June 4, 2026

Theodoric Meyer & Jarrell Dillard of the Washington Post: “The Senate rejected an initial effort Thursday to bar the Trump administration from creating a controversial fund to compensate people who claim they were wrongfully prosecuted or investigated. Republican Sens. Susan Collins (Maine), Jon Husted (Ohio) and Dan Sullivan (Alaska) joined Democrats in voting for the amendment, which failed 50-49. Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colorado) did not vote. The vote was the first of several expected attempts to amend legislation that Republicans are seeking to pass Thursday to fund federal immigration enforcement agencies — as a way to guarantee that the Trump administration cannot set up such a payout fund.” MB: All three Republicans who voted with Democrats are running for re-election this year.

So Long, Farewell, Auf Wieders'hen, Good Night. Jonathan Edwards of the Washington Post: “The Kennedy Center on Thursday ordered employees to remove ... Donald Trump’s name from the performing arts venue, telling staff members in a memo from its general counsel that they have until June 12 to strip all references from signs, brochures, the website and other materials — and to update email signatures and letterhead immediately. The directive came six days after U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled that the Kennedy Center’s board had exceeded its authority when it voted in December to add Trump’s name to the center. The memo was the first indication that the Kennedy Center plans to comply with Cooper’s order.” MB: Sounds like a fun watch party is in order. Dibs on the “M”!

The Arc de Trump Is a Dangerous, Half-Baked Monstrosity. But Trump Has Put His Pudgy Thumb on the Scale. Luke Broadwater of the New York Times: Donald “Trump's plan to build a 250-foot arch in Washington is up for review on Thursday by a federal planning commission, which will consider whether the structure could disrupt flight patterns or violate laws restricting the height of buildings in the nation’s capital. The National Capital Planning Commission, which is led by allies of Mr. Trump, has received nearly 1,700 public comments about the proposed triumphal arch, almost all of which opposed it. Staff at the commission have also raised several issues about Mr. Trump’s plan. Aside from their concerns about the flight pattern and height issues, members of the panel have said the president’s proposal lacks adequate information about building materials, proposed lighting and storm water management compliance, according to a document prepared by the group before Thursday’s meeting. The commission is the federal government’s planning agency for the Washington, D.C., region, but Republicans and employees of Mr. Trump control a majority of the votes on the panel.”

Marie: Earlier today, I linked to a NYT story with the lede: Donald “Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday that strips job protections from nearly 8,000 federal workers who are in policy-making roles, making it easier for the administration to fire them.” We already know that everything Trump does is wrong. In today's Comments, Patrick explains the core of what's wrong with essentially forcing these civil servants to become political hacks. 

The plea agreement set up with John Bolton makes clear that Fat Hitler knows for a 100% true fact that sneaking off with secret documents is a CRIME. But only others can be held liable for it. He has total immunity, thanks so much, John Roberts, you incredible asshole. -- Akhilleus, in today's Comments ~~~ 

Bolton Makes a Deal. Devlin Barrett & Michael Schmidt of the New York Times: “John R. Bolton, a national security adviser to ... [Donald] Trump in his first term, has reached a tentative deal with prosecutors to plead guilty to mishandling classified information when he compiled notes for a book that was harshly critical of the president, according to two people familiar with the matter.... Under the terms of the plea deal, which still requires approval from a judge, Mr. Bolton plans to plead guilty to a single count of illegal retention of classified information and pay a fine, facing anywhere from no prison time to five years of incarceration when he is sentenced.... If Mr. Bolton had gone to trial and lost, he could have faced decades in prison. The plea would provide [Mr.] Trump perhaps his most significant victory in his campaign to prosecute his perceived enemies, which so far has largely foundered once cases hit the courts.” Thanks to RAS for the lead. Update: I've changed the link to one that appears to be a gift link.

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Marie: This is a test because of course this blogger thing is not working right. I've been trying for an hour to get this (partial) update to load. Okay, it doesn't work in Firefox at all, so -- to make a long story short -- I have to update in Firefox, then transfer the update to Chrome. Then update again. Just weird. I'm going to try a few more tricks, so I may trick myself out of being able to do any updates at all. If so, don't worry; I'm fine, my computer system is not. At worst, I should be back in a couple of days. ~~~ 

     ~~~ Test 4. Huh. I think this one worked. Maybe. This is a nightmare. P.S. Sorry. I thought I was thru whining earlier. (See below.) I guess not.

Marie: I don't know how this will to go. I had to turn my computer over to BestBuy for a couple of days, so I'm working off a teeny-tiny laptop that doesn't have my password information; ergo, I'm not sure what sites I can log into. I did just find my way to the NYT, so there's that. In the meantime, I may become weak from hunger, as I can't go shopping: somebody in California stole my debit and credit card info, and the Bank of America, which loves to stiff its customers, says it will be six to ten business days before they cut me new cards & get them in my mailbox. This is where I notice that the institutions upon which we all rely can kick us out of our normal existence just like that. So much for my whining; let's see what I can do under straitened circumstances.

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What a Good Boy Is He. Jeremy Roebuck & Perry Stein of the Washington Post: “... Donald Trump said Wednesday he planned to formally nominate acting attorney general Todd Blanche for a full term as the nation’s chief law enforcement officer, signaling confidence in his former personal defense lawyer’s leadership of a department over which the president has sought to exert unprecedented control. Trump announced his intention to move forward Thursday with the nomination during a White House dinner Wednesday evening, according to a video of his remarks posted to social media by deputy White House chief of staff Dan Scavino.” An MS NOW report is here. 

In case you were kidding yourself into thinking that Trump's lawyer had killed the slush fund to pay off the cop-beating, insurrectionist goon squad, let's check on what his client is saying: ~~~

~~~ Luke Broadwater of the New York Times: Donald “Trump on Wednesday said he still loved the idea of a $1.8 billion fund to use taxpayer money to pay his allies who claim they have been politically persecuted, even after his administration said it was dropping the plan. Todd Blanche, the acting attorney general, said on Tuesday that the administration was 'not moving forward with the fund, period,' after the plan drew enormous, bipartisan backlash.... 'I love it,' Mr. Trump said of the fund. 'I think it’s so important.'... Asked whether the fund was actually dead or merely on hold, the president said: 'I’d have to ask the lawyers.' He added: 'The weaponization fund, as far as I’m concerned, was a beautiful thing.' The president then spoke in praiseworthy terms of the pro-Trump mob that stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, chanting 'Hang Mike Pence,' defacing the halls of Congress and attacking and injuring more than 150 officers. 'These are great people that were destroyed, their families have been destroyed,' he said, adding, 'They went there with love.'” ~~~

We’ll see how that all works out.... But a radical-left judge ruled against it, but these people, their lives have been destroyed, their families have been destroyed, many of them. Not just, I’m not just talking about a few people, many of them. I’m one of them. -- Donald Trump, hedging on slush fund, to reporters in the Oval Office, Wednesday ~~~ 

     ~~~ Cat Zakrzewski of the Washington Post has more: “Trump cut off [a] reporter when she pressed him on Republican lawmakers’ concerns that 'people who beat up cops' would be eligible for payments from the fund. Trump’s unexpected Oval Office session with reporters was his first public appearance — and his first exchange with the White House press corps — in about a week, an unusually long time for him.” The headlineon the WashPo front page is “President declines to say $1.8 billion fund is dead.” ~~~

~~~ Oh, And There's This. Theodore Schleifer & Ken Bensinger of the New York Times: “A little-noticed nonprofit founded by Trump donors has been raising millions of dollars to provide legal assistance to the president’s allies, including those who may want to sue the government over claims of unjust prosecution. The pot of money, called the Lawfare Defense Fund, has raised at least $36 million to support those who consider themselves unjust victims of the legal system with grants to pay for litigation. The fund, which is registered as a charity, has operated in relative obscurity, with no public-facing presence or communications.... The Lawfare Defense Fund could boost Mr. Trump’s efforts to aid supporters, especially as his administration’s plan founders.” MB: The reporters claim Trump “has retreated” from his slush fund scheme. I don't think so. Akhilleus pointed out in commentary yesterday that the media constantly sane-washes Trump's remarks and behavior. Claiming Trump has retreated from a corrupt -- and unpopular -- initiative is beyond sane-washing; it's simply lying to make Trump seem like a reasonable person. (The article is dated June 3. There's no time-stamp on it, so it could have been published before Trump spoke up in favor of the slush fund yesterday. If so, the story should have been updated to reflect his remarks, which indicate he has not “retreated” from his advocacy for the slush fund and Jan 6 thugs.) 

Hafiz Rashid of the New Republic, republished by Yahoo! News: Donald "Trump was sporting a swollen eye and hand in an interview with New York Post's Miranda Devine on the conservative podcast Pod Force One. Trump's right eye clearly showed puffiness and looked oddly misshapen compared to his left eye, while his right hand looked much bigger than his left.... No matter how much Trump talks about how great his medical tests are going or how well he's doing, it's plainly evident that the public isn't being told the whole story." MB: So Trump disappears from public view for a week during which he had an extensive physical, and he come back with a swollen black eye & a swollen, bruised hand, and we're supposed to think he's just fine???

Eileen Sullivan of the New York Times: Donald “Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday that strips job protections from nearly 8,000 federal workers who are in policy-making roles, making it easier for the administration to fire them. The Trump administration previously estimated that as many as 50,000 federal workers could lose job protections under this new policy. Administration officials said Wednesday that there were no plans to include more than the nearly 8,000 positions outlined in an appendix to the executive order, but the president could decide to add more in the future. The jobs covered by the executive order include the heads of agency components, those who run an office or a program, people who develop and write regulations, lawyers involved in setting agency policies and employees who determine which organizations receive grants.”

Trump's Latest Tariff Scam. David Lynch of the Washington Post: “The Trump administration has taken a key step toward rebuilding a tariff wall around the U.S. economy, announcing new restrictions on goods from 60 trading partners that U.S. officials say lack sufficient prohibitions on the use of forced labor. Under the plan, goods from nations that the U.S. says have not banned forced labor, including China, India, Britain and Japan, will face 12.5 percent tariffs. Goods from the European Union, Canada, Mexico and other nations that the U.S. says have failed to enforce bans will face 10 percent levies, the administration said in a late-night announcement Tuesday....  The planned tariffs, which will be implemented next month following a public comment period, are the result of a Section 301 investigation by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), which permits the president to act against unfair trade practices.... Some U.S. trading partners reacted sharply to the announcement. A spokesman for the European Commission, the E.U.’s executive arm, called the new tariffs 'unjustified,' while the head of the European Parliament’s trade committee accused the administration of inventing a rationale for new trade levies.”

David Fahrenthold of the New York Times: “The Trump administration ... is using a no-bid contract to spruce up some of the capital’s more obscure features: four largely overlooked statues near the National Mall. The statues, featuring 19-foot-tall humans and horses, have been deteriorating for decades.... But this spring, the government decided that the figures needed to be covered in 23.75-karat gold leaf, and that this painstaking job needed to be done before the country’s 250th birthday.... The Trump administration said again that it needed to bypass the legally required process of seeking competitive bids. It handed a contract now worth $5.1 million directly to a handpicked vendor called the Gilders’ Studio, based in Maryland....

“When Mr. Trump launched a broad makeover of Washington landmarks last year, repairing monuments and statues across the capital, these statues were left out. In late March, however, the Park Service began to treat them as a high priority.... The Park Service estimated in late March that the repair work would cost about $2.4 million. Katie Martin, a spokeswoman for the Interior Department, which oversees the Park Service, declined to say why the cost of the contract was roughly double that.”

They're All Criminals. Some Are Violent Criminals. Like This Guy. Joyce Lee., et al., of the Washington Post: “A recent appointee to a sensitive counterterrorism job in the Defense Department was filmed for more than five minutes during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot as he moved through restricted grounds and climbed through a broken window, holding a metal pole, to enter the U.S. Capitol, according to a Washington Post analysis. The Post reported Tuesday that Elias Irizarry, who was 19 at the time of the attack, was hired to a post in the Pentagon’s Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict office. The team’s portfolio includes operations such as embassy security, personnel recovery and hostage rescue. Irizarry pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor trespass charge in 2022 and was later pardoned by President Donald Trump along with many others who were at the Capitol on Jan. 6.... In a statement, acting Pentagon press secretary Joel Valdez said that Irizarry 'is a qualified, patriotic young professional, and we are proud to have him as a political appointee.'”

Fatima Hussein of the AP:  “Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent refused to say Wednesday whether ... Donald Trump and his family would still get immunity from IRS audits after the administration abandoned plans for a $1.776 billion compensation fund that would have benefited the president’s allies. 'There’s continuing litigation, and I’m unable to comment on ongoing litigation,' Bessent told lawmakers at the Senate Finance Committee hearing.” MB: Gosh, sometimes it's convenient to fastidiously follow traditional rules. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., was not convinced by Bessent's sudden boy to propriety. She told him, “It’s been very clear you’re dodging this and you’re trying to use it as an excuse. It’s just outrageous on behalf of the American public.”

Alan Rappeport of the New York Times: “Speaking at a Senate Finance Committee hearing, [Treasury Secretary Scott] Bessent said that he had spoken with [Bill] Pulte, who is the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, [whom Donald Trump has chosen to act as national intelligence director] and that he looked forward to working with him both on housing matters and on 'several pressing issues on Iran.'... At a kickoff dinner [last September] at the Executive Branch, a members-only club in Georgetown started by the president’s eldest son and a few of his allies, Mr. Bessent confronted Mr. Pulte for allegedly trash-talking him to the president. Asked on Wednesday by Senator Thom Tillis, Republican of North Carolina, if it was true that Mr. Bessent threatened to punch Mr. Pulte in the face, Mr. Bessent [replied].... “I actually said I was going to kick his ass.'...” 

~~~ Marie: Akhilleus wrote a Debbie Downer post in yesterday's Comments section. I endorse his pessimism. I see signs almost every day that the country is barreling into the abyss. Donald Trump's plan is to destroy the democratic aspects of our governing system. Trump has plenty of accomplices. One obvious accomplice is Bill Pulte, to whom Trump has just handed the nation's top secrets (BTW, word is that Pulte doesn't have any security clearance). Pulte has already rifled through confidential mortgage docs to find dirt on Trump's "enemies"; just think what he can do with national security secrets. Or national security "threats": why, he'll be finding terrorists in every district that votes heavily Democratic.  He will either take over administration of these voting district or he will just stop everybody in those districts from voting. You think Sen. Jon Ossoff (D) will keep his seat just because the majority of Georgia voters would choose him? Ha! Fulton County, here we come! Unless there is some institutional revolution, Trump and Co. will prevail. 

Marie: Markwayne has been complaining that New Jersey did not cooperate enough with the DHS. I didn't hear where he said anything about the DHS not even minimally cooperating with New Jersey. ~~~ 

~~~ Tracey Tully of the New York Times: “Gov. Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey said Wednesday that federal immigration officials were continuing to bar her from entering a detention center in Newark, raising 'serious questions about what is happening behind its walls.' Ms. Sherrill noted that she had met Tuesday evening with relatives of migrants being held at the Delaney Hall detention center, which has become a focal point of protest against ... [Donald] Trump’s immigration crackdown. She said that the relatives had shared 'heartbreaking reports of unsafe, inhumane and unconstitutional conditions' inside the 1,000-bed jail. 'Detainees have requested to meet with me,' Ms. Sherrill, a Democrat, wrote in a social media post, 'and I want to meet with them.'”

Robert Jimison & Megan Mineiro of the New York Times: “The House on Wednesday voted to direct ... [Donald] Trump to withdraw U.S. forces from the conflict with Iran or win approval from Congress to continue the war, after four Republicans sided with Democrats in a striking sign of growing opposition to a military campaign now in its fourth month. Adoption of the resolution was a remarkable rebuke to Mr. Trump and his handling of the conflict, after he has repeatedly dismissed any effort by Congress to curb his power and as the G.O.P. has largely ceded its prerogatives to do so, deferring to him time and again. Republicans had abruptly postponed the vote two weeks ago, recognizing that they did not have sufficient votes to defeat the measure and wanting to spare themselves and the president the affront. But they made no headway over the ensuing days in winning converts, as the conflict has dragged on and Mr. Trump has made little progress toward ending it. G.O.P. leaders were unable to delay the vote any longer because Democrats had invoked the War Powers Resolution, which requires consideration of such measures within a limited period of time.” The AP's report is here. ~~~

~~~ Robert Jimison of the New York Times: “The four [House Republicans who broke with Mr. Trump] hail from different factions within the G.O.P.; two are staunch conservatives with libertarian views that include opposition to foreign military intervention, while the other two are more mainstream Republicans from competitive districts where backing for the war could be a political liability. All of them expressed a firm belief that Congress, not the president alone, must weigh in on the scope and objectives of the war.... Here is a look at who defected, and why. Warren Davidson of Ohio..., Tom Barrett of Michigan..., Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania..., [and] Thomas Massie of Kentucky.”

Robert Jimison of the New York Times: “Defying Republican leaders, the House voted on Wednesday to take up a bill to impose sweeping new sanctions on Russia and provide additional aid to Ukraine, after a bloc of G.O.P. defectors joined Democrats in an effort to ratchet up pressure on Moscow more than four years into the war. The bill, which still must win passage in the House, faces a difficult path to enactment, given divisions in the Senate over a sanctions package and objections from the White House.... [Donald] Trump has repeatedly signaled he does not want Congress constraining his flexibility to negotiate directly with Moscow, and could veto the legislation if it reaches his desk. Still, the 218-to-204 vote to take it up, in which six Republicans and one independent who normally votes with them crossed party lines to side with Democrats, sent a clear signal of bipartisan pressure on the matter. It added to a growing list of issues on which the Republican-led Congress has in recent weeks shown a greater willingness to challenge Mr. Trump, including the war with Iran, his push to fund a new White House ballroom and a bid to create a federal fund to benefit his political allies.” The Hill's report is here. ~~~

~~~ MEANWHILE, Across the Hall. Annie Karni of the New York Times: “The Senate voted along party lines on Wednesday to take up Republicans’ $70 billion immigration crackdown bill, but several G.O.P. senators suggested they would not allow it to pass without new language barring ... [Donald] Trump from creating a fund to compensate his political allies.... Before bringing it up, Republicans followed through on a decision they made late last month to jettison $1 billion in security funds for Mr. Trump’s ballroom and other White House renovations, which had drawn a mini-revolt within his party.... The vote set the stage for a lengthy vote-a-thon on a range of issues that is expected to culminate on Thursday in Senate passage of the immigration enforcement bill, which Republicans are pushing through Congress using special procedures that shield it from a filibuster. To do so, they will need near unanimity to overcome united Democratic opposition.” 

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California Elections Results. Jill Cowan & Tim Balk of the New York Times update California election results. The top two candidates for the top two races -- governor and L.A. mayor -- have not yet been called.

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Israel/Lebanon, et al. Eprat Livni of the New York Times: “Israel and Lebanon have agreed to renew their cease-fire and work toward a 'comprehensive' agreement, the two nations announced on Wednesday in a joint statement with the United States. While the announcement may help to remove an obstacle in the talks between the United States and Iran, the agreement depends on the cooperation of Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group fighting Israel. Hezbollah is not a part of, or controlled by, the Lebanese government and is not a party to either set of negotiations. 'The cease-fire is contingent on a complete cessation of Hezbollah fire and the evacuation of all Hezbollah operatives from the South Litani Sector,' the statement said, referring to an area of southern Lebanon that borders Israel. Israeli troops have occupied this area since shortly after the militant group resumed fighting with Israel. Hezbollah began firing rockets across the border into northern Israel in support of Tehran on March 1, a day after the U.S.-Israeli strikes began on Iran. Israel then escalated the conflict....”