The Conversation -- June 15, 2025

Here's a summary of yesterday's protest in Austin, Texas, from KUT, the local NPR station. Thanks to laura h. for the link: "The scene at the Capitol remained peaceful as crowds listened to speakers including U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett and state Sen. Sarah Eckhardt, both Democrats representing Austin." ~~~

~~~ Marie: From what I've read today, it appears to me that across the nation there were millions of people protesting, and almost every one was nonviolent. On the other hand, in a few places, extreme violence was waged against them: a shooting in Salt Lake City, a vehicular attack in Culpeper, Va.  

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Thank you to everyone -- including Jeanne & Victoria B. -- who protested yesterday.

Annie Gowen of the Washington Post: “Americans turned out en masse in communities across the country Saturday, raucously pushing back on what they see as ... Donald Trump’s widening authoritarianism, attacks on immigrants and deep cuts to scores of federal programs.... Relatively few disruptions were reported during rallies where the mood ranged from joyful to defiant.... [Demonstrators] carried hand-lettered signs focused on democracy, the rule of law and human rights.... The day was marred by the news of deadly violence overnight in Minneapolis, where two Democratic state legislators were shot with their spouses in what Gov. Tim Walz called a 'politically motivated' attack.... The Texas Department of Public Safety warned of “credible threats” to lawmakers planning to attend the evening rally at the state capitol in Austin.... And Saturday night, a person taking part in the 'No Kings' rally in Salt Lake City was critically injured during a shooting. The police department posted on X that a person of interest was in custody and that the situation downtown remained 'very fluid.'” The story includes vignettes of the protests in Atlanta, Philadelphia, Nashville, Houston, Chicago, Los Angeles and New York City.

New York Times photos of some of the protests around the country are here.

Christian Piekos, et al., of ABC 7 Chicago: "Thousands in the Chicago area rallied for 'No Kings Day' protests against the Trump administration on Saturday. It was quite the demonstration, and it seemed like there was just a never-ending crowd of people that marched from Daley Plaza all throughout the Loop in downtown Chicago. Official attendance numbers from Chicago police have not yet been released, but the expected number of 10,000 people appeared to be far exceeded.... Everything had remained peaceful throughout the day as of 4 p.m., with a significant presence from Chicago police on every corner of the rally."

Drew Dixon of Florida Politics: "More than 4,000 people turned out to protest against the Immigration, Customs and Enforcement (ICE) agency and ... Donald Trump Saturday outside the Duval County Courthouse in Jacksonville[, Florida].... tate Rep. Angie Nixon, a Jacksonville Democrat, was the keynote speaker at the Duval County event that lasted more than two hours in the sweltering heat.... Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office police kept their distance for the most part with department vehicles blocking road traffic at key intersections establishing a several-block perimeter surrounding the event."

Orlando Mayorquin, et al., of the New York Times: “Tensions flared between protesters and the police in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday as a major demonstration against the Trump administration gave way to yet another night of smaller but raucous protests against recent immigration raids. With the city’s downtown area facing an 8 p.m. curfew, the Los Angeles police began using tear gas and crowd-control munitions to break up protests after issuing a 4 p.m. dispersal order. Officers on horseback forced hundreds of people away from a federal building downtown, where a crowd had gathered, chanting at a line of National Guard troops guarding the structure as helicopters circled overhead. 'Shame on you! Shame on you!' the demonstrators shouted, as the troops stood at attention. In several posts on X, the Los Angeles Police Department accused protesters of throwing rocks, bottles and fireworks at officers. Law enforcement also said that “outside agitators” had blocked a portion of a street with fencing and other materials.”

Faris Tanyos of CBS News: "One person was wounded in a shooting Saturday evening that occurred during a 'No Kings' protest in Salt Lake City, Utah, officials said. Salt Lake City police said in a post to social media that the shooting was 'possibly associated with the demonstration.' The victim was rushed to a hospital with life-threatening injuries and a person of interest was in custody, police said. No further details were provided, and the circumstances that led up to the shooting were unclear. Police said about 10,000 people had been taking part in the protest."

Elissa Salamy of Fox 5 Washington, D.C.: "Police say a driver in an SUV intentionally drove into a crowd of protesters in Culpeper, [Virginia,] hitting at least one person. Police say Joseph R. Checklick Jr, 21, of Culpeper intentionally accelerated into a crowd of protesters near James Madison Highway Saturday afternoon.... Culpeper Democrats posted on Facebook, thanking Culpeper Police Department for their 'quick response and for keeping our protest safe.'" 

Ben Johansen of Politico: “The Texas state capitol was evacuated on Saturday after the state’s Department of Public Safety warned of a 'credible threat' against legislators, ahead of a planned anti-Trump protest Saturday evening in Austin.”

David Sanger of the New York Times: Donald “Trump presided over a show of American military might in the nation’s capital on Saturday evening, a celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States Army that became a test of wills and competing imagery, with demonstrators around the country decrying his expansion of executive power. Mr. Trump sat in a reviewing stand on Constitution Avenue as armored vehicles dating from two World Wars and overflights of 80-year old bombers and modern helicopters shook downtown Washington. The city was locked down, divided by a wall of tall, black crowd-control fences designed to assure that the parade, the first of its kind since American troops returned from the Gulf War in 1991, was an uninterrupted demonstration of history and American power. It went off without a hitch, but also without even a nod to the current moment. When Mr. Trump left his seat between his wife, Melania Trump, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, it was to swear in new soldiers —  'Have a great life,' he told them after the brief ceremony — and then, at sundown, to recall the Army’s greatest moments. He invoked George Washington and recalled Gettysburg. Yet he spoke more to the Army’s power than to its purpose.” ~~~

~~~ The AP has photos of the parade here. Viewer discretion advised: there are way too many photos of Trump in the mix; one would have been more than enough. ~~~

~~~ Washington Post Editors: “No one needed ... Donald Trump’s military parade, which just happened to take place on his birthday, to know that the United States’ fearsome armed forces deserve respect. Ostentatious muscle-flexing does not make America appear confident — particularly when there are questions about whom, exactly, it is meant to honor.... This was the week that Trump politicized the military, challenging the core principles of civilian-military relations. The week began with his deployment of troops, including more than 4,000 National Guard members and 700 Marines, in response to protests of immigration raids in the Los Angeles area.... Trump appeared to revel in the politics of his stunt, warring with California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) on social media and portraying Los Angeles as a hellscape of 'third-world lawlessness' that only military forces could pacify.... Then, on Tuesday, Trump led what felt like a political rally with enlisted troops at Fort Bragg in North Carolina.... Trump also used the Fort Bragg event to drag the military into another political battle, announcing that he would restore the names of seven Army bases that had originally honored Confederate leaders....”

New York Times liveblog Sunday: “The manhunt in Minnesota’s Twin Cities region for a man suspected of assassinating a Democratic state lawmaker and wounding another entered its second day on Sunday morning. The attacks shook leaders from both political parties and shocked a state that prides itself on political civility.Officials identified the suspect as Vance Boelter, 57. Officials said the gunman had been impersonating a police officer and was carrying a list of about 70 potential targets, including politicians and locations for Planned Parenthood clinics. The suspect was believed to still be in the Twin Cities area on Saturday but might be trying to flee, they said. The gunman killed Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, officials said, and wounded State Senator John A. Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, in separate attacks at the lawmakers’ homes in the Minneapolis suburbs on Saturday. The gunman also fired at police officers before fleeing. 'This was an act of targeted political violence,' Gov. Tim Walz said.” ~~~

     ~~~ Tim Sullivan, et al., of the AP: “A massive search was stretching into its second day for a man who authorities say posed as a police officer and fatally shot a Democratic state lawmaker in her suburban Minneapolis home.... Authorities said the suspect also shot and wounded a second lawmaker and was trying to flee the area.... Authorities identified the suspect as 57-year-old Vance Boelter, and the FBI issued a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to his arrest and conviction. They shared a photo taken Saturday of Boelter wearing a tan cowboy hat and asked the public to report sightings. Hundreds of law enforcement officers fanned out in the search for the suspect.” ~~~

~~~ E.J. Dionne of the Washington Post: “Melissa Hortman, the former Minnesota House speaker felled by an assassin’s bullet at her home on Saturday, really did understand what democracy looks like.... Hortman lived her highly constructive life in politics in the knowledge that achieving change democratically requires painstaking work: planning, coalition-building, persuasion, conciliation, vote-counting.... I can’t do full justice here to all that Hortman and her colleagues achieved, but a lengthy partial list can give you a sense of just how much they got done. The miracle included legislation for paid family and medical leave, sick leave, transgender rights protections, driver’s licenses for undocumented residents, abortion rights and voting rights. Also on the list were background checks for private gun transfers, red flag laws, legalized recreational marijuana, expanded education funding, investment in affordable housing, big steps toward a carbon-free electric grid by 2040, new reading curriculums based on phonics, a $2.58 billion capital construction package, laws strengthening workers’ rights, unemployment insurance for hourly workers, a refundable child credit for lower-income Minnesotans; and free breakfast and lunch for all Minnesota K-12 students.” ~~~

Speaker Hortman was someone who served the people of Minnesota with grace, compassion, humour and a sense of service. She was a formidable public servant, a fixture and a giant in Minnesota. She woke up every day determined to make this state a better place. She is irreplaceable and will be missed by so many. -- Gov. Tim Walz ~~~

~~~ Grace Panetta of the 19th: Melissa "Hortman worked closely with Gov. Tim Walz to enact policies that prioritized children and expanded protections for abortion and gender-affirming care."

See commentary by Akhilleus & RAS at the top of today's thread. These brief remarks put today's major news events in appropriate context.

Ben Johansen of Politico: “Democratic congressional leaders are calling for heightened security on Capitol Hill after a pair of Minnesota state lawmakers were shot in their homes early Saturday. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer in a statement Saturday afternoon said that he’s requested and received increased security presence for Minnesota Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith, who were both reportedly additional targets of the suspected assassin. Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley said in a press conference the suspect had a manifesto that 'identified many lawmakers and other officials.'... Schumer sought additional security earlier this week for Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), who was forcefully taken down to the ground and handcuffed after interrupting a press conference by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries issued a similar statement, asking the House sergeant at arms and U.S. Capitol Police to 'ensure the safety of our Minnesota delegation and Members of Congress across the country.' Both [Senate Majority Leader John] Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson released statements strongly condemning the assassination, but did not weigh in on additional security for the Minnesota congressional delegation.”

The TACO King Plays Songs of Weakening. Tyler Pager, et al., of the New York Times: Donald “Trump’s decision to pause most raids targeting farms and hospitality workers took many inside the White House by surprise. It came after intensive lobbying by his agriculture secretary [Brooke Rollins].... Some influential Trump donors who learned about the post began reaching out to people in the White House, urging Mr. Trump to include the restaurant sector in any directive to spare undocumented workers from enforcement.... It remains to be seen how effective the order will be and whether Mr. Trump will stick with his decision. Raids at other work sites, like the one in Los Angeles’s garment industry that led to mass protests, are still allowed. On Friday, the day after Mr. Trump issued the new guidance, farm workers were being rounded up in the fields of Oxnard, 50 miles north of Los Angeles, according to advocates. But the president’s decision to shield farmers and the hospitality industry — a business he knows well from his years as an owner of luxury hotels — reveals the tension between his deportation efforts and concerns about maintaining crucial support in his political coalition. This account of Mr. Trump’s retreat is based on interviews with 11 people....”

Marie: I linked to a couple of stories on this yesterday, but the WashPo does a better job of highlighting Trump's 2024 personal haul, IMO: ~~~

Grifter-in-Chief Cleans Up. Clara Morse & Matt Viser of the Washington Post: “... Donald Trump reported over $600 million in income and $1.6 billion in assets in a public financial disclosure filed late Friday, including cryptocurrency holdings, income from his properties and lucrative licensing deals with foreign developers. The 234-page disclosure form, made public along with a large batch of other White House officials, provides a new window into his finances in 2024, before Trump was elected for a second term. It also reflects a period when he was raising money during his 2024 presidential campaign through various merchandise and marketing. One of his largest single sources of income was his stake in the cryptocurrency platform World Liberty Financial, where he reported income of $57.3 million off token sales. He holds 15.75 billion governance tokens in WLF, according to the filing.... The legal damages Trump incurred in court in 2024 still officially loom over him. He reported owing over $50 million to both E. Jean Carroll, who sued Trump, and the New York attorney general, who prosecuted him in a civil fraud case. In total in the court cases, Trump was ordered to pay nearly $90 million in two judgments, and $350 million plus interest in the civil fraud suit. However, he said in the disclosure any payments are 'pending appeal.'”

AP: “Russian President Vladimir Putin and ... Donald Trump held a lengthy call Saturday to discuss the escalating situation in the Middle East and Russia’s war in Ukraine. Trump in a posting on his Truth Social platform said they spent the bulk of their conversation focused on Israel’s ongoing blistering attacks aimed at decapitating Iran’s nuclear program and Iran’s retaliatory strikes. But Trump said that he also pressed Putin to end Russia’s war in Ukraine. 'He feels, as do I, this war in Israel-Iran should end, to which I explained, his war should also end,' said Trump, who added the conversation went about an hour. Putin foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov said Putin briefed Trump on his recent talks with the leaders of Iran and Israel and reiterated Russia’s proposal to seek mutually acceptable solutions on the Iranian nuclear issue.” MB: This is a report based on reports from serial liars and propagandists, so it's impossible to tell if a single word is true. For all we know, the fellas talked about nothing but Trump's big military parade, or maybe the call never took place at all. 

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Israel/Iran., et al. AP: “The death toll grew Sunday as Israel and Iran exchanged missile attacks for a third consecutive day, with Israel warning that worse is to come. Israel targeted Iran’s Defense Ministry headquarters in Tehran and sites it alleged were associated with Iran’s nuclear program, while Iranian missiles evaded Israeli air defenses and slammed into buildings deep inside Israel, causing civilian causalities.... Israel, which views a nuclear-armed Iran as an existential threat, launched its attacks after weeks of escalating tensions over Iran’s progressing nuclear program. Iran announced Thursday that it planned to activate a third nuclear enrichment facility shortly after the U.N. nuclear watchdog censured Iran for failing to comply with nonproliferation obligations.” ~~~

     ~~~ The New York Times' live updates are here. ~~~

     ~~~ Eliza Gkritsi of Politico: “... Donald Trump said the United States will retaliate 'at levels never seen before' if attacked by Iran.... 'The U.S. had nothing to do with the attack on Iran, tonight,' said Trump in the small hours of Sunday. 'If we are attacked in any way, shape or form by Iran, the full strength and might of the U.S. Armed Forces will come down on you at levels never seen before.' He added: 'However, we can easily get a deal done between Iran and Israel, and end this bloody conflict!!!' Talks between the U.S. and Iran scheduled for today were canceled, said Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi in an X post.... On Sunday morning, Israel’s Defense Forces called on Iranian civilians living near weapons production facilities to evacuate.... 

“Shortly after the IDF issued its evacuation call on Sunday, Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel 'will strike the sites and continue to peel the skin off the Iranian snake in Tehran and everywhere, stripping it of nuclear capabilities and weapons systems.' Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue service said on Sunday that 13 people had been killed, according to the Associated Press. Iran’s U.N. ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani said on Saturday that 78 people had died in the country and more than 320 wounded, wrote the Wall Street Journal.”

Nearby, our Very Good Friends in Saudi Arabia have murdered another journalist: ~~~

~~~ Saudi Arabia. Gabe Levin of the AP: “A prominent Saudi journalist who was arrested in 2018 and convicted on terrorism and treason charges has been executed, the kingdom said. Activist groups maintain that the charges against him were trumped up. Turki Al-Jasser, who was in his late 40s, was put to death on Saturday, according to the official Saudi Press Agency, after the death penalty was upheld by the nation’s top court. Authorities had raided Al-Jasser’s home in 2018, arresting him and seizing his computer and phones. It was not clear where his trial took place or how long it lasted. According to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists, Saudi authorities maintained that Al-Jasser was behind a social media account on X, formerly Twitter, that levied corruption allegations against Saudi royals. Al-Jasser was also said to have posted several controversial tweets about militants and militant groups.... “The international community’s failure to deliver justice for Jamal Khashoggi did not just betray one journalist,” [CPJ’s program director Carlos Martínez de la Serna] said, adding it had 'emboldened de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to continue his persecution of the press.'”

The Conversation -- June 14, 2025

By Pat Bagley of the Salt Lake Tribune. Thanks to RAS for the link.

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New York Times liveblog: “'A person pretending to be a police officer assassinated a Democratic state legislator in Minnesota and killed the lawmaker’s husband in “an act of targeted political violence,' Gov. Tim Walz said Saturday. The assailant also shot and injured another Democratic lawmaker and his wife, officials said. State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, died in the attack at their home in the Minneapolis suburbs. State Senator John A. Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were shot multiple times at their house in a nearby suburb, but remained alive as of Saturday morning. The authorities were searching for the assailant, who shot at officers as they arrived at one of the lawmakers’ homes. Chief Mark Bruley of the Brooklyn Park, Minn., police said the gunman’s vehicle contained a manifesto and a target list with names of individuals, including the two lawmakers who were shot.  'We must all, Minnesota and across the country, stand against all forms of political violence,' Mr. Walz said. F.B.I. officials said they had joined the investigation.” An AP report is here. Thank you RAS for the heads-up. T

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Be Careful Out There.

The Washington Post is live-updating developments related to today's protests. 

Marie: BTW, I found that the easiest way to locate protests in my area was to Google "No Kings" and the name of my state. The events were listed by town, in alpha order, and included some details, like time, place and focus of each event.

Adam Nagourney of the New York Times: “The nation is a cauldron of anxiety and anger as it enters the weekend at a moment recalling some of the darkest periods of its history.... Two things, many historians suggest, distinguish this moment from other troubled times in our past. The first is the sheer number of conflagrations taking place at once.... The second thing is Trump himself. At fraught moments like this, it normally falls to the president to step up as the reassuring figure.... Not Trump. When Gov. Gavin Newsom, Democrat of California, protested the dispatching of the National Guard to Los Angeles, the president responded by ordering even more members of the guard to the city, followed by a contingent of Marines. When told that the 'No Kings' weekend protests might spill into Washington on Saturday, Trump warned that anyone trying to interfere with his military parade, which coincides with his 79th birthday, will be met with 'a very big force.' 'What really stands out to me now is that the biggest source of chaos is the president himself,” said Julian Zelizer, a professor of political history at Princeton University.”

Sophia Solano & Martin Weil of the Washington Post: “U.S. Capitol Police arrested about 60 demonstrators Friday evening during a protest of the appearance of troops in Saturday’s Army celebration in Washington and at immigration protests in Los Angeles. Capitol Police said the arrests came after a bicycle-rack barrier was pushed down and a police line was 'illegally crossed' while demonstrators ran toward the steps leading to the Capitol Rotunda. The demonstrators, wearing fatigue clothing, then sat on the steps of the Capitol, behind a sign that read 'Vets Say Military off our Streets.' The 60 were part of a larger group that had been demonstrating peacefully at the Supreme Court, Capitol Police said. After they broke away and ran toward the Capitol steps, officers 'began making arrests,' police said.” A CBS News report is here.

Rhian Lubin of the Independent: “Far-right groups are sharing violent messages ahead of the 'No Kings” protests this weekend to coincide with ... Donald Trump’s military birthday parade. Accounts associated with extremist groups are also sharing detailed information about protest organizers, including names and where they work, The Wall Street Journal reports. Protests in more than 2,000 cities are scheduled to take place Saturday. 'Shoot a couple, the rest will go home,' one meme circulating on a Proud Boys Telegram channel said.... The Northern Illinois Proud Boys shared a meme on their Telegram channel falsely claiming the LAPD was seeking support from vigilantes ahead of the protests this weekend.... Experts on extremism in America are alarmed by the posts because they could inspire 'lone-actor violence' or persuade someone to 'get off the couch, pick up a gun and go out to one of these cities,' Jon Lewis ... [of] George Washington University ... told The Journal.” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Could these "messengers" be some of the same Proud Boys whom Trump pardoned & released from jail? Why, yes, yes, they could be. ~~~

~~~ Madeline Sherratt of the Independent: “A Florida sheriff issued a stark message to protesters planning to demonstrate this weekend against increasing ICE arrests nationwide. Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey warned in a press conference Thursday..., 'If you throw a brick, a firebomb, or point a gun at one of our deputies, we will be notifying your family where to collect your remains, because we will kill you, graveyard dead. We’re not going to play.'...” MB: Obviously I don't think a person should throw a brick that damages property. But would I kill him for doing so? Absolutely not. And neither would a responsible law enforcement officer. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Chris Hayes ran clips last night of the Brevard County presser. After Sheriff Ivey threatened protesters, a county supervisor came to the mic & told folks that if a protester stood in front of your vehicle, run him over.

Peter Baker of the New York Times: “When ... [Donald] Trump first sought to stage a military parade in Washington, a four-star general ... [told] him that 'it’s what dictators do.' Mr. Trump was unbothered by the comparison, and so on Saturday tanks will roll down the streets of the nation’s capital for the first time in decades. Nor was Mr. Trump evidently concerned about being accused of authoritarian excess for deploying troops to Los Angeles to quell violent protests against his immigration crackdown. If anything, he seemed to revel in the moment, vowing to 'hit' anyone who so much as spit at a police officer.... Yet as a real war broke out this week in the Middle East, Mr. Trump seemed reluctant to get involved, declining to join Israel in its aerial blitz against Iran’s nuclear facilities despite years of chest-thumping threats of 'obliteration' against the Islamic regime.... He has ordered more troops to Los Angeles and Washington than he currently has stationed in Syria and Iraq combined. He seems more willing at the moment to use the military against Americans than against Iranians. He celebrates a show of force on U.S. soil even as he denounces 'endless wars' outside its borders.” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Baker says Trump's relationship to the military is "complicated." I don't think so. He and his bro base are isolationists and racists. Their idea of "strength" is "owning the libs," quashing DEI & incarcerating people of color. Making the world safe for democracy? No way. That's not "complicated"; it's self-serving.

Dan Lamothe of the Washington Post: “Trump’s [partisan] rally [at Fort Bragg earlier this week] is the latest event since his return to office that has showcased the president’s disregard for civil-military norms and thrust the Army, specifically, to the center of his most partisan machinations. The turmoil has run headlong into Saturday’s 'grand parade' in Washington celebrating the Army’s 250th birthday, a display of its might — replete with tanks, helicopters, bands and thousands of troops in uniform — that has drawn withering criticism from Trump’s political opponents.... 'Make America Great Again' caps and other pro-Trump paraphernalia were made available for purchase during the event over the objections of Army officials, defense officials said. The merchandise booth, as reported earlier by Military.com, is now the focus of an Army investigation.” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Since the story mentions Dan Driscoll, the Secretary of the Army, I guess we had better point out, as RAS did yesterday, that Secretary Dan is awfully proud of having recently spoken to "a soldier on the moon." As far as we mere members of the public know, there is no "soldier on the moon" nor has there been since 1972, more than a decade before Driscoll was born. Go to the videotape. Driscoll is also now the acting director of the ATF, so maybe he indulged in some extra-legal substance he found om the evidence room. 

Strawberry Fields, Abandoned ~~~

Our great Farmers and people in the Hotel and Leisure business have been stating that our very aggressive policy on immigration is taking very good, long time workers away from them, with those jobs being almost impossible to replace. -- Donald Trump, on social media, Thursday ~~~ 

~~~ TACO. Hamed Aleaziz & Zolan Kanno-Youngs of the New York Times: “The Trump administration has abruptly shifted the focus of its mass deportation campaign, telling Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials to largely pause raids and arrests in the agricultural industry, hotels and restaurants, according to an internal email and three U.S. officials with knowledge of the guidance. The decision suggested that the scale of ... [Donald] Trump’s mass deportation campaign — an issue that is at the heart of his presidency — is hurting industries and constituencies that he does not want to lose. The new guidance comes after protests in Los Angeles against the Trump administration’s immigration raids, including at farms and businesses. It also came as Mr. Trump made a rare concession this week that his crackdown was hurting American farmers and hospitality businesses. The guidance was sent on Thursday in an email by a senior ICE official, Tatum King, to regional leaders of the ICE department that generally carries out criminal investigations, including work site operations, known as Homeland Security Investigations. 'Effective today, please hold on all work site enforcement investigations/operations on agriculture (including aquaculture and meat packing plants), restaurants and operating hotels,' he wrote in the message.” MB: Plus, I'd guess Eric told the old man that his cheesy resorts couldn't find cheap help. 

What privacy advocates warned could happen has happened: ~~~

⭐~~~ Kimberly Kindy & Amanda Seitz of the AP: “... Donald Trump’s administration this week provided deportation officials with personal data -- including the immigration status -- on millions of Medicaid enrollees, a move that could make it easier to locate people as part of his sweeping immigration crackdown. An internal memo and emails obtained by The Associated Press show that Medicaid officials unsuccessfully sought to block the data transfer, citing legal and ethical concerns. Nevertheless, two top advisers to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ordered the dataset handed over to the Department of Homeland Security, the emails show. Officials at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services were given just 54 minutes on Tuesday to comply with the directive. Besides helping authorities locate migrants, experts said, the government could also use the information to scuttle the hopes of migrants seeking green cards, permanent residency or citizenship if they had ever obtained Medicaid benefits funded by the federal government. The dataset includes the information of people living in California, Illinois, Washington state and Washington, D.C., all of which allow non-U.S. citizens to enroll in Medicaid programs that pay for their expenses using only state taxpayer dollars. CMS transferred the information just as the Trump administration was ramping up its enforcement efforts in Southern California.” (Also linked yesterday.) 

April Rubin of Axios: "The U.S. military will not be responsible for law enforcement at Los Angeles protests, the Pentagon said on Friday.... Nearly 5,000 National Guard members and Marines were deployed by the Trump administration in response to anti-immigration raid protests, despite disapproval from a plurality of Americans. 'As of today, we have had no soldier or Marine detain anyone,' Maj. Gen. Thomas Sherman said during a Friday press briefing. 'They have watched federal law enforcement arrest personnel as they were protecting. They have not had to detain anyone at this point.'... Starting today, Second Battalion, Seventh Marines will be responsible for protecting federal property and personnel, Sherman said." 

Marie: The poet Robert Burns tells us what may happen to the best-laid plans (assuming you understand 18th-century Scottish dialect). But what about seat-of-the-pants, Trumpity "plans"? How do they fare? ~~~ 

~~~ Nicholas Slayton of Task & Purpose: "U.S. Marines temporarily detained a civilian in Los Angeles Friday afternoon, the first known case of the military doing so since it deployed to Los Angeles County. The incident was first reported by Reuters, who identified the detained man as U.S. Army veteran Marcos Leao. A spokesperson for U.S. Northern Command confirmed that an individual was detained, but turned over to law enforcement officials after approximately 10 minutes. He was transferred to the custody of officers from the Department of Homeland Security before being released. Per Reuters, Leao was on his way to the nearby Veterans Affairs campus when he crossed yellow tape at the Wilshire federal building, which Marines from 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment took over guarding this afternoon. Marines quickly detained him and restrained him using zip ties." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Rachel Parsons, et al., of the New York Times: “... the incident ... was noteworthy in one major way: Federal troops are rarely deployed on American soil and are rarely seen detaining U.S. civilians, even temporarily.... A 19th-century law, the Posse Comitatus Act, generally makes it illegal to use federal troops for law enforcement on domestic soil.... The federal building [Mr. Leao was attempting to enter] is the same one where F.B.I. agents forcibly removed Senator Alex Padilla, Democrat of California, from a news conference on Thursday. The 17-story building includes offices for the F.B.I., the Veterans Affairs Department and a federal passport agency.”

Laura Romero & Katherine Faulders of ABC News: "Kilmar Abrego Garcia pleaded not guilty Friday to human smuggling charges, and the judge in case said she would wait to issue a decision on whether he should be released from custody pending trial. One week after he was brought back to the Unites States from detention in El Salvador, Abrego Garcia entered his not guilty plea at his arraignment in Tennessee, where federal prosecutors have charged him with transporting undocumented migrants within the U.S. in what they say was a conspiracy involving the domestic transport of thousands of noncitizens from Mexico and Central America, including some children, in exchange for thousands of dollars. Following his plea, U.S. Magistrate Judge Barbara Holmes heard arguments over whether he should continue to be detained, after which she said she would likely issue a written order in the near future -- 'soon rather than later,' she said." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Alan Feuer & James McGee of the New York Times: “A federal judge signaled on Friday that she was open to granting bail to Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, one week after he was returned to the United States to face criminal charges following his wrongful deportation to El Salvador. If the judge, Barbara D. Holmes, does end up denying the Justice Department’s request to detain Mr. Abrego Garcia as he awaits trial, it would be a significant rebuke of the Trump administration, which has repeatedly accused him of being a dangerous criminal, even a terrorist. But it would also represent a Pyrrhic victory for him and his defense team because, as Judge Holmes pointed out, he would almost certainly be taken into custody by immigration officials. Judge Holmes declined to make a final decision on the question of bail at a daylong hearing in Federal District Court in Nashville where Mr. Abrego Garcia pleaded not guilty to a two-count federal indictment unsealed last Friday.”

Inae Oh of Mother Jones: "... to the right, [Kristi] Noem was the wrong[ed] party [in the incident in which law enforcement officers wrestled Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) to the floor and handcuffed him]. For them, the incident seems to have transformed her into something of a wounded dove.... 'She’s like the most delicate, beautiful, tiny woman,' Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) said during an appearance on Benny Johnson’s podcast.... 'What actual testosterone dude goes in and tries to break Kristi Noem?'... [There is] glaring racism in the suggestion that Noem, a white woman, is the victim after a Latino man is physically dragged out of a room by multiple Secret Service agents. The pretext of criminality attached to people who are not white pervades this administration. Just this week, Rep. LaMonica McIver, a Black congresswoman from New Jersey, was indicted on charges of impeding and interfering with law enforcement officials after protesting at an ICE facility last month.... In these early days of our fascist slide, it is painfully clear who gets to be 'delicate, beautiful, and tiny,' and who is seen as a violent threat to law enforcement.”

Jonah Bromwich of the New York Times: “The Trump administration, blocked by a judge from detaining Mahmoud Khalil on one set of legal grounds, has officially shifted to another as it fights to hold him in federal custody. Justice Department lawyers told the judge, Michael E. Farbiarz, on Friday, that Mr. Khalil was being held on allegations that had been added to his case more than a week after his arrest in March. Judge Farbiarz has already suggested the allegations do not wholly explain his continued detention.... Justice Department lawyers wrote in a court filing submitted Friday afternoon that Mr. Khalil [now] was being held on the [later-added] allegations ... that he had failed to disclose his membership in certain organizations when he applied for legal residency in March 2024. Scott Schuchart, a former senior homeland security official, said the government’s shifting rationale in Mr. Khalil’s case was typical of the administration’s broader approach to immigration cases. 'I find it outrageous just with regard to the disrespect with which they’ve treated the court and the entire process throughout this case,' he said, adding, 'It shows nothing but contempt for the rule of law.'” (Also linked yesterday.) The NBC News story is here.

Say, remember how the mayor of Newark, New Jersey, and three Democratic members of congress wanted to inspect the privately-run migrant detention center known as Delaney Hall? And how DHS officers shoved them around and arrested the mayor, then the Trumpy prosecutor later brought federal charges against one of the House members ? Well, gosh, it's almost as if those planned inspections were not only legal, they were badly needed: ~~~

~~~ Tracey Tully, et al., of the New York Times: “Meals had been erratic at the privately run facility that last month began holding migrants facing deportation. Some detainees were sleeping on floors. And the water available from faucets was sometimes scalding or foul tasting. Several dozen men in Unit 5, on an upper floor of the jailhouse known as Delaney Hall, had grown frustrated. And after returning Thursday afternoon from a first-floor cafeteria, where they said they had been given slices of bread in place of a meal, they began covering security cameras and smashing at walls and windows. Two security guards stationed in the unit retreated.... By the time the disruption was over, four men had escaped.... The men who escaped had punched a hole through an exterior wall of the jail that [Sen. Andy] Kim [D-N.J.] described as crude — 'essentially just drywall with some mesh inside.'”

Here's a NYT front-page analysis that concludes Trump is a buffoon, a remarkably incompetent negotiator who grossly overestimates his own prowess. There's not much sugar-coating here, and the reporters replace both-siderism with a note that Obama got it done (before Trump foolishly blew t up). ~~~

~~~ Michael Crowley & Edward Wong of the New York Times: “... as a candidate for president in 2024, [Donald Trump] cast himself as a man of peace. His toughness and the 'respect' he enjoys from foreign leaders, he insisted, would enable him to settle conflicts almost with a snap of his fingers. 'My proudest legacy will be that of a peacemaker and unifier,' Mr. Trump said in his January inaugural address. The war in Ukraine could be ended in as little as 24 hours, he said. He would knock heads to reach an agreement between Israel and Hamas to stop the fighting in Gaza. And he said he would strike a nuclear deal with Iran.... A day after Israel began a massive attack on Iran, however, Mr. Trump’s peace projects are in tatters.... The results undermine Mr. Trump’s argument that he can solve intractable problems with common sense and hard-nosed savvy while ignoring protocol, shunning experts and dispatching inexperienced envoys.... Mr. Trump also appears to be susceptible to conflating flattery and sweet talk from other leaders with a willingness to compromise their interests.... Mr. Trump seems to lack patience with the hard work required to get to real diplomatic outcomes.” ~~~

~~~ Max Boot of the Washington Post: “The president is no warmonger, but his clumsy attempts at making peace keep coming up empty.... In the international arena, [Donald Trump] clearly wants peace. He just doesn’t know how to achieve it. Trump came to office promising to end the Ukraine-Russia war in a day. It has been 144 days since his inauguration, and the prospect of peace appears as remote as ever. Indeed, Russia is mounting a new ground offensive and staging its biggest air attacks on Ukrainian cities. Trump has also gotten tired of Israel’s endless war in Gaza and told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to wrap it up. The Trump administration did help to broker a six-week ceasefire, but after it ended on March 18, the war resumed, as brutal as ever. And then, for the past two months, Trump has been trying to negotiate a nuclear deal with Iran while pressuring Israel not to launch a military strike. Yet that is just what Netanyahu has done, sending some 200 Israeli aircraft to attack targets across Iran. On Friday, Iran retaliated by launching drones and ballistic missiles against Israel.... Trump’s disastrous decision to exit the accord in 2018, even though the Iranians were abiding by it, lit the long fuse that resulted in the latest war between Iran and Israel. It is a conflict that Israel is likely to win, but the fact that the shooting has started is a sign of how ineffectual Trump’s diplomacy has been.” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Here's yet another example of Trump's unwarranted self-regard and gross incompetence re: international relations. ~~~

~~~ Surprise, Surprise! Minho Kim & Chris Cameron of the New York Times: “The Farsi language news broadcast for Voice of America was abruptly reactivated on Friday, calling back dozens of workers for the news network who had been put on paid leave as hostilities between Israel and Iran intensified, two staff members at the Farsi news service said. Voice of America, a federally funded news network that reports the news in dozens of foreign languages, had previously included a news service in Farsi, also known as Persian, the language most commonly spoken in Iran. Workers for the Farsi news service were among the vast majority of staff at Voice of America who were placed on paid administrative leave after ... [Donald] Trump signed an executive order gutting the news agency in March.... “After months off the air, we’ve already lost a lot of audience and credibility,” Patsy Widakuswara, a former Voice of America White House bureau chief who was placed on leave and is leading a lawsuit against  [Kari] Lake and the U.S. Agency for Global Media, said in a statement.  'They should bring us all back so we can respond to breaking news in all parts of the world.'... [Ms.] Lake ... did not respond to a request for comment.” MB: No, I suppose she was otherwise occupied trying to scrub the egg off her face. Politico's report is here.

Adam Taylor of the Washington Post: “A federal judge in California has halted a State Department plan to lay off almost 2,000 employees, marking a setback to Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s push to rapidly downsize the agency. Speaking in court Friday, U.S. District Judge Susan Illston in San Francisco said an earlier ruling that prohibited federal agencies from laying off people also applied to the State Department’s downsizing efforts.... In response, Alex Resar, a Justice Department lawyer, said that the government would halt plans to send out layoff notices Saturday, according to an account from Reuters. A Justice Department spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and attempts to reach Resar were unsuccessful. The judge’s intervention provides a reprieve, if only temporarily, for U.S.-based employees of the State Department expected to be targeted by the plan to cut positions in what the department’s leadership says is a bid to streamline the agency to focus on 'core U.S. foreign policy objectives.'”

Zach Montague of the New York Times: “A federal judge sided with a coalition of states on Friday that had sued to stop stringent new voting ID requirements that ... [Donald] Trump laid out in an executive order in March. The ruling went further than a previous court decision to block most of the key aspects of Mr. Trump’s efforts to overhaul election law by executive order. In addition to indefinitely blocking provisions that would allow the federal government to require proof of citizenship for new voters, the judge’s ruling on Friday blocks a directive for Attorney General Pam Bondi to take action against states that continue counting ballots beyond Election Day. In her opinion, Judge Denise J. Casper of the Federal District Court for the District of Massachusetts wrote that the states were likely to succeed in showing that the order exceeded President Trump's authority and risked disenfranchising some of the electorate. The ruling blocked the order from taking effect until the resolution of the case. 'The Constitution does not grant the president any specific powers over elections,' Judge Casper, an Obama appointee, wrote.” The AP's report is here. (Also linked yesterday.) 

Chris Cameron of the New York Times: “A federal judge in Maryland reversed ... [Donald] Trump’s firings of the three Democratic members of the five-member Consumer Product Safety Commission, which monitors the safety of products like toys, cribs and electronics. In the ruling, Judge Matthew J. Maddox of the Federal District Court in Maryland said that the law only allowed Mr. Trump to fire the officials for 'neglect of duty or malfeasance,' while Mr. Trump had purported to fire them without cause. 'Plaintiffs have performed ably in their roles,' Judge Maddox wrote, 'and have never been accused of neglect of duty or malfeasance in office by either President Trump or President Biden.'” The opinion linked in the story is provided by the courts and is not firewalled.

Robin Pogrebin & Graham Bowley of the New York Times: “Kim Sajet, the director of the National Portrait Gallery whom ... [Donald] Trump announced he was firing last month, is stepping down, explaining in a statement on Friday that she thought her decision was in the best interests of the institution. This week the Smithsonian Institution, which oversees the museum and has long operated as independent of the executive branch, reiterated that it retains the legal authority over personnel including Ms. Sajet, whom the president had criticized as partisan. The White House had created a list of grievances that it suggested made Ms. Sajet an inappropriate choice to lead a national museum, including public comments about racial and gender inequality in America.” MB: I'm sorry she gave up. IMO, it's worth a lot of heartache to face off a tyrant. (Also linked yesterday.) 

Rob Wile, et al., of NBC News: "... Donald Trump continues to enjoy income streams from scores of luxury properties and business ventures, many of which are worth tens of millions of dollars, according to a financial disclosure form filed late Friday. Released by the Office of Government Ethics, Trump’s 2025 financial disclosure spans 234 pages in all, including 145 pages of stock and bond investments, and is dated Friday with Trump’s signature. One of the largest sources of income on the form is the $57,355,532 he received from his ownership stake in World Liberty Financial, the cryptocurrency platform launched last year. The form shows that World Liberty’s sales of digital tokens have been highly lucrative for Trump and his family." Read on. A New York Times story is here.

Christina Jewett & Sheryl Stolberg of the New York Times: “Three of the new advisers appointed by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to guide the government on immunization policy took part in lawsuits casting doubt on the safety or efficacy of vaccines, public records show. In dismissing all 17 members of an influential Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory panel on Monday, Mr. Kennedy cited what he said was a history of conflicts of interest that he claimed made those experts a 'rubber stamp' on approving vaccines. But adding members who assisted in legal cases that were either against vaccine makers or that suggested widespread vaccine-caused harm raises questions about a different form of potential bias.” ~~~

~~~ Lena Sun of the Washington Post: “Robert F. Kennedy Jr. this week put to rest any doubt about his intent to use his perch as health and human services secretary to advance his long-standing anti-vaccine agenda.... Now that we know Kennedy’s ACIP picks, it doesn’t take much imagination to predict what will come next. The new members will probably cherry-pick 'research' that calls into question the safety and effectiveness of well-established vaccines and advise the CDC to stop recommending certain ones. At best, the vaccines would remain available, though at a cost, as insurers are required to fully cover only ACIP-recommended vaccines. At worst, even those who want vaccines would no longer be able to access them.”

Lisa Friedman of the New York Times: “The Interior Department plans to remove or cover up all 'inappropriate content' at national parks and sites by Sept. 17 and is asking the park visitors to report any 'negative' information about past or living Americans, according to internal documents. It’s a move that historians worry could lead to the erasure of history involving gay and transgender figures, civil rights struggles and other subjects deemed improper by the Trump administration. Staff at the National Park Service, which is part of the Interior Department, were instructed to post QR codes and signs at all 433 national parks, monuments and historic sites by Friday asking visitors to flag anything they think should be changed.... Leaders at the park service would then review concerns about anything that  'inappropriately disparages Americans past or living (including persons living in colonial times),' according to slides presented this week at a meeting with park superintendents.”

Marie: Here's a story that may give us a clue as to why Trump/Musk were so eager to fire NOAA employees. I thought it was just because they don't give a damn about people who may depend on tornado warnings or hurricane & other advisories. That's almost certainly true, but maybe decimating NOAA is yet another way of trying to hide the effects of climate change: ~~~

~~~ Ian Livingston of the Washington Post: “Temperatures are forecast to soar into the mid-80s in central Alaska ... this weekend and perhaps into next week. The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory for Sunday afternoon in an area that includes Fairbanks.... Alaska is prone to some of the most significant warming on Earth from human-caused climate change.... Warming in Alaska is two to three times the average of the rest of the globe.”

Mark Berman of the Washington Post: “Seven partners at the law firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher are leaving that business after it reached an agreement with the Trump administration and moving to Cooley, which successfully challenged the president’s actions in court.... The moves, which were announced Friday by Cooley, add to an ongoing exodus from law firms that struck deals with ... Donald Trump’s administration to avoid potentially punishing sanctions.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Israel/Iran. New York Times liveblog: “Israel and Iran exchanged deadly attacks for the second straight day on Saturday, and neither showed any sign of heeding international pleas for an immediate de-escalation of hostilities. Israel is targeting Iranian nuclear and military assets. Iran, in turn, has launched barrages of ballistic missiles and drones at Israel. The sweeping attacks by Israel, which began early Friday, have killed more than 70 people in Iran, including four top security chiefs, and damaged the country’s main nuclear site at Natanz. Iran retaliated by launching scores of missiles at Israel. At least three people have been killed and dozens wounded in these attacks. It is the most intense fighting in decades between the two heavily armed countries, and has stirred anxiety over the prospect of an increasingly deadly conflict that could draw in the United States and other major powers.” ~~~

     ~~~ The AP says it has "the latest" here.

The Conversation -- June 13, 2025

Nicholas Slayton of Task & Purpose: "U.S. Marines temporarily detained a civilian in Los Angeles Friday afternoon, the first known case of the military doing so since it deployed to Los Angeles County. The incident was first reported by Reuters, who identified the detained man as U.S. Army veteran Marcos Leao. A spokesperson for U.S. Northern Command confirmed that an individual was detained, but turned over to law enforcement officials after approximately 10 minutes. He was transferred to the custody of officers from the Department of Homeland Security before being released. Per Reuters, Leao was on his way to the nearby Veterans Affairs campus when he crossed yellow tape at the Wilshire federal building, which Marines from 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment took over guarding this afternoon. Marines quickly detained him and restrained him using zip ties." 

Laura Romero & Katherine Faulders of ABC News: "Kilmar Abrego Garcia pleaded not guilty Friday to human smuggling charges, and the judge in case said she would wait to issue a decision on whether he should be released from custody pending trial. One week after he was brought back to the Unites States from detention in El Salvador, Abrego Garcia entered his not guilty plea at his arraignment in Tennessee, where federal prosecutors have charged him with transporting undocumented migrants within the U.S. in what they say was a conspiracy involving the domestic transport of thousands of noncitizens from Mexico and Central America, including some children, in exchange for thousands of dollars. Following his plea, U.S. Magistrate Judge Barbara Holmes heard arguments over whether he should continue to be detained, after which she said she would likely issue a written order in the near future -- 'soon rather than later,' she said."

Madeline Sherratt of the Independent: “A Florida sheriff issued a stark message to protesters planning to demonstrate this weekend against increasing ICE arrests nationwide. Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey warned in a press conference Thursday..., 'If you throw a brick, a firebomb, or point a gun at one of our deputies, we will be notifying your family where to collect your remains, because we will kill you, graveyard dead. We’re not going to play.'...” MB: Obviously I don't think a person should throw a brick that damages property. But would I kill him for doing so? Absolutely not. And neither would a responsible law enforcement officer. 

What privacy advocates warned could happen has happened: ~~~

⭐~~~ Kimberly Kindy & Amanda Seitz of the AP: “... Donald Trump’s administration this week provided deportation officials with personal data -- including the immigration status -- on millions of Medicaid enrollees, a move that could make it easier to locate people as part of his sweeping immigration crackdown. An internal memo and emails obtained by The Associated Press show that Medicaid officials unsuccessfully sought to block the data transfer, citing legal and ethical concerns. Nevertheless, two top advisers to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ordered the dataset handed over to the Department of Homeland Security, the emails show. Officials at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services were given just 54 minutes on Tuesday to comply with the directive. Besides helping authorities locate migrants, experts said, the government could also use the information to scuttle the hopes of migrants seeking green cards, permanent residency or citizenship if they had ever obtained Medicaid benefits funded by the federal government.”

The dataset includes the information of people living in California, Illinois, Washington state and Washington, D.C., all of which allow non-U.S. citizens to enroll in Medicaid programs that pay for their expenses using only state taxpayer dollars. CMS transferred the information just as the Trump administration was ramping up its enforcement efforts in Southern California.

Jonah Bromwich of the New York Times: “The Trump administration, blocked by a judge from detaining Mahmoud Khalil on one set of legal grounds, has officially shifted to another as it fights to hold him in federal custody. Justice Department lawyers told the judge, Michael E. Farbiarz, on Friday, that Mr. Khalil was being held on allegations that had been added to his case more than a week after his arrest in March. Judge Farbiarz has already suggested the allegations do not wholly explain his continued detention.... Justice Department lawyers wrote in a court filing submitted Friday afternoon that Mr. Khalil [now] was being held on the [later-added] allegations ... that he had failed to disclose his membership in certain organizations when he applied for legal residency in March 2024. Scott Schuchart, a former senior homeland security official, said the government’s shifting rationale in Mr. Khalil’s case was typical of the administration’s broader approach to immigration cases. 'I find it outrageous just with regard to the disrespect with which they’ve treated the court and the entire process throughout this case,' he said, adding, 'It shows nothing but contempt for the rule of law.'”

Zach Montague of the New York Times: “A federal judge sided with a coalition of states on Friday that had sued to stop stringent new voting ID requirements that President Trump laid out in an executive order in March. The ruling went further than a previous court decision to block most of the key aspects of Mr. Trump’s efforts to overhaul election law by executive order. In addition to indefinitely blocking provisions that would allow the federal government to require proof of citizenship for new voters, the judge’s ruling on Friday blocks a directive for Attorney General Pam Bondi to take action against states that continue counting ballots beyond Election Day. In her opinion, Judge Denise J. Casper of the Federal District Court for the District of Massachusetts wrote that the states were likely to succeed in showing that the order exceeded President Trump's authority and risked disenfranchising some of the electorate. The ruling blocked the order from taking effect until the resolution of the case. 'The Constitution does not grant the president any specific powers over elections,' Judge Casper, an Obama appointee, wrote.” The AP's report is here.

Robin Pogrebin & Graham Bowley of the New York Times: “Kim Sajet, the director of the National Portrait Gallery whom ... [Donald] Trump announced he was firing last month, is stepping down, explaining in a statement on Friday that she thought her decision was in the best interests of the institution. This week the Smithsonian Institution, which oversees the museum and has long operated as independent of the executive branch, reiterated that it retains the legal authority over personnel including Ms. Sajet, whom the president had criticized as partisan. The White House had created a list of grievances that it suggested made Ms. Sajet an inappropriate choice to lead a national museum, including public comments about racial and gender inequality in America.” MB: I'm sorry she gave up. IMO, it's worth a lot of heartache to face off a tyrant.

Max Boot of the Washington Post: “The president is no warmonger, but his clumsy attempts at making peace keep coming up empty.... In the international arena, [Donald Trump] clearly wants peace. He just doesn’t know how to achieve it. Trump came to office promising to end the Ukraine-Russia war in a day. It has been 144 days since his inauguration, and the prospect of peace appears as remote as ever. Indeed, Russia is mounting a new ground offensive and staging its biggest air attacks on Ukrainian cities. Trump has also gotten tired of Israel’s endless war in Gaza and told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to wrap it up. The Trump administration did help to broker a six-week ceasefire, but after it ended on March 18, the war resumed, as brutal as ever. And then, for the past two months, Trump has been trying to negotiate a nuclear deal with Iran while pressuring Israel not to launch a military strike. Yet that is just what Netanyahu has done, sending some 200 Israeli aircraft to attack targets across Iran. On Friday, Iran retaliated by launching drones and ballistic missiles against Israel.... Trump’s disastrous decision to exit the accord in 2018, even though the Iranians were abiding by it, lit the long fuse that resulted in the latest war between Iran and Israel. It is a conflict that Israel is likely to win, but the fact that the shooting has started is a sign of how ineffectual Trump’s diplomacy has been.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Marie: Oh, it's Friday the 13th. I'm not superstitious, but I can still hope the Fates do not smile on Donald Trump today. 

Here's Tom Sullivan's list of resources for tomorrow's "No Kings Day" protests around the country:

No Kings Day, June 14th (this Saturday)
The Resistance Lab
Choose Democracy
Indivisible: A Guide to Democracy on the Brink
You Have Power
Chop Wood, Carry Water
Thirty lonely but beautiful actions
Attending a Protest Surveillance Self-Defense

⭐Maegan Vazquez, et al., of the Washington Post: “Sen. Alex Padilla (D-California) was forcibly removed Thursday from a news conference held in Los Angeles by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem focused on recent protests in the area against immigration enforcement efforts. Padilla appeared to disrupt* the news conference, which took place at the Los Angeles FBI headquarters. 'I have questions for the secretary,' he said as he was pushed out of the room.  Speaking to reporters after the incident, Padilla said he was waiting for a scheduled briefing from federal officials when he learned about Noem’s news conference. He said he then went to the news conference to 'hear if I could learn any new, additional information' about the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement actions. 'I was there peacefully. At one point, I had a question and so I began to ask a question. I was almost immediately, forcefully removed from the room. I was forced to the ground, and I was handcuffed. I was not arrested. I was not detained,' Padilla said. DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said Padilla was not compliant with officers’ commands and that the U.S. Secret Service 'thought he was an attacker.... Senator Padilla chose disrespectful political theatre and interrupted a live press conference without identifying himself or having his Senate security pin on as he lunged toward Secretary Noem.... Mr. Padilla was told repeatedly to back away and did not comply with officers’ repeated commands.'” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Here's video. Sen. Padilla clearly says, "I'm Senator Alex Padilla. I have questions for the Secretary." ~~~

     ~~~ Rebecca Shabad & Jacob Soboroff of NBC News: "'I am Sen. Alex Padilla. I have questions for the secretary,' Padilla said to Noem, which prompted several men dressed in plain clothes to physically push him out of the room. A top FBI official later said bureau personnel and Secret Service agents were involved in the senator's removal.... Video shows Padilla being taken into a hallway outside and pushed face forward onto the ground as officers with FBI-identifying vests told the senator to put his hands behind his back. The officers then handcuffed him.... During an interview on Fox News, [Noem] falsely said Padilla did not identify himself before being forced out. 'We were conducting a press conference to update everyone on the enforcement actions that are ongoing to bring people bring peace to the city of Los Angeles, and this man burst into the room, started lunging towards the podium, interrupting me and elevating his voice, and was stopped, did not identify himself, and was removed from the room,' she said." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Lewandowski to the Rescue! Shawn Hubler, et al., of the New York Times: “Senator Alex Padilla, Democrat of California, was forcibly removed on Thursday from a news conference being held by Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, and handcuffed after he interrupted Ms. Noem at a federal building in West Los Angeles.... On the videos [taken by a Padilla staffer and a Fox News reporter], Mr. Padilla appeared stunned but repeatedly said he was a U.S. senator. In an interview hours later, Mr. Padilla said that he had demanded to know why he had been detained and where he was being escorted 'when of all people, Corey Lewandowski' — a combative former Trump campaign aide and adviser to Ms. Noem — 'comes running down the hall and he starts yelling,  “Let him go! Let him go!”’”

     ~~~ Marie: If Trump "law enforcement" officers decide you're not a White person, they will manhandle you. It doesn't matter if you're a member of Congress. Ask Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.) about that. BTW, it isn't clear to me that Sen. Padilla tried to disrupt the press conference as the reporters allege. *Update: The WashPo has removed "appeared to disrupt" from its lede, and the phrase does not appear elsewhere in the report. In an interview with NBC reporter Jacob Soboroff, Padilla said he was escorted into the room where Noem was giving her presser by a National Guardsman and an FBI agent. They literally opened the door for him, so he obviously was not an "attacker" who "burst into the room," as Noem claimed. Moreover, Padilla was in the back of the room, behind reporters and photojournalists who showed up for Noem's dress-up party. Besides all that, the incident took place in a federal building, where everyone who wishes to enter is screened. ~~~

~~~ Nnamdi Egwuonwu of NBC News: "Sen. Alex Padilla disputed the White House’s account of the events surrounding his forcible removal from a news conference held by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in Los Angeles on Thursday, pushing back against key details about what exactly preceded his handcuffing by federal law enforcement agents. Both the White House and Noem said Padilla, D-Calif., failed to identify himself to security, yelled and lunged toward Noem.... Padilla denied all of Noem's characterizations in his first interview after the incident — on MSNBC with NBC News' Jacob Soboroff. 'That's ridiculous. It's a lie but par for the course for this administration,' Padilla began. 'They said I wasn’t wearing my pin. My polo says "United States Senate,"' Padilla said. 'There was no threat. There was no lunging. I raised my voice to ask a question, and it took what, maybe, half a second before multiple agents were on me.'" ~~~

~~~ Marie: Chris Hayes of MSNBC made an important point last night that may get lost in the story of the jackbooted thuggery going on there. Here's what Noem said just that seems to have prompted Padilla to speak up: "We are staying here to liberate this city from the socialists and the burdensome leadership that this governor and this mayor have placed on this country and what they have tried to insert into this city." Although prior to that Noem did talk about how the administration and cooperating law enforcement personnel were ridding the area of "dangerous criminals," her promise to "liberate" the city from his elected leaders appears to be the ultimate goal. That is, the plan is to depose the democratically-elected governor of California and mayor of Los Angeles and replace them with Trump-approved puppets. Kristi is not too bright, so she probably did not realize she was giving away the plot, but that's it. Trump and others have said that what they're doing in California they will do all over the country. So there ya go. Democracy -- the will of the people -- is so over, at least in jurisdictions that tend to favor Democrats. ~~~

     ~~~ Update. Nicole Lafond of TPM does catch Noem's statement, but Lafond doesn't take the implication as far as I think it goes. Her colleague at TPM, Josh Kovensky, whom Lafond cites, does latch onto an implication of the attack on Sen. Padilla: “Just as the White House order authorizing the military deployment to LA declares that 'protests' which 'inhibit' law enforcement 'constitute a form of rebellion' against the U.S. government, so does a U.S. Senator asking a question at an open presser make him a threat.” ~~~

     ~~~ Update 2. Michael Luciano of Mediaite also highlights Noem's "liberate" remark. He leaves it to the reader to figure out the implications (which is fine). ~~~

     ~~~ Update 3. AND Finally Heather Cox Richardson absolutely gets it: "In other words, the Trump administration is vowing to get rid of the democratically elected government of California by using military force. That threat is the definition of a coup. It suggests MAGA considers any political victory but their own to be illegitimate and considers themselves justified in removing those governmental officials with violence: a continuation of the attempt of January 6, 2021, to overturn the results of a presidential election." Further down in her column, she notes that even Trump acknowledges that his raids are no longer about deportation. "So if it is no longer administration policy to engage in the sweeps that are causing such chaos and sparking protests, why are Republican authorities mobilizing troops?"

~~~ Inae Oh of Mother Jones: “The unbridled willingness to punish elected officials, through forceful removal and criminal apprehension, marks a key escalation point in the Trump administration’s embrace of blatantly authoritarian tendencies, as they seek to crush dissent, peaceful or not. And it carries the tacit approval of the president. 'If there’s any protester that wants to come out, they will be met with very big force,' Trump said this week in advance of his military-birthday parade in DC this weekend.” ~~~

~~~ After acknowledging it was not his place to say, Speaker Mike Johnson said he endorsed censuring Sen. Padilla for "fighting physically and ... charging Cabinet secretaries." Bible Mike apparently believes in the word of Saint Kristi of Noem as she spake on Fox "News." (Link is to a Hill report.) ~~~

~~~ Caitlin Yilek & Kaia Hubbard of CBS News: "Lawmakers are calling for answers after Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla was forcibly removed from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's news conference in Los Angeles on Thursday. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, expressed shock over 'the manhandling of a United States senator,' adding that he wants answers 'to what the hell went on.'... Sen. Adam Schiff, Padilla's fellow California senator, called on Noem to resign and said there should be an investigation into law enforcement's conduct.... Schiff was one of a slew of Senate Democrats who took to the Senate floor following the incident. Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon reiterated Schumer's call for an investigation, saying he was 'extremely outraged.'  Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey said 'this to me is such an abuse of authority' and 'there can be no justification.' Sen. Patty Murray of Washington said..., 'I have been here for more than 32 years.... I have never come this close to having tears in my eyes as I speak to both sides of this aisle about this horrendous incident that occurred.'" And so forth. Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) is still "trying to get all the facts." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Hilariously, Thune seems to think he can't "get all the facts" till he talks to Kristi Noem. That would be the same Kristi Noem who lied multiple times on Fox "News" about Padilla's actions. ~~~

~~~ Andrew Solender of Axios: "Rep. John Mannion (D-N.Y.) shocked colleagues in both parties Thursday by tearing into Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) in what sources described as a tense and profane confrontation over the forcible removal of Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.).... Lawmakers and aides who witnessed the Mannion-Lawler incident described it to Axios as the product of rising partisan tensions over the Trump administration's use of legal and physical force against Democrats.... 'Mannion stands up and just starts yelling at him for absolutely no reason but emotion about the atmosphere that we're in right now,' said one House Democrat.... The lawmaker said Mannion told Lawler  'something to the effect of, "You've got to do something. Stand up. Grow a pair of balls."' Lawler's response, they said: 'F*** you ... I have no idea what you're talking about.'... Just before the vote, Mannion had a similar outburst during a press conference on the House steps regarding the Padilla incident. 'We need you,' he shouted at the press. 'We need you to hold them accountable. Media, it's your country too.... Don't cover the distractions. Cover the actions that lead us towards authoritarianism, please.'" ~~~

Jennifer Bendery of the Huffington Post: “A House committee hearing devolved into chaos on Thursday as Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.) pressed lawmakers to subpoena Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem after her security team assaulted Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.).... The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hearing was underway when the shocking news broke of Padilla being forcibly removed from Noem’s press event and dragged to the ground. Frost repeatedly ... asked that the committee subpoena Noem over the scuffle, which led to sniping from Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) and other Republicans. 'Reclaiming my time!' Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) said repeatedly.... Nevertheless, Frost persisted, bringing up details about the California senator being handcuffed and thrown to the ground, and asking for a subpoena — until Comer snapped. 'Shut up!' he shouted at Frost. 'Just shut up!'... 'He’s a former Antifa member!' Greene ... [said of] Frost. When Frost asked that Comer strike her inaccurate comments from the hearing record, he declined. Greene later said she would revise her remarks for the record, to note Frost was once arrested in 2021 at a voter’s rights march. Frost said at the time it was an act of nonviolent resistance.” Includes video, which was kinda fun to watch.

Rebecca Schoenkopf of Wonkette has a morning roundup of news that includes a number of stories re: The Padilla Matter. With appropriately snide asides. Also, Schoenkopf includes a transcript of L.A. Mayor Karen Bass's remarks at a press conference yesterday (??), which as Schoenkopf says, are worth reading in full. Marie: Also, her post makes me wonder why it was necessary to wrestle Sen. Padilla to the floor. There were four officers manhandling him, and he sure didn't seem to be set on running away. So why not just cuff him if restraining him was the objective? The whole thing seems performative to me; that they knew who he was and that their real objective was to humiliate him.  

Paul Krugman: “The militarized response to the LA demonstrations and Trump’s warning that anyone protesting his military birthday parade (which millions probably will) will be 'met with heavy force' aren’t about moving the poll numbers. They’re all about rejecting the idea that Americans have a right to oppose Trump policies.... This is the moment. Everything is on the line, right now.” (Also linked yesterday.) MB Note: Krugman wrote this before Kristi Noem promised to "liberate" Angelinos from their "burdensome, socialist" elected officials.

Charlie Savage, et al., of the New York Times: “A federal judge on Thursday temporarily blocked the federal government’s mobilization of the California National Guard to protect immigration agents from protesters in Los Angeles. He ruled that the Trump administration had illegally taken control of the state’s troops and ordered them to return to taking orders from Gov. Gavin Newsom. In an extraordinary 36-page ruling, Judge Charles Breyer of the Federal District Court in San Francisco severed Mr. Trump’s control of up to 4,000 National Guard troops, hundreds of whom are already deployed in the streets of Los Angeles on his orders. The judge said the administration’s seizure of them violated required procedures in a federal statute.... Donald Trump’s 'actions were illegal — both exceeding the scope of his statutory authority and violating the Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution,' Judge Breyer wrote. 'He must therefore return control of the California National Guard to the governor of the state of California forthwith.' The directive would have taken effect at noon Pacific time on Friday. But the Trump administration immediately filed a notice that it was appealing Judge Breyer’s decision. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit agreed to stay the ruling while it reviews the case, temporarily blocking it from taking effect.

“The ruling, which accused Mr. Trump of setting a “dangerous precedent for future domestic military activity,” was the latest in a series of judicial rebukes to Mr. Trump’s expansive claims of wartime or emergency powers over matters ranging from deporting people without due process to unilaterally imposing widespread tariffs.... Judge Breyer’s ruling on the National Guard went beyond what California had asked for ... [which] was for a temporary restraining order limiting military forces under federal control to guarding federal buildings.... Judge Breyer blocked Mr. Trump from using California’s National Guard at all. But he also rejected a request by the state and Governor Newsom to restrain a separate group of active-duty Marines, which the administration has also mobilized to counter the protesters.... Judge Breyer said it would be inappropriate to issue any order restricting the Marines’ actions when they have not done anything that would violate the Posse Comitatus Act....” The order linked in the story is via the court, so not firewalled. ~~~

     ~~~ Politico's report, by Kyle Cheney & Josh Gerstein, is here. 

Marianne LeVine, et al., of the Washington Post: “The Trump administration wants to use the National Guard more broadly to enact the president’s immigration agenda, according to border czar Tom Homan, documents and people familiar with plans. 'They can’t make immigration arrests, but they can certainly augment for security, transportation, infrastructure, intelligence,' Homan said in an interview with The Washington Post.... The National Guard would be tasked with helping ICE catch fugitives as well as guard detention centers, process and transport migrants and other tasks, according to a memo obtained by The Washington Post. Pentagon officials say they are looking into the request but have not yet decided on the number of troops it will send.... The administration has been considering the use of the National Guard  'for months' in immigration enforcement in the interior of the United States, Homan said, but he declined to specify who was responsible for the idea. Trump and his key adviser, Stephen Miller, have long said they hope to use the military to realize a mass deportation program.”

“He's Not All There.” Ben Johansen of Politico: Gov. Gavin Newsom & Donald Trump “had a Saturday morning discussion, the two men say, in which Trump purports to have brought up the National Guard. But Newsom decried that account as false. 'He lied...,' Newsom said on The New York Times podcast. '... He lied. Stone cold liar.' Once Trump began fabricating parts of their conversation later that day, Newsom alleged, it started 'to disturb me on a different level that maybe he actually believed he said those things,' he said. 'He’s not all there,' the governor added.” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Ja'han Jones of MSNBC: “The Trump administration has tried to portray the Los Angeles demonstrations against its ICE enforcement raids as chaos at a scale worthy of military intervention. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Police Department has repeatedly disputed that claim.... 'The possible arrival of federal military forces in Los Angeles absent clear coordination presents a significant logistical and operational challenge for those of us charged with safeguarding this city,” Chief Jim McDonnell said, adding, “The Los Angeles Police Department, alongside our mutual aid partners, have decades of experience managing large-scale public demonstrations, and we remain confident in our ability to do so professionally and effectively.' On Wednesday, Trump ... [said,] 'If we weren’t there, if we didn’t bring in the National Guard and the Marines, you would probably have a city that was burning to the ground.'... (In reality, the largely peaceful protests have been confined to just a few blocks in the city.) Trump continued, 'In fact, the chief of police said so much, if you look at what his statements were. He said, “We’re very lucky to have had them.’” But McDonnell rejected that claim. Asked by CNN host Kaitlin Collins if Trump’s characterization of his statement was accurate, McDonnell said, 'No....'” (Also linked yesterday.) 

Ellen Barry & Maya Shwayder of the New York Times: “Kseniia Petrova, the Russian scientist who spent four months in detention after failing to declare scientific samples she was carrying into the country, was freed on bail from federal custody on Thursday by a magistrate judge in Boston. Since her detention at Boston’s Logan Airport in February, Ms. Petrova has been transferred to detention centers in Vermont, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and, briefly, Rhode Island, before returning to Boston early Thursday. 'Welcome to Massachusetts,' said the judge, Judith G. Dein.... Ms. Petrova’s release is a victory, but a temporary one. She is still facing a two-pronged prosecution: The Trump administration began deportation proceedings against her in February, and around three months later, after she challenged the move in court, filed criminal smuggling charges against her. Lawyers for the government have said they intend to deport Ms. Petrova to Russia, a country she fled for political reasons in 2022. She has said that if she returns, she fears arrest or even death because of her activism.” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: My thanks to the Trump administration for making me realize what a remarkably brave person I am: Petrova is yet another of those dangerous immigrant desperados of whom I am not afraid. 

digby: Trump can't figure out why Russia is our enemy and Germany & Japan are our allies when during WWII, Russia was our ally and Germany and Japan were our enemies. "I think he sincerely believes this because he literally knows nothing about American history and seems to be very impressed with something he heard or watched recently that’s given him some very warped ideas about World War II.... This is what happens when a narcissistic megalomaniac realizes that nothing and no one can ever hold him accountable for anything. He’s creating the world anew." BTW, the Bulwark citation embedded in digby's post does give the sense of what Trump said, but you might want to listen to the clip to hear what he actually said.

Mark Berman & Maria Sacchetti, et al., of the Washington Post: “A federal judge in Colorado on Thursday said in a ruling that the Trump administration cannot rapidly deport the family of an Egyptian man charged with attacking a gathering in Boulder held in support of the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza. U.S. District Judge Gordon P. Gallagher had previously blocked federal officials from removing Hayam El Gamal, the suspected attacker’s wife, and the couple’s five children from the country. He had also barred officials from taking the family out of the judicial district, but by then officers had sent El Gamal and the children to a family detention facility in Texas. In a 15-page decision, Gallagher said he would transfer the case, with his orders temporarily barring deportation in place, to federal court in Texas for a decision about whether the family should be released from detention.”

Ana Swanson & Alan Rappeport of the New York Times: “Washing machines, refrigerators and other common household appliances made with steel parts will soon be subject to expanded tariffs, the Commerce Department said Thursday. The department said in a notice that levies would take effect on so-called steel derivative products on June 23 and will be set at 50 percent, the current level for all other steel and aluminum imports. The new tariffs will apply to the value of steel content in each import, the notice said. While many products have become subject to higher import taxes since Mr. Trump began implementing his aggressive trade policy, Thursday’s announcement marked one of the first times this year that everyday consumer goods were specifically targeted. The result will also apply to imported dishwashers, dryers, stoves and food waste disposals, and could translate into higher costs for American households.” MB: I sure am glad I bought a houseful of appliances in February. I knew I wouldn't be using them right away but I saw the Trump mischief coming. 

Chris Cameron of the New York Times: Donald “Trump moved on Thursday to withdraw from a Biden administration agreement that had brokered a truce in a decades-long legal battle with tribes in the Pacific Northwest. The federal government has been mired in legal battles for decades over the depletion of fish populations in the Columbia River Basin, caused by four hydroelectric dams in the lower Snake River. Native American tribes have argued in court that the federal government has violated longstanding treaties by failing to protect the salmon and other fish that have been prevented by the dams from spawning upstream of the river. That legal fight is now expected to resume, with no brokered agreement in place. In its statement announcing the withdrawal, the White House made no mention of the affected tribes and portrayed the issue falsely as revolving around 'speculative climate change concerns.'” MB: Happy to see the NYT is once again directly pointing out a Trumpy lie.

Chris Cameron & Peter Baker of the New York Times: “Christopher Landau, the deputy secretary of state, posted and then quickly deleted a statement on Wednesday evening attacking another high-level U.S. diplomat and criticizing the NATO military alliance.... Matt Whitaker, whom ... [Donald] Trump appointed as his ambassador to NATO..., briefly found himself a public target of another Trump administration official’s ire after publishing a routine social media post highlighting his meetings with ambassadors from Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. 'What happens in the Indo-Pacific matters for transatlantic security,' Mr. Whitaker wrote on Tuesday morning on his official X account. 'That’s why NATO works with partners globally.'... 'He obviously didn’t get the memo,' Mr. Landau said of Mr. Whitaker, 'of our Deputies Committee meeting on this very issue. NATO is still a solution in search of a problem.' It is unclear if Mr. Landau had unintentionally made the comment publicly, or if he had meant to insult a fellow diplomat in the internet’s public square before quickly regretting it.”

Andrew Egger of the Bulwark has a bit more on the Quackpots RFKJ has put on the CDC's Immunization Advisory Committee after firing all the members of the committee of actual immunization experts. "It turns out, when you automatically exclude researchers whose work has shown vaccines to be safe and effective, the pool of vaccine experts from which to draw to staff your vaccine-policy commission gets very shallow very fast." Via Rebecca Schoenkopf of Wonkette.

     Image via Krugman, linked below. ~~~

~~~ CBO: The Rich Get Richer & the Poor Get Poorer. Andrew Duehren of the New York Times: “The far-reaching domestic policy bill that Republicans recently pushed through the House would provide rich Americans with a financial lift while taking away government benefits from the poor, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said on Thursday. The analysis is the first from the budget office that lays out how Americans at different income levels would be affected by the Republican legislation, which slashes taxes and cuts spending on safety-net programs like Medicaid and food stamps.... The bottom 10 percent, for example, would overall lose government benefits worth an average of $1,559, or 3.9 percent of their current income, each year over the next decade, according to the budget office. The bottom 30 percent of Americans would all, on average, lose more benefits than they would receive from the bill. In contrast, the top 10 percent would gain an average of $12,044, a 2.3 percent annual increase to their current income. Middle-class Americans would see smaller gains. The middle 10 percent of Americans would on average net $514 per year if the measure were enacted, an annual increase of 0.5 percent in their current income. Overall, the richer Americans are, the larger the benefit they would receive from the legislation.” ~~~

     ~~~ Most Regressive Bill in Decades. Emily Badger, et al., of the New York Times: “The Republican megabill now before the Senate cuts taxes for high earners and reduces benefits for the poor. If it’s enacted, that combination would make it more regressive than any major tax or entitlement law in decades.... Tax cut packages have seldom left the poor significantly worse off. And bills that cut the safety net usually haven’t also included benefits for the rich. By inverting those precedents, congressional Republicans have created a bill unlike anything Washington has produced since deficit fears began to loom large in the 1990s.” ~~~

     ~~~ Paul Krugman: "... this bill is so cruelly regressive that it shocked even me. This bill is truly unprecedented in the extent to which it takes away from the have-nots and gives to the ultra-haves. It slashes Medicaid, taking health care away from millions. It slashes food stamps, ensuring that many will go hungry. At the same time it gives huge tax cuts to the wealthy.... Wait, it gets worse. The CBO’s analysis doesn’t consider the effect of the Trump tariffs on household incomes. This is important because tariffs are taxes — regressive taxes, that fall more heavily on lower-income than higher-income families.... The House has just enacted legislation that is desperately unpopular and would be even less popular if the public understood it fully. Why, then, did House members vote for it? Because they fear Donald Trump more than they fear the voters or because they don’t believe we will ever have fair elections again. Or both."

Catie Edmondson of the New York Times: “The House voted on Thursday to claw back $9.4 billion that lawmakers had already approved for foreign aid and public broadcasting, as Republicans banded together to codify spending cuts put forward by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. The 214-to-212 vote came after the White House asked Congress to formally approve the rollback, which had largely been enacted by executive order and DOGE. The request was something of a pivot for ... [Donald] Trump and his top officials, who have aggressively challenged Congress’s power of the purse and made clear that they are willing to steer around the legislative branch to try to unilaterally control federal spending.... The bulk of the funds targeted — $8.3 billion — is for foreign assistance programs. The remaining $1.1 billion is for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funds NPR and PBS.... Four House Republicans joined Democrats in opposing the measure, which passed only after Speaker Mike Johnson pressed a handful of G.O.P. lawmakers who had initially voted 'no' to support it.... The proposal’s fate in the Senate is unclear.” ~~~

Scott MacFarlane of CBS News: "Two police officers who defended the Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021 attack filed a federal civil lawsuit, asking a judge to order the hanging of a plaque to honor police heroes who protected the Capitol, lawmakers and staff from rioters. The lawsuit cites a 2022 law signed by President Biden that required the honorary plaque be hung by March 2023. The plaque has been completed and in storage since at least last year, but GOP House Speaker Mike Johnson has not committed to installing it at the Capitol. The dispute over the plaque has angered victims and inflamed a politically divisive issue on Capitol Hill. Republican leaders, who control the administration of the Capitol complex, have not honored requests by some officers and Democratic colleagues to hang the plaque, as required under federal law. In their lawsuit, former Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn and D.C. Metropolitan Police Officer Daniel Hodges argue ... [Donald] Trump has spun conspiracy theories about Jan. 6, that have been adopted by his Republican allies in Congress." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Gosh, it's not my place to say so, but maybe the House should at least censure Bible Mike for violating the law which required him to mount the plaque honoring the policemen and women who defended the Capitol on January 6.

Abbie VanSickle of the New York Times: “The Supreme Court on Thursday sided with a teenage girl with epilepsy and her parents who had sued a Minnesota school district, claiming that her school had failed to provide reasonable accommodations, which made it difficult for her to receive instruction. The case hinged on what standard of proof was required to show discrimination by public schools in education-related disability lawsuits. In a unanimous decision written by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., the court held that the student and her family needed to show only that the school system had acted with 'deliberate indifference' to her educational needs when they sued. That is the same standard that applies when people sue other institutions for discrimination based on disability.” (Also linked yesterday.) 

Adam Liptak of the New York Times: “The Supreme Court on Thursday unanimously revived a suit from a couple whose home was mistakenly raided by the F.B.I., giving them a fresh opportunity to try to persuade lower courts that they should be able to sue the federal government for the harm they suffered. The case, Martin v. United States, No. 24-362, arose from a raid very early on a fall morning in 2017, when F.B.I. agents used a battering ram to knock down the front door of the home of the couple, Hilliard Toi Cliatt and Curtrina Martin. Guns drawn, the agents set off a flash-bang grenade and charged inside. The couple barricaded themselves in a closet. The agents dragged Mr. Cliatt out at gunpoint and handcuffed him. They told Ms. Martin to keep her hands up as she pleaded to see her 7-year-old son, who had been asleep in another room. As they questioned Mr. Cliatt, he gave his address. It was different from the one the agents had a warrant to enter.” (Also linked yesterday.) 

Jurors Behaving Badly. Hurubie Meko of the New York Times: “The judge overseeing the sex-crimes trial of Harvey Weinstein on Thursday declared a mistrial on a final charge against him, after the jury foreman said he was unwilling to return to deliberations. The ruling followed a wild day in court on Wednesday, in which jurors in Manhattan convicted Mr. Weinstein of a felony sex crime but were then sent home to cool off. The jury foreman had complained to the judge that deliberations had devolved into yelling and that he felt threatened by the other jurors. On Wednesday, the panel of seven women and five men announced a partial verdict, convicting Mr. Weinstein on a single count of criminal sexual act and acquitting him of another count of the same charge. They were unable to reach a consensus on a charge of third-degree rape. On Thursday, the foreman said he was not willing to return to the jury room and continue deliberating with the 11 others.” (Also linked yesterday.)  

~~~~~~~~~~

⭐Israel, et al. New York Times: “Israel launched a stunning series of strikes on Friday morning against Iran’s nuclear program, killing three of the nation’s security chiefs. The wide-ranging attack prompted fears that long-simmering tensions between the heavily armed rivals were spiraling into a full-blown regional war. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel described the attack as a last resort to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran, which Israel views as an existential threat. In addition to Iran’s nuclear program, Israel targeted and killed top Iranian officials and nuclear scientists, as well as attacking long-range missile facilities and aerial defenses.... More than 200 Israeli fighter jets took part in the attack, which targeted over 100 sites, including a major Iranian nuclear enrichment center at Natanz. The strikes were also a major blow to Iran’s military chain of command. Mohammad Bagheri, the commander in chief of the military and the second-highest commander after the supreme leader, was killed, according to the Israeli military and Iranian media.... Israel’s surprise attack came while the United States, its main patron, was negotiating a new diplomatic pact with Iran to curb its nuclear ambitions. Washington said it was not directly involved in the strikes.” At 3:45 am ET, this is the pinned item on a liveblog. ~~~

     ~~~ Here are the AP's live updates.