June 12, 2026

Maxine Joselow of the New York Times: “A federal judge on Friday temporarily blocked the National Park Service from removing or revising signs, films and other materials at national parks across the country to comply with a directive from ... [Donald] Trump. The ruling pauses enforcement of an executive order that called for removing or covering up materials at national parks that 'inappropriately disparage Americans' or cast the United States 'in a negative light.' The judge, Angel Kelley of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, also ordered the Park Service to restore within three weeks any exhibits that it had dismantled or altered.... To comply with the president’s directive, the Park Service has taken down plaques about slavery at Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia, a sign about climate change at Fort Sumter in South Carolina and a sign about Indigenous people at Acadia National Park in Maine. Another federal judge has already ordered the Park Service not to make further changes to the slavery exhibit ... [in Philadelphia], as she considers a separate lawsuit filed by [the city]. Judge Kelley, who was nominated by President Joseph R. Biden Jr., sharply rebuked the Trump administration for taking down materials. 'Not only does this undermine the integrity of the national parks; it sets a dangerous precedent of censorship and sanitization,' she wrote.”

Too Bad! Zach Montague of the New York Times: “A federal judge on Friday declined to block the White House from holding cage fights on the South Lawn on ... [Donald] Trump’s birthday, just days before the Sunday event was set to take place. Responding to a last-ditch emergency motion, Judge Amit P. Mehta wrote in a 15-page opinion that it was not clear that the two individuals who sued over the Ultimate Fighting Championship matches would be sufficiently harmed by the one-off event to give them legal standing to challenge it. The two claimants had argued that the use of the White House and Lincoln Memorial as a backdrop for fights could provide an inappropriate financial benefit to the private company that arranged it. But Judge Mehta wrote that they failed to detail how their interests outweighed those of everyone involved in bringing the project to fruition. The organizers, Judge Mehta wrote, 'point to the near yearlong planning of the event; coordination with multiple government agencies, including the Secret Service; site work that began May 20 and has involved between 700 to 900 workers; multiple equipment deliveries; event ticketing logistics; and preparations of the contracted U.F.C. fighters.'”

Yasmin Khorram of Politico: “The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division has signed off on Paramount Skydance’s $111 billion bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, according to two people familiar. The approval clears a major regulatory hurdle for a deal that has become one of the most closely watched media merger reviews of the Trump era. The decision, expected to be announced Friday, paves the way for Paramount to combine with the entertainment and media company behind a vast film and television studio, CNN, and the HBO Max streaming service, which would be combined with Paramount+ to create a new offering boasting about 200 million subscribers. The deal, which would upend the Hollywood ecosystem by combining two historic rival studios, is opposed by many in the entertainment industry who fear it could lead to mass layoffs, among other concerns.” MB: We knew this would happen, and we also know this is extremely bad news for the notion of free press & independent media. Congress must (and it won't) pass anti-trust legislation that breaks up conglomerates like this.

Dan Mangan of CNBC: “A federal judge on Friday rejected a last-minute bid to block his order directing ... Donald Trump’s name to be removed from the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. The Trump administration had asked that Judge Christopher Cooper stay his May 29 ruling in U.S. District Court in D.C. pending a new appeal of that decision. Cooper’s rejection came on the day of the deadline of his order that Trump’s name be removed from the Kennedy Center, the performing arts landmark named after the late President John Kennedy. 'Defendants have not carried their burden to establish that a stay of the Court’s ... permanent injunction concerning the Kennedy Center’s renaming is warranted pending an appeal of the underlying ruling to the D.C. Circuit,' Cooper wrote in his order. 'Most notably, for the detailed reasons laid out in the Court’s ruling, Defendants have not “made a strong showing that [they] are likely to succeed on the merits,’” the judge wrote.” ~~~

~~~ MS NOW is running a YouTube livefeed of the workmen removing Trump's name from the front facade of the Kennedy Center. I've also embedded it below. 

Mark Landler & Anton Troianovski of the New York Times: “In the two months since the U.S. and Iran nominally declared a cease-fire, the line between peace and war has been all but erased across the Middle East, with attacks and counterattacks alongside promises to end the hostilities that never quite materialize. It is less a cease-fire than a 'lesser fire,' in the words of the United Nations secretary general, António Guterres. Even if the combatants manage to get a framework for a deal this time, this gray zone of 'neither war nor peace' may persist for weeks or months, analysts and diplomats say. Neither Mr. Trump nor Iran appears ready to make significant concessions in negotiations for a long-term truce, with many devilish details to be worked out — not least over the future of Iran’s nuclear program. Such a stalemate would consign the Middle East to a purgatory of sporadic violence and constant anxiety. And it would force the rest of the world to confront a stark new economic reality. Long-term disruption of oil and gas shipments would ripple into global supply chains, causing food shortages and driving up prices at the fuel pump and in grocery stores.” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Trump does many dumb things for many dumb reasons, but I suspect the dumb reason here is his severe, long-smoldering case of Obama Derangement Syndrome. Trump threw out Obama's JCPOA, claiming he was a master of the deal & would cut a much better one. So he sent Dumb & Dumber off to Pakistan or wherever to negotiate with the Iranians while devoting their more intent energies no doubt to making side deals for themselves while the old man stayed home and dreamed of ballrooms & triumphal arches. Now, Trump is paralyzed. He can't do anything because Iran has no reason to agree to less than the Obama deal. Trump has put Iran in a better position than it was in when Kerry, Munoz, et al., negotiated that deal. So Trump goes through these face-saving machinations where he pretends a deal is in the offing (and where he and/or his friends also may be making money as markets respond to the tune of Trump's statements). ~~~

     ~~~ To riff slightly on a famous observation by Deep Throat: "Forget the myths the media has created about the White House. The truth is, Trump is not a very bright guy, and things got out of hand.” ~~~

     ~~~ That said, there's this surprising update:

     ~~~ Jennifer Bahney of Mediaite: “Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi announced on X Friday that a deal to end the conflict between the United States and Iran 'has never been closer.' 'The Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding has never been closer,' wrote Araghchi. 'Pending its finalization, the media should refrain from entering speculation about its content. In line with our responsible and transparent approach, all details will be shared with the public in due course.'” ~~~

     ~~~ From the pinned item in the New York Times liveblog: “The world watched wearily as Washington and Tehran made conflicting statements on Friday about a purported deal toward ending the war that has roiled the Middle East for three and a half months. Both sides said terms hadn’t been finalized, but ... [Donald] Trump hinted that a signing ceremony could happen as soon as this weekend. Mr. Trump has repeatedly said that deals to resolve various aspects of the war were near, but those promises have so far failed to materialize. Neither country has released specifics on the deal’s terms. The Iranian foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said on Friday that an agreement between Tehran and Washington 'has never been closer.' He also called for media outlets to refrain from speculating about its content, after Mehr, a semiofficial Iranian outlet affiliated with hard-liners who oppose a deal, published what it said were details of the agreement. That report included a reference to the United States committing to lift sanctions.”

Judge Doesn't Believe Toady Todd. Michael Kunzelman of the AP: “A federal judge agreed on Friday to extend a court-ordered block on the Trump administration’s creation and operation of a $1.8 billion settlement fund for compensating people who claim to be victims of a weaponized government. Earlier this month, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told Congress that the government is scrapping its plans for the fund in the face of a fierce bipartisan backlash. Government attorneys have argued that lawsuits challenging the fund are now moot, but plaintiffs’ attorneys aren’t satisfied by Blanche’s assurances that the fund won’t move forward. Neither was U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema, who ruled that the 'Anti-Weaponization Fund' will remain blocked until further notice from the court. 'The (government’s) mootness argument, in my view, doesn’t go anywhere,' the judge said.... Brinkema gave the parties a week to negotiate an agreement for Blanche to submit a sworn declaration that the administration won’t revive the fund.” Politico's report, by Josh Gerstein, is here. The New York Times report, by Alan Feuer, is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: There is, or was, in federal courts, something known as "the presumption of regularity." Art Intel defines that as "a legal doctrine assuming that government officials and public officers properly discharge their official duties and act in good faith, unless clear evidence proves otherwise. It acts as a shield, requiring substantial proof to overturn official acts." That is, the judge presumes that government officials who appear before them tell the truth and act in good faith when carrying out their official duties. However, numerous judges have found recently factual bases that Trump prosecutors -- who are DOJ employees -- have lied to them in court. And some prosecutors have violated grand jury rules to tip the scales of justice even further in the prosecution's favor. Now we have a judge who has the wisdom not to believe an assertion by the acting Attorney General of the United States, the person whom the POTUS* has just nominated to head the entire Justice Department. That is where we are. Todd Blanche & the other lying liars have killed the presumption of regularity.  

Ryan Mac & Ben Casselman of the New York Times: “Elon Musk became the world’s first trillionaire on Friday when shares of his rocket company SpaceX began trading on the stock market, signaling a new era of ultra-affluence and widening wealth inequality. Mr. Musk reached the milestone when trading of SpaceX shares opened at $150, up 11 percent from their initial public offering price of $135. His net worth — which comprises his stock in SpaceX and his electric carmaker, Tesla, as well as ownership stakes in other ventures including the brain implant company Neuralink and the tunneling firm the Boring Company — stood at around $1.1 trillion. Mr. Musk, 54, was already the world’s richest person.”

~~~ Paul Krugman: Elon Musk's "wealth has ... historically rested mainly on self-fulfilling faith — investors believing in Musk’s genius have piled into stocks in Musk-controlled companies, and the rising value of these companies has enhanced his reputation for genius. We have a term for enterprises that look successful because they keep drawing in new investors ... because they look successful. They’re called Ponzi schemes. And Elon Musk is basically a human Ponzi scheme. Furthermore, the SpaceX IPO now in progress makes it clearer than ever that Musk’s greatest skill isn’t developing futuristic products. It’s his mastery of financial shell games and his ability to leverage insider influence, especially his influence with the Trump administration." 

Krugman goes into detail to explain why "the immense human Ponzi scheme that is Elon Musk will eventually collapse. But traditional Ponzi schemes only exploit investors who choose to participate. This time much of the money propping up Musk’s scam will come from ordinary Americans who have in effect been forced to buy in. Approximately 52% of mutual fund assets are now invested in index or index-based funds, and over 50% of American households are invested in mutual funds. Thanks to the collusion between Musk and Wall Street, enabled by the perception that the Trump administration has Musk’s back, many if not most of these small investors will be dragged, willy-nilly, into fueling the Musk juggernaut."

~~~~~~~~~~ 

He Really Doesn't Know What He's Doing. Victoria Craw & Siham Shamalakh of the Washington Post: “... Donald Trump said U.S. forces will hit Iran 'VERY HARD TONIGHT' after Iran launched waves of attacks against U.S. bases across the Middle East early Thursday, raising fears that the escalating exchange will bring renewed combat to the region.... Trump threatened another round of retaliatory strikes in the coming hours and said the U.S. would seek to control the country’s oil and gas facilities, without offering specifics of how that might be carried out. 'At some point in the not too distant future, we will be taking Kharg Island, and other oil infrastructure points, and assume total control of their Oil and Gas Markets, much like we have with Venezuela,' Trump wrote on Truth Social.” MB: So I guess this isn't one of those top-secret missions like escorting oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ ⭐Never Mind. New Lede: “... Donald Trump said that he had 'cancelled the scheduled strikes and bombings against Iran' after progress on a potential peace deal, reversing his plan to attack the country on Thursday night. The president said that discussions and final points with Iran had been brought to the highest level of Iranian leadership and approved,' he wrote on his Truth Social platform. 'The Naval Blockade will remain in full force and effect until this Transaction is finalized, Trump added....” (Also linked yesterday.) An AP story (via PBS) is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Jake Tapper of CNN reported that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which seems to be running Iran's government, says Iranian officials have not approved anything. Tapper noted that we have been here before many times, and in every case where Trump & Iranian officials disagreed about the status of negotiations, Iran was right and there was no deal in the offing. ~~~

     ~~~ Paul Campos in LG&$: "It has taken a remarkably long time for the purportedly independent American media to learn that the evidentiary value of anything Trump says is precisely zero, but the way [a] NYT story [cited] above is phrased suggests that this fact is beginning to sink in, if very, very slowly.... The combination of sociopathy, delusion, dementia, and a lifetime of unremitting bullshit that is Donald Trump is something that the received narrative frames proved utterly unable to assimilate." ~~~

~~~ Dasha Burns & Felicia Schwartz of Politico: “Soon after ... Donald Trump posted Thursday morning that he would hit Iran 'VERY HARD TONIGHT,' leaders from Gulf and South Asian countries called the president in a last-ditch effort to change his mind. They assured him a preliminary agreement that paves the way for more detailed talks was, in fact, at hand. The calls, which have not been previously reported, came from Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, United Arab Emirates President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Pakistani defense chief Asim Munir, according to two administration officials and a diplomat briefed on the calls.... These countries have sway over Tehran and Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, Trump said Thursday, and their assurance that a deal was near led him to walk back his attack plans....” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Maybe the reason this has not been previously reported is that it's not true and the story was planted to make Trump seem quasi-rational. Just sayin'. 

~~~ Eric Schmitt of the New York Times: “In the U.S. military, commanders do not typically speak publicly about future operations to avoid tipping off an adversary or jeopardizing the mission’s success and, possibly, American lives. But that has not dissuaded America’s commander in chief from proclaiming when and how the United States will next attack Iran. For the second day in a row..., [Donald] Trump on Thursday threatened in a social media post that the United States would hit Iran 'VERY HARD TONIGHT.'... Mr. Trump said the same thing on Wednesday, and hours later American warplanes and Tomahawk missiles struck dozens of Iranian radars, air defenses and other military targets in the Strait of Hormuz and elsewhere around the country. On Wednesday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who has criticized reporters for asking about future operations, suddenly decided it was OK to forecast U.S. bombing raids. 'So those strikes that will happen tonight will be strong. They will be clear,' Mr. Hegseth told reporters traveling with him to the headquarters of U.S. Central Command in Tampa, Fla.... Mr. Trump and Mr. Hegseth said they were telegraphing the American strikes ... to pressure the government in Tehran to reach a deal to open the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has effectively blocked for months.” Update: the link has been changed to one that appears to be a gift link. (Also linked yesterday.)

Phillips O'Brien: "The USA seems to have deliberately and with foresight, committed a war crime as an act of policy. If this is right, and all evidence seems to say it is, committing acts of terror is now an acceptable method of war in the judgement of the US government and, by extension, the American people.... On the evening of June 9, the USA, with what seems to be intent, attacked two reservoirs and a water treatment facility in southern Iran. Almost immediately afterwards, water was cut off to about 20,000 Iranian civilians who live around the southern Iranian town of Sirik. Why was this most likely a deliberate attack? Well, there seems to have been nothing nearby of military value and the destruction was precise.... [Destroying] a reservoir serving a civilian community is unarguably a crime.... And note, this is one of the hottest and driest places on the globe.... A human being cannot live long in such a climate without water—so either the locals will die of dehydration or, more likely, some will drink contaminated water and die from that." Related New York Times story linked yesterday. (Also linked yesterday.)

Julian Barnes, et al., of the New York Times: Donald “Trump said on Thursday that he would nominate Jay Clayton, the U.S. attorney in Manhattan, to be the next director of national intelligence, after the president faced a revolt from lawmakers over his choice for an interim director without any relevant experience for the job.... The appointment of [Bill] Pulte [-- a housing official --] derailed the congressional reauthorization of one of the government’s most powerful surveillance authorities. But the announcement of Mr. Clayton, who is also a former chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, to be nominated for Senate confirmation seemed unlikely to immediately solve Mr. Trump’s problems with Congress. The House on Thursday rejected a three-week extension of the law, which will expire at midnight on Friday. With Congress now out of town, it would be difficult to schedule another vote before the deadline.... Mr. Clayton was recommended for the post by John Ratcliffe, the C.I.A. director, according to a person familiar with the conversation.” The AP's report is here. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Steve Benen of MS NOW: “Jay Clayton, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, has maintained a rather high profile lately. In late April, for example, he appeared on CNBC and celebrated Donald Trump’s 'palpable' commitment to the First Amendment. A few weeks later, Clayton also made the case on CNBC that the defunct $1.766 billion compensation fund had merit because 'they' tried to 'destroy' the president. As recently as Monday, as the White House pushed conspiracy theories about election results in California, Clayton again toed the party line on national television, arguing the public is 'right to question' the vote tallies. If that was an audition for a promotion, it was apparently a successful one.... The president’s new choice to serve as the director of national intelligence — an office that Trump has freely admitted that he wants to weaponize for political purposes — has spent the last seven months investigating Trump’s opponents at the president’s insistence.... What’s more, despite the statutory qualifications for the office, which require a DNI to have significant experience in intelligence, Clayton is a former Wall Street lawyer with no background in intelligence.” ~~~

     ~~~ Jacob Knutson of Democracy Docket makes similar observations. Plus this: Clayton "was also heavily involved in the Justice Department’s flawed release of the files it had on Epstein." ~~~

     ~~~ Benjamin Weiser of the New York Times has more here, including a reminder that Clayton was the U.S. attorney who stood by while the Trump administration fired the highly-regarded SDNY prosecutor Maureen Comey, evidently for the sins of her father.

TRUE: Trump Ruins Utterly Everything. Sam Fortier, et al., of NOTUS: "... Donald Trump’s big birthday bash for America is hitting more speedbumps, as at least six states plan to sit out the Great American State Fair. Days after an exodus of musical acts, officials from Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, North Carolina and Oregon told NOTUS they won’t officially send a delegation to the 16-day fair.... At least two other states — Pennsylvania and Washington — remain uncommitted just two weeks before the fair is scheduled to open June 25 on the National Mall.... Participants involved in the 250th celebrations are stuck in a confusing battle between two organizations over the funding and ideology for the nation’s birthday party. America 250, the bipartisan commission created by Congress a decade ago, has a decentralized mandate focused on educational and volunteer programming. Freedom 250, which the Trump administration created late last year, is planning massive entertainment spectacles.... The Trump administration is withholding tens of millions of dollars from America 250, which says it now faces a $100 million shortfall, and has simultaneously funneled at least $68 million to Freedom 250." (Also linked yesterday.) A New York Times story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: IOW, Trump has corrupted what should have been a national celebration. Not surprising, of course, but disgusting. ~~~

     ~~~ Michael Scherer of the Atlantic reports on how planners had originally envisioned a “Festival of Festivals ... with four to six weeks of performances, workshops, and displays.... But last summer, with little fanfare..., [Donald] Trump took control of the event and renamed it.... [People involved in the planning] described frayed trust and growing conflict that has become so acrimonious that the Department of the Interior is refusing to honor a December agreement with America250, a bipartisan group authorized by Congress in 2016 to plan the nation’s festivities.... Some supporters of America250, which is backed by a bipartisan caucus of 421 federal lawmakers, view this event as further proof that Trump always planned to remake the national celebration in his image.... The nastiest fights have arisen over money.” Thank you to akaWendy for this gift link. (Also linked yesterday.)

Marie: You will very likely recall the jokes that proliferated in late 2016/early 2017 about how Trump would turn the White House into a tacky commercial site with bright lights & sponsored ads all over the place. Turns out those jokes were prescient: ~~~  

This is real (and probably illegal).

~~~ Vegas on the South Lawn. Shawn McCreesh of the New York Times: “The White House welcomed reporters and influencers from around the world onto the South Lawn for half an hour on Thursday morning to inspect the towering, claw-like superstructure that has been built there for the Ultimate Fighting Championship bout that ... [Donald] Trump is hosting on his 80th birthday this weekend. While the president sat inside the White House, fulminating about the war in Iran..., dozens of people wandered dazedly inside the monsterama he built out back....

“Jack Posobiec, the right-wing commentator best known for spreading the 'Pizzagate' paranoia, stood with a White House official next to the octagonal ring down in the nexus of the claw and looked around in awe. 'It’s literally Vegas,' Mr. Posobiec said excitedly. 'Vegas is in D.C. now!'... It towers over the White House itself.... The cage itself was an eight-sided feat of marketeering, its every angle prominently displaying the name of some sponsor who’d paid big bucks to have their brands juxtaposed against the ultimate backdrop: Live Trade on Polymarket … Bud Light … Pit Boss Grills … Total Wireless … Dial #Law Morgan & Morgan … Toyo Tires. The words 'crypto.com' were carved into each little metal step leading into the ring.... According to a new poll by Reuters and Ipsos published Thursday, just 16 percent of Americans said it was 'appropriate for Mr. Trump to hold this fight ... at the White House this weekend.”

     ~~~ Marie: It's quite something when the vast majority of the Great Unwashed have better sense and better taste than the POTUS*.

Richard Luscombe of the Guardian: “The final drops of water have been added, and the nanobubbler switched on. Donald Trump’s 'beautiful' makeover of the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool, one of Washington DC’s most historically symbolic attractions, is officially complete, and the public is getting its first glimpse of how the project’s $14.2m was spent. Contrary to the president’s predictable assertion that it was receiving 'rave reviews', however, early impressions are decidedly mixed. Some of the first visitors declared themselves underwhelmed by the 2,000ft pool’s somewhat dull color – American flag blue, according to the specifications. Others were bemused to see workers scraping algae from the bottom on Wednesday, just days after it had been filled with about 6.75m gallons of fresh water....”

Julia Jacobs of the New York Times: “Lawyers for ... [Donald] Trump and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on Thursday filed an appeal of an order to remove the president’s name from the institution. The notice of appeal was filed as a legal deadline loomed for taking Mr. Trump’s name off the building’s marble facade. It also challenged a federal judge’s decision to temporarily block the president’s plan to close the center for two years of renovations. Earlier on Thursday, the center’s board, which is composed almost entirely of Mr. Trump’s allies, voted to appeal the ruling, according to two people with direct knowledge of the meeting. Finding that the board did not have the power to unilaterally change the name of the arts center, Judge Christopher R. Cooper of Federal District Court in Washington had ruled that Mr. Trump’s name must be taken down by Friday.” The AP's story is here.

Maura Judkis & Ethan Beck of the Washington Post: “U.S. Park Police, the D.C. fire department and members of the National Guard were seen responding Thursday to what appeared to be large-scale etchings of the numerals '86 47' on the ‌grounds of the National ‌Mall.... The numerals seemed to be visible only from a tall vantage point, such as the top of the Washington Monument.... A spokesperson for the U.S. Interior Department described the markings as 'deranged vandalism' and promised to 'hold those responsible accountable' in an emailed statement.” An ABC News story is here.

Via Nebraska Public Media.

~~~ Lee Moran of Huffington Post: “A conservative-led group on Monday morning launched a $15 million blitz that aims to highlight how Donald Trump is making everyday life more expensive for millions of Americans. Home Of The Brave’s 'Sticker Shock Summer' initiative seeks to 'educate Americans on how the administration’s tariffs, war in Iran, One Big Beautiful Bill Act, and other policies have directly contributed to the affordability crisis,' per a press release sent to HuffPost. It also wants to turn Americans’ “hopelessness into action by calling on lawmakers in Congress and the administration to pursue reforms that bring costs down,” said the group, which launched in June 2025 with multiple anti-Trump Republicans and conservatives on its board.”

Paul Schwartzman & Jenny Gathright of the Washington Post: “... Donald Trump on Thursday waded into D.C.’s mayoral race for the first time, saying he is opposed to Janeese Lewis George, a democratic socialist, winning next week’s Democratic primary. Trump, when asked by a reporter about the campaign, said he 'wouldn’t like it' if Lewis George is victorious and threatened that his administration  'maybe would take back Washington, run it on the federal basis.... We won’t put up with it.... We’re not going to lose our businesses.'” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: This is not governing. This is not "presidential." It's bullying, Mafia-boss/dictator tactics, and it is all Trump knows how to do. He's a stupid thug. 

Trump Urges Congress to Erase History. Michael Luciano of Mediaite: “... Donald Trump is trying to have his two impeachments from his first term 'expunged,' The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday. The idea would be for Congress to nullify those impeachments – which, constitutionally, is not a thing – in what would be a symbolic rebuke.... '... Trump and his allies have discussed pushing lawmakers to pass a resolution aimed at voiding his first-term impeachments, according to people familiar with the matter,' the Journal reported. 'It would have little legal significance, however, because the Constitution provides no procedure for undoing an impeachment, according to experts.' In a phone interview with the publication this week, Trump reiterated that he was blameless. 'It should be done because I did nothing wrong,' Trump said of the resolution. 'It was a rigged deal—it was a whole rigged situation.'” 

⭐It's Alive! Sarah Fitzpatrick of the Atlantic: “When Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche appeared before Congress last Tuesday, senior administration officials hoped that his testimony would be enough to quell the uproar over a $1.776 billion payout scheme for Trump loyalists, including January 6 rioters. 'We’re not moving forward with the fund,' he told a House appropriations subcommittee. But Blanche, who was not under oath, refused requests from a representative to put that in writing. He asked instead for Congress to take him at his word that ... [Donald] Trump’s politically inconvenient project for rewarding those who were allegedly victimized by the Biden-era Justice Department had truly been abandoned. It turns out that it’s not that simple. Behind the scenes, Justice Department and other Trump-administration officials have quietly assured allies that plans for some form of payout remain on track.... A White House official told me ... that Trump remains committed to addressing Biden-era weaponization.... Crucially, the administration is also trying to avoid a fight over the payout plan ... while the Senate considers Blanche’s nomination for attorney general.” Thanks to akaWendy for this gift link. Worth reading the whole report. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: And that last bit is exactly what I figured. The administration is indeed "playing possum" as Judge Richard Leon put it (story linked earlier Thursday) till Blanche's confirmation. 

Fall-out from the NYT Report on the Trump Administration Conspiracy to Cover up the Epstein Files. Jake Tapper & Annie Grayer of CNN: “A group of Jeffrey Epstein survivors came out in opposition to Todd Blanche’s nomination as ... Donald Trump’s permanent attorney general, citing his participation in secret White House meetings on how to contain the political fallout from the Epstein files. In a new statement obtained by CNN, 19 women responded to The New York Times’s reporting that Blanche and other senior officials participated in Situation Room meetings to discuss how to respond to growing pressure for more transparency as the issue became a public relations crisis for the administration.”

Trump Attacks 2026 Elections on Several Fronts. ~~~

~~~ Carol Leonnig, et al., of MS NOW: “FBI agents on Thursday raided the Cleveland offices of the Ohio Organizing Collaborative, a pro-democracy organization that helps register voters in that state.... Agents also fanned out across the state, showing up at the homes of the group’s leaders and staff members, carrying some subpoenas and seeking information and electronic devices.... Prentiss Haney, a board member for Ohio Organizing Collaborative, told MS NOW Thursday night that agents approached people with connections to Ohio Organizing Collaborative, including some who had performed basic canvassing and volunteer work for the group, and began pressing them for information. Agents were 'basically trying to fish for information,' said Haney.” ~~~

~~~ Tierney Sneed, et al., of CNN: “State election officials could soon face a stark choice: Hand over voter lists to the Trump administration or risk losing Postal Service delivery for mail-in ballots. That dilemma stems from newly proposed USPS rules that seek to comply with an executive order ... Donald Trump signed this spring to crack down on mail-in voting. If courts let the order stand, it would give the federal government an unprecedented role in elections — and could put even more voter data in the hands of Trump officials searching for supposed election fraud.... So far, 23 Democratic-led states and the District of Columbia are suing, as are Democratic Party leaders and non-partisan voter advocacy groups, setting up a potentially active summer of high-stakes judicial rulings. The Trump administration cleared an initial legal hurdle last month, when a federal judge in Washington, DC, who is overseeing one set of the cases, declined to block Trump’s executive order, allowing the Postal Service to begin implementing it.” Thanks to RAS for the link. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Trump of course is not merely strong-arming states; he's threatening voters with (1) plans to rifle through their personal information to use it for his own purposes and (2) depriving voters of their right to vote in their preferred and/or accustomed manner. ~~~

     ~~~ Adam Sella & Nick Corasaniti of the New York Times: “Democrats and voting-rights groups say the proposed rule is clear evidence that the Trump administration is trying to unconstitutionally intrude on state-run elections. Withholding some mail services in states where voters rely heavily on mail balloting could affect millions of Americans. And most of those affected would likely be Democrats, who disproportionately vote by mail because more Republicans have been convinced by Mr. Trump’s unfounded claims that mail balloting is not reliable and invites fraud. Screening mail ballots for voter eligibility, meanwhile, would amount to an unprecedented, and potentially unconstitutional, involvement of the federal government in the administration of elections. The proposed rule is vague, however, so it is unclear how the screening would work....

“'It’s just difficult to overstate the disruption that this will cause to election administration,' said Michael Cohen, the deputy attorney general in California, who was speaking on behalf of a broad coalition of states in federal court last week.... Postal experts said the order also threatens the service’s independence. Anton Hajjar, a former member of the Postal Service Board of Governors, said his main concern is that Mr. Trump’s order amounts to 'political interference with the U.S.P.S., which by law is supposed to be independent.'” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Devlin Barrett of the New York Times: “Speaking to a conservative radio host on Monday, the top federal prosecutor in Los Angeles made an unusually pointed prediction that cast doubt on the results of California’s primary races, even as votes were still being counted. 'We will be charging some people,' the prosecutor, Bill Essayli, told the host, Glenn Beck, delivering a promise that would most likely have been considered a violation of Justice Department policy under decades of past practice. 'It will be election fraud charges in the next — I hate to put timelines on things — one or two months I believe. We need some of these results to be certified so we can prove some of the allegations.' The declaration, issued by an outspoken loyalist to ... [Donald] Trump, was a vivid example of the Justice Department’s approach to voting under the Trump administration. The agency is seeking to assert more control over elections and challenge how states conduct them, a shift that could have significant consequences in the midterm elections this year, when control of Congress hangs in the balance. It is part of a broader effort by Mr. Trump to undermine confidence in the elections by repeatedly making baseless claims of voter fraud.” (Also linked yesterday.) 

Jill Cowan of the New York Times: “Trump administration officials said on Thursday that they were pulling federal funds from a troubled homelessness agency in Los Angeles, prompting an outcry from local leaders who said that the move could force thousands back onto the streets. In a letter, officials with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development said they were immediately suspending funding for the agency, the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority [LAHSA], which has received almost $1 billion in federal money over the past five years.... Federal officials cited numerous reports and investigations from recent years that found that the agency, known as LAHSA, had misspent millions of dollars and failed to properly account for its spending.”

More Fall-out from the NYT Report on the Trump Administration Conspiracy to Cover up the Epstein Files. Marina Dunbar of the Guardian: “Democrats on the House oversight committee, led by Representative Robert Garcia, plan to call on JD Vance to testify on the Trump administration’s handling of the Epstein files following a major report on Wednesday from the New York Times, which described how the Epstein files became the source of an internal crisis within Trump’s administration. Garcia will call on the committee chair, James Comer, to summon the vice-president to speak, according to a post from Max Cohen, a reporter with Punchbowl News.”

Robert Jimison & Dustin Volz of the New York Times: “Members of Congress departed Washington on Thursday without acting to extend one of the government’s most powerful surveillance authorities for collecting information on foreign threats overseas, all but assuring that the law will expire as scheduled on Saturday. In a 218-to-198 vote, the House rejected a measure to temporarily renew a statute that underpins the government’s cornerstone electronic spying program, known as Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Not long afterward, Democrats blocked a similar last-ditch effort in the Senate, underscoring the stalemate ahead of a Friday midnight deadline to extend it. A clutch of bipartisan lawmakers had until recently been negotiating some marginal changes to the law in a push to earn enough support from privacy advocates to renew the authority for three years.

“But the group splintered after ... []Donald Trump said last week that he was installing Bill Pulte, a top housing official and a close ally who has no intelligence background, as acting director of national intelligence.... Hours after the extension bill failed in the House and lawmakers began leaving Washington for a weeklong recess, Mr. Trump said he would nominate Jay Clayton.... It was not immediately clear whether Democrats would view Mr. Clayton more favorably than Mr. Pulte, and the announcement appeared to be too late to prevent the expiration of Section 702. Mr. Trump also did not withdraw Mr. Pulte as his choice for acting spy chief — a demand made by some top Democrats.”

This Could Not Be Stupider. Noah Robertson of the Washington Post: “Congressional Republicans are backing the Trump administration’s effort to rebrand the Defense Department as the Department of War, inserting language into must-pass legislation that would make the name change official. The House and Senate armed services committees included the measure in their versions of the National Defense Authorization Act, the defense policy bill that authorizes $1.15 trillion in military spending. Both panels advanced their drafts of the legislation over the last week, despite losing far more Democratic support than usual in the normally bipartisan process. Neither draft has yet passed the full House or Senate, and the two versions will need to be reconciled before final votes, expected later this year.” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: As Art Intel says, "Most countries transitioned their military departments from "War" to 'Defense' following World War II. This global shift aimed to project peaceful intentions, align with international law, and consolidate various branches (Army, Navy, and Air Force) under one administrative umbrella." Yes, but now peace is a wimpy, liberal thang. We like our manly warfighters. Also Europeans are effete girly girls: ~~~

~~~ Christopher Schuetze & Eric Schmitt of the New York Times: “The United States plans to significantly reduce the aircraft and warships that it makes available for NATO operations in Europe, according to two senior European officials, accelerating America’s effort to scale down the protection it has offered to European allies for eight decades. The decision would limit NATO’s ability to launch long-range strikes and conduct surveillance. It was communicated to allies in early June in a written document.... Details, some of which were first reported in the German news outlet Die Welt, provide the clearest picture yet of the extent to which the Trump administration intends to reduce its commitment to NATO, a military alliance created in the aftermath of World War II.” 

Screw Worms. Brought to you by Donald Trump & Elon Musk: ~~~

~~~ Happily for Elon, unless a screw worm infests his brain, he will skate away from responsibility for what he has wrought. On to bigger & better things: ~~~

~~~ Ryan Mac of the New York Times: “SpaceX, Elon Musk’s rocket and satellite maker, officially finalized its initial public offering price to become the world’s largest stock market debut, in a testament to the tech mogul’s influence and people’s belief in his business vision. On Thursday, SpaceX confirmed its I.P.O. price was set at $135 a share and that it would sell more than 555 million shares, according to a company statement. That means SpaceX would raise around $75 billion from its offering, putting its valuation at $1.77 trillion.”

David Hockney, "Santa Monica Boulevard," 1978-80. 

~~~ Holland Cotter of the New York Times: “David Hockney, the English artist whose deftly designed and suavely colored paintings turned trans-Atlantic attention to figurative and narrative art beginning in the late 1950s and early 1960s after decades in which abstraction had dominated, died on Thursday at his home in London. He was 88.... A native of Yorkshire, Mr. Hockney lived for many years in Los Angeles, long enough to refer to himself as an 'English Los Angeleno' and to create images that, for many viewers, captured the sun-soaked atmosphere of that city as surely as Joan Didion did in prose.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Minnesota. Sheila Regan & Jeremy Roebuck of the Washington Post: “The man accused of assassinating a former speaker of the Minnesota House and her husband last year in what authorities have described as an act of targeted political violence pleaded guilty Thursday after federal prosecutors said they would not seek the death penalty against him. Vance Boelter, 58, of Green Isle, Minnesota, told a federal judge he fatally shot state Rep. Melissa Hortman (D) and her husband, Mark, during an early-morning rampage last June in which he disguised himself as a police officer and sought to target other lawmakers. Boelter also admitted to shooting State Sen. John A. Hoffman (D) and his wife, Yvette, during the attacks. They survived but sustained critical injuries and watched Thursday’s hearing from the courtroom gallery.” (Also linked yesterday.)

Texas. Carl Hulse of the New York Times: “Senator John Cornyn was not consoled when ... [Donald] Trump professed on social media that the senior Republican from Texas would 'remain my friend for a long time to come' after the president had enthusiastically endorsed the man who defeated Mr. Cornyn, ending his Senate career. 'If that’s the way friends treat you, you wonder about his enemies,' Mr. Cornyn said this week in his first extensive interview since his loss two weeks ago to Attorney General Ken Paxton of Texas, an opponent Mr. Cornyn labeled corrupt and unfit for the Senate. Mr. Cornyn said he had come to terms with his defeat.... Now the Trump administration might find itself having to come to terms with Mr. Cornyn as he flexes new political freedom, joining a handful of other Senate Republicans not seeking re-election or defeated in primaries at Mr. Trump’s behest who now have added room to maneuver. 'I think it is going to be a pretty bumpy ride for the next seven months,' Mr. Cornyn said during a wide-ranging conversation in his Capitol office as he reflected on the tumultuous Texas election and his nearly quarter-century in Washington.” Update: the link has been changed to one that appears to be a gift link.