September 20, 2026

Christina Morales & Lauren McGaughy of the New York Times: “An Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent shot a man in the torso in Austin, Texas, local authorities said, the latest violent episode to occur as the Trump administration pushes to increase deportations. State, local and federal law enforcement officers were investigating the episode that took place under a highway overpass in Northwest Austin. A blue Toyota Corolla punctured by bullets was pulled to the side of the road. Yellow police tape and state trooper vehicles blocked access to the scene. The area, home to many Latino residents, has seen a recent surge in immigration activity, Austin city officials said at a news conference on Sunday afternoon. City officials said that the person shot was in serious but stable condition at a hospital. Other details remained murky.” At 6:20 pm ET Sunday, this was a developing story. The link is a gift link.

Betty Cracker of Balloon Juice has some thoughts on plans for up-and-coming Nazi-esque memorials to "a bug-fuck crazy autocrat." Thanks to RAS for the link. ~~~

~~~⭐AND here's the word from Tom Nichols of the Atlantic: "... Donald Trump is not an emotionally healthy man, and his obsession with monuments is not a mere diversion from the pressures of the job. His most recent tirade ... suggests a president who is now lost in a fantasy city in his mind, a capital where the buildings are festooned with his name, drenched in glitz, and bristling with weapons.... Trump’s imaginings of castle-like defenses on the Potomac move beyond mere bad taste to a place of genuine weirdness.... [In his latest description of it, the Arc de Trump] would also be a permanent storage facility for a lot of ammunition. What could go wrong? A space open to the public would also be a continuously operating military installation. Just imagine the sense of peace that visitors, tourists, and schoolchildren would feel standing atop an ammo dump full of ordnance.... Militarizing an arch in front of the Memorial Bridge is an even more dangerous and stupid idea than turning a ballroom into a bastion.... It will loom over [Arlington National C]emetery, insisting that instead of thinking of the honored dead, Americans think only of Donald Trump." Thanks to akaWendy for this gift link. Read on. The last grafs of Nichols' essay, IMO, are particularly important.

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Jonathan Rauch & Peter Wehner in a New York Times op-ed: “Revolutions can fail but still scar the landscape. And Mr. Trump, with just under two-and-a-half years left in his second term, might emotionally and psychologically blow apart. But things are different than they were. The 80-year-old president is losing his grip on power and even his own base. The MAGA movement is fracturing. And the president no longer inspires the fear he once did. We know something today that wasn’t altogether clear a year ago: America’s civil society is harder to intimidate and rewire than MAGA’s cultural revolutionaries hoped.” The link is a gift link. ~~~

~~~ Marie: I have knocked myself out avoiding stories about Ed Sheeran's concert tour. But in light of Rauch & Wehner's claim that Trump hasn't been able to do much to change American culture, I guess I should at least touch on the latest developments in the controversial concert tour. So here they are, courtesy of Elena Bergeron of the New York Times; the link is a gift link. ~~~

     ~~~ Mentioned in Bergeron's story for his prominent part in the controversy: New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft. Kraft, BTW, who took credit for getting pro-Palestinian rapper Macklemore kicked off Sheeran's tour, is a long-time confidant of Donald Trump's. Kraft donated $1 million to Trump's first inaugural hoohah and has otherwise contributed to Trump's campaigns. Oh, and his wife is on Trump's Kennedy Center Board. Though some might want to argue otherwise, it appears to me that the arc of the Sheeran concert tour saga does seem to support Rauch & Wehner's thesis.

“Life Imitates Art Far More Than Art Imitates Life.” Dick Polman on Substack: “Ninety years ago, [Sinclair Lewis,] the author of It Can’t Happen Here[,] created a presidential candidate named Buzz Windrip who rose to power with an openly demagogic agenda. Buzz believed that nonstop lying was the best way to connect with voters ('it is not fair to ordinary folks - it just confuses them - to try to make them swallow all the true facts'). He played them for suckers, and won. He told them that 'lowdown crooks, liars, and schemers' were trying to rig the election against him; that dishonest reporters, 'without thought of Public Interest,' were coming out of their 'spider dens'” to plot his downfall; and that members of the 'Nordic' race were more American than 'people of inferior races.' And he promised that, once elected, he would give each person $5000.” Thanks to Ken W. for the link. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Ninety years ago was of course the mid-1930s. What Polman doesn't tell you is that Lewis wrote his book as a cautionary tale against the on-going fascistic movements of Adolf Hitler & Benito Mussolini that so alarmed him. His model for the protagonist was the American demagogue Huey Long, who was assassinated just before It Can't Happen Here was published. Many observers have compared Trump to Long. Here's something I didn't know about Long: Art Intel says that "When Long wanted a new governor's mansion resembling the White House, he bypassed the legislature and used convict labor to tear down the old one overnight."

In my best Bette Davis imitation: What a Dick! The New York Times is running a liveblog on Donald Trump's latest fascistic (and unconstitutional) power play. From the pinned item (by Michael Grynbaum) at 12:10 pm ET:

“Journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico were denied access to the White House grounds on Saturday, a day after ... [Donald] Trump announced a ban on three news organizations because of reporting he disliked. Akayla Gardner, a White House correspondent for MS NOW, said that her White House-issued access badge failed to work at the security entrance where reporters typically enter near the West Wing. 'The officer asked me to hand over my badge; he said that it was disabled,' Ms. Gardner said in an on-air interview. 'I asked why I could not get inside; he said it was above him.' A photographer for MS NOW was also asked to relinquish their badge, but a producer for the network was allowed into the White House, Ms. Gardner said.

“Betsy Klein, a veteran CNN correspondent, described a similar experience that occurred about an hour later. She said that a White House security officer, whom she has known for years, informed her that her badge had been deactivated. 'I asked if he had any more details he could share with me,' Ms. Klein said in an on-air interview. 'He said I should be referred to the White House press office for more information.' Cheyenne Haslett, a reporter at Politico, was also denied access to the White House on Saturday morning, according to a note to staff from Jonathan Greenberger, Politico’s editor in chief, that was described in the publication’s Playbook newsletter.” The link is a gift link. (Also linked yesterday.)~~~

Donald Trump has a problem with the public knowing the truth, and that’s because the truth isn’t favorable to him. Soaring gas prices aren’t favorable to him. The Epstein files aren’t favorable to him. A weakening economy isn’t favorable to him. The only thing that is favorable to him is the public believing his lies — and that is only possible if he controls the narrative. -- NAACP President Derrick Johnson ~~~

     ~~~ Zolan Kanno-Youngs of the New York Times: Donald “Trump's grabs for power kept falling short..., so ... an increasingly frustrated Mr. Trump, seeking to change the subject, has turned to a new assault on his preferred foe: the news media. The White House on Saturday moved ahead with Mr. Trump’s surprise announcement banning journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House, an escalation in Mr. Trump’s long battle with the press. But it also fits a pattern for Mr. Trump when he faces a political quagmire, according to former government officials and civil rights organizations: He seeks to change the narrative by mobilizing the government to crack down on those willing to question his power.... Mr. Trump ... on Friday said he was imposing the ban, which caught some White House officials by surprise and occurred while his chief of staff [Susie Wiles] was out of town, because he did not like the coverage of the three news outlets. And he indicated he would lift his ban if they succumbed to his will.” The link is a gift link. A Politico report is here. ~~~

~~~ Here's Rachel Maddow, also asserting that Trump's kicking reporters out of the White House is a diversionary tactic: ~~~

~~~ Mack Liederman of the New York Times: “Condemnation from leading news outlets was nearly universal, including from many that compete directly with CNN, MS NOW and Politico.... Jacqui Heinrich, a Fox News anchor and the president of the White House Correspondents’ Association, said on social media that the right to First Amendment protections 'does not depend on whether the president likes a news organization’s coverage.'... Democrats pounced on Mr. Trump’s ban as an attempt to hide his administration’s shortcomings and to distract voters from other issues. They pointed out that Republicans were heading into a challenging election cycle with high inflation and an unpopular war with Iran started by Mr. Trump, whose support in the polls has sagged.” The link is a gift link

Reporter: China is one of the most repressive countries for journalists in the world.

Trump: Well, I don't know about that. I think we're repressive also. We get fake news. We don't repress, but they write fake news. (Thanks to RAS for the link.)

~~~ Jim Rutenberg & Maggie Haberman of the New York Times: “The Justice Department has sent F.B.I. agents to reporters’ homes [link fixed] to serve subpoenas and, in at least one case, flashed a warrant to seize devices. The Pentagon has fired the editor and publisher of its traditionally independent newspaper, Stars and Stripes, and blocked access to other journalists who refused to sign pledges that would limit their reporting. Regulatory agencies are using their powers to pressure media organizations over their content. The administration has stripped funding from public television and radio. Angry over stories he does not like, President Trump has sued major news organizations and the White House has taken control of the previously independent press pool that tracks the president, deciding which outlets can participate. Almost 20 months into Mr. Trump’s second term, his long-running media clashes have grown into a sweeping campaign to control speech in America that stands out for applying so many levers, so fast, all at once.... Free speech advocates say the president’s intent is apparent: to punish, intimidate and silence dissenters.” The link is a gift link. (Also linked yesterday.)

Barack Obama confesses to a failure of imagination: ~~~

President JFK reviews a model of the "National Cultural Center" in 1963.

~~~ This morning's top story on the New York Times' online front page is titled, "How President Trump Broke the Kennedy Center." The report begins with a telling anecdote. I hope it all drives Trump right up the White House wall: ~~~

~~~ Elizabeth Williamson & Julia Jacobs of the New York Times: “A storm brought down a five-foot piece of ceiling plaster at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts this month and its leadership sprang into action. One thing they did not do was repair the damage. Instead staff members left the mess on the carpet for nearly two weeks, posting photos on social media with commentary like “the place is falling apart and @realDonaldTrump wants to fix it.” They measured plaster shards and mapped the 'debris field' like investigators after a plane crash, for a 55-page briefing for the center’s board about the building’s decay. No one was injured but Mr. Trump claimed online that a security guard had narrowly avoided 'certain death.' Less than two hours later, his allies on the board voted to close the center, citing safety concerns. Mr. Trump’s threats this past week suggest that saving face, not lives, better explains why he shuttered the Kennedy Center on Tuesday for what officials said would be a temporary closure....

“Internal emails and documents obtained by The New York Times demonstrate the political capture of the institution by the whims of Mr. Trump, who at the start of his second term installed a board that made him chairman. Audiences and donors fled, and its finances cratered.... It was first known as the National Cultural Center, conceived in the 1950s by a Republican president, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and then championed by Kennedy, a Democrat, as an artistic oasis for all. The two presidents built public support and raised money for the center, and their wives were honorary co-chairs of its board. After Kennedy’s assassination in 1963, Congress passed a law that named the center for him and required it to operate as a living memorial. The governing framework that developed aimed to insulate the institution from partisanship.” The link is a gift link. ~~~

     ~~~ Rebecca Ritzel of MS NOW also follows the money, as best she can, and finds that "the Kennedy Center ran a $40 million budget surplus the fiscal year before Trump took over.... [Now, under Trump's "management," the Center's debt] may not be 'hundreds of millions,' ... it does appear that the Kennedy Center has debt. And Trump [is] the man who allegedly caused that debt to accrue...."

People protesting against Trump at the Kennedy Center, Friday. WashPo photo.

At the strong request of the United States Military, and for National Security purposes, I have agreed to convert the magnificent Triumphal Arch, planned since the Civil War Era many years ago, at the Receptive Circle adjoining the Arlington Memorial Bridge, into a top grade Military Complex/Triumphal Arch, to house, store, and have the rapid ability to use large numbers of drones, plus Snipers, on both the roof and plaza areas, and additionally have and hold large quantities of sniper ammunition in storage. -- Donald Trump in a social media post Sunday ~~~

~~~ Arc de Trump News, Ctd. Here We Go Again with the Fake "National Security" Excuse. Ben Berkowitz of Axios: Donald "Trump said Sunday morning his proposed 'triumphal arch' in Washington will become a dual-use facility housing snipers, drones and ammunition storage.... The president is now framing construction of the arch as a national security issue — much like he did with the East Wing ballroom/military complex at the White House."

     ~~~ Everything Trump Says/Writes Is a Lie. Marie: As we know, Trump is lying about plans for an arch in the circle. The only recorded plans for the circle were developed in 1924, and Congress approved them in 1925, decades after the Civil War ended. Moreover, the plans were not for a massive arch that impeded views of Arlington to the west and the Lincoln memorial to the east. Rather, they were for two columns that framed those views.

Digby, too, confesses to a failure of imagination: "I guess we all knew that the American century was coming to a close and its influence and dominance was waning. Most of us didn’t see that as necessarily a bad thing. It served its purpose during the Cold War, and the progress made around the world in terms of health and security during that period was pretty profound, even though we were far from perfect. Hegemons never are. But I really didn’t see the King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette parallels ( Nero? Caligula?) coming, I must admit. A terrible failure of imagination on my part." Thanks to RAS for the link. ~~~

~~~ Marie: Of course Trump's penchant for pasting gold-colored geegaws on everything that doesn't move has not detered him from being the most corrupt, money-grubbing political weasel in the nation's history (oh, Lord, forgive me for scoffing at the poor dumb schmuck who stuffed his bribe money in the freezer): ~~~

~~~ Cat Zakrzewski & Shira Ovide of the Washington Post: “... Donald Trump’s sprawling family business empire has become increasingly intertwined with the boom in artificial intelligence, at the same time that he has resisted calls to slow the development of the technology, a Washington Post analysis of his financial disclosures and corporate announcements found. Several factors play into Trump’s push for rapid AI development: He has surrounded himself with technology executives and investors who have advocated for the government to accelerate AI development, including venture capitalist David Sacks, Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang and Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg. The president fears ceding an economic and technological advantage to China. And he has celebrated the stock market’s record highs, which are heavily tied to the performance of AI-related firms. But Trump also has a personal financial stake in industries benefiting from the AI build-out, creating potential conflicts of interest as his administration makes decisions that could affect the value of those investments. Unlike his recent predecessors, Trump has not placed his assets in a blind trust, and he has continued to buy and sell stocks while in office.” ~~~

~~~ Angie Hernandez of the Washington Sun (previously NOTUS): “... Donald Trump said he will soon appoint an artificial intelligence czar amid heightened scrutiny of whether the technology is progressing at a dangerous pace, he announced Saturday on Truth Social. In a long post defending the industry, Trump said he would create an 'AI Force' without specifying its exact functions. He added that in his capacity as president, he would 'not stand by' and allow its 'decimation, or destruction.' Lawmakers and tech leaders have sounded the alarm in recent weeks over the advancement of AI and its potential threat to society — including Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, who called for AI companies like his own to slow the technology’s progression last week. Trump has repeatedly pushed back against such concerns and framed AI development as an innovation race between the United States and China.”

Dan Diamond & Riley Beggin of the Washington Post: “The Trump administration’s confidential deals with pharmaceutical companies to lower U.S. drug prices include inducements to raise drug prices overseas and promise protection from ... Donald Trump’s tariffs, according to documents shared with The Washington Post. The documents, obtained through Freedom of Information Act lawsuits, detail negotiations between the administration and the pharmaceutical giants Pfizer and Eli Lilly. Both companies agreed to voluntarily cut some U.S. prices last year after negotiating with Department of Health and Human Services officials, and Trump celebrated the deals at the White House.... Both deals are scheduled to run through Jan. 20, 2029 — Trump’s last day in office — meaning the companies’ pricing concessions could expire after this administration ends.... The text of the agreements show that key terms remained unresolved when company executives promoted them with Trump. They also detail administration commitments that were not publicly disclosed, such as how it will resolve disputes with Pfizer. The documents contain broad confidentiality provisions.... A private agreement generally cannot, by itself, exempt government records from federal disclosure law....” ~~~

     ~~~ Public Citizen: “Copies of Pfizer and Eli Lilly’s 'most-favored nation' (MFN) agreements obtained by Public Citizen through the Freedom of Information Act are heavily redacted, making it difficult for the public to assess the true impact of the secret deals made with the Trump White House. The redactions reflect the administration’s disdain for the transparency and accountability the American people deserve. The agreements reveal concerning terms that will help facilitate pharma companies charging more for drugs abroad or discontinuing supplying drugs in other countries so that they can continue to charge U.S. customers high prices, suggesting that the Trump team may be doing more to protect pharma profits than patient pocketbooks.”

We're Still Murdering Boaters. AP, via Politico: “The U.S. military attacked a boat suspected of being used to smuggle drugs in the Caribbean Sea on Saturday, killing four people, as the Trump administration continues its monthslong campaign against alleged traffickers in Latin America. The latest attack brings the number of people who have been killed in boat strikes by the U.S. military to at least 231 in 69 strikes since the Trump administration began targeting those it calls 'narcoterrorists' almost a year ago. As with most of the military’s statements on strikes in the eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea, U.S. Southern Command said it targeted the alleged drug traffickers along known smuggling routes. The military did not provide evidence that the vessel was ferrying drugs.”

Pooja Salhotra, et al., of the New York Times: “The surge of cases [of measles in Pennsylvania] has been met by a surge in vaccinations, with an 84 percent increase in August, state health officials say. But there has also been defiance and resignation, as the state becomes the latest to contend with the once-eradicated disease. As the virus spreads through Pennsylvania, so have political and community tensions, stoked by a distrust of vaccines long proven safe and a disconnect between state and federal health agencies. More than 3,400 measles cases have been reported this year across 45 states, with Pennsylvania at the top of the list. Measles has been reported in 38 of the state’s 67 counties.... Declining vaccination rates across the country since the Covid-19 pandemic have helped fuel dozens of outbreaks of measles.... Vaccination coverage among U.S. kindergartners declined to about 92.4 percent in the 2025-2026 school year, below the 95 percent needed to obtain herd immunity....

“Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. disput[ed] whether measles directly caused the deaths reported by [Pennsylvania] state health officials. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention did not include those deaths in the national tally, a departure from the typical practice of accepting data reported by states. Dr. Debra Bogen, Pennsylvania’s health secretary, said in a letter to the director of the C.D.C. last week that the agency’s choice not to publicly recognize the deaths 'undermines our response.' She said the state would accept emergency aid from the C.D.C. only if the agency recognized the four deaths....” The link is a gift link.

Daniel Hampton of the Raw Story: "An explosive sworn complaint filed with the House Ethics Committee alleges Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) carried on a sexual relationship with her district director in the office, in a car and in campaign-paid hotel rooms — and that roughly $200,000 changed hands when the staffer threatened to go to the committee. The complaint says that after Clarice Navarro Ratzlaff left the office and told Boebert she intended to file an ethics complaint, a payment of about $200,000 followed in March 2025.... Navarro Ratzlaff is a former Colorado lawmaker who served as a U.S. Department of Agriculture official during the first Trump administration. She ran Boebert's district operation for four years. The complaint was executed Sept. 17 by David B. Wheeler, president and co-founder of American Muckrakers, a political action committee that has targeted Boebert for years. He published it himself." This story is being covered, as far as I can tell, mostly by left-leaning organizations. I would take the veracity of the allegations with a grain of salt at this point.

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California Elections. Laurel Rosenthall of the New York Times: “Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation on Saturday that is meant to prevent interference in California’s midterm elections in response to efforts by President Trump and other Republicans to restrict voting participation. Mr. Newsom and fellow Democrats in the State Legislature crafted the bills to broadly combat involvement by the Trump administration, without knowing specifically whether or how the federal government might engage in California’s elections. The state relies heavily on mail ballots, and Mr. Trump has taken particular aim at that form of voting. One bill prohibits the seizure of ballots, election records or voting technology before an election is certified. Another makes it a felony for people in positions of authority to direct their workers to interfere with the delivery of a mail ballot or its return to election officials.

“Mr. Newsom signed a package of 13 bills, including a measure that prohibits arrests within 200 feet of a polling place on Election Day, with exceptions for acts related to disrupting the election or crimes against people or property. Democrats have feared that the Trump administration could send federal agents to polling places in immigrant communities.... Among the other bills that Mr. Newsom signed are two that took aim at 'deepfake' ads generated by A.I. that mimic a politician’s voice or appearance to deceive voters.... Mr. Newsom also signed a bill that could accelerate California’s notoriously slow process for counting votes.” The link is a gift link. Here's a Democracy Docket report. ~~~

~~~ Ken Bensinger of the New York Times: “Gov. Gavin Newsom of California signed legislation on Saturday that will penalize social media influencers who do not properly disclose paid political content posted on the internet. The state has required the disclosures for paid posts about state- and local-level campaigns since 2023, but until now, content creators couldn’t be fined or prosecuted if they failed to comply. Now, California campaign finance regulators are empowered to impose fines on influencers of up to $5,000 for each violation or to refer those violations to law enforcement as potential misdemeanors. Politicians and advocacy groups are increasingly turning to influencers as a way to reach younger, more online audiences and, in some cases, are paying them for their support. But unlike traditional campaign advertising on television or billboards, there are no federal requirements to disclose payments for social media posts.” The link is a gift link.

Missouri Elections. Quelle Mess! Rudi Keller of the Missouri Independent: "Missourians living overseas began receiving their ballots Friday despite continuing uncertainty over which congressional candidates should be listed on them. Military personnel and other eligible Missourians outside the United States can receive ballots electronically or by regular mail, with military members in combat zones able to return voted ballots directly through a portal maintained by the Secretary of State’s office. Federal law directs election authorities to send the emails and post the envelopes by Friday, the last business day before the 45th day before the election. And while those deliveries were going out, and other work necessary to conduct the election continued around the state, officials in 28 counties were looking to the >8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis for a decision on the congressional district map. A three-judge panel on Thursday heard arguments from U.S. Rep. Bob Onder, state Sen. Rick Brattin and Secretary of State Denny Hoskins that the correct map for November is the gerrymandered plan drawn in 2025 to favor Republicans in seven of Missouri’s eight districts....The 8th Circuit did not rule Friday. Any decision it does reach is certain to be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court." ~~~

     ~~~ Brentin Mock of Democracy Docket: The ballots the state has sent out are "based on a 2022 map that courts have said is the legal version in place for the current election." MB: This is not the super-gerrymandered 2025 plan that Secretary of State Denny Hoskins prefers.

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Ukraine/Russia. Valerie Hopkins & Andrew Kramer of the New York Times: “Moscow and its surrounding region came under attack by hundreds of drones, the local authorities said on Sunday morning, on the final day of parliamentary, regional and local elections across Russia. About 1,600 drones heading toward the Moscow region were shot down, the Russian capital’s mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, said, including 450 that had been approaching the city. He called the attack the largest drone strike on Moscow of the war. Two people were killed, and 20 injured in the strike, Russian authorities said. An oil refinery and a warehouse were also hit. President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine posted on Facebook that the bombardment included the first use of a newly developed Ukrainian ballistic missile to strike inside Russia. That missile does not have the range to reach Moscow, according to its manufacturer, Fire Point, so would have been aimed elsewhere in Russia.” The link is a gift link.