The Conversation -- April 5, 2025
Unfuckingbelievable! Edward Wong & Hannah Beech of the New York Times: “Trump administration officials have fired workers for the main American aid agency who were sent to Myanmar to assess how the United States could help with earthquake relief efforts, three people with knowledge of the actions said. The firings, done Friday while the workers were in the rubble-strewn city of Mandalay, raise doubts about Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s stated commitment to continuing some humanitarian and crisis aid even as the aid organization, the U.S. Agency for International Development, is dismantled by the Trump administration.... Trump appointees continue to cut humanitarian aid contracts, say employees.... When asked by a reporter on Friday in Brussels about the inability of the United States to provide substantial aid to Myanmar, Mr. Rubio said that other large countries, including China and India, should step up in global foreign aid as the United States cuts back.... [He said] 'we already have people there.'” MB: Yeah, but he didn't say it was only three people and he just fired them.
Oh My! Ben Berkowitz of Axios: "Elon Musk blasted top Trump administration trade adviser Peter Navarro and told an Italian political gathering he wants more free trade, not less.... The two-day rout in the stock market this week, after Trump announced sweeping new tariffs backed by Navarro, cost Musk nearly $18 billion just on his Tesla stock. By wading into the tariff debate, a subject he's mostly stayed away from, Musk could inject more uncertainty into U.S. efforts to re-order the global economy.... Friday morning, a user on Musk's social media platform X defended the controversial Navarro as a skilled voice on tariffs, citing his Ph.D. in economics from Harvard. Musk, in a reply in the early hours of Saturday morning, disagreed. 'A PhD in Econ from Harvard is a bad thing, not a good thing,' he wrote, suggesting it resulted in having more ego than brains. Another user stepped in to defend Navarro as right on trade, to which Musk replied 'He ain't built s--t.'"
David Sanger & Nick Corasaniti of the New York Times: “When ... [Donald] Trump abruptly fired the head of the National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command on Thursday, it was the latest in a series of moves that have torn away at the country’s cyberdefenses just as they are confronting the most sophisticated and sustained attacks in the nation’s history. The commander, General Timothy D. Haugh..., had been among the American officials most deeply involved in pushing back on Russia, dating to his work countering Moscow’s interference in the 2016 election. His dismissal came after weeks in which the Trump administration swept away nearly all of the government’s election-related cyberdefenses beyond the secure N.S.A. command centers at Fort Meade, Md. At the same time, the administration has shrunk much of the nation’s complex early-warning system for cyberattacks, a web through which tech firms work with the F.B.I. and intelligence agencies to protect the power grid, pipelines and telecommunications networks. Cybersecurity experts, election officials and lawmakers — mostly Democrats but a few Republicans — have begun to raise alarms that the United States is knocking down a system that, while still full of holes, has taken a decade to build. It has pushed out some of its most experienced cyberdefenders and fired younger talent brought in to design defenses against a wave of ransomware, Chinese intrusions and vulnerabilities created by artificial intelligence.” ~~~
~~~ Julian Barnes of the New York Times: “General Haugh was ousted because Laura Loomer, a far-right wing conspiracy theorist and Trump adviser, had accused him and his deputy of disloyalty, according to U.S. officials and Ms. Loomer’s social media post early Friday. He was one of several national security officials fired this past week on her advice.... 'If decades of experience in uniform isn’t enough to lead the N.S.A. but amateur isolationists can hold senior policy jobs at the Pentagon, then what exactly are the criteria for working on this administration’s national security staff?' [Sen. Mitch] McConnell [R-Ky.] said.... 'I fear this is just the hourly installment in the Laura Loomer clown car aspect of this administration,' [Rep. James] Himes [D-Conn.] said.... 'In many cases [the administration is firing] some of our most valuable people. And this very directly makes us less safe.'”
Tiffany Hsu of the New York Times: “Soon after the new administration arrived, things began to go missing from the White House website. They weren’t just the partisan policy platforms that typically disappear during a presidential transition. Informational pages about the Constitution and past presidents, up in various forms since President George W. Bush was in office, all vanished. Thousands of other government web pages had also been taken down or modified, including content about vaccines, hate crimes, low-income children, opioid addiction and veterans, before a court order temporarily blocked part of the sweeping erasure.... As data and resources are deleted or altered, something foundational is also at risk: Americans’ ability to access and evaluate their past, and with it, their already shaky trust in facts. 'This is not a cost-cutting mechanism,' said Kenny Evans ... [of] Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.... 'This slide toward secrecy and lack of transparency is an erosion of democratic norms.'
“The casualties are not just digital. The head of the National Archives..., 'the custodian of America’s collective memory,' was fired by Mr. Trump in February.... The Institute of Museum and Library Services, was named in an executive order calling for its elimination ... (its acting director said he planned to 'restore focus on patriotism').... As senior [U.S.A.I.D.] official told employees to shred or burn classified documents and personnel files.”
James Poniewozik of the New York Times: Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's “social feed is one example of the administration’s turn to reality-TV tactics — slick, showy, sometimes cruel — as a means of government.... Since she took office in January, the secretary’s online video presence has been helping a media-minded administration broadcast images of unsparing domination with a telegenic face.... [Her] videos take care to make her look the part, dress the part and play the part against scenic backdrops.... As the face of [the administration's] immigration-enforcement project, she wears and is framed by accouterments of inviolable authority. She goes out with ICE, wearing a police vest and declaring, like Andy Sipowicz in 'NYPD Blue,' 'We are getting the dirt bags off these streets.'[Meanwhile,] The secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, a former Fox TV host, loads his X feed with images of himself working out in the gym and meeting with the mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor, underscoring his feed’s recurrent theme of politicized hypermasculinity. The official White House account is rife with boasting and taunting posts, many drawing on meme formats from the dank corners of the internet.” ~~~
~~~ Marie: They really have no idea that they come across to normal people as the most foolish of cartoon villains. See Akhilleus' commentary in Saturday's thread.
Annie Karni of the New York Times: “Last March, when Rob Bresnahan, Jr., a wealthy business executive, was running to represent a competitive House district in northeastern Pennsylvania, he published a letter to the editor in a local newspaper demanding an end to stock trading by members of Congress.... If elected, Mr. Bresnahan told voters, he would co-sponsor legislation to ban stock trading by members of Congress, a practice he said 'needs to come to an end immediately.' More than two months after being sworn in, Mr. Bresnahan, who defeated a Democratic incumbent last November in one of the most expensive House races in the country, has not introduced or co-sponsored such a bill. Over that time, he has emerged as one of the most active stock traders in the freshman class, according to Capitol Trades.... Since he took office in January, Mr. Bresnahan has reported 264 stock trades, according to the site. He has purchased up to $1.7 million in stock since taking office, according to his periodic transaction report, and has sold up to $3.03 million.” ~~~
~~~ Marie: Congratulations, Rob! You made the front page of the New York Times! Putz.
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⭐ If you're looking for a nice family activity to participate in today, get started at this HandsOff! page, which will guide you to protest events in your area. (Also linked yesterday.)
Brian Evans, et al., of CNBC: "The stock market was pounded for a second day Friday after China retaliated with new tariffs on U.S. goods, sparking fears ... Donald Trump has ignited a global trade war that will lead to a recession. Here’s a tally of the stock market damage: The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 2,100 points, or 5.5% on Friday, its biggest decline since June 2020 during the pandemic. This follows a 1,679 point decline on Thursday and brings the drawdown from its record to more than 14%. The S&P 500 nosedived 5.8%, also the biggest decline since June 2020. The benchmark shed 4.84% on Thursday and is now off 17% off its recent high. The Nasdaq Composite. home to many tech companies that sell to China and manufacture there as well, dropped 5.6%. this follows a nearly 6% drop on Thursday. The measure is 22% lower than its December record, a bear market in Wall Street terminology. The selling was broad with only 14 members of the S&P 500 higher on the day. Major market indexes closed at their lows of the session." (Also linked yesterday.)
Tony Romm of the New York Times: “... Mr. Trump responded to the day of chaos by striking a defiant tone. Having decamped from Washington to Mar-a-Lago, his home in Florida, he declared on Truth Social: 'MY POLICIES WILL NEVER CHANGE.' Instead, the president insisted in another post that his strategy was 'ALREADY WORKING,' as he held up a newly released and better-than-expected jobs report, which reflected that U.S. hiring increased in the month before the announcement of his tariffs. At one point, the president even circulated another user’s video that argued 'Trump is purposely CRASHING the market,' in a bid to force the Fed to lower interest rates. He later called on Mr. Powell to do just that, demanding that the independent chair of the central bank 'STOP PLAYING POLITICS.' And Mr. Trump eventually turned his attention to China, attacking the country for having 'PLAYED IT WRONG' by retaliating against the United States.”
Arden Farhi & Kathryn Watson of CBS News: "As stocks continued to slide..., [Donald] Trump is speaking at a $1 million dollar-a-person candlelight dinner Friday at Mar-a-Lago, according to an invitation reviewed by CBS News. The fundraiser is for MAGA Inc, a super PAC that supports Mr. Trump. MAGA Inc. can raise unlimited money but is barred from coordinating directly with Mr. Trump's campaign arm. The fine print for the Friday's invitation says the president is attending as a guest speaker and not soliciting donations. Another $1 million-a-head MAGA Inc. dinner is scheduled for April 24 in Washington, according to the invitation. Donors can 'co-host' that dinner for $2.5 million or become a 'host' for $5 million.... [Because he was busy playing golf game with Saudi princes and all, Trump also missed] Friday's midday dignified transfer of four U.S. soldiers who died in a training accident in Lithuania."
I’m speaking with myself, number one, because I have a very good brain and I’ve said a lot of things. -- Donald Trump, March 2016
He’s at the peak of just not giving a fuck anymore. -- White House Official, speaking of Trump in April 2025 ~~~
~~~ You know that formula that Trump used to determine tariff rates? Well, guess whose idea it was? Wacky ex-con Peter Navarro's. And guess who chose it over a menu of other, more nuanced formulae? Yes, yes, the dullest tool in the shed, Donald Trump. ~~~
~~~ Natalie Allison, et al., of the Washington Post: “After its debut in the Rose Garden on Wednesday, the crude math drew mockery from economists as Trump’s new global trade war prompted a sharp drop in markets.... Inside and outside the White House, advisers say Trump is unbowed even as the world reels from the biggest increase in trade hostilities in a century. They say Trump is unperturbed by negative headlines or criticism from foreign leaders. He is determined to listen to a single voice — his own — to secure what he views as his political legacy.” The article examines the, uh, decision-making process that led to the tariff fiasco. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ For more on Peter Navarro's expertise and how he got to such an important position that he could persuade Donnie Dimwit to singlehandedly destroy the world's economy, here's Rachel Maddow. I've started the video 5-1/2 minutes in to get right to the Navarro bit, but that first 5:30 is an excellent summary of "where we're at," as the kids say, so you may want to back the video on up for that, too: ~~~
~~~ I, Marie Burns, will never tire of citing the expert opinions of Brian Remus, though occasionally I do rely on the compelling arguments of Erin Rumbas. (You may find a few of studies conducted by Erin's researcher Amber N. Ruis creeping into my denser works, although Amber's results are more apt to appear in the footnotes.) Anyhow, like Navarro, I use plenty of expert analyses to back up my theories. (This is a joke; you may have to watch the video to get it, unless you're a typoglycemiac.)
David Lynch of the Washington Post: “The tariff barrage that ... Donald Trump unleashed this week on the world economy marks a decisive end to an era of freewheeling globalization that was shaped by American policymakers, business executives and consumers. The United States is now abandoning the system that made it rich and powerful, gambling that it can become more prosperous by waging a global trade war on friend and foe alike. Trump’s new protectionism breaks with international economic policies that were pursued by more than a dozen American presidents as the nation grew into a superpower that boasted a $30 trillion economy, the world’s largest and most innovative.” (Also linked yesterday.)
Justin Wolfers in a New York Times op-ed: “These tariffs are going to hurt. A lot. By my calculations, this round of tariffs may be 50 times as painful as the ones Donald Trump instituted in his first term. That means they are going to reshape your life in much more fundamental ways.... Small tariffs create small problems. Big tariffs create huge ones. Take Mr. Trump’s 25 percent tariff on vehicles, which is expected to raise their prices by roughly $4,000. Many families, like mine, will probably decide not to buy a second car. That creates far bigger problems than an aging washer [would have caused a family because of Trump's 2018 tariffs on washing machines].... And it’s not just cars. These are across-the-board tariffs, so they will distort virtually every purchase you make.... Mr. Trump’s latest tariffs will lead folks to rethink not only whether to replace their washing machines — as they did in 2018 — but also their dryers, refrigerators, stoves, groceries, clothes, cars and even everyday essentials. [The effects of Trump's tariffs] multiply, which means their costs rise in the square of the tariff rate. That leads to some pretty painful arithmetic.”
Colby Smith of the New York Times: “Jerome H. Powell, the chair of the Federal Reserve, warned that ... [Donald] Trump’s tariffs risk stoking even higher inflation and slower growth than initially expected, as he struck a more downbeat tone about the outlook, despite the economy so far remaining in a 'good place.'... Mr. Powell characterized the risks of that outcome, which he warned could include higher unemployment, as 'elevated.' 'While tariffs are highly likely to generate at least a temporary rise in inflation, it is also possible that the effects could be more persistent,' he said in a speech at a conference in Arlington, Va., on Friday.” (Also linked yesterday.)
Meredith Hill of Politico: “Nebraska Rep. Don Bacon said he plans to introduce a companion bill to the bipartisan Senate legislation aimed at reclaiming Congress’ authority over tariffs, becoming the first House Republican to openly challenge the powers ... Donald Trump is using to launch a massive global trade war.... The Senate bill introduced Thursday by Sens. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) would limit a president’s power to impose tariffs, including allowing Congress to vote to end any tariff at any time. It would also require the president to notify Congress within 48 hours of imposing any duty and for Congress to explicitly approve any new tariffs within 60 days. Four additional Republicans have signed on as co-sponsors to that bill. Bacon’s move is a rare step in the deeply Trump-loyal House Republican conference. Speaker Mike Johnson has no plans to bring any legislation limiting Trump’s tariff authority to the House floor, and House Republicans voted for a measure several weeks ago that effectively barred any lawmaker from trying to force a vote to end the president’s emergency declaration he’s used to implement tariffs.”
Quelle Idiot! Roger Cohen of the New York Times: “'FREE MARINE LE PEN!' With this blunt call, a strange one in that the French far-right leader is walking the streets of Paris..., [Donald] Trump has waded into the politics of an ally, condemning her conviction this week on embezzlement charges and her disqualification from running for public office. The conviction was 'another example of European Leftists using Lawfare to silence Free Speech,' Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social. Elon Musk, his billionaire aide, drove home the point: 'Free Le Pen!' Mr. Musk echoed on his social media platform X. More than an extraordinary American intervention in French politics, the statements ignored the overwhelming evidence arrayed against Ms. Le Pen, who was convicted of helping orchestrate over many years a system to divert European taxpayers’ money illicitly to offset the acute financial difficulties of her National Rally party in France.” (Also linked yesterday.)
⭐Katie Mettler & Maria Sacchetti of the Washington Post: “A federal judge on Friday ordered the Trump administration to ask the government of El Salvador to release a man U.S. immigration officers mistakenly deported to a mega-prison there last month, in an emergency ruling after his lawyers argued that the man was at imminent risk of death. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis in Maryland ordered the Trump administration to return Kilmar Abrego García, the husband of a U.S. citizen and longtime Maryland resident, to the United States by no later than 11:59 p.m. on Monday. As the judge issued her order, supporters outside the courtroom cheered.” This is a developing story. (Also linked yesterday.) Politico's story is here. ~~~
~~~ Marie: Let's see how forcefully the Trumpies make the ask. ~~~
~~~ The WashPo story has been updated. And it does now reflect just how hard the administration plans to offer a measure of justice to Abrego Garcia: “The Trump administration immediately appealed the ruling Friday. Officials have argued that they have no power to return Abrego García because he is in the custody of El Salvador President Nayib Bukele.'We suggest the Judge contact President Bukele because we are unaware of the judge having jurisdiction or authority over the country of El Salvador,' White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in an email.” The best thing about Leavitt is that you wouldn't feel ashamed or sorry at all if you slapped her in her smug, petulant, mean-girl face.
Anemona Hartocollis of the New York Times: “A federal judge ordered Friday that the case to free Rumeysa Ozturk, a Tufts student from Turkey, from immigration detention should be moved to a court in Vermont, denying a government demand to hold the proceedings in Louisiana, where she is being held. Ms. Ozturk, a legal resident on a student visa, was swept up by the government as part of what the Trump administration has described as a campaign against antisemitic activists on campus. In a hearing on Thursday, a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union argued that the government had stealthily transferred her from Massachusetts, where she was arrested, to Louisiana without informing her lawyers where she was. The lawyer, Adriana Lafaille, suggested the government was seeking a court that would favor its case. Louisiana has one of the most conservative appeals courts in the country.... In her ruling on Friday, Judge Denise Casper of U.S. District Court in Boston, said that Vermont was the proper venue because Ms. Ozturk was being held there overnight at the time that her lawyers — not knowing where she was — filed a petition for her release in Boston. Normally, a petition to free someone would be filed in the jurisdiction where the person was confined.”
Yes, They're Coming for Us. Maria Luisa Paul of the Washington Post: “... recent news reports of at least seven alleged cases have alarmed attorneys, civil rights advocates and immigration scholars who say they reveal the dangers of a system accelerating with few safeguards. As the Trump administration pushes for mass deportations, expands federal enforcement and shutters oversight offices, experts warn citizens are increasingly at risk of getting caught in the dragnet.... Investigations by media outlets, research institutes and oversight agencies have revealed that ICE has arrested, detained, deported and issued detainers — requests to local jails to hold a person in custody — for thousands of citizens since the agency was created in 2003. One 2011 study estimated that roughly 1 to 1.5 percent of deportees are U.S. citizens.” ~~~
~~~ Oops! Maria Sacchetti of the Washington Post: “The Trump administration mistakenly sent an urgent notice this week to some Ukrainians who fled the Russian invasion saying it was terminating their provisional legal status in seven days and ordering them to leave the United States 'immediately,' frightening immigrants and advocates across the country. 'A message was sent in error to some Ukrainians' who entered the United States under the Uniting for Ukraine program, said Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin in a statement. She said the 'parole program has not been terminated.'... The notice, which advocates provided to The Washington Post, echoed rhetoric that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem has deployed on social media to target undocumented immigrants, ordering immigrants to leave, threatening to rescind their work permits and warning they could be criminally prosecuted or fined if they fail to depart.... Rabbi James Greene ... of Jewish Family Service of Western Massachusetts, which aids immigrants and refugees,” called the language of the email “shameful.”
Okey-doke. Now we have a better picture of Trump's immigration plan:
~~~ Scripps News Group: Donald "Trump on Thursday showed reporters an example of the gold card he has proposed that would give immigrants a pathway to citizenship in exchange for a $5 million purchase price. 'You know what that is?' Trump asked as he held up the card. 'It's the gold card, the Trump card.... For $5 million, this can be yours.' The card ... Trump showed to reporters bore his image and signature and the words 'The Trump Card.' It was marked with its $5 million purchase price. The cards are part of a program through which foreigners could fast-track a path to U.S. citizenship. Such a program would be similar to the existing EB-5 visa program, which the U.S. began in 1990 to encourage job creation by foreign investors. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has said the 'gold card' system would replace the EB-5 visa program." Thanks to RAS for the link. (Also linked yesterday.)
~~~ Marie: The competition is intense for the Trump Brownnoser of the Week, but kudos to the person who designed that "Trump card"; s/he might have won the prize. Update: RAS thinks it's a crap AI design.
Adam Liptak & Abbie VanSickle of the New York Times: “The Supreme Court on Friday let the Trump administration temporarily suspend $65 million in teacher-training grants that the government contends would promote diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, an early victory for the administration in front of the justices. The court’s order was unsigned, which is typical when the justices act on emergency applications. The temporary pause will remain in effect while the case is appealed. The decision was 5 to 4, with five of the court’s conservatives — Justices Amy Coney Barrett, Neil M. Gorsuch, Clarence Thomas, Samuel A. Alito Jr. and Brett M. Kavanaugh — in the majority. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. voted with the court’s three liberal justices in dissent.... The grants at issue in the case helped place teachers in poor and rural areas and aimed to recruit a diverse work force reflecting the communities it served.” Politico's story is here. MB: Evidently only white teachers can give kids of every race a proper patriotic American education.
Charlie Savage of the New York Times: “The Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel has traditionally been a powerful guardrail in American government. It has issued interpretations of the law that bind agencies across the executive branch, decided which proposed policies were legally permissible or out of bounds and approved draft executive orders before they went to presidents to be signed. But in ... [Donald] Trump’s second term so far, the office has largely been sidelined. As Mr. Trump issues policy after policy pushing legal limits and asserting an expansive view of his power, the White House has undercut its role as a gatekeeper — delaying giving it senior leadership and weakening its ability to impose quality control over executive orders. Its diminished voice is shifting the balance of legal power in the executive branch toward the White House, speeding up Mr. Trump’s ability to act but creating mounting difficulties for the Justice Department lawyers who must defend the government in court.” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Jeremy Roebuck of the Washington Post: “Attorney General Pam Bondi [on] Friday ... appeared to foreclose the possibility of a Justice Department investigation into the [top administration officials' use of Signal for sensitive discussions]. 'Those cases would have to be referred to me. They have not been referred to me,' Bondi said, speaking at an unrelated news conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She referred to reports Thursday that the Pentagon’s inspector general will launch his own internal review, and she repeated denials by top officials that the material at issue was classified.” ~~~
~~~ Marie: I found this report confusing. The IGs report to their department heads, but according to their own FAQ page, the agency head can't prevent them from conducting an audit or an investigation. Therefore, Bondi has no control over the Pentagon IG's investigation nor indeed over any investigation the DOJ's IG might choose to conduct.
It turns out that RFKJ is as big a liar as his boss. Very impressive: ~~~
~~~ Adam Cancryn of Politico: “When HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Thursday that he planned to rehire 20 percent of the employees he’d just terminated, he insisted such a move was 'always the plan.' Turns out, it wasn’t the plan at all. HHS has no intention of reinstating any significant number of the staffers fired as part of a mass reduction-in-force on Tuesday, despite Kennedy’s assertion that some had been mistakenly cut, a person familiar with the department’s plans told Politico. The layoffs eliminated roughly 10,000 jobs across HHS, gutting several public health offices and purging prominent senior scientists from the Food and Drug Administration and National Institutes of Health. They came after the department had already jettisoned 10,000 people who took early retirement and voluntary separation offers encouraged by the Trump administration.... The chaos has deepened concerns about HHS’ ability to function under Kennedy’s leadership, prompting criticism from public health experts and industry officials and fueling fears that the cuts will weaken the nation’s defense against a range of health threats.” ~~~
~~~ Marie: One thing nobody seems to mention is that the drastic cuts in services across the federal government will do very little (or nothing) to reduce costs to taxpayers (and others). First, of course, is the fact that employee salaries are a small part (less than 5 percent) of federal expenditures. But some of the services the feds have provided for decades are so important or necessary or popular that other entities will try to fill the gap. When those other entities are state or local governments, taxpayers will pay for them. And there's a good chance that it will cost more to start up these new local facilities, & to run multiple new agencies to do the same thing that the feds had mastered as a one-stop-shop. Private groups -- foundations, charities, churches -- may take up some of the slack, and somebody has to fund those groups and do that work. The Trump/Musk "efficiencies" and not at all a boon to the taxpayer; the only beneficiaries will be those like Trump & Musk and their cronies who corruptly benefit from the ruse.
Margot Sanger-Katz & Rebecca Robbins of the New York Times: “The Trump administration on Friday rejected a Biden plan that would have required Medicare and Medicaid to cover obesity drugs and expanded access for millions of people. Under the law that established Medicare’s Part D drug benefits, the program was forbidden from paying for drugs for 'weight loss.' But the Biden administration’s proposal last November had attempted to sidestep that ban by arguing that the drugs would be allowed to treat the disease of obesity and its related conditions. Expanding coverage of the drugs would have cost the federal government billions of dollars. The Congressional Budget Office estimated the federal expense would amount to about $35 billion over 10 years. The decision announced Friday was part of a larger 438-page regulation updating parts of Medicare’s Part D drug benefits and Medicare Advantage, the private insurance plans that about half of Medicare beneficiaries now use.”
Zach Montague of the New York Times: “A federal judge permanently barred the Trump administration on Friday from limiting funding from the National Institutes of Health that supports research at universities and academic medical centers, restoring billions of dollars in grant money but setting up an almost certain appeal. The ruling by Judge Angel Kelley, of the Federal District Court in Massachusetts, made an earlier temporary order by her permanent and was one of the first final decisions in the barrage of lawsuits against the Trump administration. But it came about in an unusual way: The government asked the court to enter that very verdict earlier on Friday so it could move ahead with an appeal. The decision nonetheless was an initial win for a diverse assortment of institutions that conduct medical research. After the Trump administration announced the policy change in February, scores of research hospitals and universities issued dire warnings that the proposal threatened to kneecap American scientific prowess and innovation, estimating that the change could force those institutions to collectively cover a nearly $4 billion shortfall.”
⭐Senate Passes Screw-You Budget Blueprint. Catie Edmondson & Maya Miller of the New York Times: “The Senate approved Republicans’ budget blueprint just after 2:30 a.m. on Saturday to clear the way for passing ... [Donald] Trump’s domestic agenda, after Democrats forced an overnight session to protest the G.O.P. push to deliver what the president has called 'one big beautiful bill' of spending and tax cuts. The 51-to-48 vote, mostly along party lines, was a crucial step in the Republican effort to fast-track budget legislation through Congress and shield it from a filibuster through a process known as reconciliation. Disagreements between Republicans in the House and the Senate about what should be in that bill had paralyzed them for weeks, but they have forged a fragile and complex compromise allowing them to move forward. Senators Rand Paul of Kentucky and Susan Collins of Maine were the only Republicans who voted to oppose the measure. The budget blueprint goes next to the House, which must adopt it before lawmakers in both chambers can set to work drafting the legislation laying out the specific tax and spending cuts they want to enact.... The budget resolution itself leaves big questions unresolved.” ~~~
~~~ During the vote-a-rama that preceded passage of the blueprint, all of the Democrats' amendments failed. But “Senators did vote 51 to 48 to adopt an amendment offered by [Dan] Sullivan [R-Alaska]vowing to protect Medicare and Medicaid.” The AP's report is here. ~~~
~~~ The budget plan passed only because of a tremendous stunt Senate GOP leadership pulled: ~~~
Carl Hulse of the New York Times: “... as ... Senator John Thune, Republican of South Dakota and the majority leader..., maneuvers to push through ... [Donald] Trump’s domestic agenda, including a huge tax cut, he is making an end run around the filibuster through procedural sleight of hand, alarming members of both parties.... At issue is the Republican use of a complex process known as budget reconciliation to try to deliver trillions of dollars in tax cuts later this year.... It is the only way to shield major legislation from a filibuster....But the exception is intended to be narrow. In exchange for filibuster protection, lawmakers must follow a rigorous set of budgetary rules meant to ensure that the legislation in question will not add to the deficit.
“The Senate parliamentarian is in charge of interpreting and enforcing those rules, and ordering lawmakers to strip out any provisions that do not comply. But this year, Senate Republicans are saying they will rely on their own interpretation of the budget rules where it concerns their tax cut plans, sidestepping the parliamentarian altogether. They are doing so in order to claim that extending tax cuts enacted in 2017 and set to expire at the end of this year, a move estimated to cost about $4 trillion over a decade, would actually cost nothing because the tax cuts are already in place.” Emphasis added. ~~~
~~~ Catherine Rampell of the Washington Post: describes the GOP attempt to hide the ball as “Orwellian”: “[Trump's tax] cuts are very expensive. Not only do they include extensions of the 2017 tax law provisions (set to expire this year), but they also lower corporate rates as well as carveouts for tips, auto loan payments and other goodies. In total, Trump’s preferred tax agenda could cost between $5 trillion and $11 trillion over the next decade.” Rampell puts the blame not on Thune but on Lindsey Graham, who chairs the Budget Committee and who claims to have magical super-arithmetic powers to determine the baseline budget.
Marie: Did you think big law firms might be headed by cynical, oneygrubbing, amoral cowards? You know, like the stereotypical ones you see on teevee? Well, yes, yes, they are. ~~~
~~~ The Bigger They Are, the Harder Their Hearts. Ben Protess of the New York Times: “More than 500 law firms on Friday threw their support behind some of their embattled peers, declaring that ... [Donald] Trump’s recent crackdown on the law firm industry poses 'a grave threat to our system of constitutional governance and to the rule of law itself.' The firms, 504 in all, signed a so-called friend of the court brief that was filed on behalf of Perkins Coie, the first firm to receive an executive order restricting its business. Perkins Coie sued the Trump administration, and a judge has temporarily blocked the president’s order, which jeopardized its ability to represent government contractors and limited its access to federal buildings.... Not a single top 20 firm by revenue, as ranked by American Lawyer, signed [the brief], including Kirkland & Ellis, Latham & Watkins or Gibson Dunn. Yet in recent days, a few large firms did add their signatures, including Covington & Burling, No. 28 in American Lawyer’s rankings; and Arnold & Porter, No. 47. Two other big firms that received executive orders and are also challenging them in court, WilmerHale and Jenner & Block, also signed. All told, nearly 10 firms in the top 100 signed the brief. Other friend of the court briefs were also filed in support of Perkins Coie, including one signed by both the A.C.L.U. and the Cato Institute, the Washington-based libertarian think tank.”
Vimal Patel of the New York Times: “Former President Barack Obama urged universities to resist attacks from the federal government that violate their academic freedom in a campus speech on Thursday. He also said schools and students should engage in self-reflection about speech environments on their campuses.... In his remarks on Thursday, Mr. Obama also called on law firms, which have also faced threats from the Trump administration, to stand for their principles, even if they risked losing business. Mr. Obama told the crowd, which included college students, that everyone should stand up for the rights of others to say wrong and hurtful things.” Here's a video of a portion of President Obama's remarks. MB: I am distressed by his elder-statesman caution. Measured tones are fine, but the message should be forceful.
Philip Marcelo of the AP: “Prosecutors are seeking more than seven years in prison for disgraced former U.S. Rep. George Santos after he pleaded guilty to federal fraud and identity theft charges. The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York argued in a court filing Friday that a significant sentence was warranted because the New York Republican’s 'unparalleled crimes' had 'made a mockery' of the country’s election system. 'From his creation of a wholly fictitious biography to his callous theft of money from elderly and impaired donors, Santos’s unrestrained greed and voracious appetite for fame enabled him to exploit the very system by which we select our representatives,' the office wrote. Prosecutors also argued that Santos had been 'unrepentant and defiant' for years, dismissing the prosecution as a 'witch hunt' and refusing to resign from Congress as his web of lies was debunked.... A federal judge on Long Island is scheduled to decide Santos’ sentence during a court hearing April 25.” MB: Won't Trump pardon this obvious mini-Trump replica doll?
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New York. He Seems Nice. Santul Nerkar & Michael Schmidt of the New York Times: “A violent felon whose sentence was commuted by ... [Donald] Trump was arrested Friday and charged with violating the terms of his supervised release after he was accused of a string of crimes that included assaulting a 3-year-old child. The man, Jonathan Braun, was arraigned in Federal District Court in Brooklyn before Judge Kiyo A. Matsumoto. Prosecutors asked Judge Matsumoto that Mr. Braun be held indefinitely without bail. The judge, noting the violent nature of Mr. Braun’s accused repeated offenses, ordered that he not be released.... Mr. Braun ... appeared agitated throughout the proceeding. He complained about his legal representation and gave the middle finger to people sitting in the courtroom.... It was the fifth time that Mr. Braun had been arrested since Mr. Trump commuted his 10-year sentence just before leaving office in 2021, which was among a raft of last-minute clemencies granted to those with ties to the president. Mr. Braun’s sentence was commuted after his family used a connection with Charles Kushner, the father of Jared Kushner, Mr. Trump’s son-in-law who was a senior White House adviser, to get the matter before Mr. Trump....
[Besides making predatory loans that resulted in a $20 million FTC fine & a state ban from working in the cash-advance business,] Mr. Braun has also been accused of crimes that include swinging a pole that contained intravenous bags at a nurse; threatening a synagogue congregant who had asked him to stop talking during services; punching his wife and 75-year-old father-in-law; and grabbing a nanny’s breast as he touched himself.” MB: Poor Trump. The things he must do for the in-laws.
North Carolina. Eduardo Medina & Nick Corasaniti of the New York Times: “In the prolonged legal battle over a North Carolina Supreme Court seat, a state appeals court panel ruled on Friday that tens of thousands of voters would need to promptly verify their eligibility or have their ballots thrown out. The decision could lead to the results of the November election being overturned. The ruling was a win for Judge Jefferson Griffin, a Republican who narrowly lost the election in November and challenged the result. His opponent, Justice Allison Riggs, is one of two Democrats on the seven-member Supreme Court. The case has tested the boundaries of post-election litigation and drawn wide criticism. Judge Griffin’s legal argument centers on a claim that some 65,000 people who voted early or by mail in the Supreme Court election did not provide required proof of identity — either the last four digits of a Social Security number or a driver’s license number — when they registered.” (Also linked yesterday.) The NBC News report is here. ~~~
~~~ Scott Lemieux in LG&$: "Barring an act of consc[i]ence on the part of the Republican-controlled top North Carolina appellate court or the federal courts — LOL — this election will be outright stolen by retroactively changing the rules for one election held in North Carolina and none of the others."
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Ukraine, et al. Constant Méheut of the New York Times: “A Russian missile strike Friday on Kryvyi Rih, a city in central Ukraine [that is the hometown of President Volodymyr Zelensky], killed at least 14 people and wounded more than 50, local officials said. It was the latest in a series of Russian attacks on urban centers in recent days that have caused significant civilian casualties despite ongoing cease-fire talks. Oleksandr Vilkul, head of Kryvyi Rih’s defense council, said on social media that five children were among the dead. He said the missile struck a residential neighborhood, with a playground nearby. Other officials warned the death toll could rise as rescuers continued to search the rubble for victims.” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Russian War Crimes. Kim Barker of the New York Times: “In recent months, Ukrainian and international human-rights officials have accused Russian troops of executing Ukrainian soldiers who have surrendered instead of taking them as prisoners of war, as required under the Geneva Conventions treaties that outline how nations should treat enemy forces and civilians during armed conflict. A recent U.N. report decried an 'alarming spike' in Russian executions of Ukrainian prisoners. In December, Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman office announced that 177 Ukrainian prisoners of war had been executed on the battlefield since the beginning of the war; of those, 109 were killed in 2024 alone. Russians have killed at least 25 additional Ukrainian soldiers since then, according to Artem Starosiek, who runs Molfar, a Ukrainian consultancy that supports the war effort and analyzed videos to come up with that tally. The Times could not independently verify that count.... Five Ukrainian drone pilots said in interviews that they had watched as drone videos showed their fellow soldiers surrendering, only to be killed. On Telegram, such videos have become commonplace.” (Also linked yesterday.)
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