The Conversation -- February 22, 2025

We don't have kings in America -- and I don't intend to bend the knee to one. I am not speaking up in service to my ambitions -- but in deference to my obligations. If you think I'm overreacting and sounding the alarm too soon, consider this: It took the Nazis one month, three weeks, two days, eight hours and 40 minutes to dismantle a constitutional republic. All I'm saying is when the five-alarm fire starts to burn, every good person better be ready to man a post with a bucket of water if you want to stop it from raging out of control. -- Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, State of the State Address, February 19

Friday Night Massacre. Eric Schmitt, et al., of the New York Times: "President Trump fired the country's senior military officer as part of an extraordinary Friday night purge at the Pentagon that injected politics into the selection of the nation's top military leaders. Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., a four-star fighter pilot known as C.Q. who became only the second African American to hold the chairman's job, is to be replaced by a little-known retired three-star Air Force general, Dan Caine, who endeared himself to the president when they met in Iraq six years ago. In all, six Pentagon officials were fired, including Adm. Lisa Franchetti, the first woman to lead the Navy; Gen. James Slife, the vice chief of the Air Force; and the top lawyers for the Army, Navy and Air Force. The decision to fire General Brown, which Mr. Trump announced in a message on Truth Social, reflects the president's insistence that the military's leadership is too mired in diversity issues, has lost sight of its role as a combat force to defend the country and is out of step with his 'America First' movement.

"Joint Chiefs chairmen traditionally remain in place as administrations change, regardless of the president's political party.... By statute, anyone picked to be the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is supposed to have served as a combatant commander, as the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff or as the top uniformed officer of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps or Space Force." Gen. Caine does not meet that requirement. MB: But he's endearing! Also, White. And male. The AP story is here. ~~~

~~~ Helene Cooper & Eric Schmitt of the New York Times: "In ... [Donald] Trump's telling, Dan Caine, the retired Air Force lieutenant general whom he wants to be his next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, made an impression on him when the two men first met in 2018. The general told the president that the Islamic State was not so tough and could be defeated in a week, not two years as senior advisers predicted, Mr. Trump recounted in 2019. And at a Conservative Political Action Conference meeting last year, Mr. Trump said that General Caine put on a Make America Great Again hat while meeting with him in Iraq. (General Caine has told aides he has never put on a MAGA hat.)... Mr. Trump's recounting of the time he met General Caine has changed over time." ~~~

~~~ Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) in a Washington Post op-ed: "The implications for our national security cannot be overstated. A clear message is being sent to military leaders: Failure to demonstrate personal and political loyalty to Trump could result in retribution, even after decades of honorable service. In particular, firing the military's most senior legal advisers is an unprecedented and explicit move to install officers who will yield to the president's interpretation of the law, with the expectation they will be little more than yes men on the most consequential questions of military law.... Trump is entitled to a staff of civilians who are politically loyal to him. For the safety of all Americans, however, his military officers must remain free to give their best military advice without fear of reprisal." ~~~

~~~ Dan Lamothe of the Washington Post: "The Pentagon said Friday that it will fire about 5,400 civilian employees beginning next week in an 'initial' purge of its workforce, as ... Donald Trump's hastily issued orders to shake up the Defense Department faced new scrutiny and officials scrambled to understand whether such actions could imperil national security. The announcement followed a day of uncertainty, as administration officials paused a plan to begin firings now while evaluating requests to retain thousands of other employees deemed essential. A senior Pentagon official, Darin Selnick, said in a statement late Friday that the Trump administration intends to cull its workforce by between 5 and 8 percent. With more than 900,000 civilian employees in the Defense Department, tens of thousands of people could be forced out eventually....

"Coinciding with the civilian-worker purge, U.S. defense officials, acting on orders from Hegseth, have undertaken a sprawling effort to compile options for slashing about 8 percent from each armed service's budget for each of the next five years.... After news of Hegseth's directive alarmed lawmakers and defense officials, the former Fox News personality sought to blame the news media for causing confusion about the administration's efforts and portrayed his plan as a 'reorienting' of the Pentagon budget away from 'woke, Biden-era nonlethal programs' to 'instead spend that money on President Trump's America First, peace-through-strength priorities for our national budget.'" Politico's story is here. ~~~

Marie: Thanks, Pete, for reminding us of the Tyranny of the Woke. But consider a different point-of-view about those "woke" DEI programs: This totally incompetent, stupid and confused White guy who is president* hired this totally incompetent, unqualified, drunken White guy (that would be you, Pete). Right away you nitwit White guys fired the Black chairman of the joint chiefs and the female Navy chief, both of whom had decades of pertinent, on-the-job experience. As Calvin recently explained to Hobbes, "DEI initiatives were not put in place to ensure lower-qualified minorities could get hired instead of more highly-qualified white people. It was put in place to ensure lower-qualified white people were not hired instead of more highly-qualified minorities." What a shame American voters didn't figure that out before they put you and Commander Trumplegeezer in charge.

'We Are the Federal Law" = "L'etat C'est Moi." Shawn McCreesh of the New York Times: "... Friday afternoon..., somebody defied ... [Donald] Trump. Right to his face. He was about an hour into a [White House] meeting with a bipartisan group of governor when he suddenly remembered that the leaders of Maine had been resisting an executive order he signed banning transgender athletes from women's sports. 'Is Maine here?' he wondered aloud. 'The governor of Maine?' 'Yeah,' Gov. Janet Mills [D] answered.... 'I'm here.' Referring to the executive order, Mr. Trump asked, 'Are you not going to comply with that?' 'I'm complying with the state and federal laws,' she said, rather pointedly. Mr. Trump replied that 'we are the federal law' and said that 'you better do it' or else he would withhold funding from her state. [He repeated the threat.] 'See you in court,' she shot back. 'Good,' he said, sounding surly. 'I'll see you in court. I look forward to that. That should be a real easy one.' He paused and then added, 'and enjoy your life after governor, because I don't think you'll be in elected politics.'... Shortly after Ms. Mills's exchange with the president, the U.S. Department of Education sent a letter to the state's education commissioner, Pender Makin, notifying her that it was initiating a 'directed investigation' of Maine's Education Department." ~~~

     ~~~ The Huffington Post's story, which is here, reminds readers that Mills is term-limited and cannot run for governor again, though she might run for other elective office. ~~~

~~~ Jonathan Chait of the Atlantic: "... Donald Trump refuses, or is simply unable, to grasp any distinction between the law and his own whims.... What is important about this exchange [between Trump & Gov. Mills] is not whose interpretation of Title IX ... has a better chance to win five votes on the Supreme Court. It is that Trump is treating the law as coterminous with his own desires.... [And] Trump cannot simply cut Maine off financially because the state chooses to challenge a federal policy. Distinctions like this, however, seem totally lost on the president, who sees himself as national king -- note his use of the royal we -- and every other American, including each of the 50 states, as one of his quavering subjects. Trump has grown ever more brazen about his belief that his activities are by definition legal, and activities he opposes by definition criminal.... He has progressed from demonstrating his disregard for the law to stating it as a doctrine." Thank you to laura h. for this gift link.

Never Mind? Michael Shear of the New York Times: Donald "Trump on Friday appeared to back off his demand that some two million Palestinians be permanently relocated from the Gaza Strip to nearby countries in the Middle East so the United States could take over the territory and develop it into 'the Riviera of the Middle East.'... He repeatedly waved aside objections to the idea, including flat-out rejections from the leaders of Egypt and Jordan.... But in a telephone interview with a Fox News host [Brian Kilmeade] on Friday, Mr. Trump seemed to concede that ... the refusal by Egypt and Jordan to accept displaced Gazans would make the idea unworkable.... 'I'll tell you, the way to do it is my plan.... But I'm not forcing it. I'm just going to sit back and recommend it.' The comments were a striking reversal for one of the most brazen foreign policy proposals ever made by a sitting president."

Benjamin Mueller of the New York Times: "The Trump administration has blocked key parts of the federal government's apparatus for funding biomedical research, effectively halting progress on much of the country's future work on illnesses like cancer and addiction despite a federal judge's order to release grant money. The blockage, outlined in internal government memos, stems from an order forbidding health officials from giving public notice of upcoming grant review meetings. Those notices are an obscure but necessary cog in the grant-making machinery that delivers some $47 billion annually to research on Alzheimer's, heart disease and other ailments. The procedural holdup, which emails from N.I.H. officials described as indefinite, has had far-reaching consequences. Scores of grant review panels were canceled this week, creating a gap in funding from the National Institutes of Health. Together with other lapses and proposed changes in N.I.H. funding early in the Trump administration, the delays have deepened what scientists are calling a crisis in American biomedical research.... The breakdown in the grant review process seemed to reflect a broader Trump administration strategy of exploiting loopholes to effectively keep much of the president's blanket spending freezes in place, despite judicial orders to keep taxpayer dollars flowing." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: If I understand this correctly (and I may not!), this is the kind of stunt a smart-aleck kid would play to get around some parental control. Here, (1) Trump orders the NIH & other agencies to halt research grants. (2) A federal judge tells Trump he can't do that & orders Trump to continue making research grants. (3) So Trump says, okay, go ahead with the grants. (4) But Trump orders NIH to stop announcing grant review meetings, which are a prerequisite to releasing the grants. (5) Thus, Trump achieves his initial goal: to halt all research grants.

Adam Liptak of the New York Times: "The Supreme Court, in its first decision on ... [Donald] Trump's use of executive power in his second term, ruled on Friday that he cannot, for now, remove a government lawyer who leads the watchdog agency that protects whistle-blowers. But the court's brief, unsigned order indicated that it may soon return to the issue, noting that a trial judge's temporary restraining order shielding the lawyer, Hampton Dellinger, is set to expire next week. Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson said that they would have rejected the Trump administration's request for Supreme Court intervention outright. Justice Neil M. Gorsuch, joined by Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., filed a dissent. The majority, Justice Gorsuch wrote, presumably acted as it did because temporary restraining orders like the one in place in the case generally cannot be appealed.... Justice Gorsuch wrote that there were powerful reasons to 'look behind the label' and treat the temporary restraining order in Mr. Dellinger's case as a preliminary injunction, which can be appealed." NPR's report is here.

Julian Mark of the Washington Post: "A federal judge in Maryland temporarily blocked key portions of ... Donald Trump's executive orders targeting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the federal government and corporate America. U.S. District Judge Adam B. Abelson granted a preliminary injunction on Friday that bars portions of Trump's orders to cancel federal contract with DEI components and require government contractors to certify that they do not engage in DEI practices that violate antidiscrimination laws. The order also prohibits enforcement against publicly traded companies and large universities with comparable policies. In reference to enforcement against companies and universities, Abelson noted that the plaintiffs were 'likely' to succeed on their claim that such actions would violate constitutionally protected free speech." Politico's story is here. The AP report is here.

Katie Robertson of the New York Times: "The Associated Press sued top White House officials on Friday, accusing them of violating the First and Fifth Amendments by denying A.P. reporters access to press events in retaliation for references to the Gulf of Mexico in its articles. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. It named as defendants Taylor Budowich, the White House deputy chief of staff; Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary; and Susie Wiles, the White House chief of staff. In the complaint. The A.P. said that the White House had ordered it to use certain words in its reporting and that it was suing 'to vindicate its rights to the editorial independence guaranteed by the United States Constitution and to prevent the executive branch from coercing journalists to report the news using only government-approved language.'... According to the lawsuit, Ms. Leavitt informed The A.P.'s chief White House correspondent, Zeke Miller, on Feb. 11 that at Mr. Trump's direction, The A.P. would be barred from certain areas of the White House as a member of the press pool unless the organization used the Gulf of America term." Both Budowich & Wiles informed the AP, in so many words, its reporters would be blackballed until the AP went with Trump's new name for the Gulf of Mexico. ~~~

     ~~~ The AP's story is here. It includes a facsimile of the complaint to the court. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: As usual, Trump is either lying about the AP ban, or he so out of it he genuinely has no idea what he ordered a few days ago. On Tuesday, Feb. 18, the AP reported that Trump verified the ban that day: "'We're going to keep them [the AP] out until such time as they agree that it's the Gulf of America,' Trump said, speaking to reporters who witnessed the signing of an executive order at Mar-a-Lago.... 'We're very proud of this country, and we want it to be the Gulf of America.'" Here's video of Trump's remarks (this is a ridiculously long link, but I'm not sure where I can cut it off). BUT THEN. Brian Kilmeade asked Trump in an interview Friday about the AP ban: "Do you worry about the precedent of banning something like the Associated Press, even though you might have legitimate concerns about their reporting: Trump seemed to know nothing about it: "I don't care if they come or not. It doesn't matter to me. The fake news. They're all fake. Or most of them. So if they don't come in, that doesn't matter to me," he said. (See this video, at 13:20 for the text of the exchange between Trump & Kilmeade.)

Aatish Bhatia, et al., of the New York Times: "Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency say they have saved the federal government $55 billion through staff reductions, lease cancellations and a long list of terminated contracts published online this week as a 'wall of receipts.'... [Donald] Trump has been celebrating the published savings, even musing about a proposal to mail checks to all Americans to reimburse them with a 'DOGE dividend.' But the math that could back up those checks is marred with accounting errors, incorrect assumptions, outdated data and other mistakes, according to a New York Times analysis of all the contracts listed. While the DOGE team has surely cut some number of billions of dollars, its slapdash accounting adds to a pattern of recklessness by the group, which has recently gained access to sensitive government payment systems. Some contracts the group claims credit for were double- or triple-counted. Another initially contained an error that inflated the totals by billions of dollars. In at least one instance, the group claimed an entire contract had been canceled when only part of the work had been halted. In others, contracts the group said it had closed were actually ended under the Biden administration." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I, among many others, have repeatedly criticized New York Times reporters, analysts & editors for failing to call a liar a liar. Ever. Even when the headline and lede should have been "Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire." But the article above, its underlying data compiled and explained by the paper's serious bean counters and reporters, is a scathing indictment of Fool No. 1, Fool No. 2 and All the Little Fools who are merrily destroying the federal government. Maybe the reporters who are askeert to lose their inside lines to Trump tattlers won't write frank reports, but the numbers Bhatia and his colleagues have collated don't lie, and these reporters are not afraid to tell it like it is. ~~~

~~~ Marcy Wheeler weighs in on the question of the moment: incompetence or design? Or, as she put it, is it "simply a reflection of the ignorance of the DOGE boys Musk has infiltrated into government, the shoddiness of the AI tools they're using, or simply a disinterest in giving a fuck, because once Elon claims this website says something, the right wing will follow along like sheep."? After checking out some of the reporting, she concludes, "It's not that the DOGE boys are not accountants, though they are not. It's that their function is something other than the EO [executive order] authorizing their work says it is, and the DOGE receipts page exists solely to sustain the fraud that they're still pursuing waste, fraud, and abuse." Thanks to RAS for the link. This is a damning report.

It's Worse Than You Know. Andrew Egger of the Bulwark: "Media reports have treated the firings [at the National Nuclear Security Administration] as a deeply unwise DOGE hatchet job that was, thankfully, quickly reversed.... [But] the episode represents the clearest illustration to date of the potential real-world repercussions of Elon Musk's slash-and-burn project.... One of the officials who was locked out of his work accounts was Acting Chief of Defense Nuclear Safety James Todd, a senior executive official and the top authority for all nuclear-safety matters in the agency.... At the agency's Los Alamos field office alone, there was the site's emergency preparedness manager, who is responsible for maintaining plans to minimize the effects of a nuclear accident on site and in surrounding areas. There was the radiation protection manager, responsible for minimizing radiation exposure to on-site workers. There was the security manager, the fire protection engineer, and two facility representatives, who are the office's day-to-day eyes and ears on site manufacturing facilities.... Some senior staff have already taken Musk's resignation offer; others are now contemplating moving up their retirements. Thanks to the hiring freeze, when they go, they can't be replaced, and they're taking a lifetime of intensely specialized knowledge out the door." Thanks to laura h. for the link. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: A disastrous outcome would have been predicted by anyone with a little work experience and the teeniest bit of common sense. But Musk and Trump are so high on their own supply that it doesn't occur to them that the expertise of anyone other than they themselves has value. It doesn't occur to the kids who are doing the firing, because (a) they're too inexperienced to know better, (b) they're too careless, and (c) "first, do no harm" is definitely not in their remit.

Marianne LeVine & Nick Miroff of the Washington Post: "The Trump administration has removed the top official at Immigration and Customs Enforcement one month into his tenure, as White House officials have become increasingly frustrated that the agency isn't arresting immigrants fast enough to satisfy the president's deportation goals. Caleb Vitello, a veteran ICE official who was installed as acting director when ... Donald Trump took office, will be reassigned to a senior role overseeing daily enforcement operations, according to Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin. She did not say who would replace him." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: For several reasons, some explained in the report, the number of arrests isn't going to increase much. Scapegoating Caleb and whoever gets the ax next and next and next won't increase the number of supposedly hardened immigrant criminals ICE can locate. Eventually, Trump may have to switch to other acts of cruelty to satisfy his malicious proclivities.

Of Course They Did. Doha Madani & Daniella Silva of NBC News (Feb. 20): "The Trump administration on Thursday canceled an extension of Temporary Protected Status for Haitians, the latest move by the president targeting the form of immigration relief for people coming from countries facing political upheaval and natural disasters. In June, amid the island's violent domestic turmoil, the Biden administration announced the temporary immigration protection was extended for Haitians until February 2026. The Department of Homeland Security announced Thursday that it was vacating the extension and the protections would end on Aug. 3. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem described the decision by the former administration as an attempt to 'tie the hands' of ... Donald Trump. 'President Trump and I are returning TPS to its original status: temporary,' Noem said in the statement."

Ha Ha. Nadra Nittle of the 19th News: As part of its effort to comply with Donald Trump's order to root out books seeming to promote diversity, equality and inclusion, the Department of Defense's Education Activity division has placed on compliance review the book Hillbilly Elegy, the memoir that made famous our favorite hillbilly and current vice president JayDee. "The pending review appears to be a case of 'soft censorship, which occurs when officials temporarily pull books for evaluation, require parental permission for students to read, relocate materials to certain parts of libraries or impose other restrictions short of a ban." MB: For our next lesson, we're going to study "Irony in American Literature." Thanks to RAS for the link.

Kash Is on the Job! Jeremy Roebuck, et al., of the Washington Post: "FBI managers were told Friday that up to 1,500 staff and agents would be transferred out of the bureau's Washington headquarters to satellite offices across the country.... The information came hours before Kash Patel, the bureau's newly confirmed director, took his oath of office. In a message Patel sent to all of the FBI's more than 30,000 employees Friday morning, he hinted that such staffing changes could be coming.... The more specific plan to relocate hundreds of staff and agents was outlined to top managers in a separate meeting after Patel's message went out.... Patel, before his nomination, had vowed to shutter the building and turn it into a /museum to the Deep State.' He made similar recommendations at his confirmation hearing and in appearances on conservative TV news shows.... Patel accused news reporters covering [his swearing-in] ceremony of having written 'fake, malicious, slanderous and defamatory' stories about him during his confirmation." ~~~

     ~~~ An AP story is here. According to the AP story, Trump said of Patel Friday, "agents love this guy." Marie: But I wonder. I saw on the teevee that Patel -- in a manner consistent with his bizarre conspiracy theories, I guess -- ordered staff to hide all his movements in the FBI building and to cordon off his office. I don't think you do that if you figure everybody loves you.

Benjamin Weiser of the New York Times: "A federal judge on Friday delayed a ruling on the Justice Department's request to drop the corruption case against Mayor Eric Adams of New York City, instead appointing an outside lawyer to present independent arguments on the motion, which was otherwise unopposed. The lawyer, Paul D. Clement, is a political conservative who was the U.S. solicitor general during President George W. Bush's administration. The judge, Dale E. Ho of Federal District Court in Manhattan, also called for additional briefs from the parties and said he would hold an oral argument on March 14 if he felt it was necessary. Judge Ho noted in his order on Friday that, with a top Justice Department official and the mayor's lawyers agreeing the case should end, he needed to hear other arguments."

What we have is a U.S. attorney in D.C. who is undermining the prosecutorial independence of the Justice Department. -- Richard Painter, chief White House ethics lawyer in the George W. Bush administration

Just because you have no case, that doesn't mean you can't make someone's life miserable by opening a grand jury investigation if you're willing to act in bad faith. -- Randall Eliason, a former D.C. federal prosecutor ~~~

~~~ Spencer Hsu of the Washington Post: "In the two years before he became D.C.'s top federal prosecutor, interim U.S. attorney Ed Martin publicly discussed investigating high-profile Justice Department officials who played a role in bringing charges against ... Donald Trump and his allies.... The conversations on Martin's ... podcast and related radio show often revolved around Trump's desire for 'retribution' against current or former department prosecutors. After one month in office, Martin appears to be following through, taking actions that have alarmed lawyers inside and outside his office who say he's leveraging the power of the Justice Department against political opponents and intimidating career prosecutors seen as insufficiently loyal to Trump. He fired prosecutors who investigated Trump as a part of special counsel Jack Smith's team and those who worked on the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot cases. He ordered the head of the criminal division in his office to freeze the assets of a $20 billion Biden climate change program without sufficient evidence of a crime, she claimed in her resignation letter. And he's attempting to probe two Democratic lawmakers over critical remarks they directed at conservative Supreme Court justices and billionaire Trump adviser Elon Musk." ~~~

~~~ It seems that Democrats and others who don't kowtow to Trump must abide harassment from Trump, Trump officials and Trump's violent fans, but Republicans cower and fall into line under the threats of "retribution" or worse. ~~~

~~~ David Badash of AlterNet speculates that Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) was the deciding vote to confirm Pete Hegseth as Defense Secretary because Tillis was afraid that if he voted against Hegseth, as he was inclined to do, someone who had made some of the "credible death threats" against him would try to kill him. Badash goes on to offer some evidence of the way fear of actual harm appears to influence Republican decisions. MB: Badash does not mention Trump's second impeachment when Mitt Romney heard from a congressman & from senators that they were afraid to impeach or convict Trump out of fear for their personal safety, what with the January 6 marauders still out and about. Thanks to RAS for the link.

It turns out far-right extremists are very sensitive. ~~~

~~~ Justine McDaniel & Patrick Marley of the Washington Post: "Stephen K. Bannon ... made a gesture with his right arm that resembled a Nazi salute while speaking before the Conservative Political Action Conference on Thursday night, prompting a far-right French leader to pull out of a scheduled appearance at the conference Friday in protest. Jordan Bardella, a leader of France's far-right National Rally party, canceled a speech he was set to give at CPAC, citing the gesture as the reason in a statement, Politico reported. In his statement, Bardella said a CPAC speaker had 'allowed himself, as a provocation, to make a gesture referring to Nazi ideology.' He continued, 'Therefore, I have taken the immediate decision to cancel my scheduled speaking engagement at the event this afternoon.'... Bannon told The Post that the gesture was a 'wave' and said no when asked by reporters at CPAC whether it was a Nazi salute.... 'Of course it's a Nazi salute,' [Deborah Dwork of CCNY's center for Holocaust studies] said. 'That's the message that Trump's circle has been sending for some time.'" ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Musk, Bannon, et al., absolutely love trolling the media and others with their Nazi salutes.

Hannah Knowles of the Washington Post: "Town halls this week for congressional Republicans from Georgia to Wisconsin to Oregon grew testy as voters showed up to vent, outraged at the firing of workers and the Department of Government Efficiency's access to sensitive data. Protesters showed up around the country at lawmakers' offices. The backlash extends far beyond federal workers in the Beltway, reaching purple districts that will decide control of Congress in 2026 and swing states like Georgia that helped return Trump to the White House.... Activist groups helped organize demonstrations outside dealerships for Musk's electric car company, Tesla.... New Washington Post-Ipsos polling suggests some of Trump and Musk's moves are unpopular beyond the Democratic base." Here's an NBC News story.

Owen Hayes, et al., of NBC News: "Enrique Tarrio, the former Proud Boys leader granted clemency by ... Donald Trump last month, was arrested outside the U.S. Capitol on Friday and charged with assaulting a female protester. Tarrio was handcuffed, searched and put in a police van by U.S. Capitol Police after he appeared on Capitol Hill with several other members of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers for a 'press conference.' The police said he was charged with assault. Capitol Police said in a statement that the incident happened around 2:30 p.m. ET when 'our officers witnessed a woman (a counter protester) put a cell phone close to a man's face' while they were both walking. 'Then the officers witnessed the man strike the woman's phone and arm,' the statement said." MB: I think this case goes to Ed Martin, Trump's man at the D.C. U.S. attorney's office, so I expect charges to be dropped right soon.

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California. Jesus Jimenez, et al., of the New York Times: "Mayor Karen Bass of Los Angeles abruptly removed the city's fire chief on Friday, seeking to end the increasing acrimony between the two officials in the weeks since a wildfire devastated the city's Pacific Palisades neighborhood. Ms. Bass said in a statement that she had removed Kristin Crowley, the chief of the Los Angeles Fire Department, effective immediately. The announcement came after Ms. Bass said publicly that she herself made a mistake in leaving the country and traveling to Ghana days before the fires broke out. For weeks, she has privately told friends that she never would have left had she been fully briefed on the scope of the threat. The mayor pinned the blame for that lack of warning on Ms. Crowley, an assertion the chief has disputed. In the hours before Ms. Bass left on her trip, the chief pointed out, there had been numerous warnings from weather forecasters about dangerously high winds and dry weather conditions. The announcement capped weeks of tension. Veteran fire officials in the region had claimed that the response helmed by Chief Crowley was significantly less aggressive and experienced than the department had mounted in past situations of high fire risk. Chief Crowley maintained that the department had been underfunded, which the mayor and city budget officials denied."

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Israel, et al. Loveday Morris & Victoria Bisset of the Washington Post: "Two of the six Israeli hostages expected to be released on Saturday in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and detainees were handed over to the Red Cross in Gaza, in what is expected to be the largest swap under a ceasefire agreement that began last month.... Around 600 Palestinian prisoners are expected to be released in return." ~~~

     ~~~ The story has been updated. New Lede: "Five Israeli hostages were released in Gaza on Saturday, with one further hostage expected to be freed in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in what is set to be the largest swap under a ceasefire agreement that began last month."

Marie: This infuriates me. ~~~

~~~ Ukraine, et al. Michael Birnbaum of the Washington Post: "The Trump administration and the Ukrainian government were nearing a deal Friday to hand Ukrainian mineral resources over to the United States in exchange for continued security assistance, a person familiar with the negotiations said, potentially easing ... Donald Trump's days of attacks against the embattled country and its leadership. Both Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Friday that they were making progress in their discussions after the Ukrainian leader last week initially declined a demand from the Trump administration that he hand over half of Ukraine's mineral resources to the United States. The request shocked the Ukrainians, officials said, because the potential value of the resources far exceeded that of U.S. assistance. The progress being made toward a deal underscored the way in which Trump has quickly reshaped Washington's role in the world by shifting U.S. power toward winning deals from other nations rather than acting to uphold alliances or pushing back on efforts to redraw boundaries by force." ~~~

     ~~~ Oh, never mind. It's worse than I thought. ~~~

     ~~~⭐It's Not Negotiating. It's Not Even Bullying. It's Straight-up Extortion. Daniel Hampton of the Raw Story: "American negotiators reportedly threatened to revoke Ukraine's access to Elon Musk's vital Starlink satellite internet network if they refuse to give the U.S. access to critical minerals. Three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Friday that Ukraine's access to the network of satellites was raised during talks between officials between the two nations after Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy rejected a proposal from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Starlink access was raised again Thursday, according to the report, and Ukraine was threatened that's its access could be imminently shut off. 'Ukraine runs on Starlink. They consider it their North Star,' a source told Reuters. 'Losing Starlink ... would be a massive blow.'"

News Lede

New York Times: "Pope Francis was in critical condition on Saturday night after having a long 'asthmatic respiratory crisis' earlier in the day that required 'high flows of oxygen' as well as a blood transfusion, the Vatican said, adding to concerns about the health of the 88-year-old pontiff."

The Conversation -- February 21, 2025

If you live in a blue state, you'll never get a letter again. ~~~

~~~ The Royal Mail. Jacob Bogage of the Washington Post: "... Donald Trump is preparing to dissolve the leadership of the U.S. Postal Service and absorb the independent mail agency into his administration, potentially throwing the 250-year-old mail provider and trillions of dollars of e-commerce transactions into turmoil. Trump is expected to issue an executive order as soon as this week to fire the members of the Postal Service's governing board and place the agency under the control of the Commerce Department and Secretary Howard Lutnick, according to six people familiar with the plans, who spoke on the condition of anonymity out of fear of reprisals. The board is planning to fight Trump's order, three of those people told The Washington Post. In an emergency meeting Thursday, the board retained outside counsel and gave instructions to sue the White House if the president were to remove members of the board or attempt to alter the agency's independent status.... Trump's order to place the Commerce Department in charge of the Postal Service would probably violate federal law, according to postal experts.... After this story was published, a White House spokesperson said no such executive order was planned." Thanks to Ken W. for the link. ~~~

~~~ According to the WashPo report linked above, "Americans consistently rank the Postal Service among their most-beloved government agencies, second only to the National Park Service." So let's see how things are going at the Trump/Musk Park Service: ~~~

~~~ Maxine Joselow & Andrea Sachs of the Washington Post (Feb. 19): "... Donald Trump's purge of federal employees is not only upending the lives of National Park Service workers, but also threatening to harm the visitor experience at national parks across the country. The problems are expected to escalate during the summer season, when more than 100 million Americans and international tourists typically visit the 63 national parks in the United States.... As part of a directive to fire most trial and probationary staff across the federal government, the Park Service on Friday terminated roughly 1,000 probationary employees...." Fer instance, Musk/Trump fired Yosemite's only locksmith three weeks before his probationary period was up. 'Yosemite, which is roughly the size of Rhode Island, has hundreds of locked buildings and gates. Sometimes visitors get locked inside vault toilets or restrooms." As the Brits say, so yeah. ~~~

~~~ The Petty Petit King. Heather Knight of the New York Times: This week Donald Trump "ordered the federal government to 'eliminate to the maximum extent' the functions of the Presidio Trust, one of [former Speaker Nancy] Pelosi's proudest San Francisco accomplishments as a Democratic stalwart in Congress. The trust oversees the Presidio, a former military outpost in the city's northwest corner that is known for its lush grounds, scenic hiking trails and eclectic collection of businesses in repurposed army buildings, all with stunning views of the Golden Gate Bridge. Residents consider it a city treasure, and tourists flock there for the bayside beaches and parks.... The president issued an executive order late Wednesday titled 'Commencing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy' that listed four 'unnecessary' entities, with the Presidio Trust at the top of the list. The groups have two weeks to show that they are using no federal money other than the funds required by statute to be spent."

Off with Their Heads. Charlie Savage of the New York Times: "The Trump administration told Congress on Thursday that it believed ... [Donald] Trump had the constitutional power to summarily fire administrative law judges at will, despite a statute that protects such officials from being removed without a cause like misconduct. The move was the latest step in the administration's unfolding assault on the basic structure of the federal government and on Congress' power to insulate various types of executive branch officials in sensitive positions from political interference from the White House. The Trump administration disclosed its approach in a letter from Sarah M. Harris, the acting solicitor general.... Ms. Harris's letter to Congress also brought to wider attention that the Justice Department had said it would no longer defend the constitutionality of the law protecting administrative law judges in a little-noticed Feb. 11 filing in an appeals court case."

Apparently one type of climate-change denial is to deny and ignore the effects of climate change, even when they slap you upside the head AND rip your guts out: ~~~

     ~~~ Christopher Flavelle of the New York Times: "The Trump administration plans to all but eliminate the office that oversees America's recovery from the largest disasters, raising questions about how the United States will rebuild from hurricanes, wildfires and other calamities made worse by climate change. The Office of Community Planning and Development, part of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, pays to rebuild homes and other recovery efforts after the country's worst disasters.... The administration plans to cut the staff in that office by 84 percent, according to a document obtained by The New York Times. The number of workers would be cut to 150, from 936 when Mr. Trump took office last month." (Also linked yesterday.)

Jessica Glenza of the Guardian: "Academics and scientists who work with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) said the Trump administration's orders have severely disrupted work -- delaying projects and casting the future of research funding and jobs into doubt as chaos in the agency reigns. An array of orders seeks to fundamentally reshape the NIH, the world's largest public funder of biomedical and behavioral research, in the Trump administration's image. The agency's work is the wellspring of scientific advancement in the US, and helped make the country a dominant force in health and science.... ' and Elon Musk are taking a sledgehammer to the greatest biomedical infrastructure in the world to extend tax cuts,' [President of the American Association of University Professors Todd] Wolfson said. NIH-funded basic or applied research has also contributed to 386 of the 387 drugs the Food and Drug Administration approved between 2000 and 2019, and more than 100 Nobel prizes have been awarded to scientists based on NIH-funded work. NIH grants often fund basic research conducted at universities and colleges across the country, touching every state and nearly every congressional district."

Corbin Hiar of Politico: "The National Science Foundation went beyond the staff cuts demanded by the Trump administration in a move that set off a frenzied backlash at the science funding agency. NSF fired about 10 percent of its staff at the end of Tuesday, removing 168 people who included most of the agency's probationary employees and all of its experts, a class of contract workers who are specialists in niche scientific fields. The agency didn't have to fire its experts but decided to in the interest of fairness, a top NSF official told staffers in an emotionally charged hybrid meeting Tuesday morning at its Alexandria, Virginia, headquarters.... To avoid having the stain of a firing on their resumes, staffers were told they could resign. But then they would not be eligible for unemployment payments. The announcement prompted outrage, confusion and concern from people at the meeting, resulting in a string of scathing all-staff emails from impacted workers."

Salvador Rizzo of the Washington Post: "A federal judge on Thursday declined to issue a temporary restraining order pausing ... Donald Trump's moves to fire thousands of employees who are on probationary status or deemed nonessential, clearing a roadblock for the new administration as it attempts sweeping changes to downsize the federal government. U.S. District Judge Christopher R. Cooper, who was appointed by President Barack Obama, ruled against the National Treasury Employees Union and four other labor organizations that requested a temporary halt to the mass firings. More than half a million federal workers could lose their jobs through the Trump administration's firings and a separate program of deferred resignations, or buyouts, the unions said in legal filings.... Cooper ruled that the unions must file their legal challenge with the Federal Labor Relations Authority, a panel of presidential appointees that hears labor disputes. Any decision from that board may be challenged in federal appellate court, the judge said."

Trump Flouts Judges' Orders. Justin Jouvenal, et al., of the Washington Post: "Federal judges have blocked ... Donald Trump's attempts to freeze trillions in federal grants and loans, halt billions in foreign assistance and dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development. But in each case, the administration has said it still has legal authority to do at least some of those things, prompting judges and those challenging Trump's actions to accuse him of failing to comply. Legal experts said the administration's aggressive maneuvers have approached the red line of openly flouting court orders, as Trump and his top aides and advisers assert vast presidential powers. The most dramatic example came Wednesday. Plaintiffs ... seeking to block the Trump administration's 90-day pause on foreign aid asked a judge to hold the administration in civil contempt for violating his temporary restraining order blocking the freeze. A day earlier, attorneys for the government said agencies could keep a hold on much of the funds despite Judge Amir Ali's order, based on statutes and regulations that exist separately from Trump's executive directive. The government said Ali's order was 'silent' on those other powers and vowed to continue suspension of aid unless the judge clarified his ruling." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Update. Daniel Barnes & Nnamdi Egwuonwu of NBC News: "The Trump administration has not fully complied with a court order pausing the freezing of foreign assistance grants and contracts, a federal judge ruled Thursday. U.S. District Judge Amir Ali last week ordered the administration to allow the disbursement of U.S. foreign assistance after hearing claims from federal contractors challenging an executive order signed by President Donald Trump pausing nearly all foreign assistance.... '... to the extent Defendants have continued the blanket suspension, they are ordered to immediately cease it.' The judge stopped short of holding the administration in contempt." ~~~

~~~ Stephanie Nolen of the New York Times: "Funds for vital health programs around the world remain frozen and their work has not been able to resume, despite a federal judge's order that temporarily halted the Trump administration's dismantling of the government's main foreign aid agency.... A State Department spokesperson said on Tuesday that the office of Secretary of State Marco Rubio had issued more than 180 waivers permitting lifesaving activities to resume, and that more were being approved each day. The department did not reply to a request to provide a list of the 180 projects. But even programs with waivers are still frozen, according to people in more than 40 U.S.A.I.D.-funded groups, because the payments system that U.S.A.I.D. used to disburse funds to the organizations has not operated for weeks." (Also linked yesterday.)

Adriana Licon of the AP: "Billionaire Elon Musk appeared at a conservative gathering [CPAC (or as Akhilleus would have it, (Congress of Pricks, Assholes, and Convicts)] outside Washington waving a chainsaw in the air, showing openness to auditing the Federal Reserve and accusing Democrats of 'treason.'... Before his appearance, he met with Argentine President Javier Milei, who has been frequently praised by Musk and popularized the power tool while campaigning in 2023 and proposing slashing public spending. After Musk appeared onstage..., he said Milei had a gift for him. The Argentine leader then walked onstage with the red chainsaw and passed it to Musk. The chainsaw was engraved with Milei's slogan, 'Viva la libertad, carajo,' which is Spanish for 'Long live liberty, damn it.'" ~~~

     ~~~ Daniel Hampton of the Raw Story: "Donald Trump's ally Steve Bannon took the stage at the Conservative Political Action Conference ... [and] told attendees ... the future of MAGA is Donald J. Trump!... We want Trump in '28!...'" See also Trump's remarks about a third term; story linked below. ~~~

     ~~~ AND Then. Ross Lincoln of the Wrap, republished by Yahoo! News: "If once is a mistake and twice is a coincidence, then on Thursday Republicans got this much closer to a pattern when, at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), former Donald Trump adviser and convicted felon Steve Bannon made a gesture that is identical to a Nazi salute.... Of course the gesture was also identical to one made by billionaire Elon Musk, twice, at Donald Trump's inauguration." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Oh, here's something I forgot, but Akhilleus reminds us at the top of today's Comments: ~~~

     ~~~ Neil Vigdor of the New York Times: "... as the Conservative Political Action Conference got underway outside Washington on Thursday, the group's influential chairman, Matt Schlapp, was embroiled in another scandal involving allegations of sexual assault against him. The convention comes a week after new accusations emerged in an article by the journalist Yashar Ali that Mr. Schlapp, a confidant of Mr. Trump, had groped a man at a bar in Virginia a few days earlier during a gathering of conservatives. Several people have accused Mr. Schlapp of sexual assault in the past, allegations that he has denied and his allies have dismissed as an 'attempt at character assassination.' Mr. Schlapp has not been charged with any crimes related to the accusations. The details of the latest episode were also documented in a report by the Rappahannock County Sheriff's Office that was obtained by The New York Times. A previous accuser received a $480,000 settlement after dropping his lawsuit against Mr. Schlapp, 57, who opened Thursday's session with his usual conservative bombast." The Daily Beast story, republished by Yahoo! News, is here.

While Musk Cuts, DOGE Booms. Avi Asher-Schapiro, et al., of ProPublica: "While Elon Musk and his underlings demand budget cuts and layoffs across the federal government, funding for their agency -- the Department of Government Efficiency -- has soared to nearly $40 million.... Most of DOGE's money ... has come in the form of payments from other federal agencies made possible by a nearly century-old law called the Economy Act. To steer those funds to the new department, the Trump administration has treated DOGE as if it were a federal agency.... DOGE has also behaved as if it has agency-level authority. The use of the Economy Act would seem to subject DOGE to the same open-records laws that cover most federal agencies.... However, DOGE has refused to respond to Freedom of Information Act requests, saying it operates with executive privileges. Musk has also flip-flopped about whether DOGE's staff members are paid. Initially he said they were not, but earlier this week he said some of them were.... The top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., told ProPublica she didn't believe DOGE had the legal authority for the actions it's taken. She called it a 'made-up federal department' that's wasting taxpayer dollars." ~~~

~~~ Deputy Dogies. Nicole Sganga of CBS News: "Members of Elon Musk's private security detail have been deputized by the U.S. Marshals Service, granting them certain rights and protections of federal law enforcement agents, four sources familiar with the move confirmed to CBS News Thursday. The move comes after several people within Musk's orbit relayed a heightened concern about safety for the tech billionaire, including several death threats in recent weeks.... The U.S. Marshals Service routinely deputizes police.... However, the move to deputize private security officers, who are not sworn law enforcement officials, is considered unorthodox, raising eyebrows among officials familiar with the move."

The G7 -- in fact, the U.N. -- should condemn the U.S. for palling around with dictators. ~~~

~~~ Steven Erlanger, et al., of the New York Times: "The United States is opposing calling Russia the aggressor in the war with Ukraine in a Group of 7 statement being drafted to mark the third anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion, four senior officials from countries involved said on Thursday. The American objections to the statement come after ... [Donald] Trump earlier this week blamed Ukraine for starting the war, which in fact began with Russia's attack on Ukraine. One senior official from a Group of 7 country said that Canada had circulated the first draft of the statement to the other six member countries. That version, the official said, used language that retained the pro-Ukraine tone the group of allies adopted after the full-scale invasion of the country in February 2022. The U.S. side went through that first draft this week and removed all references that could be interpreted as being pro-Ukraine, the official said. The result, the official added, was a neutral draft statement that made no references to Russia as the aggressor in the conflict, nor to Ukraine as the victim of the invasion."

Hamed Aleaziz, et al., of the New York Times: "The Trump administration on Thursday transferred all of the Venezuelan migrants it had brought to the U.S. military base at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, suddenly emptying a detention operation that it had just as abruptly started this month. Two passenger planes operated by Global X, a charter aircraft company, flew to the naval base on Thursday morning and shuttled most of the migrants to an airfield in Honduras. They were to then be put aboard a Venezuelan plane for repatriation. Tricia McLaughlin, a spokeswoman for the Homeland Security Department, said 177 migrants had been transferred to Venezuelan custody, and one had been brought back to an immigration facility in the United States. In a declaration filed in court earlier on Thursday, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement official had said 178 Venezuelans were at the base. It was unclear whether the administration intended to send additional migrants to the base." ~~~

     ~~~ Morgan Lee & Regina Cano of the AP: "The government of President Nicolás Maduro said it had 'requested the repatriation of a group' of Venezuelans 'who were unjustly taken' to the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.... Thursday's court filing by U.S. Justice Department attorneys provides the most thorough official accounting to date about who is being held at the isolated Guantanamo Bay military complex and why -- noting that detainees as of Wednesday were Venezuelans with final orders of deportation. More immigrant transfer flights arrived at Guantanamo Bay on Thursday in planes departing from Texas and Louisiana, said Thomas Cartwright of Witness at the Border.... Relatives of the new Guantanamo detainees and advocacy groups have accused the U.S. government of holding immigrants without access to counsel or any means of vindicating their rights, amid unsubstantiated or disputed accusations of criminal ties.... Attorney Lee Gelernt of the ACLU -- among the plaintiffs challenging detention practices at Guantanamo -- said Thursday's deportations were conducted with a troubling lack of transparency."

     ~~~ Marie: It's "unclear" because these people do not know what they're doing.

Not Surprisingly, Trump Is Unpopular in Los Angeles. Timothy Karoff of SFGate: "On Thursday morning, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stopped by LA's Union Station to give a news conference on California's high-speed rail project. Duffy tore into the project, arguing that it was wasteful and unaccountable, and he announced an upcoming 'compliance review' for the $4 billion in federal funds dedicated to the rail system.... But the most striking part of the conference may have been the LA crowd's vocal protests. Beneath the sound of Duffy's voice, video of the conference sounds like a hostile sports match, with near-constant waves of boos and chants. 'Build the rail! Build the rail!' protesters chanted at one point; at another, 'We pay taxes, we want trains!'" ~~~

~~~ Okay, Trump Is Unpopular in Many Places. Rachel Maddow does polls. No new president's polls have ever been as low as Trump's are one month into his presidency*:

~~~ Marie: So why is the Trump/Musk presidency doing all this unpopular stuff? Maddow has two theories, one of which I've posited, the second of which I have not. First, Maddow says that doing whatever he wants, the laws be damned, is Trump's way of ending our constitutional democracy. That's it. He doesn't have to obey established law because Trump is the law. Second, Maddow says that the reason Trump is doing so much stuff that doesn't poll well is that public opinion doesn't matter. You don't have to please the public if you're not going to hold any more elections. Maddow's theory makes sense to me. Politics is a whole different game if you never have to answer to voters. The game is less politics and more Mafia dynamic: you know, destroy your political opponents by various means and strike fear in your ostensible allies. Sound familiar? ~~~

~~~ Now This. Justine McDaniel of the Washington Post: "... Donald Trump on Thursday again raised the prospect of serving for an unconstitutional third term, asking a crowd at a White House [Black History] event whether he should run again and receiving audience chants of 'Four more years!'... Trump basked in the attention, laughing and waving a hand at the audience.... The suggestion followed a stretch of days in which Trump referred to himself as a king and quoted a dictator in suggesting that he was immune from following laws -- all while his administration has continued pushing the bounds of presidential power. Trump's escalating rhetoric stoked further alarm among critics who say he is governing with an authoritarian playbook and fear he could attempt to seize power undemocratically, as he attempted to do after losing the 2020 election." The Hill's report is here.

Lena Sun & Fenit Nirappil of the Washington Post: "The Trump administration has directed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to indefinitely postpone a public meeting of its vaccine advisory panel, a key forum for the nation's discussion of information about vaccine safety and effectiveness. The decision came Thursday from officials at the Department of Health and Human Services, CDC's parent agency, led by anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. who has long criticized the panel and the CDC.... News about the postponed meeting drew swift reaction. More than 50 medical experts and organizations sent a letter to Kennedy, [Sen. Bill] Cassidy [R-La.] and the CDC's acting director, Susan Monarez, to preserve the panel's meeting and agenda. The meeting holds 'tremendous weight and relevance,' said the letter, which included signatories from the American Medical Association, the Infectious Diseases Society of America and the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease." During Kennedy's confirmation hearing, Cassidy said he had received assurances from Kennedy that he would not disrupt or replace the current vaccine approval systems." ~~~

     ~~~ Adam Cancryn, et al., of Politico: "HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is preparing to remove members of the outside committees that advise the federal government on vaccine approvals and other key public health decisions, according to two people familiar with the planning. Kennedy plans to replace members who he perceives to have conflicts of interest, as part of a widespread effort to minimize what he's criticized as undue industry influence over the nation's health agencies, said one of the people, who were granted anonymity to speak freely. Kennedy has long argued that drugmakers have too much sway over the approval of their products. The effort is likely to target the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which plays a key role in setting vaccine policy. Kennedy and his top aides are also scrutinizing a host of other outside panels, including those that advise the Food and Drug Administration." MB: Why, it's as if Kennedy lied to Cassidy so Cassidy would vote to confirm him. And Cassidy did. ~~~

~~~ Helene Branswell of STAT News: "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was ordered to shelve promotions it developed for a variety of vaccines, including a 'Wild to Mild' advertising campaign urging people to get vaccinated against flu, two sources familiar with the decision told STAT. The Department of Health and Human Services' assistant secretary for public affairs informed the CDC that HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wanted advertisements that promote the idea of 'informed consent' in vaccine decision-making instead. Informed consent is the principle that people should be notified of all the risks, as well as benefits, of any medical intervention they receive or any drug they are prescribed. It is a cornerstone of health care delivery. Shifting the framing of advertising for vaccines that the CDC has long recommended -- like flu shots -- to put more focus on the possible risks of vaccines could undermine people's willingness to get vaccinated, or to have their children immunized."

Kyle Cheney of Politico: "The Justice Department now says that ... Donald Trump's clemency for Jan. 6 rioters covers unrelated crimes that were discovered during FBI searches stemming from the attack on the Capitol. Federal prosecutors revealed the new legal position this week in court papers seeking to drop gun charges against two former Jan. 6 defendants. The guns in question were found at the two men's homes during the Jan. 6 investigation, but the alleged gun crimes themselves were not connected to the riot. Nonetheless, prosecutors moved to dismiss the gun cases by invoking Trump's Day 1 executive order granting mass clemency to Jan. 6 defendants.... The expansive reading of Trump's clemency order marks the latest push by the new administration to absolve Jan. 6 defendants, whom Trump and his supporters have described as political prisoners and victims of persecution." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: So I guess if the FBI was searching my home for evidence related to January 6 and they found a few decomposed bodies in the basement, I would be absolved from murdering those people. Darn, the best get-out-of-jail card ever, and so few took advantage of it.

Tom Jackman & Elizabeth Dwokin of the Washington Post: "The first nationwide database tracking misconduct by federal police officers has been shut down by ... Donald Trump..., deleting a resource that experts said improved public safety by helping to prevent bad officers from jumping to new agencies and starting over with clean records. The database was first proposed by Trump in 2020 in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd. But it wasn't created until two years later when an executive order from President Joe Biden launched the National Law Enforcement Accountability Database. Trump issued an order last month revoking Biden's orders, and the database. The national database encompassed nearly 150,000 federal officers and agents, from the FBI and IRS down to the Railroad Retirement Board. And though it launched only in December 2023, by the end of last year all 90 executive branch agencies with law enforcement officers had provided thousands of disciplinary records dating to 2017, a report issued by the Justice Department in December said." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Makes perfect sense. In the new upside-down Trumpworld in which we live the only good cop is a bad cop.

Scott MacFarlane of CBS News: "Ed Martin, the acting U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, revealed he has opened inquiries into public statements of Sen. Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader in the U.S. Senate, according to an internal memo to federal prosecutors in Washington. The inquiry will also review a public statement made by Rep. Robert Garcia, a second-term House Democrat from California, Garcia told CBS News. The U.S. attorney's memo, which was obtained by CBS News, alleges the public statements of Democratic legislators could constitute a threat to Supreme Court justices and the newly hired employees of the Trump administration's new Department of Government Efficiency...."

Are We Feeling Sorry for These Republicans Yet? No?? Meredith Hill of Politico: "A growing number of congressional Republicans are desperately trying to back-channel with White House officials as ... Donald Trump's Department of Government Efficiency ramps up its slash-and-burn firings of federal workers. GOP lawmakers unleashed a frantic flurry of calls and texts after federal agencies undertook the latest firings this past weekend, with Republicans particularly worried about cuts affecting public safety and health roles.... For the most part, Republican members are publicly cheering the administration's push to slash the federal government.... But privately, many are feeling helpless to counter the meat-ax approach that has been embraced so far...." ~~~

     ~~~ Syedah Asghar & Zoe Richards of NBC News: "Rep. Rich McCormick faced an angry crowd Thursday during a town hall in his Georgia district, where many constituents lashed out at the Republican lawmaker over his support for massive federal layoffs and budget cuts by the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency. In video of the event taken by Greg Bluestein, a reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and an NBC News contributor, attendees clashed with McCormick, bashing both President Donald Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk who is helping lead DOGE's efforts to drastically reduce government spending."

"Vote-a-Rama." Robert Jimison of the New York Times: "The Senate was on track to pass Republicans' budget plan on a straight party-line vote sometime early Friday morning. But first, it was time for a well-worn parliamentary ritual: the hourslong marathon of votes on proposals that will never become law (and were never intended to) known as a 'vote-a-rama.' In a chamber where the average age is 65, the all-nighter brought senators to the floor for a binge of procedural motions and floor speeches delivered to a mostly empty chamber.... For Democrats, who do not have enough votes to block Republicans' budget, the vote-a-rama was a way to slow its roll, challenge G.O.P. priorities and, when possible, force Republicans into uncomfortable votes intended to create a damaging record to attack them on during next year's midterm elections. The rules of the Senate allow members to propose an unlimited number of budget amendments, meaning voting can continue until Democrats lose steam and allow the debate to come to a close." ~~~

     ~~~ Update. Sahil Kapur, et al., of NBC News: "The Republican-controlled Senate on Friday morning adopted a $340 billion budget blueprint designed to boost funding for ... Donald Trump's immigration enforcement efforts, energy production and the military. The mostly partly-line vote came just before 5 a.m. ET following an all-night 'vote-a-rama,' in which senators cast votes on 33 amendments over the course of a 10-hour span. The final vote was 52-48, with Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., as the lone Republican to join all 47 Democrats in voting against the budget resolution."

Mark Berman & Jeremy Roebuck of the Washington Post: "The Senate on Thursday narrowly voted to confirm Kash Patel as the FBI's ninth director, installing a close ally of ... Donald Trump and a staunch critic of the bureau to lead the country's premier law enforcement agency. Patel was approved 51-49, a remarkably tight margin for a position that historically has seen nominees win overwhelming bipartisan support. Each of the last three FBI directors garnered the votes of at least 92 senators.... Republicans Susan Collins (Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) voted against Patel." (Also linked yesterday.) The Guardian's report is here.

Ta Ta. Maegan Vazquez & Mariana Alfaro of the Washington Post: "Sen. Mitch McConnell, the former Senate Republican leader, will not seek reelection next year, he announced in a Senate floor speech on Thursday. McConnell, who is celebrating his 83rd birthday Thursday, is the longest-serving Senate party leader in history." the AP report is here. MB: That's a shame, because nobody has done as much as Mitch has to prep the nation for an end to democracy than has Mitch. Sure he did it, for the most part (but not entirely!), with more grace and finesse than has King Blunderbuss, But absent Mitch, there might be no king.

~~~~~~~~~~

New York. Benjamin Oreskes, et al., of the New York Times: "Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York announced on Thursday that she would not exercise her authority to remove Mayor Eric Adams from office for now, but would seek to impose strict new guardrails on his administration of New York City. While Ms. Hochul's actions, if enacted by state and city legislators, would fall far short of the removal some have demanded, they would curtail Mr. Adams's independence as he battles accusations that he entered a corrupt agreement with the Trump administration to drop federal bribery charges against him.... The governor ... laid out a suite of new oversight measures designed to empower other state and city officials to keep careful watch over Mr. Adams's team at City Hall and potentially challenge Mr. Trump if the mayor would not." An AP story is here.

Wisconsin. Theodore Schleifer & Reid Epstein of the New York Times: Elon "Musk, the country's largest donor during the 2024 election, is returning to campaigns by funding a new effort to help elect Brad Schimel, the conservative candidate for the Wisconsin Supreme Court. It is Mr. Musk's first public political spending after Election Day. America PAC spent $1 million on canvassing operations in the state, according to a new campaign finance filing that became public Thursday.... A nonprofit organization that has historically been backed by Mr. Musk, Building America's Future, this week began a $1.6 million-and-counting television campaign to bolster Judge Schimel, a former state attorney general who is now a judge in Waukesha County. But that group has other major donors and is not as directly tied to Mr. Musk as is America PAC, which is funded almost entirely by the billionaire. Wisconsin Supreme Court elections are officially nonpartisan, but Judge Schimel has been endorsed by the Republican Party of Wisconsin...."

The Conversation -- February 20, 2025

Trump Flouts Judges' Orders. Justin Jouvenal, et al., of the Washington Post: "Federal judges have blocked ... Donald Trump's attempts to freeze trillions in federal grants and loans, halt billions in foreign assistance and dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development. But in each case, the administration has said it still has legal authority to do at least some of those things, prompting judges and those challenging Trump's actions to accuse him of failing to comply. Legal experts said the administration's aggressive maneuvers have approached the red line of openly flouting court orders, as Trump and his top aides and advisers assert vast presidential powers. The most dramatic example came Wednesday. Plaintiffs in a lawsuit seeking to block the Trump administration's 90-day pause on foreign aid asked a judge to hold the administration in civil contempt for violating his temporary restraining order blocking the freeze. A day earlier, attorneys for the government said agencies could keep a hold on much of the funds despite Judge Amir Ali's order, based on statutes and regulations that exist separately from Trump's executive directive. The government said Ali's order was 'silent' on those other powers and vowed to continue suspension of aid unless the judge clarified his ruling. ~~~

~~~ Stephanie Nolen of the New York Times: "Funds for vital health programs around the world remain frozen and their work has not been able to resume, despite a federal judge's order that temporarily halted the Trump administration's dismantling of the government's main foreign aid agency.... A State Department spokesperson said on Tuesday that the office of Secretary of State Marco Rubio had issued more than 180 waivers permitting lifesaving activities to resume, and that more were being approved each day. The department did not reply to a request to provide a list of the 180 projects. But even programs with waivers are still frozen, according to people in more than 40 U.S.A.I.D.-funded groups, because the payments system that U.S.A.I.D. used to disburse funds to the organizations has not operated for weeks."

Mark Berman & Jeremy Roebuck of the Washington Post: "The Senate on Thursday narrowly voted to confirm Kash Patel as the FBI's ninth director, installing a close ally of ... Donald Trump and a staunch critic of the bureau to lead the country's premier law enforcement agency. Patel was approved 51-49, a remarkably tight margin for a position that historically has seen nominees win overwhelming bipartisan support. Each of the last three FBI directors garnered the votes of at least 92 senators.... Republicans Susan Collins (Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) voted against Patel."

Apparently one type of climate-change denial is to deny and ignore the effects of climate change, even when they slap you upside the head AND rip your guts out: ~~~

     ~~~ Christopher Flavelle of the New York Times: "The Trump administration plans to all but eliminate the office that oversees America's recovery from the largest disasters, raising questions about how the United States will rebuild from hurricanes, wildfires and other calamities made worse by climate change. The Office of Community Planning and Development, part of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, pays to rebuild homes and other recovery efforts after the country's worst disasters.... The administration plans to cut the staff in that office by 84 percent, according to a document obtained by The New York Times. The number of workers would be cut to 150, from 936 when Mr. Trump took office last month." ~~~

     ~~~ Plea to the Gods: Send a devastating hurricane to -- and only to -- El Castillo Real de Mar-a-Lardo, Playa del Palma, Florida. You will recognize it by its ostentation. P.S. Be sure to level that bachelor pad where Elon stays.

Marie: I think the following is an exact quote. I mean, not a translation. I think Vlad learned to say this in English the way Boris would say it to Natasha. Because it's so absolutely true. Vlad wants you to know, America! Thanks to RAS for the lead. ~~~

Marie: Sorry, BlueSky posts are very unstable in Squarespace, and I have to re-embed them every time I make another change to the page:

Vladimir Putin: "I moved on Trump like a bitch. When you're a tyrannical dictator, he'll let you do it. He'll let you do anything."

[image or embed]

— Middle Age Riot (@middleageriot.bsky.social) February 19, 2025 at 2:01 PM

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He who saves his country violates no law. -- Rod Steiger, playing Napoleon in the film "Waterloo" ~~~

~~~ Naftali Bendavid of the Washington Post: "...Trump is barreling through the executive branch with the conviction that it is his to rule alone, no matter the laws Congress has enacted -- even if that means destroying agencies, intervening in the justice system or granting enormous authority to a wealthy donor. That is not how most presidents have seen a job that the Constitution arguably defines -- beyond its military and diplomatic duties -- as essentially doing what Congress tells him, saying he must 'take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed.'... Trump is the first president who is essentially ignoring the existence of Congress, [said historian H.W.] Brands.... 'What makes this moment particularly dangerous for those who care about our constitutional system is that Donald Trump believes he has a mandate to act this way -- and so far, the American people haven't pushed back,' said Timothy Naftali, a historian at Columbia University.... If Trump's move to assert such expansive power is novel, so, too, is Congress's willingness to cede it."

We are a nation of laws, not ruled by a king. The M.T.A. has initiated legal proceedings in the Southern District of New York to preserve this critical program. We'll see you in court. -- New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, statement responding to delusional man who thinks he's king ~~~

As distributed by the White House. Really.~~~ He Who Causes Traffic Jams Is King. Benjamin Oreskes of the New York Times: "Mr. Trump ... liken[ed] himself to a king as he celebrated his administration's move to kill New York City's congestion pricing program. 'CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED,' he wrote. 'LONG LIVE THE KING!' The White House then reinforced the message, recirculating it on Instagram and X with an illustration of Mr. Trump wearing a crown on a magazine cover resembling Time, but called Trump. Mr. Trump's expansive views of his power have been evident in his words and deeds. By killing congestion pricing, Mr. Trump suggested he was saving New York.... He vowed during the election to halt the program.... On Wednesday, the transportation secretary, Sean Duffy..., laid out Mr. Trump's objections to the program in a letter sent to Gov. Kathy Hochul and said that federal officials would contact the state to 'discuss the orderly cessation of toll operations.'" A Guardian story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Time to invoke the 25th Amendment. One irony here: every time King Donald travels in New York City, he causes massive traffic jams. Here's the underlying story: ~~~

~~~ Ana Ley, et al., of the New York Times: Donald "Trump intends to revoke federal approval of New York City's congestion pricing program, fulfilling a campaign promise to reverse the policy that tolls drivers who enter Manhattan's busiest streets to help finance repairs to mass transit. In a letter to Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday, the president's transportation secretary outlined Mr. Trump's objections to the program, the first of its kind in the nation, and said that federal officials would contact the state to 'discuss the orderly cessation of toll operations.' The letter, from Sean Duffy, the transportation secretary, cited the cost to working-class motorists, the use of revenue from the tolls for transit upgrades rather than roads and the reach of the program compared with the plan approved by federal legislation as reasons for the decision." ~~~

~~~ Alas, King Donald is not finished with running large cities: ~~~

     ~~~ Paul Schwartzman & Peter Hermann of the Washington Post: "... Donald Trump said Wednesday night that the federal government 'should take over the governance of D.C.,' claiming that leaders of the nation's capital are not doing enough to reduce crime, clean up graffiti and remove homeless encampments." MB: When you have a king, see, you can forget about self-governance. Besides, anything you can do, Trump can do better.

⭐Heather Cox Richardson on Substack: "The past week has solidified a sea change in American [ and global -- history.... Under Trump, the United States is abandoning the post'World War II world it helped to build and then guaranteed for the past 80 years.... The principle of national sovereignty is being tested in Ukraine. After the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991, Ukraine held about a third of the USSR's nuclear weapons but gave them up in exchange for payments and security assurances from Russia, the United States, and the United Kingdom that they would respect Ukraine's sovereignty within its existing borders.... 'We now have an alliance between a Russian president who wants to destroy Europe and an American president who also wants to destroy Europe,' a European diplomat said. 'The transatlantic alliance is over.'" MB: Read this. I can barely imagine a better summary of how we got here than this essay. If you don't have time today, read it tomorrow. ~~~

~~~ Andrew Kramer & Anton Troianovski of the New York Times: "The simmering feud between President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine and ... [Donald] Trump escalated on Wednesday when Mr. Zelensky said the American leader had been 'caught in a web of disinformation' from Russia and Mr. Trump mocked his counterpart as a 'dictator without elections' who had done a terrible job as president. The pointed exchange came one day after officials from the United States and Russia opened talks to end the fighting in Ukraine that excluded the Ukrainian government. Hours after that meeting in Saudi Arabia, Mr. Trump suggested that Ukraine had started the war, a comment that brought a strong rebuttal from Mr. Zelensky on Wednesday morning. 'I would like to have more truth with the Trump team,' Mr. Zelensky said in some of the most overt criticism yet of Mr. Trump and his view of the war in Ukraine.... In a post on his Truth Social account, Mr. Trump responded with a scathing attack on Mr. Zelensky. 'Think of it, a modestly successful comedian, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, talked the United States of America into spending $350 Billion Dollars, to go into a War that couldn't be won, that never had to start, but a War that he, without the U.S. and "TRUMP," will never be able to settle,' Mr. Trump wrote. Like his assertions a day earlier, his comments were filled with falsehoods. The United States, for instance, has allocated $119 billion for aid to Ukraine..., not $350 billion." The AP story is here. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Peter Baker of the New York Times: "By vilifying Mr. Zelensky and shifting blame for the war from Moscow to Kyiv, Mr. Trump seems to be laying a predicate for withdrawing support for an ally under attack.... [Mr. Trump's attacks on Mr. Zelensky amounted to] a striking distortion of reality. Mr. Zelensky did not talk the United States into giving him money 'to go into a war.' He and his country were attacked [by Russia], and only then did the United States under President Joseph R. Biden Jr. respond with expansive financial assistance. And even then, it has been only about a third of what Mr. Trump claimed.... Mr. Trump went on...: 'He refuses to have Elections, is very low in Ukrainian Polls, and the only thing he was good at was playing Biden "like a fiddle."'... [Mr. Trump called Mr. Zelensky a 'dictator without elections' and said is poll ratings were at four percent.] While Ukraine has suspended elections during the war, Mr. Zelensky was in fact originally elected by a landslide in 2019 in a contest deemed free and fair by the international community -- unlike Mr. Putin, an actual dictator who has stayed in power for a quarter-century through elections widely deemed to be farces. And Mr. Zelensky enjoys a 57 percent approval rating, according to a new poll, higher than Mr. Trump's.

"The president's 'dictator' jab came just hours before he referred to himself online regarding a domestic issue as 'the king,' followed up by a White House official who posted an illustration of Mr. Trump in royal garb. The president's attack on Mr. Zelensky, while sparing any harsh words for Mr. Putin, provoked outrage among European leaders, Democrats in Washington and even a few Republicans who were willing to speak out." ~~~

~~~ David Ignatius of the Washington Post: "Tuesday was a dark day for the United States.... Donald Trump and his administration embraced Russia as a peace partner without demanding that it pay any price for its illegal invasion of Ukraine. And then, in a statement that turned morality upside down, the president blamed Ukraine for causing the war.... The tragic loss of life in Ukraine will mean nothing -- and a true resolution of the conflict will be impossible -- if we can't distinguish between the attacker and the victim." Ignatius seems to think Marco is doing a good job, or at least would be if Trump could keep his mouth shut & stop making everything about Trump. MB: Fat chance. ~~~

~~~ Anton Troianovski of the New York Times: "In appealing to ... [Donald] Trump, the Kremlin has zeroed in on his desire to make a profit.... Remarkably, the Trump administration appears to be engaging with Russia's message without demanding payment up front. After Ukraine suggested the possibility of natural resource deals to Mr. Trump, his treasury secretary pushed to have the country sign away half its mineral wealth. And Mr. Trump continues to portray American allies as freeloaders, threatening more tariffs and demanding they pay more for their own defense. With Russia, by contrast, the administration seems to be signaling that the one thing Mr. Putin has to do to pave the way for a full reset in Moscow's relationship with Washington is end the war in Ukraine. Many Europeans and Ukrainians fear Mr. Trump will seek a peace deal on Russia's terms, especially after the American president suggested on Tuesday that Ukraine was to blame for the Russian invasion.&" (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ King's Courtiers Bow & Scrape. Robert Jimison of the New York Times: "As ... [Donald] Trump makes an abrupt pivot toward Russia, upending generations of American foreign policy, he is also defying members of his own party in Congress, many of whom have spent their careers arguing for a hawkish stance against Moscow and strong backing for allies in Europe facing its most immediate threats. But the response from Republicans on Capitol Hill has been muted, in some cases to the point of silence. There has been little G.O.P. pushback on Mr. Trump's efforts to draw closer to President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia or blame Ukraine as he seeks to bring a quick end to the war that began when Russia invaded the country.... There has been no concerted effort to challenge him from G.O.P. leaders or senators who play pivotal roles in overseeing military and foreign policy in Congress. 'Right now, you have got to give him some space,' Senator John Thune, the South Dakota Republican and majority leader, said at a news conference on Capitol Hill Wednesday after a closed-door Senate lunch with Vice President JD Vance."

Members of Dictators' Club Stick Together. Jack Nicas of the New York Times: Donald "Trump's media company sued a Brazilian Supreme Court justice on Wednesday, accusing him of illegally censoring right-wing voices on social media. The unusual move was made all the more extraordinary by its timing: Just hours earlier, the Brazilian justice had received an indictment that would force him to decide whether to order the arrest of Jair Bolsonaro, the former Brazilian president and an ally of Mr. Trump. The justice is overseeing multiple criminal investigations into Mr. Bolsonaro.... The lawsuit appeared to represent an astonishing effort by Mr. Trump to pressure a foreign judge as he weighed the fate of a fellow right-wing leader who, like him, was indicted on charges that he tried to overturn his election loss. Mr. Bolsonaro had explicitly called on Mr. Trump to take action against Justice Moraes in an interview with The New York Times last month." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Do you think when Trump meets, say, Putin or Bolsonaro, they do the secret handshake? Have they made pinkie blood oaths?

"An Explosion of Lies." Paul Krugman: "... [an] explosion of lies [has emanated] from Musk and Trump these days, ranging from the claim that Social Security is sending checks to tens of millions of dead people to the claim that Ukraine started a war that, as I hope everyone remembers, began with a Russian attempt to seize Kyiv. Why the frantic lying? I suspect that it's because Musk, Trump and their Congressional allies are flailing.... Beginning late last week Trump officials, clearly operating on instructions from DOGE, laid off large numbers of 'probationary' federal workers -- that is, workers who have been hired relatively recently or, in some cases, have experienced a change in job status (often a promotion!) and as a result have fewer job protections than the rest of the federal work force. As I wrote the other day, this was mainly austerity theater.... [They have tried] try to cover up the mess they made with desperate lies -- and the lies themselves provide even more evidence that they have no idea what they're doing."

Qasim Nauman of the New York Times: Donald "Trump on Wednesday signed an executive order aimed at eliminating federal benefits for undocumented migrants in the United States, describing the benefits as an improper use of taxpayer resources.... Undocumented immigrants are largely not eligible for federal benefits, with only some exceptions allowed for emergency situations, and many immigrant families are hesitant to enroll in programs they are eligible for, according to the National Immigration Law Center.... The White House said Wednesday, without providing details, that undocumented migrants have qualified for various federal welfare programs, and accused the Biden administration of spending billions on supporting people who have entered the country illegally." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: When reporters write "without evidence" or some version thereof, as Nauman has here, they have a responsibility to add "so there's no reason to believe it's true" or some version of that, so readers understand the person making the allegation is blowing smoke. If the person comes back "with evidence," great. But "without evidence" leaves the naive reader thinking the accuser just forgot or was too busy or something to lay out a spreadsheet full of proof of wrongdoing.

Trump Pretends He Might Send You a Check or Something. Kate Kelly of the New York Times: Donald "Trump said on Wednesday evening that the newly established Department of Government Efficiency might return a portion of the savings accrued through job cuts and other budget curbs to American taxpayers. The idea of giving back 20 percent of the money saved as a result of initiatives recommended by the new department, known as DOGE, is 'under consideration,' said Mr. Trump. The potential initiative, he said, was 'a new concept' under which his administration would give '20 percent of the DOGE savings to American citizens' and '20 percent goes to paying down debt.' (He didn't mention what would be done with the other 60 percent of the money.)"

Perhaps concerned that there is not enough gold in Fort Knox to gild all his king stuff, Donald Trump -- following a conspiracy theory promoted by Elon Musk -- questioned whether or not someone had stolen/stollen the gold from Fort Knox. This, although Trump's own Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had said earlier Wednesday, "We do an audit every year.... All the gold is present and accounted for."

From the Amazing Pot ... Kettle File. All federal workers must once again show up to work. Show up to work in person like the rest of us. It doesn't work when you don't show up. You can't work at home. They're not working. They're playing tennis, they're playing golf or they have other jobs. But they're not working or they're certainly not working hard. You could never build a company or a country with that. So, we have a very strong policy and if they don't show up to work they get fired. -- Donald Trump, Wednesday, after spending the workday playing golf

Tyler Pager of the New York Times: Donald "Trump said Wednesday he would have had a 'very nasty life' if he lost the presidential election, a surprisingly public acknowledgment that his legal challenges could have consumed his life and brought jail time. 'If I lost, it would have been very bad,' Mr. Trump said at an investment summit in Miami Beach. 'It was dangerous, actually very dangerous.'... During the presidential campaign, Mr. Trump faced dozens of criminal charges across four different cases.... When Mr. Trump won in November, the Justice Department abandoned the two federal cases against him, and a judge in Manhattan issued an unconditional discharge in his hush money case."

The King Rules at Many Castles (Where Courtiers Pay for Admission). Philip Bump of the Washington Post: "As of noon on Thursday, Trump will have been president for 31 full days. He will have spent all or part of 16 of those days at four Trump Organization properties. He will have played golf on 10 of those days. He will have spent 19 nights at the White House and 12 nights at properties owned by his private business. He will have spent precisely zero Friday or Saturday nights at the executive mansion. He will have played golf every weekend day except for this past Sunday, when he opted to take the presidential limousine for a spin at Daytona International Speedway instead."

Trump to Courts: Catch Me if You Can. Charlie Savage of the New York Times: "The Trump administration is systematically exploiting loopholes to effectively keep much of the president's blanket spending freezes in place, accounts by officials and court filings show, despite restraining orders from judges who have told agencies to disregard the directives. The administration's strategy is to have political appointees embedded in various agencies invoke other legal authorities to pause spending, while posturing as if those officials had undertaken the efforts independent of ... [Donald] Trump's original directives. In short, critics say, administration officials are paying lip service to complying with the letter of the court orders while violating their spirit. The tactic shows how aggressively and nimbly the Trump administration is working to keep funds jammed up, and the complexity judges face if they want to compel the administration to unblock the money."

Charlie Warzel, et al., of the Atlantic: "DOGE has achieved 'God mode.' That's according to an employee in senior leadership at USAID, who told us that Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency now has full, unrestricted access to the agency's digital infrastructure.... The employee's account, along with the accounts of several others across federal agencies, offers the clearest portrait yet of just how deep DOGE has burrowed into the systems of the federal government -- and the sensitive information of countless Americans.... The federal government does not typically grant such wide-ranging access to a single entity, let alone one that is effectively under the control of an unelected, erratic, and politically extreme actor such as Musk.... The risk of harm, abuse, or political revenge is clear. But simple, brazen corruption is also a concern among the federal workers we spoke with." Thanks to laura h. for this gift link.

Andrew Duehren & Michael Schmidt of the New York Times: "The Internal Revenue Service will begin laying off roughly 6,000 employees on Thursday as part of the Trump administration's push to downsize the federal work force, three people familiar with the agency's plans said. The terminations will target relatively recent hires at the I.R.S., which the Biden administration had attempted to revitalize with a surge of funding and new staff.... The I.R.S. employs roughly 100,000 accountants, lawyers and other staff across the country. The layoffs come in the middle of tax filing season."

As Usual, Everything Is Going Very SmoothlyTM Trump. Hannah Natanson, et al., of the Washington Post: "The Trump administration's sweeping offer [titled 'Fork in the Road,'] of deferred resignations -- which the government says will allow workers to get paid until September -- was to many a guarantee of short-term financial security amid the tumult of massive cuts in the federal workforce. But, across agencies, some probationary employees were mistakenly fired after taking or attempting to take the 'fork' offer, according to interviews with dozens of federal workers and records obtained by The Post. And now, administration officials and agency leads are scrambling to fix their blunders and get back in touch with employees who have lost access to government emails and work devices."

Dan Lamothe, et al., of the Washington Post: "Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered senior leaders at the Pentagon and throughout the U.S. military to develop plans for cutting 8 percent from the defense budget in each of the next five years..., a striking proposal certain to face internal resistance and strident bipartisan opposition in Congress. Hegseth ordered the proposed cuts to be drawn up by Monday, according to [his] memo, which is dated Tuesday and includes a list of 17 categories that the Trump administration wants exempted. Among them: operations at the southern U.S. border, modernization of nuclear weapons and missile defense, and acquisition of submarines, one-way attack drones and other munitions.... The budget directive follows a separate order from the Trump administration seeking lists of thousands of probationary Defense Department employees expected to be fired this week. That effort is being overseen by billionaire Elon Musk's U.S. DOGE Service.... The Pentagon also oversees about 1.3 million active-duty service members and nearly 800,000 others who are in the National Guard and reserves, but the Trump administration has exempted service members from its sweeping budget cuts for now.'"

Sheryl Stolberg of the New York Times: "Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced on Wednesday that the Trump administration had adopted a set of official government 'sex-based definitions' to give the public and federal agencies precise terms with which to describe categories including 'male,' 'female,' 'woman' and 'man.' The definitions are listed in a one-page 'guidance' that is aimed, in part, at keeping transgender women and girls out of female sports, discouraging gender-affirming care for young people and fulfilling ... [Donald] Trump's pledge that the federal government will recognize only two sexes: male and female. 'This administration is bringing back common sense and restoring biological truth to the federal government,' Mr. Kennedy said in a statement. 'The prior administration's policy of trying to engineer gender ideology into every aspect of public life is over.'" ~~~

     ~~~ OR, as Fenit Nirappil & Dan Diamond of the Washington Post put it in a more explanatory lede: "The federal health department escalated the Trump administration's campaign against transgender protections Wednesday, releasing public guidance that asserts a person's sex is 'unchangeable' and launching a website that promotes orders aimed at transgender people." ~~~

~~~⭐Amanda Marcotte of Salon: "It should have always been self-evident that Kennedy is not pro-prevention, since he built his career as a vaccine denialist. Yet much of the press seems to have been snookered. So it's especially noteworthy that Kennedy kicked off his new role with a broad attack on drugs people use to prevent depression, diabetes, and other such conditions. On Thursday..., Donald Trump signed an executive order that echoes Kennedy's lie that he wants to 'make America healthy again.' HHS is ordered to 'assess the prevalence of and threat posed by the prescription of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, stimulants, and weight-loss drugs.' Kennedy has long had it out for these drugs, and repeatedly argues that the only prevention most people need is better willpower. Kennedy's 'solution' looks very much like punishing them for perceived personal failures by putting people into labor camps, which he euphemistically calls "wellness farms." As Mother Jones reported in July, people would be relegated to these 'farms,' where they would be denied their prescription medications." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: So if you or anyone you care about has ever had an illness, is at risk of getting an illness or just might get an illness that can be prevented or alleviated with medication, you should be really scared.

Olly Olly Out Free! Jonah Bromwich, et al., of the New York Times: "A senior Justice Department official suggested Wednesday that ... [Donald] Trump's administration is justified in putting aside allegations of corruption against a public official if the official cooperates with the president's political agenda. The Justice Department official, Emil Bove III, raised the idea during a hearing on Wednesday at which a judge asked him to explain his rationale for abandoning a corruption case against New York City's mayor, Eric Adams.... Mr. Bove renewed his assertion that the prosecution should be dismissed because it was hindering Mr. Adams's cooperation with Mr. Trump's immigration crackdown. The judge, Dale E. Ho, asked whether that logic could apply to other officials with critical public safety and national security responsibilities in New York. 'Like the police commissioner, for example?' the judge asked. 'Yes, absolutely,' Mr. Bove said.... His answer underscored how the Justice Department has begun to shift into an enforcement arm of Mr. Trump's agenda. Even the suggestion that the president can decide who should be immune from prosecution based on political or policy considerations would seem to set an extraordinary precedent."

Corey Kilgannon of the New York Times: "In a rare sign of pushback against ... [Donald] Trump, a coalition of congressional Republicans from the New York area rebuked the president for cuts to a federal program that administers aid to emergency workers and others suffering from toxins related to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. In a letter to Mr. Trump, seven Republicans urged Mr. Trump 'as a native New Yorker who lived in New York City as it recovered from the 9/11 terrorist attacks' to reverse the cuts to the World Trade Center Health Program and rehire staff members who were fired several days ago. They echoed the immediate outcry from Democratic lawmakers and advocates when the cuts were made beginning late last week, as part of Elon Musk's so-called department of government efficiency..., which is cutting spending and eliminating jobs across a wide swath of federal agencies. On Monday, New York's Democratic senators, Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, issued a letter demanding the cuts be restored. The initial reaction from Republicans was more muted, but by Wednesday, as it became clearer that the blowback to the firings was widespread, the Republican resistance grew more vocal, especially from districts in and around New York City, where the memory of 9/11 still resonates powerfully." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Notice these chickenshits only objected after they put their fingers to the wind, and the wind blew off the digits. So call your representative. Call your senator. Gripe!

Eric Tucker of the AP: "The Senate was set to vote Thursday on whether to confirm Kash Patel as FBI director, a decision that could place him atop the nation's premier federal law enforcement agency despite concerns from Democrats over his qualifications and the prospect that he would do ... Donald Trump's bidding. Patel cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee last week by a 12-10, party-line vote and is set for consideration by the Republican-controlled Senate on Thursday afternoon."

Kyle Cheney & Josh Gerstein of Politico: "A federal appeals court panel has denied the Trump administration's emergency bid to overturn an order blocking ... Donald Trump's effort to restrict birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants and short-term U.S. visitors, teeing up another potential race to the Supreme Court. The 3-0 ruling Wednesday from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals maintains for now a Seattle-based federal District Court judge's order blocking Trumps policy nationwide. That judge, Reagan appointee John Coughenour, upbraided Trump for seeking to upend more than a century of settled case law on birthright citizenship."

He's a Better Man Than You, Elon Musk. Marc Elias answers Elon Musk's insult. Thanks to RAS for the link. (Also linked yesterday.)

Marie: As laura h. pointed out in yesterday's Comments, Tom Nichols of the Atlantic is pretty convinced of the "incompetence" angle, vis-a-vis Don & Elon. Nichols watch Sean Hannity interview Dumb & Dumber Tuesday night and concluded, "This low-key fandango was probably good enough for MAGA fan-servicing purposes, but seems unlikely to reassure the millions of Americans doubtful that the president and the plutocrat know what they're doing. The president seems only dimly aware of the details of Musk's adventures, but he's certain that a smart guy like Musk is furthering his agenda -- whatever it is. Musk, who answers to no one, is full of fervor to kill off government agencies he does not understand, because unelected rich men firing probationary federal employees is apparently how true Jeffersonian democracy is restored to an ailing America.... At some point..., Trump ... could end up throwing Musk off the ship of state, as he has done to so many other of his loyal subordinates. But no matter how it ends, Trump will still be president, and Musk will still be rich. The rest of us, unfortunately, will be living with the damage done." Nichols provides some stunning examples of what nitwits Team President* are. The link is a gift link from laura. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: However, as laura also noted yesterday, if you look at Charlie Warzel and others' article linked above, it would appear that the danger Musk poses is both deliberate and accidental. As for some of the accidental destruction and errors, Paul Krugman points out that the Musk/Trump default response is to lie about them.

~~~~~~~~~~

Mississippi. Judge Unaware of First Amendment. Michael Levenson of the New York Times: "A Mississippi judge on Tuesday issued a temporary restraining order requested by the city of Clarksdale requiring a local newspaper to remove a critical editorial from its website, a move that alarmed press advocates. By Wednesday, the newspaper, The Clarksdale Press Register, had removed the editorial from its website. But Wyatt Emmerich, the president of Emmerich Newspapers, which owns The Press Register, said he planned to challenge the judge's order at a hearing next week.... Mr. Emmerich said in an interview ... that the judge had targeted 'an editorial that is pretty plain vanilla, criticizing the City Council for not sending out the appropriate notices.' The Press Register, which dates to 1865 and serves about 7,750 readers, published the editorial on its website on Feb. 8 under the headline, 'Secrecy, deception erode public trust.'"

Missouri. Kate Zernike of the New York Times: "Abortion clinics in the staunchly Republican state of Missouri this week resumed procedures for the first time in years, despite a continued push by conservative state leaders to block a constitutional amendment enshrining abortion rights that voters approved in November. It was a remarkable moment after an extended fight. Missouri was the first state to enact an abortion ban after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. Then in 2024, it became the first state with a near-total ban to approve a citizen-sponsored abortion rights amendment. On the day after voters approved the constitutional amendment, abortion rights groups sued to overturn the ban as well as a host of other restrictions on abortion that preceded the ban. Planned Parenthood, the only provider of abortions outside of hospitals in the state, resumed abortion procedures after a judge on Friday granted a temporary injunction that blocked state licensing requirements imposed on clinics. The clinics had said that the requirements made it impossible to operate. Planned Parenthood still will not provide abortion pills until the state approves a required plan for reporting any complications faced by women who use them. And Republican legislators are still pressing for a raft of bills that would restrict or reverse the amendment passed in November." ~~~

     ~~~ Here's one of the "raft of bills": ~~~

     ~~~ Robyn Pennacchia of Wonkette: "House Bill 807, the 'Save MO Babies Act,' was introduced by Republican state Rep. Phil Amato, who says [his bill would create a registry of pregnant people 'at risk of seeking an abortion,' which] he imagines ... would also work as an 'EHarmony for babies' that would set up those prospective adoptive parents with those who might have an abortion.... So -- if the government deems you 'at risk' of seeking an abortion, people who might want to adopt your kid will be made aware of that so they can, I don't know, pressure you to give birth so they can adopt your child? You are probably wondering what it is that the state would actually do with this information. Well, one thing we know for sure is that they'd share it with law enforcement, because that is specifically mentioned in the bill."