The Conversation -- May 19, 2025

Now They're Arresting the Opposition. Luis Ferré-Sadurní of the New York Times: "The Justice Department charged a New Jersey congresswoman with assaulting federal agents during a clash outside a Newark immigration detention center and dropped a trespass charge against the city's mayor that arose from the same episode, the department said Monday. Alina Habba, the interim U.S. attorney for New Jersey, disclosed the move in a post on X, saying that the congresswoman, LaMonica McIver, had been charged 'for assaulting, impeding and interfering with law enforcement' when she visited the detention center with two other Democratic members of Congress from New Jersey on May 9.... Ms. Habba also announced that she had dismissed a misdemeanor charge for trespass against Ras J. Baraka, the Democratic mayor of Newark, whose arrest had precipitated the flare-up with federal agents after he sought to join the lawmakers on their tour of the detention center but was denied entry. She said she had dismissed the charge 'for the sake of moving forward.'" ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Arresting a Congresswoman attempting to fulfill her Constitutional duties is a consequential matter. You don't post about it on X. Unless you don't know WTF you're doing.

The President's efforts here to take over an organization outside of those bounds, contrary to statute established by Congress and by acts of force and threat using local and federal law enforcement officers, represented a gross usurpation of power and a way of conducting government affairs that unnecessarily traumatized the committed leadership and employees of USIP, who deserved better. -- Judge Beryl Howell, opinion, U.S. Institute of Peace v. Jackson ~~~

~~~ Derek Hawkins of the Washington Post: "A federal judge in Washington ruled Monday that the Trump administration exceeded its authority when it dismantled the U.S. Institute of Peace, an independent nonprofit created by Congress. U.S. District Judge Beryl A. Howell said the institute, while part of the federal government, was separate from the executive branch; therefore..., Donald Trump lacked power to terminate its board at will. Administration officials and members of billionaire Elon Musk's U.S. DOGE Service -- aided by local and federal law enforcement agencies -- seized the institute's privately owned headquarters in March and summarily removed its leaders."

     ~~~ The Independent's report, by Alex Woodward, recalls DOGE's "armed takeover" of the organization and its building. From the WashPo report, it appears now-former U.S. attorney for D.C. Ed Martin was threatened to criminally charge the employees of the Institute of Peace. Here's Howell's decision, via the courts.

Justin Jouvenal of the Washington Post: "The Supreme Court on Monday allowed the Trump administration to cancel temporary protections that have allowed nearly 350,000 Venezuelans to remain in the United States for humanitarian reasons. Trump officials had asked the justices to lift a lower-court order that barred the administration from ending the temporary protected status while litigation over the matter continues. The Biden administration created the protected status for Venezuelans in 2021 and 2023, finding that economic and political turmoil under the regime of President Nicolás Maduro made it too risky to deport migrants back to their home country. Officials approved a third extension of TPS in the waning days of Joe Biden's presidency that would have kept the protections in place through October 2026, but the Trump administration said the program was not in the 'national interest.'" At 12:45 pm ET, this is a developing story that will be updated.

     ~~~ AND the following story fits right in with Oliver's segment: ~~~

     ~~~ Michael Grynbaum of the New York Times: "CBS News faced another shock wave on Monday after its president, Wendy McMahon, abruptly said that she would exit her post, the latest development in an ongoing showdown between the news division and ... [Donald] Trump. Ms. McMahon, whose full title was president of CBS News and Stations, said in a memo that 'it's become clear the company and I do not agree on the path forward.' Tensions between Ms. McMahon and CBS's parent company, Paramount, have simmered for months, a period that Ms. McMahon described in her memo as 'challenging.' Paramount is in talks to settle a $20 billion lawsuit brought by Mr. Trump that accused '60 Minutes' of deceptively editing an interview last year with his Democratic opponent, Kamala Harris. Many legal experts have called the suit baseless, but Paramount's controlling shareholder, Shari Redstone, has said she favors settling the case. She is seeking the Trump administration's approval for a multibillion-dollar sale of her company to a Hollywood studio, Skydance. The situation prompted the executive producer of '60 Minutes,' Bill Owens, to resign last month, saying he no longer enjoyed his usual journalistic independence. At the time, Ms. McMahon took pains to signal her support for Mr. Owens...."

David Gilmore of Mediaite: "... Donald Trump has called for a 'major investigation' into Bruce Springsteen [the] night after the rock legend delivered a scathing critique of the president during his UK tour. In a Truth Social post late Sunday night, Trump accused Springsteen of having been paid by former Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris for a campaign performance and endorsement -- without offering any evidence. Trump also floated similar claims about Beyoncé, Oprah Winfrey, and U2 frontman Bono, all of whom publicly supported Harris or the Democrats during the 2024 election." Gilmore publishes two Trump posts, both of which required extended employment of the Caps Lock feature.

Patrick Svitek of the Washington Post: "Former president Joe Biden thanked Americans on Monday for their 'love and support,' a day after it was disclosed he has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer. 'Cancer touches us all,' Biden wrote on X in his first public comment about the diagnosis. 'Like so many of you, Jill and I have learned that we are strongest in the broken places. Thank you for lifting us up with love and support.' Biden shared a picture of himself seated with former first lady Jill Biden and their cat, Willow."

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⭐Tyler Pager of the New York Times: "Former President Joseph R. Biden Jr. was diagnosed on Friday with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that has spread to his bones, his office said in a statement on Sunday. The diagnosis came after Mr. Biden reported urinary symptoms, which led doctors to find a 'small nodule' on his prostate. Mr. Biden's cancer is 'characterized by a Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5) with metastasis to the bone,' the statement said. 'While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management,' according to the statement from Mr. Biden's office, which was unsigned. 'The president and his family are reviewing treatment options with his physicians.'" The AP report is here. MB: This is terribly sad news. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Here are some details of the President's diagnosis, by Joel Achenbach of the Washington Post. Gina Kolata has the New York Times' report. The AP's report, by Carla Johnson, is here.

"Trump Orders the Government to Stop Enforcing Rules He Doesn't Like." Maxine Joselow, et al., of the Washington Post: "Across the government, the Trump administration is trying a new tactic for gutting federal rules and policies that the president dislikes: simply stop enforcing them.... In some cases, Trump has personally ordered a halt to enforcement.... 'The conscious effort to slow down enforcement on such a broad scale is something we have never seen in previous administrations,' said Donald Kettl, a professor emeritus at the University of Maryland's School of Public Policy. 'It amounts to a dramatic assertion of presidential power and authority.'... Critics say the administration is breaking the law and sidestepping the rulemaking process that presidents of both parties have routinely followed."

Marie: We don't need to be lectured on how the Shortsighted, Short-fingered Vulgarian is destroying the U.S.'s status as the world's most powerful nation, but here are two academics to endorse our observations: ~~~

Michael Posner, in a New York Times op-ed: "In the late 1980s, Joseph Nye, the Harvard political scientist who died this month, developed the concept of 'soft power.' His central premise, that the United States enhances its global influence by promoting values like human rights and democracy, has guided U.S. foreign policy for decades across both Republican and Democratic administrations. Donald Trump has made clear that he fundamentally rejects this vision. As president, he has ordered a sweeping overhaul of the State Department that will cripple its capacity to promote American values abroad. At the center of this effort are drastic cuts to the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor -- the State Department's core institution for advancing soft power, which I led under President Barack Obama. Unless Congress intervenes, the debasement of the bureau's role will impair America's ability to challenge authoritarianism, support democratic movements and provide independent analysis to inform U.S. foreign policy. The long-term result will be a United States that is weaker, less principled and increasingly sidelined as authoritarian powers like Russia and China offer their own transactional models of global engagement.... Lawmakers from both parties need to stand up to [Marco Rubio] and demand that the State Department continue to support the Bureau...." ~~~

~~~ Kyle Chan, in a New York Times op-ed: "For years, theorists have posited the onset of a 'Chinese century': a world in which China finally harnesses its vast economic and technological potential to surpass the United States and reorient global power around a pole that runs through Beijing. That century may already have dawned, and when historians look back they may very well pinpoint the early months of ... [Donald] Trump's second term as the watershed moment when China pulled away and left the United States behind.... Mr. Trump is taking a wrecking ball to the pillars of American power and innovation. His tariffs are endangering U.S. companies' access to global markets and supply chains. He is slashing public research funding and gutting our universities, pushing talented researchers to consider leaving for other countries. He wants to roll back programs for technologies like clean energy and semiconductor manufacturing and is wiping out American soft power in large swaths of the globe. China's trajectory couldn't be more different.... America ... may end up as a profoundly diminished nation."

Here's one way the domestic scene is a train-wreck, too: ~~~

~~~ Dan Richards, in a New York Times op-ed: "... as Europe embraces the night train, the United States seems to be sleepwalking into a transport dead end, slashing funding for public infrastructure and firing transit workers. Long-distance public transport in America may be heading inexorably toward a binary choice: fast, exclusive and environmentally ruinous or slow, tortuous and run-down.... In ... [Donald] Trump's second term, with many climate commitments and environmental protections already up in smoke, the road ahead seems clear: more gas-guzzling cars, planes and rockets. The national rail system is written off as either irreparably broken (like the long-suffering Amtrak) or a mismanaged white elephant (as with several stalled high-speed rail projects).... The secrets to China's fantastically successful matrix of high-speed railways are clear: consistency of vision, courage of conviction, a successful nationwide rollout and, crucially, adequate funding." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Last night I watched a ridiculously improbable 1946 propaganda film noir called "The Stranger." It is set in a small Connecticut town, where a Nazi hunter, with the aid of local townspeople, saves the free world for democracy. (As I said, the plot & premise were ridiculous.) But the opening scene of the quintessential American town square struck me because the "action" was a bus driving into the town and letting travellers off at the local general store. I live in a small town not unlike the one depicted in the movie. You won't see a bus stopping by here. They might fly by on the nearby Interstate, but even there I've never seen a bus except perhaps for a few tourist buses carrying leaf peepers in the fall.

Sometimes Andy Borowitz's headlines look real. Here's today's: "Qatar Signs Historic Deal to Own US President." MB: I'd say the royal jet plane was part of the package deal.

Josh Boak of the AP: "Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent acknowledged Sunday that Walmart, the largest U.S. retailer, may pass along some of the costs from ... Donald Trump's tariffs to its shoppers through higher prices. Bessent described his call with the company's CEO a day after Trump warned Walmart to avoid raising prices from the tariffs at all and vowed to keep a close watch on what it does. As doubts persist about Trump's economic leadership, Bessent pushed back against inflation concerns, praised the uncertainty caused by Trump as a negotiating tactic for trade talks and dismissed the downgrade Friday of U.S. government debt by Moody's Ratings." (Also linked yesterday.)

Katie Baker of the New York Times: "Even before ... [Donald] Trump was re-elected, the Heritage Foundation, best known for Project 2025, set out to destroy pro-Palestinian activism in the United States.... Now, four months after Mr. Trump took office, Heritage Foundation leaders are taking an early victory lap.... In interviews with The Times -- the Heritage Foundation's first public comments since Mr. Trump took office about its blueprint for shaping U.S. public opinion on Israel -- Project Esther's architects said there were clear parallels between their plan and recent actions against universities and pro-Palestinian demonstrators on both a state and a federal level." (Also linked yesterday.)

Still Not Cruel Enough, But Budget Bill Makes It Through Committee. Catie Edmondson of the New York Times: "The House Budget Committee late Sunday night revived ... [Donald] Trump's stalled bill to cut taxes and spending, after a handful of fiscally conservative Republicans relented and allowed it to advance even as they continued to press for deeper reductions to health and environmental programs.... On Sunday, after a weekend of intensive negotiations with House Republican leaders and White House officials, [the rebels] switched their votes to 'present,' allowing the measure to move forward without lending their support. It sent the bill past a crucial procedural hurdle but indicated that there was still major trouble ahead for the package, which Speaker Mike Johnson has said he wants the full House to consider before Memorial Day." The NBC News story is here. The AP's report is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Heather Cox Richardson comments on the bill and on other matters, some related and some not. She recounts one incident from October 2024, in which Trump attended a forum where he "corrected" people knowledgeable about tariffs: "It must be hard for you to, you know, spend 25 years talking about tariffs as being negative and then have somebody explain to you that you're totally wrong." He is such a dimwit. ~~~

     ~~~ "Attack of the Sadistic Zombies." Paul Krugman: "... this reconciliation bill -- that is, legislation structured in such a way that it can't be filibustered and may well pass with no Democratic votes -- is different in both degree and kind from what we've seen before: Its cruelty is exceptional even by recent right-wing standards. Furthermore, the way that cruelty will be implemented is notable for its reliance on claims we know aren't true and policies we know won't work....The House Reconciliation Bill, by slashing benefits -- especially Medicaid -- will cause immense, almost inconceivable hardship to the bottom 40 percent of Americans, especially the poorest fifth...." Read on.

Elizabeth Williamson of the New York Times: "Above the Law, a legal industry website with a long history of skewering the nation's most elite firms, has found a moment and plenty of inside tipsters.... Since March, when Mr. Trump began targeting for retribution top law firms whose clients and past work he does not like, Above the Law has become a rage read for lawyers incensed at the firms that accommodated him." Here's the main Webpage for Above the Law. The headlines are pretty great: "Wingnut Texas Judge Overrules SCOTUS Trans Decision Because YOLO; James Comey Enjoys Long Walks On The Beach.... So MAGA Gonna Send Him To El Salvador Prison Camp and so forth.

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Louisiana. Jonathan Edwards of the Washington Post: "Seven inmates remained on the loose Sunday night after escaping from a New Orleans jail Friday, probably with help from inside the facility, according to local authorities, who warned that the escapees should be considered 'armed and dangerous.' Deputies discovered the inmates had disappeared Friday at 8:30 a.m. during a routine headcount and immediately began 'emergency protocols,' Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson told reporters Friday, adding that her deputies were working with local and state law enforcement to try to recapture them.... Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry (R) said the jailbreak could be the largest in the state's history and 'should never have happened.'... Jonathan Tapp, special agent in charge of the FBI's New Orleans office, said during Sunday's news conference that the agency 'strongly' believes that inmates are receiving help on the outside to evade capture." ~~~

    ~~~ AP: “Officials increased the reward for the capture of seven inmates who escaped from a New Orleans jail by fleeing through a hole behind a toilet as at least a dozen law enforcement agencies pressed their expansive search for the men for a third day on Sunday. FBI Special Agent Jonathan Trapp said at a news conference that seven of the 10 men who originally escaped on Friday are still at large and that the FBI is offering $10,000 per inmate instead of the $5,000 previously announced."

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Israel/Palestine, et al. Tia Goldenberg, et al., of the AP: "Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that his decision to resume limited aid to Gaza after a weekslong blockade came after pressure from allies who said they wouldn't be able to grant Israel the support it needs to win the war so long as there were 'images of hunger' coming out of the Palestinian territory. Israel has faced condemnation from the United Nations, aid groups and some European allies for its blockade of goods into the war-ravaged territory, including food, fuel and medicine. On Sunday it said it would allow a 'basic' amount of aid into Gaza to prevent a 'hunger crisis' from developing. Food experts have already warned that the blockade risked sparking famine in Gaza, a territory of roughly 2 million people.... Under the newly launched air and ground offensive, Israel plans to displace hundreds of thousands of Palestinians and secure aid distribution inside the territory. Netanyahu said Monday that the plan would include 'taking control of all of Gaza.'... The aid that would be let in would be 'minimal,' Netanyahu said, without specifying precisely when it would resume...."

Poland. Andrew Higgins of the New York Times: "Rafal Trzaskowski, the liberal mayor of Warsaw, appeared on Sunday to have eked out a narrow win in the first round of Poland's presidential election, a vote seen as pivotal as the government seeks to unwind hard-right policies put in place by a previous administration. Mr. Trzaskowski, a member of Prime Minister Donald Tusk's Civic Platform, won 30.8 percent of the votes cast, according to exit polls released by Polish state and private television stations. But competing against 12 rival candidates, he fell far short of a majority, finishing just ahead of Karol Nowrocki, a candidate backed by the hard-right Law and Justice party, who took 29.1 percent. The two men are set to compete in a runoff on June 1."

Romania. Andrew Higgins of the New York Times: "In a setback for Europe's surging nationalist forces, Nicusor Dan, a centrist mayor and former mathematics professor, on Sunday won the presidential election in Romania, defeating a hard-right candidate who is aligned with ... [Donald] Trump and has opposed military aid to Ukraine. With more than 98 percent of ballots counted, preliminary official results gave 54 percent of the vote in the presidential runoff to Mr. Dan, 55, the mayor of Romania's capital, Bucharest. His opponent, George Simion, a nationalist and fervent admirer of Mr. Trump who had been widely seen as the front-runner, drew only 46 percent. As he slipped behind Mr. Dan in early counting, Mr. Simion told supporters that 'we are the clear winners of these elections.' He called for national protests should the final count show him as the loser, railing against what he said was an attempt 'to steal the victory of the Romanian people.'" MB: Extremely Trumpy.

Vatican, etc. Matthew Bigg of the New York Times: "President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine attended Pope Leo XIV's inaugural Mass on Sunday and met later with the new pontiff in private, days after Leo expressed a personal desire to help end the war with Russia. The meeting took place after the newly elected pope offered on Friday to host talks between Ukraine and Russia at the Vatican and said he would make every effort so that peace could prevail.... 'Martyred Ukraine awaits negotiations for a just and lasting peace,' Leo said at the end of the service, echoing language used by his predecessor, Pope Francis." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Adam Nichols of the Raw Story: ";JD Vance's efforts to schmooze were rebuffed by Pope Leo XIV Sunday -- as the pontiff shook him off to meet with other world leaders.... [Vance] tried to speak to the leader of the Catholic church, who shook his hand but barely spoke in the 17-second encounter.... The awkward greeting with Vance followed a sermon in which subtle digs were aimed at ... Donald Trump's administration. Though he didn't name Trump, the pope talked about 'hatred, violence, prejudice, the fear of difference, and an economic paradigm that exploits the Earth's resources and marginalizes the poorest." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Update. John Hudson, et al., of the Washington Post: "Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio held their first formal meeting with Pope Leo XIV on Monday as the Trump administration seeks to reset relations with the Vatican by working together on resolving the war in Ukraine and de-emphasizing fundamental disagreements over migrant policy.... Vatican readout of the papal audience confirmed only that it happened, with no mention of content. It noted that Vance subsequently met with Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, a senior Vatican diplomat, for 'cordial talks' on topics that included 'ecclesial life and religious freedom,' as well as respect for humanitarian law and negotiated solutions in conflict zones.... On Saturday, Rubio met with the Vatican's point man on Ukraine, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, and welcomed the Holy See as a possible venue for Russia-Ukraine peace talks and as a facilitator for returning the hundreds of Ukrainian children taken to Russia during the war." Here's the AP report. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: The photo that heads the WashPo story reminds me of a couple of juvenile deliquents boasting to the headmaster about a prank they pulled, as he smiles along -- right before he lowers the boom on the little punks. I cannot take Little Marco & JayDee seriously.

The Conversation -- May 18, 2025

⭐Tyler Pager of the New York Times: “Former President Joseph R. Biden Jr. was diagnosed on Friday with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that has spread to his bones, his office said in a statement on Sunday. The diagnosis came after Mr. Biden reported urinary symptoms, which led doctors to find a 'small nodule' on his prostate. Mr. Biden's cancer is 'characterized by a Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5) with metastasis to the bone,' the statement said. 'While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management,' according to the statement from Mr. Biden's office, which was unsigned. 'The president and his family are reviewing treatment options with his physicians.'" The AP report is here. MB: This is terribly sad news.

Josh Boak of the AP: "Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent acknowledged Sunday that Walmart, the largest U.S. retailer, may pass along some of the costs from ... Donald Trump's tariffs to its shoppers through higher prices. Bessent described his call with the company's CEO a day after Trump warned Walmart to avoid raising prices from the tariffs at all and vowed to keep a close watch on what it does. As doubts persist about Trump's economic leadership, Bessent pushed back against inflation concerns, praised the uncertainty caused by Trump as a negotiating tactic for trade talks and dismissed the downgrade Friday of U.S. government debt by Moody's Ratings."

Katie Baker of the New York Times: "Even before ... [Donald] Trump was re-elected, the Heritage Foundation, best known for Project 2025, set out to destroy pro-Palestinian activism in the United States.... Now, four months after Mr. Trump took office, Heritage Foundation leaders are taking an early victory lap.... In interviews with The Times -- the Heritage Foundation's first public comments since Mr. Trump took office about its blueprint for shaping U.S. public opinion on Israel -- Project Esther's architects said there were clear parallels between their plan and recent actions against universities and pro-Palestinian demonstrators on both a state and a federal level."

Matthew Bigg of the New York Times: "President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine attended Pope Leo XIV's inaugural Mass on Sunday and met later with the new pontiff in private, days after Leo expressed a personal desire to help end the war with Russia. The meeting took place after the newly elected pope offered on Friday to host talks between Ukraine and Russia at the Vatican and said he would make every effort so that peace could prevail.... 'Martyred Ukraine awaits negotiations for a just and lasting peace,' Leo said at the end of the service, echoing language used by his predecessor, Pope Francis." ~~~

~~~ Adam Nichols of the Raw Story: "JD Vance's efforts to schmooze were rebuffed by Pope Leo XIV Sunday -- as the pontiff shook him off to meet with other world leaders.... [Vance] tried to speak to the leader of the Catholic church, who shook his hand but barely spoke in the 17-second encounter.... The awkward greeting with Vance followed a sermon in which subtle digs were aimed at ... Donald Trump's administration. Though he didn't name Trump, the pope talked about 'hatred, violence, prejudice, the fear of difference, and an economic paradigm that exploits the Earth's resources and marginalizes the poorest.'"

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Marie: Looks as if El Gordo de Mar-a-Lardo does understand that foreign trading "partners" are not the ones who pay his big, beautiful tariffs/taxes: ~~~

~~~ Josh Boak of the AP: "... Donald Trump on Saturday ripped into Walmart, saying on social media that the retail giant should eat the additional costs created by his tariffs. As Trump has jacked up import taxes, he has tried to assure a skeptical public that foreign producers would pay for those taxes and that retailers and automakers would absorb the additional expenses. Most economic analyses are deeply skeptical of those claims and have warned that the trade penalties would worsen inflation. Walmart warned on Thursday that everything from bananas to children's car seats could increase in price. Trump, in his Truth Social post, lashed out at the retailer, which employs 1.6 million people in the United States. He said the company, based in Bentonville, Arkansas, should sacrifice its profits for the sake of his economic agenda that he says will eventually lead to more domestic jobs in manufacturing. 'Walmart should STOP trying to blame Tariffs as the reason for raising prices throughout the chain,' Trump posted. 'Walmart made BILLIONS OF DOLLARS last year, far more than expected. Between Walmart and China they should, as is said, "EAT THE TARIFFS," and not charge valued customers ANYTHING. I'll be watching, and so will your customers!!!'" (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: So Tyrant Don has used his position as POTUS* to bully the Congress, the courts, the press, the universities, his perceived individual political enemies, immigrants, people of color, women, consumers, small companies, and now he's zeroing in on the world's biggest retailer. No group -- save white racist men who pledge their fealty to him -- has been able to evade him. I do not understand how anyone can abide him. ~~~

~~~ He's a Businessman! Naftali Bendavid of the Washington Post: "In the opening months of his second term, Trump has taken an unusually direct and high-profile role in attempting to manage the sprawling American economy -- an approach that could bring him enormous benefits if it thrives or danger if it stumbles. It's a departure from decades of Republican orthodoxy and arguably from Trump's own history; during the 2024 campaign, he called Democrat Kamala Harris a communist and a Marxist because her vow to tackle price gouging could have led to price controls.... 'In this administration, policy decisions seem to be made only based on the president's personal views, not after systemic analysis,' said Douglas Elmendorf, a former director of the Congressional Budget Office and a top economic official under President Bill Clinton.... 'I think this president likes the idea of being the CEO of businesses, but that's not the role of the president. They should be setting broad polices, not intervening for particular companies,' [Elmendorf said]."

~~~ Speaking of major American retailers, RAS is wondering if the feds will be hauling Jeff Bezos downtown for a chat. The linked page, BTW, is one more indicator (among many) that the entire Trumpy 8647 outrage is a hoax. With all the stories we read about the Secret Service being stretched so thin, the real outrage here is that Kristi Noem is wasting its resources on "investigating" Jim Comey, especially -- as Akhilleus points out -- it was probably Comey who got Trump elected back in '16. (Also linked yesterday.)

Hannah Natanson, et al., of the Washington Post: "Across the federal government, a push for early retirement and voluntary separation is fueling a voluntary exodus of experienced, knowledgeable staffers unlike anything in living memory, according to interviews with 18 employees across 10 agencies and records reviewed by The Post. Other leaders with decades of service are being dismissed as the administration eliminates full offices or divisions at a time. The first resignation offer, sent in January, saw 75,000 workers across government agree to quit and keep drawing pay through September, the administration has said. But a second round, rolling out agency by agency through the spring, is seeing a sustained, swelling uptick that will dwarf the first, potentially climbing into the hundreds of thousands, the employees and the records show.... [It appears] that disproportionately older, more senior and experienced employees are heading for the exit -- in part because they fear being fired or having their positions reclassified as political, at-will jobs under a new Trump program. Others are leaving simply because they are tired of the chaos, mismanagement and poor treatment they say they have faced under the new administration." ~~~

~~~ Scott Dance of the Washington Post: "... the ... National Weather Service office responsible for monitoring weather hazards across eastern Kentucky ... is one of a growing number of the agency's local offices that have been unable to cover overnight shifts after the Trump administration significantly reduced staffing levels through buyouts and firings this year. But 'We saw the risk many days ago. We were already planning how we would staff days in advance,' said Christian Cassell, one of the office's lead meteorologists. By Thursday, the staff had set up a schedule to stagger shifts Friday 'knowing we were looking at a nearly full day of a threat of severe weather,' he said."

More Trumpification of Bondi's Injustice Department. Perry Stein & Jeremy Roebuck of the Washington Post: "Federal prosecutors across the country may soon be able to indict members of Congress without approval from lawyers in the Justice Department's Public Integrity Section.... Under [a] proposal [currently being considered], investigators and prosecutors would also not be required to consult with the section's attorneys during key steps of probes into public officials, altering a long-standing provision in the Justice Department's manual that outlines how investigations of elected officials should be conducted. If adopted, the changes would remove a layer of review intended to ensure that cases against public officials are legally sound and not politically motivated." ~~~

~~~ Mark Berman, et al., of the Washington Post: "Legal experts said in interviews that they doubted [former FBI Director James] Comey's post [featuring a photo of the numbers '86 47' --] would qualify as a genuine threat. Instead, they said, the incident appeared to mark the latest attempt by an administration with a maximalist view of executive power to criminalize or otherwise punish people for speech, protests and other actions traditionally viewed as legally protected in the United States. Since Trump's inauguration, his administration has on multiple occasions sought to wield the federal government's expansive power to scrutinize and, in some cases, punish people for things they said or wrote.... In several court cases, judges have said the Trump administration appeared to have stepped on the First Amendment free-speech rights of people and businesses, including retaliating against them.... Administration officials have asked Justice Department staff to investigate actions longtime prosecutors view as protected activities that should not lead to charges, including a push to probe campus protests.... Legal analysts and political observers said the focus on speech is meant to intimidate critics and exact political retribution."

Alan Feuer & Abbie VanSickle of the New York Times: "If there has been a common theme in the federal courts' response to the fallout from ... [Donald] Trump's aggressive deportation policies, it is that the White House cannot rush headlong into expelling people by sidestepping the fundamental principle of due process. In case after case, a legal bottom line is emerging: Immigrants should at least be given the opportunity to challenge their deportations, especially as Trump officials have claimed novel and extraordinary powers to remove them.... Many legal scholars have hailed courts' support of due process. At the same time, they have also expressed concern that such support was needed in the first place. The Supreme Court's decision comes as Mr. Trump and some of his top aides have openly flouted the idea of providing due process to immigrants awaiting deportation, a position that the Constitution appears to lay out clearly and that the justices themselves have repeatedly upheld in previous decisions. 'We have millions of people that have come in here illegally, and we can't have a trial for every single person,' Mr. Trump said this month on CBS News."

Frances Vinall of the Washington Post: "A federal appeals court on Friday lifted a block on an executive order from ... Donald Trump that seeks to strip union rights from federal workers at dozens of agencies and offices. Trump in March issued an executive order that said that parts of the United States Code that protect federal workers' rights to organize and collectively bargain would no longer apply to agencies including most or all of the Departments of Treasury, Defense, Veterans Affairs, State and Justice. The executive order covers about two-thirds of the federal workforce, according to the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), which filed a lawsuit challenging it. It had been blocked by a federal judge last month as part of the NTEU lawsuit, but that block was lifted Friday by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. In its order canceling the injunction, the appeals court's 2-1 majority said the union had not proved it would suffer 'irreparable harm' if the executive order was executed while the lawsuit challenging it was ongoing."

Lisa Lerer of the New York Times: "The five-hour-and-10-minute audio recording of a special counsel's interview with [President] Biden on Oct. 8 and 9, 2023, shows a president struggling to recall dates and details, whose thoughts seem jumbled as he tries to recreate events that had occurred just a few years earlier.... The Hur tapes reveal the president exactly as a majority of Americans believed him to be -- and as Democrats repeatedly insisted he was not.... In the audio recording, [Special Counsel Robert] Hur's conclusion -- that a jury would see Mr. Biden as a 'sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory' -- is not merely valid, it is irrefutable.... For his part, Mr. Hur is generous and professional, hardly the political villain that the White House made him out to be after his report was released. He gently and repeatedly tries to refocus the president on the storage of his classified documents." ~~~

~~~ Axios has released the full Biden-Hur interview. If you have five-plus hours with nothing to do, you can listen here. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I still think it was wrong for Hur to make his comment -- that Biden was a "sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory: -- during an election cycle. The remark, IMO, was the written equivalent of Republican FBI Director Jim Comey's announcement in July 2016 [NYT link] that Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton would not be indicted even though she was "extremely careless" in her email practices. Even if Hur's motive was to warn the public, he is a Republican, so his motives would be suspect, and I'll bet he's smart enough to know that. However, as much as I hate Trump's lying to me as many times a day as he opens his mouth and words come out, I hate the Biden conspirators' big lie just as much. They didn't just tell it to you and me; they told it to Biden himself. And that, I maintain, is elder abuse: hardly the way to treat the man who made their sorry careers.

~~~~~~~~~~

California. Eric Tucker, et al., of the AP: "The person believed responsible for an attack targeting a Southern California fertility clinic Saturday posted rambling online writings before an explosion that investigators are treating as an act of terrorism, according to a law enforcement official. The suspect, who died in the explosion that tore through the clinic and rattled the upscale California city of Palm Springs, also attempted to record video or stream the attack, said the official, who was not authorized to discuss details of the attack and spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press. 'Make no mistake: This is an intentional act of terrorism,' Akil Davis, the head of the FBI's Los Angeles field office, told an evening news conference. Authorities were still working to piece together a motive and build a chronology of events leading up to the attack." (Also linked yesterday.)

~~~~~~~~~~

Mexico. James Wagner of the New York Times: "There are only two legal gun stores in all of Mexico -- making them destinations for customers from every corner of the country and an embodiment of Mexico's conflicted relationship with firearms. The Constitution enshrines the right to own them, and there are millions of weapons in civilian hands, with a black market flooded by American-made guns. But the two legal stores, military-run and tightly regulated, are emblematic of government efforts to better control Mexico's guns.... Applicants need to present nearly a dozen documents at the stores -- once they've waited a few months for approval to buy a gun." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: This is a excellent idea that we should adopt in the U.S.: one federally-run gun store in every state. Elon -- lover of federal data bases -- could set up one that records the details for every gun purchaser. Congress could pass a law with a substantial period before the law went into effect to allow current gun store owners to change their stores to soda shops or bordellos or whatever.

Ukraine, Russia, et al. Koen Verhelst of Politico: "Moscow sent 273 drones to Ukraine in a record-breaking attack early Sunday, two days after Russian President Vladimir Putin snubbed ceasefire talks with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Turkey. The attack was the single largest since the Kremlin started its full-scale invasion in 2022, the Ukrainian air force said. A woman died in the Kyiv region, while the assault also targeted the eastern Dnipropetrovsk and Donetsk regions, officials said."

The number of casualties might rise, the Kyiv Independent reported.

Vatican. Anthony Faiola & Stefano Pitrelli of the Washington Post: "The Catholic Church is inaugurating its 267th pontiff Sunday in an incense-laced rite heralding the start of a novel papacy -- one filled by a White Sox fan and former missionary whose dual citizenship of the United States and Peru make him the first American and second Latin American to lead the world's largest Christian faith. As dawn broke over Vatican City, throngs streamed into St. Peter's Square to join cardinals, bishops, royals and dignitaries, led by Italy's prime minister and president, Vice President JD Vance and Peruvian President Dina Boluarte. Before the 10 a.m. Mass invoking the ancient roots of the faith, Leo XIV made his first official tour in the popemobile, cruising the teaming square to the cheers and applause as the bells of the basilica tolled."

News Ledes

New York Times: "A Mexican Navy sailing ship on a good will tour drifted directly into the underside of the Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday night, smashing its masts and rigging and killing two crew members. There were 277 people on board the ship, the Cuauhtémoc, at the time of the crash, and everyone is believed to be accounted for, a New York Fire Department official said. Mayor Eric Adams said in a social media post after midnight that two people had died, and that the ship had lost power before the crash. President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico said on social media that the two people who died were crew members on the Cuauhtémoc."

New York Times: "... several tornadoes ... have ripped across the nation since late Friday, killing at least 27 people in Missouri, Kentucky and Virginia, and injuring dozens more."

The Conversation -- May 17, 2025

Eric Tucker, et al., of the AP: "The person believed responsible for an attack targeting a Southern California fertility clinic Saturday posted rambling online writings before an explosion that investigators are treating as an act of terrorism, according to a law enforcement official. The suspect, who died in the explosion that tore through the clinic and rattled the upscale California city of Palm Springs, also attempted to record video or stream the attack, said the official, who was not authorized to discuss details of the attack and spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press. 'Make no mistake: This is an intentional act of terrorism,' Akil Davis, the head of the FBI's Los Angeles field office, told an evening news conference. Authorities were still working to piece together a motive and build a chronology of events leading up to the attack."

Axios has released the full Biden-Hur interview. If you have five-plus hours with nothing to do, you can listen here.

Marie: Looks as if El Gordo de Mar-a-Lardo does understand that foreign trading "partners" are not the ones who pay his big, beautiful tariffs/taxes: ~~~

~~~ Josh Boak of the AP: "... Donald Trump on Saturday ripped into Walmart, saying on social media that the retail giant should eat the additional costs created by his tariffs. As Trump has jacked up import taxes, he has tried to assure a skeptical public that foreign producers would pay for those taxes and that retailers and automakers would absorb the additional expenses. Most economic analyses are deeply skeptical of those claims and have warned that the trade penalties would worsen inflation. Walmart warned on Thursday that everything from bananas to children's car seats could increase in price. Trump, in his Truth Social post, lashed out at the retailer, which employs 1.6 million people in the United States. He said the company, based in Bentonville, Arkansas, should sacrifice its profits for the sake of his economic agenda that he says will eventually lead to more domestic jobs in manufacturing. 'Walmart should STOP trying to blame Tariffs as the reason for raising prices throughout the chain,' Trump posted. 'Walmart made BILLIONS OF DOLLARS last year, far more than expected. Between Walmart and China they should, as is said, "EAT THE TARIFFS," and not charge valued customers ANYTHING. I'll be watching, and so will your customers!!!'" ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: So Tyrant Don has used his position as POTUS* to bully the Congress, the courts, the press, the universities, his perceived individual political enemies, immigrants, people of color, women, consumers, small companies, and now he's zeroing in on the world's biggest retailer. No group -- save white racist men who pledge their fealty to him -- has been able to evade him. I do not understand how anyone can abide him.

~~~ Speaking of major American retailers, RAS is wondering if the feds will be hauling Jeff Bezos downtown for a chat. The linked page, BTW, is one more indicator (among many) that the entire Trumpy 8647 outrage is a hoax. With all the stories we read about the Secret Service being stretched so thin, the real outrage here is that Kristi Noem is wasting its resources on "investigating" Jim Comey, especially -- as Akhilleus points out -- it was probably Comey who got Trump elected back in '16.

~~~~~~~~~~

Dana Milbank of the Washington Post runs down some of Trump's and his administration's and Congressional Republicans' atrocities of the week. Milbank starts with Trump's racism: "It's hard to see this refugee policy, and the exception for Afrikaners, as anything but an assertion of white supremacy." He notes that Christopher Landau, the State Department official who welcomed the Afrikaners, bowed to the eugenics movement, a concession made more horrifying by the fact that Landau's father & grandparents were Jews who fled Austrian Nazis. As for Trump, he "abandoned any pretense of conveying the American values of freedom and democracy on his trip to the Middle East, supplanting them with the Trumpian values of greed and transactional relationships." This is a gift link. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ A possible positive outcome from Trump's Grift and Graft Excursion to Arab states: ~~~

~~~ Luke Broadwater & Erika Solomon of the New York Times: Donald "Trump said on Friday that 'a lot of people are starving' in the Gaza Strip under an Israeli blockade preventing aid deliveries, adding that the U.S. wanted to help alleviate the suffering. 'We're going to handle a couple of situations that you have here,' Mr. Trump said, speaking in the United Arab Emirates on the last leg of his visit to three Persian Gulf nations this week. 'We're looking at Gaza, and we got to get that taken care of. A lot of people are starving. A lot of people. There's a lot of bad things going on.'... Mr. Trump emerged from his trip to the Middle East with a more sympathetic tone on Gaza -- a notable shift given his longstanding close relationship with the prime minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu.... Boarding Air Force One on Friday, Mr. Trump told reporters that the United States must take action on the Gaza crisis.... On top of the total siege it has imposed on Gaza for more than two months, Israel has escalated its military campaign in recent days. Strikes on Friday killed more than 100 people, according to Gaza's health ministry, a day after Israeli bombardment forced the closure of one of the enclave's major hospitals." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: That was yesterday. Of course OF COURSE, I spoke too soon. This is today: ~~~

~~~ Courtney Kube, et al., of NBC News: "The Trump administration is working on a plan to permanently relocate up to 1 million Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to Libya, five people with knowledge of the effort told NBC News. The plan is under serious enough consideration that the administration has discussed it with Libya;s leadership.... In exchange for the resettling of Palestinians, the administration would potentially release to Libya billions of dollars of funds that the U.S. froze more than a decade ago.... After publication, a [State Department] spokesperson told NBC News, 'these reports are untrue.'... In February..., Trump outlined a goal of finding 'a beautiful area to resettle people permanently in nice homes, and where they can be happy and not be shot, not be killed, not be knifed to death like what's happening in Gaza.'... Libya is struggling to care for its current population as two rival governments, one in the west led by Abdul Hamid Dbeibah and one in the east led by Khalifa Haftar, are actively and violently fighting for control. The State Department currently advises Americans not to travel to Libya 'due to crime, terrorism, unexploded landmines, civil unrest, kidnapping, and armed conflict.'" MB: It's not clear from the story which Libyan leadership the Trumpies have been talking with (or not!). In any event, I consider the reporters more credible that the State Department spokesperson.

Ryan Grenoble of the Huffington Post: "The president of the United States used the full power of his office Friday to have an embarrassing public meltdown online. Donald Trump, you see, appears to be freaking out after he got scolded by the Boss on the first night of his European tour. 'I see that Highly Overrated Bruce Springsteen goes to a Foreign Country to speak badly about the President of the United States,' Trump wrote, glossing over the fact that he, too, is currently in a foreign country speaking badly about someone. 'He's not a talented guy,' Trump sniped of the decorated Rock and Roll Hall of Famer who's won 20 Grammy Awards, two Golden Globes, an Academy Award, a Special Tony Award, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Trump also called Springsteen 'a pushy, obnoxious JERK' without a hint of self-awareness." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Grenoble is supposed to be a straight reporter. Obviously, this report is not "straight." Nonetheless, I share his bias. As an example of journalistic practice, the piece sucks. As a bit of truth-telling, I find it faultless. Oh, and it was not only Springsteen who displeased the King of Insults. ~~~

     ~~~ Shawn McCreesh of the New York Times: "There were other posts aimed at other critics. 'Has anyone noticed,' Mr. Trump wrote in one of them, 'that, since I said "I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT," she's no longer "HOT?"' Shortly after that one, he took a swipe at 'grandstanders' in the Republican Party and 'radical left losers' getting in the way of his agenda and the Supreme Court, which he said was 'being played.'" McCreesh also asked the White House what Trump meant by his "vague threat" to Bruce Springsteen: "This dried out 'prune' of a rocker (his skin is all atrophied!) ought to KEEP HIS MOUTH SHUT until he gets back into the Country, that's just 'standard fare.' Then we'll all see how it goes for him!" But, McCreesh writes, "Steven Cheung, the White House communications director, would only send back a string of insults about Mr. Springsteen's career."

Cat Zakrzewski, et al., of the Washington Post: "The White House this week labeled ... Donald Trump 'the dealmaker in chief, claiming he has secured more than $2 trillion in investment agreements during his tour through oil-rich Middle Eastern monarchies. As Air Force One touched down in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, the White House released daily lists of the dozens of deals that it said Trump had secured during his visits. But at least half a dozen of the contracts were announced before Trump even took office in January.... In Doha, the administration announced $8.5 billion in projects involving the Texas energy company McDermott.... But the company previously announced contracts for [the Qatar] initiative during Joe Biden's presidency, in 2023 and 2024. When Trump was in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, the White House announced $200 billion in 'new' commercial deals with the UAE. Much of the corporate funding came from a cloud computing deal between Amazon and UAE state-owned telecommunications company e& ... [which] Amazon ... announced that contract in October, and the company had only committed about $1 billion over six years.... The math behind the White House's claim that Trump secured 'trillions' on this trip is fuzzy even including the contracts that predate his presidency." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: This kind of lie annoys me because there's no way the MAGA minions will ever know his boasts are big fat lies. He constantly tells them Biden was a terrible president, but he takes credit for Biden's accomplishments.

He knew exactly what that meant. A child knows what that meant. If you're the F.B.I. director and you don't know what that meant, that meant assassination. And it says it loud and clear.... I think it's a terrible thing.... And when you add his history to that, if he had a clean history, he doesn't. He's a dirty cop, he's a dirty cop. And if he had a clean history, I could understand if there was a leniency, but I'm going to let them [-- the Justice Department --] make that decision. -- Donald Trump, signaling to Pam Bondi to throw the book at James Comey ~~~

~~~ Eileen Sullivan & Michael Schmidt of the New York Times: "The Secret Service questioned James B. Comey, the former F.B.I. director, on Friday about a social media post he made that Mr. Trump's cabinet officials and allies claimed amounted to a call for Mr. Trump's assassination, according to a law enforcement official. The Secret Service sought the interview after Mr. Comey posted a photo on Thursday of seashells on a beach forming the numbers '86 47,' a phrase used by Mr. Trump's critics at protests, and on signs and clothing. 'Eighty-six,' according to Merriam-Webster, is an old slang term meaning to dismiss or remove.... The interview is said to have taken place at a Secret Service office in Washington. Mr. Comey is said to have voluntarily consented to the interview, the official said, and was driven to the interview by Secret Service agents....

"Critics of Mr. Trump's administration have said that his officials have blown Mr. Comey's post out of proportion and are using it as an excuse to harass one of Mr. Trump's perceived enemies.... Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, said the Secret Service, which falls under her department, was investigating [Mr. Comey]. Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, said on Fox News that Mr. Comey should be jailed.... It is uncommon for senior administration officials ... to comment publicly [as they did].... In an interview with Bret Baier of Fox News that was broadcast on Friday, Mr. Trump -- the target of two assassination attempts last year -- said he believed that Mr. Comey was calling for him to be killed." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: "Voluntarily?" That trip to the Secret Service office sounds a bit like a frog-march to me. CNN has videotape of the Secret Service "escorting" Comey from his home and into their minivan. Very accommodating. And here's Steve M. precisely expressing my sentiment about Trump's "analysis":

     ~~~ Steve M.: "Trump says, 'A child knows what that meant' -- yes, because if there's one thing the average child knows well, it's twentieth-century restaurant slang." After contrasting the administration's reactions to "86 47" with the right's promotion of "86 47" (including merch!), Steve concludes, "At the very least, they're trying to build an America in which anything that offends the famous Fox viewer in The White House is illegal. If we don't call them on this now, they'll keep trying to remake the country in this way. And they might get us at least partway there." ~~~

     ~~~ Steve Benen of MSNBC: Kristi "Noem ... issued on online statement that claimed, 'Disgraced former FBI Director James Comey just called for the assassination' of the president.... Team Trump has long seen Comey as a villain who should be targeted and investigated. His since-deleted Instagram post appears to have given the president's operation an excuse to do what it wanted to do anyway."

The Government does not contest before this Court the applicants' description of the notice afforded to AEA detainees in the Northern District of Texas, nor the assertion that the Government was poised to carry out removals imminently. The Government has represented elsewhere that it is unable to provide for the return of an individual deported in error to a prison in El Salvador, where it is alleged that detainees face indefinite detention. The detainees' interests at stake are accordingly particularly weighty. Under these circumstances, notice roughly 24 hours before removal, devoid of information about how to exercise due process rights to contest that removal, surely does not pass muster. -- Supreme Court Order ~~~

~~~ Mark Sherman of the AP: "The Supreme Court on Friday rejected the Trump administration's appeal to quickly resume deportations of Venezuelans under an 18th century wartime law. Over two dissenting votes, the justices acted on an emergency appeal from lawyers for Venezuelan men who have been accused of being gang members, a designation that the administration says makes them eligible for rapid removal from the United States under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. The high court had already called a temporary halt to the deportations from a north Texas detention facility in a middle-of-the-night order issued last month. Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas dissented." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Politico's report, by Josh Gerstein & Kyle Cheney, is here. And here, at long last, is the New York Times' report. The Court's order, via the Court, is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Chris Geidner, the Law Dork, addresses the import and implications of the ruling. AND here's some of what he says about Alito's dissent (joined by Thomas): "Ultimately, Alito's reasoning would mean that if the lawyers for people who the government is trying to deport with insufficient process (if not, as multiple judges have found, altogether illegally) do so in a way that moves the process along too quickly for him, there can be no appellate jurisdiction until the district court judge actually rules -- even if that is too late." MB: IOW, as far as Sam & Clarence are concerned, if ICE can whip a detainee out of the country and into a hell-hole-for-life before the district judge sharpens her pencils, it's all good. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I know that so-called "conservatives" think empathy is a dirty word, at least when it come to judging. I'm not sure if they understand what empathy means or if they really think it's wrong for courts to consider the rights of us lesser beings. What it doesn't mean -- again, when applied to judicial considerations -- is thinking, "Aw, poor you, you deserve another chance." What it does mean is pretty simple: a Judeo-Christian belief in "walking a mile in his shoes." That is, the judge must ask herself, "Were I in this situation, would I think this decision was fair to me?" I doubt Sam & Clarence would think it was fair if they got thrown in a hell-hole-for-life without being able to defend themselves. But for some reason, they are unable to put themselves in another's shoes. Not only that, they don't understand that the Court on which they sit is supposed to take extraordinary measures when bedrock Constitutional rights -- and life-and-death situations -- are on the line. That is to say, they don't know what their jobs are.

⭐Julian Barnes, et al., of the New York Times: "A top adviser to the director of national intelligence [-- Joe Kent, Tulsi Gabbard's chief-of-staff --] ordered a senior analyst [-- Michael Collins, acting chair of the National Intelligence Council --] to redo an assessment of the relationship between Venezuela's government and a gang after intelligence findings undercut the White House's justification for deporting migrants, according to officials.... [Donald] Trump's use of a wartime law to send Venezuelan migrants to a brutal prison in El Salvador without due process relies on a claim that U.S. intelligence agencies think is wrong. But behind the scenes, a political appointee [-- Kent --] told a career official [-- Collins --] to rework the assessment, a direction that allies of the intelligence analyst said amounted to pressure to change the findings." When Collins produced an updated memo that did not change the basic conclusion of the earlier memo, and the Washington Post reported on the findings, "the Trump administration and its supporters and influencers ... reacted by vilifying Mr. Collins.... Ms. Gabbard and her deputy chief of staff revealed on social media that they had made a criminal leak referral about the Post article. And, as reported by Fox News this week, Ms. Gabbard also removed Mr. Collins and his deputy from leading the council." This appears to be a gift link. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: The timeline of how this all came down is interesting. The reporters do not define the timeline very well here, but you can still see how various administration players tried to cover for faking an excuse to misuse the Alien Enemies Act and how they reacted to media reports.

Zach Schonfeld of the Hill: "The federal judge overseeing the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the man mistakenly deported to El Salvador, blasted the Trump administration Friday for not giving her enough material to decide whether it can invoke the state secrets privilege. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis said a declaration submitted by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, which seeks to avoid handing over certain documents by citing national security concerns, was 'insufficient' and the government needed to show its work as to why the privilege applies.... All sides agreed that some progress has been made, but the proceeding turned fiery at times as Xinis sparred with Deputy Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Guynn< strong>, who at one point compared the discovery battle to 'hand-to-hand combat.'" (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Alan Feuer & Aishvarya Kavi of the New York Times: "On Friday, a lawyer for the Justice Department made a new assertion, telling the judge overseeing the case that while Mr. Abrego Garcia's expulsion was in fact an error, it was neither illegal nor an example of government misconduct.... Judge Xinis ended the hearing by saying that she would reserve judgment for the moment on whether the government could invoke the state secrets privilege." MB: It appears the administration's case is, "Our conduct was legal and we won't tell you why." Welcome to the Star Chamber, folks. We are now moving back into the Late Middle Ages, which should make Sam Alito happy. ~~~

     ~~~ Update: This NBC News article, by Gary Grumbach & Daniella Silva, clarifies the government's position: "Government lawyers said the administration has not been able to answer questions about Abrego Garcia's case because that information would be considered protected under 'state secrets' or 'deliberative process' privileges that should not be shared with the public." So, what I said.

Ken Dilanian of NBC News: "The Trump administration has decided to permit the sale of devices that enable standard firearms to fire like machine guns, a move that one person familiar with the matter said was 'by far the most dangerous thing this administration has done' on gun policy. The Justice Department on Friday announced a settlement in a lawsuit brought by the National Association for Gun Rights. The lawsuit challenged an ATF rule banning 'forced reset triggers' -- devices that allow semiautomatic weapons to fire rapid bursts of bullets. 'This Department of Justice believes that the 2nd Amendment is not a second-class right,' Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement. 'And we are glad to end a needless cycle of litigation with a settlement that will enhance public safety.' Vanessa Gonzalez, a spokeswoman for Giffords, the national gun violence prevention group led by former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, condemned the move. Since the forced reset trigger devices will not be considered firearms, they can be purchased anonymously, without a background or age check. Machine guns have been illegal in the United States since 1986...." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Gosh, as a member of the public, I'm feeling safer already, Thanks, Pam!

GAO Sez MYOB 2 DOGE. Jose Pagliery of NOTUS: "Elon Musk's DOGE team is now starting to target government agencies outside of the executive branch, notifying the U.S. Government Accountability Office -- the congressional watchdog that performs studies for legislators about federal waste, fraud and abuse -- that it has 'assigned a team' to assail that agency, according to an internal email obtained by NOTUS. The GAO is pushing back, directly telling the White House cost-cutting project managers at DOGE that the agency is far outside ... Donald Trump's jurisdiction. 'GAO was contacted by representatives of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), who sought to assign a team to GAO. Today, we sent a letter to the acting administrator of DOGE stating that GAO is a legislative branch agency that conducts work for the Congress. As such, we are not subject to DOGE or executive orders,' said an internal email sent to GAO employees at 12:42 p.m. on Friday. The email goes on to say that GAO has 'also notified relevant congressional committees and will keep them apprised of any further developments.'" An NPR story is here.

Another DOGE Deep-Fail. Hannah Natanson, et al., of the Washington Post: "The U.S. DOGE Service arrived at the Social Security Administration this year determined to slash staff and root out what it claimed was widespread fraud and wasteful spending -- a mission Elon Musk's cost-cutting team has pursued across the government. But as of this week, many of the major changes DOGE pushed at Social Security have been abandoned or are being reversed after proving ineffective, while others are yielding unintended consequences and badly damaging customer service and satisfaction. The problems come as the agency struggles to cope with a record surge of hundreds of thousands of retirement claims in recent months.... On Friday, Social Security leaders told employees that the agency was ending a security check, developed at DOGE's request, that was meant to root out allegedly fraudulent claims filed over the phone.... But the measure -- which involved placing a three-day hold on all phone claims as other staffers checked into the caller's background -- had only identified a couple of potential fraud cases while causing significant delays in claims processing....

"Kathleen Romig, a former Social Security official who is now at the left-leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, said there were already safeguards in place to detect fraud through the agency's phone service. DOGE's efforts have only delayed claims processing and, like most of the team's attempts to reshape Social Security, placed serious stress on the agency, she said. 'So much of this is self-inflicted wounds,' Romig said." MB: This follows up on a story I linked yesterday about the useless, time-wasting security check.

Nicholas Nehamas of the New York Times: "The Trump administration's move to cancel a slew of federal contracts at Harvard University has sparked an internal clash over the impact on medical research intended to help veterans, including projects involving suicide prevention, toxic particle exposure and prostate cancer screening.... Records reviewed by The Times show that the V.A. has begun the process of ending half a dozen contracts on a range of research projects at Harvard.... The tensions inside the V.A. over the Harvard contracts demonstrate how ... [Donald] Trump's use of research funds as leverage in his broader pressure campaign on universities carries political risks. Mr. Trump and other Republicans have courted veterans as a key political constituency, and Mr. Collins has repeatedly promised that veteran care would not be affected, even as he enacts major cost-cutting measures and other changes."

Emily Brooks, et al., of the Hill: "Fiscal hawks on the House Budget Committee on Friday sunk a key vote on advancing the 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act' that encompasses ... [Donald] Trump's legislative agenda, marking a stunning setback for the legislation. The 16-21 vote throws up a hurdle for leaders hoping to send the bill to the Senate by Memorial Day...." Update: The Washington Post story is here. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ As I Was Saying ... Tony Romm of the New York Times: "The Republican tax plan may offer only modest gains to everyday workers, according to a wide range of tax experts, and some taxpayers may actually be left in worse financial shape if the bill becomes law. The latest assessment arrived Friday from the Penn Wharton Budget Model, a nonpartisan scorekeeper closely watched on Capitol Hill. Economists found that many Americans who make less than $51,000 a year would see their after-tax income fall as a result of the Republican proposal beginning in 2026.... By contrast, the top 0.1 percent, including those with incomes over $4.3 million, would gain on average more than $389,000 in after-tax income in 2026...." (Also linked yesterday.)

Here's one outcome of Republicans' refusal to raise taxes on the rich, not to mention Elon's cuts to IRS collections staff: ~~~

~~~ Tony Romm, et al., of the New York Times: "The credit rating of the United States received a potentially costly downgrade on Friday, as the ratings firm Moody's determined that the government's rising debt levels stood to grow further if Republicans enact a package of new tax cuts. The downgrade, to one notch below the highest triple-A rating, amounted to a repudiation of Washington, where ... [Donald] Trump only hours earlier had pushed his party to adopt a legislative package that might add trillions of dollars to the nation's fiscal imbalance. The downgrade from Moody's means that each of the three major credit rating agencies no longer gives the United States its best rating. Fitch downgraded the United States in 2023, citing fiscal concerns, and Standard & Poor's downgraded the country in 2011. The new rating decrease could send ripple effects throughout the economy if it prompts investors to demand higher payments on bonds, which in turn could raise consumers' borrowing costs. So far, though, past downgrades have proved largely symbolic...." The CNBC report is here.

Jordyn Holman of the New York Times: "Every couple of years, Paula Kerger, the long-serving chief executive of PBS, faces pushback from Congress. It often comes from Republicans who argue that public broadcasters like PBS and NPR are biased and not deserving of taxpayers' money.... But this year, she said, feels 'very different.' In January, the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission ordered an investigation into the public media networks' sponsor messages. In March, Ms. Kerger faced hostile lawmakers on a House subcommittee led by Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, who called the hearing 'Anti-American Airwaves.' Then, this month..., [Donald] Trump signed an executive order seeking to end all federal funding for PBS and NPR, which the White House called 'woke propaganda.' Soon after, Mr. Trump terminated a grant that PBS used to finance children's educational programs." (Also linked yesterday.)

⭐Marc Caputo & Alex Thompson of Axios: "Amid long, uncomfortable pauses, Joe Biden struggled to recall when his son died, when he left office as vice president, what year Donald Trump was elected or why he had classified documents he shouldn't have had, according to audio Axios obtained of his October 2023 interviews with special counsel Robert Hur.... The newly released recordings of Biden having trouble recalling such details -- while occasionally slurring words and muttering -- shed light on why his White House refused to release the recordings last year, as questions mounted about his mental acuity. The audio also appears to validate Hur's assertion that jurors in a trial likely would have viewed Biden as 'a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.' Partly based on that determination, Hur decided not to prosecute Biden for improper possession of classified documents, angering Republicans because Trump was facing charges in his own classified document scandal then." Read on. ~~~

     ~~~ The post includes two YouTube videos of audio clips from the interview. Marie: What is not clear from the report is who the reporters' source was for the audio clips. The following NYT report strongly suggests that the Trump White House was the source. So the clips likely distort the full picture of the interview, which lasted for about five hours over two days. But they are what they are. ~~~

     ~~~ Devlin Barrett & Tyler Pager of the New York Times: "The audio was published by Axios as the Trump administration made plans to release the full interview recording.... As early as next week, the Trump administration plans to release the audio recordings of the interview, according to people familiar with the matter.... About a month after Mr. Hur's announcement not to seek charges, officials released a transcript of his interview with Mr. Biden. But for more than a year, Republicans have been demanding that the government also release the audio recording, arguing that it might offer evidence of a decline in Mr. Biden's mental acuity.... The Trump administration was facing a court deadline next week to take a position in a lawsuit over the recording."

     ~~~ Chris Cameron of the New York Times: has more on the overall issue of President Biden's fitness to serve out a second term.~~~

     ~~~ Reid Epstein & Lisa Lerer of the New York Times: "As the Democratic Party faces record low approval ratings, many party strategists and officials believe it must rebuild trust in its brand. That process, some argue, must begin with confronting how the party handled the 2024 race. For most of Mr. Biden's term, many Democrats lived a bifurcated political life. In public, they remained staunchly behind the president, lauding him as sharp and fit to serve. But in private conversations, they fretted about his shaky gait, rambling speech and tendency to forget key details, like the names of foreign leaders.... Representative Jim Himes of Connecticut, one of the first lawmakers to call for Mr. Biden to step aside as the Democratic nominee after his disastrous debate performance in June 2024, said lawmakers had not fully known Mr. Biden's mental and physical state. But, he said, Democrats must now openly admit that the former president was unfit for a second term and should not have run.... Some Democrats are already warning that this issue could emerge as a dividing line in the 2028 presidential primary, as candidates try to distinguish themselves in what strategists widely expect to be a crowded contest." ~~~

~~~ Maureen Dowd of the New York Times: "The denouement of Joe Biden is unbearably sad. It is the oldest story in tragedy: hubris. By the end, when he was bubble-wrapped in 2024, he trusted only his family and his closest aides. And they protected him with a damaging chimera. Sugarcoated interpretations of polls that were not reflected elsewhere.... It was not just Joe and Jill who wanted to hang on to power, with all the perks and trips and, for Jill, glamorous Vogue covers. It was also their advisers, Mike Donilon, Steve Ricchetti, Anita Dunn, Anthony Bernal and Annie Tomasini.... The more Biden was out of it, the more his hours and responsibilities were curtailed, the more of a vacuum there was at the top, the more power the advisers had." MB: I still blame not Joe but the palace guard, especially his wife, who should have been protecting him from his false sense of fitness for a very taxing job. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I realize that some of you don't think President Biden's fitness for office has any currency and we should let sleeping dogs lie. One critical trait that distinguishes Democrats from Republicans is that we can handle the truth. Besides, IMO, Biden's apparent unfitness for office is precisely why we're in the disastrous situation we face today. Had Biden stuck to his implied resolve to be a one-term president, Democrats would have run their usual chaotic primary season and the eventual nominee would have received a full vetting. For better or for worse, the public would have "seen" the Democratic nominee, albeit mostly through the eyes of our not-always-great journalists. We'll never know, of course, if that unknown nominee would have beat Donald Trump. But we do know that she or he would have stood a better chance.

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Texas. A Rude Awakening for Some Trump Voters. Edgar Sandoval of the New York Times: "Most mornings, Leonardo Baez, a father of seven, wakes up hours before sunrise to mix bread dough in the border city of Los Fresnos, Texas. Punishing and laborious work, yes, but owning a beloved bakery has been a lifelong dream of his, he said. It is now in jeopardy. In February, federal agents swooped down on his shop, Abby's Bakery, detained workers they said were in the country illegally and pressed charges against the owners, Mr. Baez and his wife, Nora Alicia Avila. As their July trial nears, many in this Latino-majority community of 8,500 close to Brownsville, Texas, are learning what life will be like under ... [Donald] Trump and his immigration crackdown. More than 52 percent of Los Fresnos's once-bright-blue Cameron County voted for Mr. Trump in November, but his aggressive policies are dividing families and rattling local business where undocumented residents are indistinguishable from the larger border population.... Mr. Baez and Ms. Avila face potential prison terms, loss of their legal status and deportation if they are found guilty of harboring illegal immigrants." -48-