The Conversation -- March 12, 2025

Kyle Cheney & Josh Gerstein of Politico: “U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell blocked the Trump administration from enforcing central provisions of an executive order that seeks to punish the law firm, Perkins Coie, by barring its attorneys from interacting with federal agencies or even entering federal buildings. Howell said the 'retaliatory animus' of Trump’s order is 'clear on its face' and appears to violate constitutional restrictions on 'viewpoint discrimination.' The executive order, which Trump issued last week, 'runs head on into the wall of First Amendment protections,' the judge concluded.” The Washington Post's report is here.

Theodoric Meyer & Liz Goodwin of the Washington Post: “Senate Democrats say they are prepared to vote to reject the Republicans’ government funding bill, threatening a shutdown if lawmakers do not strike a deal within days. Not enough Democrats support the bill to clear the 60-vote threshold needed to overcome a filibuster, Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-New York) said on the Senate floor Wednesday, with less than 72 hours before the government is set to shut down. Instead, Democrats are seeking a bill — known as a continuing resolution, or CR — to keep the government open through April 11 while the two parties complete work on their long-stalled spending bills. 'Republicans chose a partisan path, drafting their continuing resolution without any input — any input — from congressional Democrats,' Schumer said. 'Because of that, Republicans do not have the votes in the Senate' to advance the bill.” MB: This is not what I predicted; so let's see if Democrats stick to their guns here.

Jonah Bromwich & Anusha Bayya of the New York Times: “Lawyers for Mahmoud Khalil, the Columbia University graduate detained by the Trump administration last weekend, have not been able to hold a private conversation with their client since his arrest. That revelation came during a hearing in Manhattan federal court Wednesday, as lawyers for Mr. Khalil and the government appeared in front of a judge, Jesse Furman, to discuss Mr. Khalil’s detention, which has raised concerns about free speech protections amid President Trump’s immigration crackdown. Mr. Khalil ... is being held at a facility in Louisiana. He has not been charged with any crime.... Judge Furman has ordered the government not to deport Mr. Khalil while his case is pending.... A park outside the courthouse was flooded with hundreds of protesters, some wearing kaffiyehs and black masks and waving posters, banners and signs reading 'Free Mahmoud.' They were joined by the actor Susan Sarandon....” ~~~

~~~ Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) explains the importance of Khalil's case: ~~~

Jennifer Schuessler of the New York Times: “The chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities, Shelly C. Lowe, left her position on Wednesday 'at the direction of President Trump,' the agency said. Dr. Lowe, a scholar of higher education and the first Native American to lead the agency, was nominated by former President Joseph R. Biden Jr. in October 2021 and confirmed by the Senate in February 2022. Michael McDonald, the agency’s general counsel, was named its acting chairman on Wednesday.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Marie: Is Trump destroying the U.S. system of government, American ideals and the U.S. economy because he's stupid, ignorant, selfish, cruel and vindictive? Or because he's all these things and the destruction is the plan? (After writing this, I found Sanger linked on the NYT "Politics" page: ~~~

~~~ David Sanger of the New York Times: “In a span of only 50 days..., [Donald] Trump has done more than any of his modern predecessors to hollow out the foundations of an international system that the United States painstakingly erected in the 80 years since it emerged victorious from World War II.... To live in Washington these days is to feel as if one is present at the destruction.... But perhaps the more remarkable thing is that Mr. Trump is eroding the old order without ever describing the system he envisions replacing it with. His actions suggest he is most comfortable in the 19th-century world of great-power politics....” This is a gift link.

Ana Swanson & Jeanna Smilak of the New York Times: Donald “Trump’s sweeping tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum went into effect on Wednesday, escalating America’s trade spats with global competitors, including close allies already reeling from his on-and-off approach to trade penalties. Mr. Trump’s tariffs of 25 percent on the metals hit imports that enter the United States from any country in the world. The move, which many domestic steel and aluminum makers support, is expected to raise costs for American manufacturers of cars, tin cans, solar panels and other products, potentially slowing the wider U.S. economy.... The president is threatening to impose a raft of other tariffs, including on foreign cars and against countries that he says discriminate against the United States. His approach has been met with a market slump....

“On Tuesday, Mr. Trump threatened to double the tariffs on Canadian metal after Ontario had responded to Mr. Trump’s previous tariffs by putting a surcharge on electricity exported to the United States. Within hours, Ontario had suspended its surcharge, and Mr. Trump walked back his threats. The metal tariffs, and other levies to come, are likely to again worsen trade disputes.... On Wednesday, Europe swiftly announced tariffs on up to $28 billion worth of goods in response. The metal tariffs mainly affect U.S. allies....” The AP's story is here. ~~~

~~~ Ana Swanson, et al., of the New York Times: Donald “Trump escalated his fight with Canada on Tuesday, threatening to double tariffs on steel and aluminum imports and pressing to turn one of America’s closest traditional allies into the 51st state. After several tense hours, both sides backed down, at least for now. It was the latest in a week of chaotic trade moves, in which the president startled investors and businesses that depend on trade and clashed with some of the country’s closest trading partners. In a post on his social media platform Tuesday morning, Mr. Trump wrote that Canadian steel and aluminum would face a 50 percent tariff, double what he plans to charge on metals from other countries beginning Wednesday. He said the levies were in response to an additional charge that Ontario had placed on electricity coming into the United States, which was in turn a response to tariffs Mr. Trump imposed on Canada last week. By Tuesday afternoon, leaders had begun to relent. The premier of Ontario, Canada’s most populous province, said he would suspend the electricity surcharge, and Mr. Trump said at the White House he would 'probably' reduce the tariff on Canadian metals.” ~~~

~~~ Ellen Francis of the Washington Post: “The European Union hit back Wednesday at ... Donald Trump’s steel and aluminum tariffs, unveiling a two-stage retaliation that would cover billions of dollars’ worth of products.... The E.U. executive branch, the European Commission, said its response would cover roughly $28 billion in U.S. exports. Starting April 1, the bloc will reimpose tariffs dating to Trump’s first term, including on products such as Harley-Davidson motorcycles and bourbon. It will then place extra measures on more than $19 billion in products in mid-April after consulting with E.U. member states.” ~~~

~~~ Peter Beaumont of the Guardian: “A growing international move to boycott the US is spreading from Scandinavia to Canada to the UK and beyond as consumers turn against US goods. Most prominent so far has been the rejection by European car buyers of the Teslas produced by Elon Musk.... About 15% of its value was wiped out on Monday alone.... In Canada, where the American national anthem has been booed during hockey matches with US teams, a slew of apps has emerged with names such as 'buy beaver', 'maple scan' and 'is this Canadian' to allow shoppers to scan QR barcodes and reject US produce from alcohol to pizza toppings.... In Sweden, about 40,000 users have joined a Facebook group calling for a boycott of US companies – ironically including Facebook itself – which features alternatives to US consumer products.... In Denmark, where there has been widespread anger over Trump’s threat to bring the autonomous territory of Greenland under US control, the largest grocery company, the Salling group, has said it will tag European-made goods with a black star to allow consumers to choose them over products made in the US.... What is striking is how quickly the second Trump administration has become a target for both consumer anger and ethically minded companies.”

Nancy Codes & Caitlin Yilek of CBS News: "Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick defended ... [Donald] Trump's economic policies Tuesday, saying they are 'worth it' even if they lead to a recession. 'These policies are the most important thing America has ever had,' Lutnick told CBS News in an interview when asked whether they would be worth it if they lead to a recession. 'It's worth it.' But he quickly added, 'The only reason there could possibly be a recession is because the Biden nonsense that we had to live with. These policies produce revenues. They produce growth. They produce factories being built here.'" MB: I remind Howard there that "the Biden nonsense" produced the best economy in the world.

Here's a press release from Rep. Richie Neal (D-Mass.), ranking member of the House Ways & Means Committee, dated March 6: “Representative Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, today introduced Resolutions to terminate President Trump’s unlawful use of 'emergency' authorities to impose tariffs on Canada and Mexico. The Resolutions end the Administration’s abuse of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), which it has used to justify tariffs based on a fabricated national emergency. They are cosponsored by Representatives Richard Neal, Ranking Member of the House Ways and Means Committee; Joaquin Castro, Ranking Member of the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee; Rick Larsen, Ranking Member of the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee; Suzan DelBene; and Greg Stanton. 'The Administration's 25% tariffs on two of our closest allies and largest trading partners are nothing more than a tax on American families — driving up prices, killing jobs, and threatening our economy. This isn’t what Americans voted for. Trump has already broken his promise to lower costs, and these tariffs will only make it worse. My resolutions will end this sham emergency and protect American consumers,' said Ranking Member Gregory W. Meeks.” MB: Congress should retake its Constitutionally-mandated power to control tariffs. But it won't, will it? (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I looked for an easy-to-understand explanation of how Congress Constitutionally (and now only theoretically) controls tariffs. I didn't find one right off, but as luck would have it, Rachel Maddow did the job for me: ~~~

~~~ Catie Edmondson of the New York Times: “House Republican leaders on Tuesday quietly moved to shield their members from having to vote on whether to end ... [Donald] Trump’s tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China, tucking language into a procedural measure that effectively removed their chamber’s ability to undo the levies. The maneuver was a tacit acknowledgment of how politically toxic the issue had become for their party, and another example of how the all-Republican Congress is ceding its power to the executive branch.... They essentially declared the rest of the year one long day, nullifying a law that allows the House and Senate to jointly put an end to a disaster declared by the president. House Democrats had planned to force a vote on resolutions to end the tariffs on Mexico and Canada, a move allowed under the National Emergencies Act.... That would have forced Republicans — many of whom are opposed to tariffs as a matter of principle — to go on the record on the issue at a time when Mr. Trump’s commitment to tariffs has spooked the financial markets and spiked concerns of reigniting inflation.”

Matt Viser of the Washington Post: “... on Tuesday afternoon..., Trump ... turned the South Lawn of the White House into a car lot, converting one of the country’s most revered public spaces into a billboard for a company run by one of his closest allies [Elon Musk]. And for the afternoon, he made no secret of the fact that he was attempting to boost the financial fortunes of one of his supporters — whose cars, he noted, could be had for the low, low price of $35,000.... In a remarkable scene, Trump spent about 30 minutes talking with reporters as he kicked the tires on some of the five Teslas that had been parked on the drive of the White House for his shopping pleasure.... The president endorsed Tesla, calling it 'a great product, as good as it gets.' He endorsed Musk, saying he is 'a great patriot, and you should cherish him.' And then, he bought a car.

“Trump made no mention of the increased scrutiny Tesla has faced in recent years from government regulators, who under the Biden administration raised concerns about the safety of the company’s advanced driver-assistance programs. Nor did he revive his long-standing critique of electric vehicles, which he has said are too expensive and don’t go far enough on a charge.... A White House official said the president is paying for the vehicle with his own money. The person declined to say whether the White House counsel reviewed the use of staff and official resources for the event. Federal regulations prohibit White House staffers (though not the president himself) from using their government positions to endorse or promote private companies or products.... Tesla stock, after a large sell-off Monday, ended the day up nearly 4 percent.” The New York Times story is here. ~~~

~~~ Lawrence O'Donnell noted that Trump did not actually buy a vehicle since he signed nothing. Meanwhile, I'll bet execs at other U.S. automakers are seething. ~~~

~~~ Alex Gangitano & Miranda Nazzaro of the Hill: Donald “Trump hinted he would be open to labeling individuals who carry out violence at Tesla dealerships as 'domestic terrorists' following a string of violent demonstrations at the electric vehicle company’s showrooms across the U.S.... 'Those people are going to go through a big problem when we catch them. We’ve got a lot of cameras up, we already know who some of them are. We’re going to catch them. And they’re bad guys. They’re the same guys that screw around with our schools and universities, the same garbage,' Trump [said].”

Ah, it turns out Trump is not the only administration employee hawking products for profit at the office: ~~~

~~~ All the Best People. Carl Gibson of AlterNet: "The communications director for the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) was recently caught doubling as a fashion influencer on social media — while using her government office as a backdrop in an apparent violation of federal rules. That's according to a Tuesday article in CNN, which reported that McLaurine Pinover posted videos of herself modeling clothing to her Instagram account from her OPM office. Some of those videos included affiliate links to sites where the clothing she was wearing was being sold. Pinover was eligible to be paid commission based on site visitors who bought those clothing items after clicking the links from Pinover's videos. CNN further reported that Pinover was working as an influencer while simultaneously 'defending mass layoffs of federal workers' as an employee of OPM's communications office.... Pinover's Instagram handle, @getdressedwithmc, was apparently deleted several minutes after [CNN] contacted her." ~~~

~~~ Here's Pinover modeling her outfits at OPM. You can get that skirt on the right for a mere $475. What a bargain! ~~~

    

Michael Bender & Dana Goldstein of the New York Times: “The Education Department announced on Tuesday that it was firing more than 1,300 workers, effectively gutting the agency that manages federal loans for college, tracks student achievement and enforces civil rights laws in schools. The layoffs mean that the department, which started the year with 4,133 employees, will now have a work force of about half that size after less than two months with ... [Donald] Trump in office. In addition to the 1,315 workers who were fired on Tuesday, 572 employees accepted separation packages offered in recent weeks and 63 probationary workers were terminated last month.... Sheria Smith, the president of American Federation of Government Employees Local 252, which represents more than 2,800 workers at the Education Department, said the Trump administration had 'no respect for the thousands of workers who have dedicated their careers to serve their fellow Americans” and vowed to fight the cuts.'” Politico's story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Cory Turner & Jonaki Mehta of NPR: "Minutes [after Sheria Smith made that statement], AFGE Local 252 told NPR that Smith was laid off, along with all five of the chapter's other union officers." ~~~

~~~ Here's Why Trump Is Dumping the Education Department. Bianca Toness of the AP: “The equity goal of the Education Department, which was founded in 1980, emerged partly from the anti-poverty and civil rights movements of the 1960s and 1970s. The act creating the department described its mission, in part, as: 'To strengthen the Federal commitment to ensuring access to equal educational opportunity for every individual.'... As the Trump administration moves to dismantle the Education Department..., [what is not] clear is what could happen with ... its mission [to promote] equal access for students in an American education system that is fundamentally unequal.”

First, Kill All the Poor People. Lisa Friedman of the New York Times: “The Trump administration intends to eliminate Environmental Protection Agency offices responsible for addressing the disproportionately high levels of pollution facing poor communities, according to a memo from Lee Zeldin, the agency administrator. In the internal memo, viewed by The New York Times, Mr. Zeldin informed agency leaders that he was directing 'the reorganization and elimination' of the offices of environmental justice at all 10 E.P.A. regional offices as well as the one in Washington.... The decision comes after Mr. Zeldin canceled hundreds of grants this week, many of them designated for environmental justice.... Mr. Zeldin’s move effectively ends three decades of work at the E.P.A. to try to ease the pollution that burdens poor and minority communities, which are frequently located near highways, power plants, industrial plants and other polluting facilities. Studies have shown that people who live in those communities have higher rates of asthma, heart disease and other health problems, compared with the national average.” Zeldin described the environmental effort as “forced discrimination.” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: That is, according to Zeldin, because wealthy white people are less apt to live in areas with disproportionately high levels of pollution, reducing or eliminating that pollution is discriminating against the rich white people; they aren't receiving that special attention, attention they don't need because they're already living in relatively healthy environments. Needless to say, this makes absolutely no sense; it's one of those fake rationales loathsome people dream up to try to excuse the inexcusable.

And Of Course This Is Happening. Ryan Reilly, et al., of NBC News: "The Trump administration is gutting the Justice Department's unit that oversees prosecutions of public officials accused of corruption, three sources who spoke on condition of anonymity told NBC News. The unit, the Public Integrity Section, has overseen some of the country’s most high-profile and sensitive prosecutions. Now, though, only a small fraction of its employees will remain, and the unit will no longer directly handle investigations or prosecutions, two sources said. Prosecutors in the unit, which had housed dozens of employees, are being told to take details to other positions within the department. Its current cases will be reassigned to U.S. attorneys’ offices around the country." MB: I'm surprised "integrity" isn't on Trump's list of banned words.

Kriston Capps, et al., of the Washington Post: “The future of a vast collection of public artwork is in doubt as the Trump administration plans to fire workers who preserve and maintain more than 26,000 pieces owned by the U.S. government, including paintings and sculptures by renowned artists, some dating to the 1850s. Fine arts and historic preservation workers at the General Services Administration told The Washington Post that at least five regional offices were shuttered last week and that more than half of the division’s approximately three dozen staff members were abruptly put on leave pending their terminations.... According to former staffers, the agency is looking to end its lease for a storage facility in Northern Virginia that holds hundreds of paintings and sculptures, including pieces sponsored by the Depression-era Works Progress Administration.... Some of these works are literally part of the buildings, such as Ben Shahn’s 1942 fresco 'The Meaning of Social Security' plastered onto the wall of the Wilbur J. Cohen Federal Building in Washington. Staffers wonder what would happen to those works if buildings were sold.” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Who wants to see some shabby old 19th- and 20th-century paintings when Trump can probably find some new portraits of, well, Trump and maybe some nice clown paintings, too (though no combo Trump-as-clown paintings, of course).

Edward Wong of the New York Times: “A senior official at the main U.S. aid agency, which is being dismantled by the Trump administration, told employees to clear safes holding classified documents and personnel files by shredding the papers or putting them into bags for burning, according to an email sent to the staff. The email, sent by Erica Y. Carr, the acting executive secretary, told employees of the U.S. Agency for International Development to empty out the classified safes and personnel document files on Tuesday. 'Shred as many documents first, and reserve the burn bags for when the shredder becomes unavailable or needs a break,' Ms. Carr wrote.... The Federal Records Act of 1950 requires U.S. government officials to ask the [National Archives] for approval before destroying documents. The documents being destroyed could have relevance to multiple court cases that have been filed against the Trump administration and the aid agency.... By Tuesday evening, at least two groups had made court filings to try to get judges to prevent the destruction of more documents at U.S.A.I.D. They said the agency had failed to comply with record-keeping requirements....” ~~~

     ~~~ Missy Ryan & John Hudson of the Washington Post: “The efforts [to destroy documents] triggered immediate alarm on Capitol Hill, where lawmakers took steps to remind the administration of its obligation to comply with laws prohibiting the destruction of government information.... Rep. Gregory W. Meeks (New York), the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said the administration did not appear to be complying with the Federal Records Act, which governs the handling of government documents and other material. 'Haphazardly shredding and burning USAID documents and personnel files seems like a great way to get rid of evidence of wrongdoing when you’re illegally dismantling the agency,' Meeks said in a statement.” the NBC News story, which RAS linked yesterday, is here.

Spencer Hsu of the Washington Post: “Interim D.C. U.S. attorney Ed Martin has sent another letter to a Democratic congressman and critic of ... Donald Trump, demanding information in what Democratic lawmakers say is a potential abuse of his prosecutorial power. Martin demanded that Rep. Eugene Vindman (D-Virginia) provide information about a business founded by Vindman and his brother to help arm Ukraine to fight Russia. Martin asked for detailed ownership and government funding records of the business, called Trident Support LLC, where Eugene Vindman served as president and his twin brother, Alexander Vindman, was chief executive. Martin also asked about $150,000 that Vindman disclosed receiving from Georgetown University.... The letter is the latest among an estimated 20 inquiries that people close to Martin estimate he has sent since taking office Jan. 20.... In his letters or past public comments, Martin has indicated that the recipients have something in common — playing a role in criticizing or employing critics of Trump, his appointees or allies, or investigating complaints against his lawyers.” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: IOW, Martin is admitting he is misusing his Justice Department position to intimidate political opponents.

Eric Tucker of the AP: “A law firm targeted by ... Donald Trump over its legal services during the 2016 presidential campaign sued the federal government Tuesday over an executive order that seeks to strip its attorneys of security clearances. The order, which Trump signed last week, was designed to punish Perkins Coie by suspending the security clearances of the firm’s lawyers as well as denying firm employees access to federal buildings and terminating their federal contracts.... Lawyers representing Perkins Coie said in their lawsuit, filed in federal court in Washington, that the executive order was an illegal act of retaliation. They called on a judge to block it from being implemented. A hearing was set for Wednesday afternoon. The lawsuit notes that the two primary attorneys whose work appears to have most angered Trump left the firm years ago and accounted for a tiny fraction of the firm’s more than 1,200 attorneys.” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: This isn't just about security clearances and federal contracts. If Perkins Coie employees cannot enter any federal building, none of those 1,200 attorneys can represent any client in any federal case.

Theodore Schleifer & Maggie Haberman of the New York Times: “Elon Musk has signaled to ... [Donald] Trump’s advisers in recent days that he wants to put $100 million into groups controlled by the Trump political operation, according to three people.... Mr. Musk has signaled he wants to make the donations not to his own super PAC, which is called America PAC and has spent heavily on Mr. Trump in the past, but to an outside entity affiliated with the president.... It is unheard-of for a White House staffer, even one with part-time status, to make such large political contributions to support the agenda of the boss.”

Aamer Madhani & Zeke Miller of the AP: “U.S. officials have not determined who was behind an apparent cyberattack on the social media site X that limited access to the platform for thousands of users.... The comments came after Elon Musk ... claimed in an appearance on Fox Business Network’s 'Kudlow' show that the cyberattackers had 'IP addresses originating in the Ukraine area' without going into detail on what that might mean. Cybersecurity experts quickly pointed out, however, that this doesn’t necessarily mean that the attack originated in Ukraine.” Related stories linked yesterday. (Also linked yesterday.) 

Catie Edmondson of the New York Times: “The House passed legislation on Tuesday to fund the government through Sept. 30 and avert a shutdown at the end of the week, in a party-line vote that reflected how Republican fiscal hawks have swallowed their concerns about spending in deference to President Trump. The move sent the measure to the Senate, where Democrats are facing a political dilemma over whether to support it and hand Mr. Trump wide leeway to continue his assault on federal programs and workers, or oppose it and risk being blamed for a government shutdown. The bill would keep last year’s spending levels largely flat, but would increase spending for the military by $6 billion. It would slightly decrease spending overall, because it would not include funds for any projects in lawmakers’ districts or states. And it would force a cut of more than $1 billion from the District of Columbia’s budget for the rest of the fiscal year.” The AP story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Oh, Chuck will do whatever option is lamest. ~~~

~~~ Rachel Bade in Politico Magazine: “With Tuesday’s spending vote, the president vanquished some of his final foes inside the GOP.... Seven weeks into his second term, Trump is redefining GOP orthodoxy.... He has shattered Republicans’ long history of muscular globalism in favor of an “America First” posture, sidelining an entire wing of the GOP. He’s leaned into protectionist economics in a way Republicans have long shunned and somehow convinced longtime free market champions to defend his policies as smart negotiating. But the turnabout on the House floor has been especially stark. Without much drama at all, he’s convinced even the most skeptical Republicans to extend a spending deal negotiated in part by Joe Biden and Chuck Schumer.... It’s just the latest reminder: It’s Trump’s party, and what he says goes.”

Annie Karni of the New York Times: “A Republican lawmaker abruptly adjourned a congressional hearing on Tuesday after being challenged for referring to Representative Sarah McBride, Democrat of Delaware and the first openly transgender lawmaker in Congress, as a man. The Europe Subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs panel was in the middle of a hearing on arms control and U.S. assistance to Europe when its chairman, Representative Keith Self of Texas, introduced his colleague by calling her 'Mr. McBride.'... [Ms. McBride] briefly registered her displeasure by returning Mr. Self’s slight, responding, 'Thank you, Madam Chair,' before proceeding with her remarks. But Representative William Keating of Massachusetts, the ranking Democrat on the subcommittee, was not willing to move on.... 'You will not continue it with me unless you introduce a duly elected representative the right way,' he said [to Mr. Self after a brief exchange in which Self refused to address Rep. McBride as 'Ms.'] With that, Mr. Self then adjourned the session.” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Self obviously has his own personal sexual issues. He's 71 years old. It's way past time for him to get psychological help.

~~~~~~~~~~

Texas, et al. Kelly Cho of the Washington Post: “Los Angeles County in California, Suffolk County in New York and Howard County in Maryland detected their first confirmed cases of measles this year, while Oklahoma reported two possible cases, local health authorities said this week. The spread of the highly infectious disease comes as an outbreak of more than 200 cases has continued to grow in Texas, and as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned health-care workers and potential travelers to 'be vigilant' ahead of spring and summer travel.... In Canada, at least 146 confirmed cases have been detected this year up to March 6, along with 22 probable cases.” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Better slather on that cod liver oil, folks. Say what? You're supposed to ingest it? Ugh! I'm here to tell you that applying it to your skin or drinking it are equally ineffective remedies for measles. So, you know, whatever.

~~~~~~~~~~

Greenland Elections. Christian Jepesen, et al., of the New York Times: “Voter turnout [for Greenland's parliamentary elections Tuesday] was at its highest in 12 years, so much so that polling stations on the sparsely populated island, which is partly controlled by Denmark, were kept open late to accommodate long lines.... With all votes counted early Wednesday morning, the winner was Demokraatit, a party that has been critical of Mr. Trump’s rhetoric. It has taken a moderate stance on the subject of independence from Denmark, which most Greenland politicians support as a long-term goal.... Mr. Trump, in an address to Congress last week, declared that the United States would take control of it 'one way or the other.' On Sunday, two days before the election, he made a direct pitch to Greenland’s 56,000 people. 'We are ready to INVEST BILLIONS OF DOLLARS to create new jobs and MAKE YOU RICH,' he wrote in a social media post. But Greenlanders have been clear that despite Mr. Trump’s entreaties, they don’t want to be absorbed by the United States, with polls showing that at least 85 percent oppose it.”

Ukraine, et al. Somebody Pulled Trump Off the Ledge Here. Matthew Lee of the AP: “The Trump administration said Tuesday that it would immediately lift its suspension of military aid to Ukraine and its intelligence sharing with Kyiv, a week after imposing the measures to push Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to enter talks to end the war with invading Russian forces. Ukraine also said it was open to a 30-day cease-fire in the war with Russia, subject to Kremlin agreement. The announcements emerged as senior officials from Ukraine and the United States opened talks in Saudi Arabia focused on ending Moscow’s three-year war against Kyiv and hours after Russia shot down over 300 Ukrainian drones. It was Ukraine’s biggest attack since the Kremlin ordered the full-scale invasion of its neighbor. Donald Trump‘s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, is expected to travel later this week to Moscow, where he could meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin....” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Andrew Kramer & Alan Rappeport of the New York Times: “Ukraine said it would support a Trump administration proposal for a 30-day cease-fire with Russia, an announcement that followed hours of meetings on Tuesday in Saudi Arabia, where the United States agreed to immediately lift a pause on intelligence sharing with Kyiv and resume military assistance. The talks in the coastal city of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, brought new momentum to cease-fire negotiations that had faltered after a public confrontation at the White House between the Ukrainian and U.S. presidents.”

The Conversation -- March 11, 2025

Somebody Pulled Trump Off the Ledge Here. Matthew Lee of the AP: “The Trump administration said Tuesday that it would immediately lift its suspension of military aid to Ukraine and its intelligence sharing with Kyiv, a week after imposing the measures to push Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to enter talks to end the war with invading Russian forces. Ukraine also said it was open to a 30-day cease-fire in the war with Russia, subject to Kremlin agreement. The announcements emerged as senior officials from Ukraine and the United States opened talks in Saudi Arabia focused on ending Moscow’s three-year war against Kyiv and hours after Russia shot down over 300 Ukrainian drones. It was Ukraine’s biggest attack since the Kremlin ordered the full-scale invasion of its neighbor. Donald Trump‘s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, is expected to travel later this week to Moscow, where he could meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin....” ~~~

~~~ Alas, He Found Another Ledge: ~~~

~~~ Another Trump Tariff Tantrum. David Lynch of the Washington Post: “... Donald Trump said Tuesday that he had ordered a doubling of the tariff on Canadian steel and aluminum, setting off a new wave of selling on Wall Street. Trump’s actions were in response to Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s imposition of a new tax on electricity supplied to three U.S. states. But Ford’s action was, itself, a response to Trump’s earlier announcement of tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum, which is scheduled to take effect at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday.” NPR's report is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Here's a press release from Rep. Richie Neal (D-Mass.), ranking member of the House Ways & Means Committee, dated March 6: “Representative Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, today introduced Resolutions to terminate President Trump’s unlawful use of 'emergency' authorities to impose tariffs on Canada and Mexico. The Resolutions end the Administration’s abuse of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), which it has used to justify tariffs based on a fabricated national emergency. They are cosponsored by Representatives Richard Neal, Ranking Member of the House Ways and Means Committee; Joaquin Castro, Ranking Member of the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee; Rick Larsen, Ranking Member of the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee; Suzan DelBene; and Greg Stanton. 'The Administration's 25% tariffs on two of our closest allies and largest trading partners are nothing more than a tax on American families — driving up prices, killing jobs, and threatening our economy. This isn’t what Americans voted for. Trump has already broken his promise to lower costs, and these tariffs will only make it worse. My resolutions will end this sham emergency and protect American consumers,' said Ranking Member Gregory W. Meeks.” MB: Congress should retake its Constitutionally-mandated power to control tariffs. But it won't, will it?

Aamer Madhani & Zeke Miller of the AP: “U.S. officials have not determined who was behind an apparent cyberattack on the social media site X that limited access to the platform for thousands of users.... The comments came after Elon Musk ... claimed in an appearance on Fox Business Network’s 'Kudlow' show that the cyberattackers had 'IP addresses originating in the Ukraine area' without going into detail on what that might mean. Cybersecurity experts quickly pointed out, however, that this doesn’t necessarily mean that the attack originated in Ukraine.” Related stories linked below.

~~~~~~~~~~

Jeff Stein, et al., of the Washington Post: “... Donald Trump’s senior advisers downplayed fresh economic turbulence Monday, as the administration’s escalating trade war deepened a sell-off on Wall Street and renewed fears about the stability of the U.S. economy.... The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed down 890 points, or 2.1 percent, while the S&P 500 fell 2.7 percent and the Nasdaq composite index plummeted 4 percent.... Investors have been unsettled by Trump’s willingness to impose tariffs that go even beyond his sweeping campaign promises, with hundreds of billions in new import duties already levied and trillions more about to take effect April 2. The federal government could shut down this weekend, too, if Congress doesn’t extend federal funding — a possibility Trump acknowledged to reporters Sunday night.” The AP's story is here. ~~~

We will begin a new era of soaring incomes.... Skyrocketing wealth. Millions and millions of new jobs and a booming middle class. We are going to boom like we’ve never boomed before. -- Donald Trump, October 2024 rally ~~~

~~~ Tyler Pager of the New York Times: “As a presidential candidate, Donald J. Trump promised an economic 'boom like no other.' But eight weeks into his presidency, Mr. Trump is refusing to rule out a recession — a striking change in tone and message for a man who rode widespread economic dissatisfaction to the White House by promising to 'make America affordable again.' [MAAA?? ] His comments come as the stock market is tumbling — the S&P 500 fell 2.7 percent Monday after falling 3.1 percent last week — and business leaders are spooked about the uncertainty over his tariffs.... The economy Mr. Trump inherited was by many standards in solid shape, with low unemployment, moderate growth and an inflation rate that, while still higher than what the Federal Reserve wants, had declined substantially.” ~~~

Trip Mickle & Ana Swanson of the New York Times: “As ... [Donald] Trump addressed Congress last week, he veered off script to attack ... the CHIPS Act, a bipartisan law aimed at making the United States less reliant on Asia for semiconductors.... Halfway through Mr. Trump’s remarks, he called the law a 'horrible, horrible thing.... You should get rid of the CHIP Act, he told Speaker Mike Johnson.... Mr. Trump is threatening to upend years of work.... U.S. lawmakers began pushing to rebuild domestic chip production after the pandemic created a global chip shortage that forced some U.S. auto factories to shutter, resulting in the CHIPS Act. But the Trump administration has already taken steps to whittle away at the program.” Read on, especially the part about Michael Grimes, a top Commerce Department official. MB: Surely the No. 1 reason Trump wants to kill CHIPS is that Joe Biden signed it into law. Here in another instance in which Trump's vengeful nature is a threat not only to individuals but also to national security.

This seems like one of the biggest threats, if not the biggest threats to First Amendment freedoms in 50 years.... It’s a direct attempt to punish speech because of the viewpoint it espouses. -- Brian Hauss of the ACLU ~~~

Jake Offenhartz & Philip Marcelo of the AP: “... Donald Trump warned Monday that the arrest and possible deportation of a Palestinian activist who helped lead protests at Columbia University will be the first 'of many to come' as his administration cracks down on campus demonstrations against Israel and the war in Gaza. Mahmoud Khalil, a lawful U.S. resident who was a graduate student at Columbia until December, was detained Saturday by federal immigration agents in New York and flown to an immigration jail in Louisiana.... But a federal judge in New York City ordered Monday that Khalil not be deported while the court considered a legal challenge brought by his lawyers. A hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.... Typically, the government has to meet a higher bar to expel a person who has permanent residency in the U.S., like showing someone has been convicted of a serious crime.... Khalil, 30, had not been charged with any crime related to his activism, but Trump has argued that protesters forfeited their rights to remain in the country by protests he claimed support Hamas.... The U.S. has designated Hamas as a terrorist organization.” ~~~

~~~ Amanda Friedman of Politico on the order by Judge Jesse Furman of the Southern District of New York, which temporarily halts Mahmoud Khalil's deportation. The Trump administration’s legal argument for Khalil’s detainment and possible deportation is unclear.” ~~~

~~~ Trump Ignores First Amendment. Again. Michelle Goldberg of the New York Times: “On Saturday, immigration agents showed at the apartment building of Mahmoud Khalil, a leader of last year’s pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University, and told him his student visa had been revoked and that he was being detained. Khalil is married to an American, and his lawyer, speaking to the agents by phone, informed them that he had a green card, but they said that had been revoked as well.... Khalil, who grew up in a Palestinian refugee camp in Syria, hasn’t been charged with any crime. A dossier on him compiled by Canary Mission, a right-wing group that tracks anti-Zionist campus activists, includes no examples of threatening or violent speech.... In a post on Truth Social, Donald Trump made it clear that Khalil was snatched because of his activism.... 'We know there are more students at Columbia and other Universities across the Country who have engaged in pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic, anti-American activity, and the Trump Administration will not tolerate it.'” Related AP & NYT news reports linked yesterday. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Yes, Trump's brownshirts will do his bidding. None of us is safe. ~~~

~~~ Michael Bender of the New York Times: “The Trump administration warned 60 universities on Monday that they could face penalties from pending investigations into antisemitism on college campuses, a threat sharpened in recent days by its cancellation of funding to Columbia University and the arrest of a protest leader there.... [Mr.] Trump seized on accusations of antisemitism as a cudgel against Democrats during his presidential campaign and has continued to prioritize the issue from the White House.... Last week, Mr. Trump threatened to strip funding from schools that allow 'illegal protests, but did not elaborate on what he meant by that phrase.”

David Ingram of NBC News: "... Elon Musk said Monday that he plans to double the size of his staff in the Department of Government Efficiency, which he noted is already working inside nearly every federal agency. Musk's comments about DOGE came in an interview on Fox Business as his budget-cutting team has faced growing pushback not only from the courts and congressional Democrats but also from members of ... Donald Trump's Cabinet. Musk said that DOGE has about 100 staff members and that he planned to increase it to about 200. 'We're trying to act broadly across all departments, so it's not just one department at a time,' he told Larry Kudlow, a Fox Business host who worked in the first Trump administration. Kudlow asked whether DOGE was in all federal departments. Musk responded, 'Pretty much, yeah.'" ~~~

~~~ Chris Megerian of the AP: “Elon Musk pushed debunked theories about Social Security on Monday while describing federal benefit programs as rife with fraud, suggesting they will be a primary target in his crusade to reduce government spending. The billionaire entrepreneur ... suggested that $500 billion to $700 billion in waste needed to be cut. 'Most of the federal spending is entitlements,' Musk told the Fox Business Network. 'That’s the big one to eliminate.'... Musk’s estimate for the level of fraud in entitlements far outpaces figures from watchdogs like Social Security’s inspector general, who previously said there was $71.8 billion in improper payments from fiscal years 2015 through 2022. That’s less than 1% of benefits paid out during that time period. Musk also said there were '20 million people who are definitely dead marked as alive in the Social Security database.' However, the leader of the agency has rejected claims about widespread payments to dead people.... The interview was conducted in the White House complex by Larry Kudlow....” ~~~

~~~ Mariana Alfaro, et al., of the Washington Post: “... Elon Musk on Monday called Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Arizona) — a decorated Navy pilot and former NASA astronaut — a traitor in a post on X after the senator visited Ukraine and expressed his support for the country in its war with Russia. The incident underscores the hostile attitude of the Trump administration toward perceived adversaries and its striking turnabout of policy toward Russia and away from Ukraine. 'You are a traitor,' Musk wrote in response to Kelly’s posts. Kelly replied: 'Traitor? Elon, if you don’t understand that defending freedom is a basic tenet of what makes America great and keeps us safe, maybe you should leave it to those of us who do.' Kelly ... also told reporters at the Capitol later Monday that Musk is 'not a serious guy'... 'He’s slashed and burned the federal government to make room for a giant tax cut for billionaires like himself,' Kelly said.... 'I’ve sworn an oath to this country, flown in combat, I served in the Navy for 25 years. It appears to me the oath that Elon Musk stands by is the oath of billionaires, to make their lives easier, not the American people, not veterans.'” An NBC News story is here.

Andrew Duehren of the New York Times: “Firing probationary employees ... was just the beginning of ... [Donald] Trump’s far-reaching agenda for the I.R.S. The administration is preparing budget cuts and further layoffs that could ultimately force the I.R.S. to shed as much as half of its 100,000-person work force — a drastic reduction that could mean many Americans face less scrutiny, and receive less help, on their taxes. At the same time, Mr. Trump is asserting more political control over an agency that has historically been insulated from changes in leadership at the White House.... The presence of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency is growing at the I.R.S., where [Elon] Musk’s allies are preparing to cancel scores of contracts with outside technology vendors.” (Also linked yesterday.)   

Little Marco Vows to Reward Russia for Invading Ukraine. Alan Rappeport of the New York Times: “Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Monday that Ukraine would have to make concessions over land that Russia had taken since 2014 as part of any agreement to end the war.... 'I think both sides need to come to an understanding that there’s no military solution to this situation,' Mr. Rubio said. 'The Russians can’t conquer all of Ukraine, and obviously it’ll be very difficult for Ukraine in any reasonable time period to sort of force the Russians back all the way to where they were in 2014.'” Might makes right. We in the U.S. are so over respecting national sovereignty & promoting democracy. (Also linked yesterday.)

At DOJ, If You Do Your Job, You Will Lose It. Devlin Barrett of the New York Times: “The Justice Department’s pardon attorney was dismissed a day after she refused to recommend that the actor Mel Gibson, a prominent supporter of ... [Donald] Trump’s, should have his gun rights restored, according to the attorney and others familiar with the situation. Elizabeth G. Oyer, the former pardon attorney, described the sequence of events as an alarming departure from longstanding practice, one that put public safety and the department’s integrity at risk. Mr. Gibson had lost his gun rights as a result of a 2011 domestic violence misdemeanor conviction. 'This is dangerous. This isn’t political — this is a safety issue,' Ms. Oyer said in an interview with The New York Times....” Read on. Trump personal lawyers Todd Blanche & Emil Bove, both now top DOJ officials, are involved. An NBC News story is here.

Teddy Rosenbluth of the New York Times: “In a sweeping interview, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the health and human services secretary, outlined a strategy for containing the measles outbreak in West Texas that strayed far from mainstream science, relying heavily on fringe theories about prevention and treatments. He issued a muffled call for vaccinations in the affected community, but said the choice was a personal one. He suggested that measles vaccine injuries were more common than known, contrary to extensive research. He asserted that natural immunity to measles, gained through infection, somehow also protected against cancer and heart disease, a claim not supported by research. He cheered on questionable treatments like cod liver oil, and said that local doctors had achieved 'almost miraculous and instantaneous' recoveries with steroids or antibiotics.... The interview, which lasted 35 minutes, was posted online by Fox News last week, just before the President Trump’s address to Congress. Segments had been posted earlier, but the full version received little attention.” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: There are four (well, three, if you don't count Rand Paul) medical doctors in the Senate: John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.) & Roger Marshall (R-Kansas). They all voted to confirm RFKJ as  HHS secretary.

Carolyn Johnson & Joel Achenbach of the Washington Post: “The National Institutes of Health will cancel or cut back dozens of grants for research on why some people are reluctant to be vaccinated and how to increase acceptance of vaccines, according to an internal email.... The email, titled 'required terminations — 3/10/25,' shows that on Monday morning, the agency 'received a new list … of awards that need to be terminated, today. It has been determined they do not align with NIH funding priorities related to vaccine hesitancy and/or uptake.'... It is unclear if [HHS Secretary Robert] Kennedy [Jr.] had a role, directly or indirectly, in the move to cancel these grants.” MB: Looks as if somebody thought expert research that fingered the boss was bad form.

Marcia Brown of Politico: “The Agriculture Department has axed two programs that gave schools and food banks money to buy food from local farms and ranchers, halting more than $1 billion in federal spending.... [A] spokesperson [for th department said]: 'These programs, created under the former Administration via Executive authority, no longer effectuate the goals of the agency.'” MB: Right. If kids are hungry, they should grow their own damned food in their back yards, alongside those new home chicken-raising ops the Ag Department recommends.

Dino Grandoni & Maxine Joselow of the Washington Post: “The Interior Department has suspended a legal opinion that held companies liable for accidentally killing ducks, cranes, pelicans, owls and hundreds of other bird species. In a memorandum dated Feb. 28 but posted online in recent days, Interior’s acting chief lawyer suspended every legal opinion issued by the Biden administration, including one that subjected companies to penalties for accidentally killing birds through activities such as oil and gas drilling, wind energy production, mining, or construction. The move modifies the government’s interpretation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which prohibits unauthorized 'take' of hundreds of bird species — regulatory-speak for hunting, killing, capturing, selling or otherwise hurting the animals.... The move delivers a win to the oil and gas industry, which has argued that the government has unfairly punished companies that never intended to harm birds.” ~~~

     ~~~ Update: See how RAS flips the bird at Trump in today's Comments.

Annie Gowen of the Washington Post: “A U.S. district judge ruled Monday that the Trump administration must pay nearly $2 billion in foreign assistance owed to its humanitarian partners around the world, saying the administration likely violated separation of powers by 'unlawfully impounding' the congressionally appropriated money. U.S. District Judge Amir H. Ali in a ruling blocked the Trump administration from withholding payment of foreign aid funds authorized by Congress, which has caused delays in lifesaving food and medicine in impoverished areas around the world. More broadly, Ali ruled that the Trump administration is likely violating the constitutional separation of powers by withholding funds and usurping Congress’s authority to dictate whether the funds should be spent in the first place. The defendants, he noted, 'offer an unbridled view of Executive power that the Supreme Court has consistently rejected — a view that flouts multiple statutes whose constitutionality is not in question.'”

Zach Montague & Minho Kim of the New York Times: “A federal judge found on Monday that Elon Musk’s government-cutting unit is likely subject to public disclosure laws and must promptly turn over documents to a group that had sued for access to its internal emails. In his order, Judge Christopher R. Cooper of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia wrote that the Department of Government Efficiency Mr. Musk leads had all the hallmarks of an agency that would typically be subject to laws like the Freedom of Information Act. He said Mr. Musk’s team appeared to be exercising 'substantial authority over vast swathes of the federal government,' much greater than other federal agencies that are subject to the law. Judge Cooper required both Mr. Musk’s team and the Office of Management and Budget to turn over email correspondence between their offices that the group suing had requested.... The lawsuit, brought by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, or CREW..., had argued that the group’s internal records were of extreme interest to the public as Mr. Musk and his associates have planned cuts and layoffs largely in secret while laying waste to vast sections of the federal government.” ~~~

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

Megalomania Is Hard. Kate Conger & Christine Hauser of the New York Times: “On Monday, users of X reported widespread outages. The same day, Tesla’s stock fell more than 15 percent amid concerns that include declining electric vehicle sales and politically driven protests against the manufacturer. And last week, a SpaceX rocket exploded in Florida during launch, showering some places with debris. Mr. Musk on Monday quickly blamed the X issues on a cyberattack stemming from Ukraine, without providing evidence. He posted on X that Democratic donors were responsible for seeding protests against Tesla, again without evidence. In response to the SpaceX explosion, he said on X: 'Rockets are hard.' Questions about Mr. Musk’s continuing oversight of his companies are coming to a head as he spends more time in Washington....”

The Untimely Death of a Serious Person. Marian Drum on Kevin Drum's blog: "With a heavy heart, I have to tell you that after a long battle with cancer my husband Kevin Drum passed away on Friday, March 7, 2025.... In lieu of flowers, please donate to the charity or political cause of your choice. A Facebook page, 'In Memory of Kevin Drum', has been created as a place for friends and family to share memories of Kevin. I encourage you to post your thoughts and memories there."

Annals of Journalism, Ctd. Ruth Doesn't Work Here Anymore. David Folkenflik of NPR: "A top political columnist for The Washington Post resigned Monday, accusing Post Chief Executive and Publisher Will Lewis of killing her column that criticized owner Jeff Bezos' drive to overhaul the opinion pages to focus on his libertarian priorities. Post columnist and Associate Editor Ruth Marcus, who has worked at the paper for four decades, says she can no longer stay there. 'Jeff's announcement that the opinion section will henceforth not publish views that deviate from the pillars of individual liberties and free markets threatens to break the trust of readers that columnists are writing what they believe, not what the owner has deemed acceptable,' Marcus wrote in a resignation letter obtained by NPR.... 'Will's decision to not … run the column that I wrote respectfully dissenting from Jeff's edict — something that I have not experienced in almost two decades of column-writing — underscores that the traditional freedom of columnists to select the topics they wish to address and say what they think has been dangerously eroded,' she wrote."

So here's a short reading assignment:

(1) Akhilleus' comment at the top of yesterday's thread.

(2) An essay by political scientist Don Moynihan: "... we live in a foreign country now. Our idea of America — the one you grew up with if you were born here, or that drew you to this country if you were an immigrant — and the reality of America today, well, these are different places. We might get back there. But first we have to map the distance between that America and where we are now." Moynihan then runs down bullet points of "where we are now," each point chilling. Thanks to RAS for the link. (Also linked yesterday.)

Marie: Aaargh! I clicked on Bezos Amazon Prime last night, and the first recommendation for me that came up was reruns of "The Apprentice."

~~~~~~~~~~

Texas. Jo Yurcaba of NBC News: “A Texas state bill could charge transgender people with 'gender identity fraud,' making it illegal to identify as trans on official documents and potentially leading to jail time. The bill, which was filed last week by Republican state Rep. Tom Oliverson, would make it a state jail felony if a person 'knowingly makes a false or misleading verbal or written statement' by identifying their sex assigned at birth incorrectly to a governmental entity or to their employer.... So far, the bill has no other co-sponsors, making it unlikely to pass, the Houston Chronicle reported. However, the bill is among the first of its kind nationally and is an example of how legislation targeting trans people has become more clear in its intent and more extreme in recent years, particularly in Texas.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Philippines. Sui-Lee Wee  Camille Elemia of the New York Times: “Rodrigo Duterte, the former president of the Philippines, was arrested on Tuesday in Manila, after the International Criminal Court issued a warrant accusing him of crimes against humanity in his war on drugs in which, human rights groups say, tens of thousands of Filipinos were summarily executed. He was taken into custody at Manila’s main airport after returning from a trip to Hong Kong, according to the Philippine government. Mr. Duterte’s lawyer, Salvador Panelo, said the arrest was unlawful, partly because the Philippines withdrew from the court while Mr. Duterte was in office. In the I.C.C. warrant, a three-judge panel wrote that, based on evidence presented by the court’s prosecutor, it believed that killings ordered by Mr. Duterte as mayor of the city of Davao and later as president were 'both widespread and systematic.'”

The Conversation -- March 10, 2025

Little Marco Vows to Reward Russia for Invading Ukraine. Alan Rappeport of the New York Times: “Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Monday that Ukraine would have to make concessions over land that Russia had taken since 2014 as part of any agreement to end the war.... 'I think both sides need to come to an understanding that there’s no military solution to this situation,' Mr. Rubio said. 'The Russians can’t conquer all of Ukraine, and obviously it’ll be very difficult for Ukraine in any reasonable time period to sort of force the Russians back all the way to where they were in 2014.'” Might makes right. We in the U.S. are so over respecting national sovereignty & promoting democracy.

So here's a short reading assignment:

(1) Akhilleus' comment at the top of today's thread.

(2) An essay by political scientist Don Moynihan: "... we live in a foreign country now. Our idea of America — the one you grew up with if you were born here, or that drew you to this country if you were an immigrant — and the reality of America today, well, these are different places. We might get back there. But first we have to map the distance between that America and where we are now." Moynihan then runs down bullet points of "where we are now," each point chilling. Thanks to RAS for the link.

Andrew Duehren of the New York Times: “Firing probationary employees ... was just the beginning of ... [Donald] Trump’s far-reaching agenda for the I.R.S. The administration is preparing budget cuts and further layoffs that could ultimately force the I.R.S. to shed as much as half of its 100,000-person work force — a drastic reduction that could mean many Americans face less scrutiny, and receive less help, on their taxes. At the same time, Mr. Trump is asserting more political control over an agency that has historically been insulated from changes in leadership at the White House.... The presence of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency is growing at the I.R.S., where [Elon] Musk’s allies are preparing to cancel scores of contracts with outside technology vendors.” 

~~~~~~~~~~

Luke Broadwater, et al., of the New York Times: Donald “Trump declined in an interview aired Sunday to rule out the possibility that his economic policies, including aggressive tariffs against America’s trade partners, would cause a recession. In the interview with Maria Bartiromo, the host of 'Sunday Morning Futures' on Fox News, Mr. Trump also said that he was considering increasing tariffs against Mexico and Canada. The interview took place on Thursday at the White House.... 'I hate to predict things like [a recession],' Mr. Trump [said]. 'There is a period of transition, because what we’re doing is very big. We’re bringing wealth back to America. That’s a big thing, and there are always periods of, it takes a little time. It takes a little time, but I think it should be great for us.'... Speaking on Meet the Press on Sunday, Howard Lutnick, the commerce secretary, said..., 'I would never bet on recession.... No chance.' Economists have turned gloomier on the economic outlook amid Mr. Trump’s dizzying approach to tariffs, which has fueled considerable uncertainty and hamstrung businesses considering new investments and hiring.” Here's the Huffington Post story. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I would translate Trump's remarkably honest forecast this way: "Yes, we're bound to go into recession, but I don't care. We're bringing extraordinary wealth back to the oligarchs & me, Donald J. Trump, and it should be great for us." ~~~

     ~~~  Will Weissert of the AP: “In ... Donald Trump’s idealized framing, the United States was at its zenith in the 1890s, when ... typhoid fever often killed more soldiers than combat. It was the Gilded Age, a time of rapid population growth and transformation from an agricultural economy toward a sprawling industrial system, when poverty was widespread while barons of phenomenal wealth, like John D. Rockefeller and J.P. Morgan, held tremendous sway over politicians who often helped boost their financial empires. 'We were at our richest from 1870 to 1913. That’s when we were a tariff country. And then they went to an income tax concept,' Trump said days after taking office.... Experts on the era say Trump is idealizing a time rife with government and business corruption, social turmoil and inequality. They argue he’s also dramatically overestimating the role tariffs played in stimulating an economy that grew mostly due to factors other than the U.S. raising taxes on imported goods.” Read on. ~~~

~~~ Christian Shepherd & Lily Kuo of the Washington Post: “Chinese tariffs on a wide array of U.S. agricultural products took effect Monday as Beijing remains defiant in the face of U.S. pressure — while urging Washington to come to the negotiating table. China’s decision to impose tariffs of up to 15 percent on products including corn, soybeans and beef starting Monday targets some of the United States’ most important exports to the world’s second-largest economy. The retaliation against ... Donald Trump’s move to raise tariffs on all Chinese goods to at least 20 percent marks another escalation in a mounting trade battle that has no end in sight.... Unlike the leaders of Canada and Mexico — [President] Xi [Jinping] has not had a conversation with Trump in his second term..., [and] 'Neither side has really ascertained a go-to person for working-level conversations,' Zha [Daojiong of Peking University] said.”

Paul Krugman: "... I am surprised at how quickly the backlash [against the Trump/Musk presidency] has developed.... As the economy stumbles and the stock market tanks, consumer confidence lags, and even some Trump voters are losing faith..., the Trump cabal ... [has] instantly descended into a pit of insane conspiracy theories.... It’s the kind of rhetoric you expect from an authoritarian regime that attributes every setback to sabotage by rootless cosmopolitan enemies of the state.... Two specific reasons [this is] bad[:]... it means that the people in charge won’t learn from failure.... There will be a search for scapegoats.”

“Vanishing Words.” Karen Yourish, et al., of the New York Times: “As ... [Donald] Trump seeks to purge the federal government of 'woke' initiatives, agencies have flagged hundreds of words to limit or avoid, according to a compilation of government documents.... The list [the Times compiles here] is most likely incomplete. More agency memos may exist than those seen by New York Times reporters, and some directives are vague or suggest what language might be impermissible without flatly stating it.... A New York Times analysis of pages on federal agency websites, before and after Mr. Trump took office, found that more than 250 contained evidence of deletions or amendments to words included in the above list....

“The president and some of his closest advisers ... have frequently portrayed themselves as champions of free speech. One of the executive orders Mr. Trump signed on his first day back in office decried what it described as a pressure campaign by the Biden administration to stifle First Amendment rights 'in a manner that advanced the Government’s preferred narrative about significant matters of public debate.... Government censorship of speech is intolerable in a free society.'... But the pattern of vanishing words established here suggests Mr. Trump and his administration may be more interested in chilling the national conversation — at least when it comes to their own disfavored topics — than in expanding it.”

Marie: This is a gift link, because besides the list of banned words, the examples of doctored docs published here is illuminating. If the gift link doesn't work, digby republishes the list of banished words here, along with a copy of a memo from the National Cancer Institute advising employees on topics that employees may not cover without first sending their proposed publications for review by the NCI Censorship Clearance Team. Thanks to RAS for the link to digby's post. Do scan the list of words; it's a remarkable effort to squelch any reference to anyone who isn't a white male. (Indeed, one of the banned words is "women." So are these terms: female, gender (singular AND plural), sex, Black, Native American, LatinXtribal, minority (singular AND plural), race (noun, adjective & adverbial forms) LGBT, they/them, pollution, climate science, clean energy. 

Lisa Rein of the Washington Post: “... a sweeping declaration..., written under oath..., filed as part of a federal lawsuit Friday from Tiffany Flick, the [Social Security Administrations]’s acting chief of staff until she was forced out in mid-February, [contains allegations of how recklessly DOGE employees took over the agency]. They came in aggressively..., demanding access to sensitive taxpayer data and refusing briefings on how the agency ensures the accuracy of its benefit systems. They recklessly exposed data in unsecured areas outside Social Security offices..., potentially disclosing personally identifiable information on almost every American to people not authorized to see it. And representatives sent by the U.S. DOGE Service refused to explain why they needed taxpayer information that is protected by law.... Despite their status as political appointees, the secretive members of the cost-cutting group overseen by [Elon] Musk ignored the normal chain of command, instead communicating directly with DOGE.” This is a gift link.

Anna Betts of the Guardian: “The United States has been added to the Civicus Monitor Watchlist, which identifies countries that the global civil rights watchdog believes are currently experiencing a rapid decline in civic freedoms. Civicus, an international non-profit organization dedicated to 'strengthening citizen action and civil society around the world', announced the inclusion of the US on the non-profit’s first watchlist of 2025 on Monday, alongside the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Italy, Pakistan and Serbia.... Mandeep Tiwana, co-secretary general of Civicus, said that the watchlist 'looks at countries where we remain concerned about deteriorating civic space conditions, in relation to freedoms of peaceful assembly, association and expression'.” So then this ~~~

~~~ Jake Offenhartz of the AP: “Federal immigration authorities arrested a Palestinian activist Saturday who played a prominent role in Columbia University’s protests against Israel, a significant escalation in the Trump administration’s pledge to detain and deport student activists. Mahmoud Khalil, a graduate student at Columbia until this past December, was inside his university-owned apartment Saturday night when several Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents entered and took him into custody, his attorney, Amy Greer, told The Associated Press. Greer said she spoke by phone with one of the ICE agents during the arrest, who said they were acting on State Department orders to revoke Khalil’s student visa. Informed by the attorney that Khalil was in the United States as a permanent resident with a green card, the agent said they were revoking that instead, according to the lawyer.... The detention of a legal permanent resident who has not been charged with a crime marked an extraordinary move with an uncertain legal foundation, according to immigration experts.... ICE agents ... also threatened to arrest Khalil’s wife, an American citizen who is eight months pregnant, Greer said.” The New York Times story is here. ~~~

~~~ New Rule: Your alleged, unindicted criminals bad; my violent, convicted criminals, good ~~~

It turns out Trump's pardons of January 6 traitors constituted more than a get-out-of-jail-free card to some insurrectionists. Rather, the pardons were more than one get-out-of-jail card. ~~~

~~~ Tom Jackman of the Washington Post: “In seven cases around the country, the Justice Department has argued that separate criminal actions uncovered by the Jan. 6 investigation are covered by Trump’s pardon, and the unrelated charges — usually for illegal gun possession — should be dismissed.... After Trump’s executive order on Jan. 20, the Office of the Pardon Attorney issued individual certificates to almost all of the roughly 1,600 Jan. 6 defendants, which stated that 'The pardon applies only to convictions for offenses related to events that occurred at or near the United States Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.' When courts have pressed the Justice Department for legal reasoning or precedent on why the Jan. 6-adjacent cases should be thrown out, their lawyers have said only that this was Trump’s intent, and courts should defer to 'the Executive’s reasonable interpretation of the pardon language.'... Some judges, however, have resisted.”

Doing Stupid Stuff Because Trump. Scott Dance & Joshua Partlow of the Washington Post (March 7): “The Army Corps of Engineers colonel responsible for releasing water from two California reservoirs at ... Donald Trump’s direction in January knew that it was unlikely to reach the southern part of the state as Trump had promised, according to a memo obtained by The Washington Post.... A [CYA] memo written four days after the release ... shows how federal officials rushed ahead with the plan to release irrigation water despite objections from the state’s elected officials and some local farmers.... The release was done to satisfy Trump’s executive order, [Col. Chad] Caldwell [of the Army Corps] wrote.... But the episode, a week and a half into Trump’s second term, drew criticism from farmers and officials from both parties in the Central Valley. It also angered many California water officials, who charge that the Trump administration squandered local water supplies in a part of the state where every drop counts, to score quick political points.”

Marie: Minho Kim of the New York Times: in a story headlined “Democrats voice regret on scattered responses to Trump's speech,” cites Democrats mostly “regretting” Al Green's protest, not the party's general failure to raise any response to a thoroughly objectional rant. They can't even organize their own “regrets.” You could ask Tim Walz why Democrats keep losing to some of the worst people in the world: Democrats don't really try. My own Congresswoman, a lovely young lady, is busy giving 19th-century style tea parties & posing for photos with various presumably good citizens. I write to her often and politely tell her to get off the dime, a protest which has no effect whatsoever. Yikes! Bernie Sanders is 83 years old. We are on our own, people. (In the meantime, I really did purchase a cane that looks like the one Green shook at the Stupid Fascist, the one Lauren Boebert called a “pimp cane.”)  ~~~

~~~ Dan Balz of the Washington Post: “The Democrats showed last week that presidential addresses to Congress are no place to formulate a resistance. Almost everything they did during ... Donald Trump’s appearance highlighted weakness rather than strength. They had not one strategy but several. The sum was less than the parts.... The state of the Democrats is made worse by the absence of a leader who enjoys national reach and recognition.” MB: Things are bad when Balz is right. I'll admit that Trump is a moving target, but he is still an easy target. He says and does things almost every day that are offensive to many Americans and/or dangerous (and obvious) signs of his corrupt intentions. We are witnessing an astounding display of political malpractice in a party that won't get it together and figuratively slap Trump down every day. ~~~

~~~ Steve Peoples of the AP: “... [Sen. Bernie] Sanders ... has emerged as a leader of the resistance to Donald Trump’s second presidency. In tearing into Trump’s seizure of power and warning about the consequences of firing tens of thousands of government workers, Sanders is bucking the wishes of those who want Democrats to focus on the price of eggs or 'roll over and play dead.' For now, at least, Sanders stands alone as the only elected progressive willing to mount a national campaign to harness the fear and anger of the sprawling anti-Trump movement. He drew a crowd of 4,000 in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Friday night. He faced another 2,600 or so the next morning a few hours away in Altoona, Wisconsin, a town of less than 10,000 residents. And his crowd of 9,000 in suburban Detroit exceeded his own team’s expectations. By design, each stop was in a swing U.S. House district represented by a Republican.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Canada. Matina Stevis-Gridneff of the New York Times: “Amid a generational crisis in Canada’s relationship with the United States, the Liberal Party of Canada on Sunday chose an unelected technocrat with deep experience in financial markets to replace Justin Trudeau as party leader and the country’s prime minister, and to take on ... [Donald] Trump. Mark Carney, 59, who steered the Bank of Canada through the 2008 global financial crisis and the Bank of England through Brexit, but who has never been elected to office, won a leadership race on Sunday against his friend and former finance minister, Chrystia Freeland. He won a stunning 85.9 percent of the votes cast by Liberal Party members. More than 150,000 people voted, according to the party’s leaders. 'America is not Canada. And Canada never, ever, will be part of America in any way, shape or form,' Mr. Carney said in his acceptance speech on Sunday evening to an electric crowd of party faithful, directly addressing Mr. Trump’s constant threat that he wants to make Canada the 51st state. 'We didn’t ask for this fight, but Canadians are always ready when someone else drops the gloves.’... Because Mr. Carney does not hold a seat in Parliament, he is expected to call federal elections soon after being sworn in as prime minister.” (Also linked yesterday.) The Guardian's story is here.

Israel's Wars. Melanie Lidman & Samy Magdy of the AP: “Israel cut off the electricity supply to Gaza, officials said Sunday, affecting a desalination plant producing drinking water for part of the arid territory. Hamas called it part of Israel’s 'starvation policy.' Israel last week suspended supplies of goods to the territory of more than 2 million Palestinians, an echo of the siege it imposed in the earliest days of the war. Israel is pressing the militant group to accept an extension of the first phase of their ceasefire. That phase ended last weekend. Israel wants Hamas to release half of the remaining hostages in return for a promise to negotiate a lasting truce. Hamas instead wants to start negotiations on the ceasefire’s more difficult second phase, which would see the release of remaining hostages from Gaza, the withdrawal of Israeli forces and a lasting peace. Hamas is believed to have 24 living hostages and the bodies of 35 others.”

South Africa. Bruce Weber of the New York Times: “Athol Fugard, the South African playwright whose portrayals of intimate relationships burdened by oppressive racial separatism exposed the cruel psychological torment of apartheid to an international audience, died on Saturday night at his home in Stellenbosch, a town near Cape Town. He was 92.”

South Korea. Choe Sang-Hun & Pablo Robles of the New York Times on “how South Korea's president [Yoon Suk Yeol] planned a military takeover, then blew it.... Those involved [in the plot] hatched bold plans, often over meals at a safe house inside a heavily guarded government compound and at a burger chain outlet, to incapacitate the National Assembly and arrest Mr. Yoon’s critics, according to some of the people involved in the discussions and prosecutors. They would cut off electricity and water to unfriendly newspapers and TV stations, seize a YouTube channel highly critical of Mr. Yoon and raid the National Election Commission (which right-wing conspiracy theorists claimed had manipulated parliamentary election results against Mr. Yoon’s party). Few saw it coming, and Mr. Yoon and his allies came close to achieving the unthinkable. Soldiers swiftly took over the election commission, while elite troops and police officers laid siege to the Assembly. But when they met a wall of ordinary South Koreans who had raced there to block them, the soldiers relented. Rather than dragging people away or preparing for combat, they left their weapons unloaded. Some bowed in apology and even hugged angry citizens. Mr. Yoon’s plan collapsed....” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Something for Trump, Hegseth, Gabbard, et al., to study so they won't make the same mistakes. One thing they are doing right now is purging as many honorable top brass as they can. The trick might be to quietly assemble enough "loyal" rank-and-file troops to carry out a coup.

U.K. Anna Mikhailova of the Daily Mail: "Britain must develop a 'Four Eyes' intelligence sharing alliance in response to Donald Trump's actions over Ukraine, defence sources have said. The US President's 'unprecedented' decision to block allies, including the UK, from giving Ukraine US-generated classified material that could benefit the eastern European country has sparked calls for a breakaway group. Mr Trump used his powers as part of the 'Five Eyes' alliance of the US, Britain, Australia, Canada and New Zealand to suspend intelligence to Kyiv.... Former British ambassador to Washington Sir David Manning ... told MPs last week: 'Clearly, if you have some Trump supporters in these key jobs who have very strange track records and have said very strange things about Nato allies and the Nato alliance and you have people in the administration who seem to be looking for ways of appeasing Russia, then you have a problem on the intelligence front. That is a big question mark against how the special relationship is sustained during the Trump administration.'” MB: Remember, it's the Daily Mail.