earth… you are a crew” (msn.com).
For those willing to see, “The Family of Man” isn’t dead.
Neil Flanagan, in The Atlantic, reports on another instance where "ordinary people be damned" - the Ballroom Eyesore - writing that t****’s pet project would contort a White House design that is supposed to emphasize democracy and openness
"It’s hard to keep track of the reasons to object to the president’s pet project, among them the administration’s bad-faith handling of the demolition and review processes, the structure’s unpopularity with Americans, and the way its composition violates rules of classical architecture. The latest reason emerged after a federal judge ordered construction to pause. The ruling allowed work on belowground features related to national security to proceed, referring to plans for a military facility beneath the new East Wing that the judge was able to review. In response, the White House began to argue that the aboveground portions were also related to national security, because they would protect the president. Since then, the details have just kept coming.
Although tight security at the White House is nothing new, this kind of talk is, and it represents another way this presidency has abandoned its imperative of projecting modesty, openness, and stability. Even if the White House is a stronghold, it is not meant to look like one."
Quinta Jurecic, for The Atlantic, on the DOJ Entering a New, Even More Aggressive Phase
"The Justice Department is entering a hyperaggressive new era, cutting legal corners in service of getting President Trump the headlines—and revenge—he wants. Last month, Trump pushed out Attorney General Pam Bondi, reportedly because he was unhappy with her failure to secure legal victories against his enemies. Todd Blanche, for now the acting attorney general, seems to be campaigning for Trump’s nomination to replace Bondi: On his watch, the department has announced a spate of new prosecutions and submitted a bizarre court filing channeling Trump’s voice to argue for the construction of a White House ballroom. Under any other president, DOJ’s recent activity would represent an astonishing abuse of power. Even by the standards of the second Trump administration, these actions are absurd, and unusually dangerous."
Two Kings
The Tangle
"The everything, everywhere, all at once corruption story."
About the corruption of the Trump family.
Good overview of what the Trumps have been up to.
You have get past all the "I also investigated Biden corruption too", but he does a good to cataloguing the corTrumption.
Picture is worth a thousand words - Astronaut version
Norman Eisen and The Contrarian
15 Ways to Fight Callais
"Congressman George H. White’s Farewell Address To Congress
In January 1901, at the beginning of a new century, George H. White was ending his term as a Congressman from North Carolina’s Second Congressional District. Realizing that he was bringing to a close a thirty two year period when nearly forty Southern African Americans sat in Congress, White used the occasion of his farewell address to remind that body and the nation of the reason for his defeat and the elimination of black representation in the nation’s capital.
Mr. Chairman, before concluding my remarks I want to submit a brief recipe for the solution of the so-called “American Negro problem.” He asks no special favors, but simply demands that he be given the same chance for existence, for earning a livelihood, for raising himself in the scales of manhood and womanhood, that are accorded to kindred nationalities."
We have come so far, but too many want to take us all back to an uglier time.
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