The Conversation -- June 21, 2025
Robert Kagan, usually described as a neoconservative -- i.e., a hawkish Republican dedicated to "making the world safer for democracy" -- suggests in an Atlantic essay, a reason to hope Trump does not decide to assist Israel in its war against Iran: "Donald Trump has assumed dictatorial control over the nation’s law enforcement.... He has neutered Congress by effectively taking control of the power of the purse. And, most relevant in Iran’s case, he is actively and openly turning the U.S. military into his personal army, for use as he sees fit, including as a tool of domestic oppression. Whatever action he does or doesn’t take in Iran will likely be in furtherance of these goals. When he celebrates the bombing of Iran, he will be celebrating himself and his rule.... The president is working to instill in our nation’s soldiers a devotion to him and him alone.... Think of how Trump can use a state of war to strengthen his dictatorial control at home.... I’m not interested in using American military power to make the world safer for dictatorship." Thank you to laura h. for this gift link.
Jonah Bromwich of the New York Times: “A federal judge on Friday ordered that Mahmoud Khalil be released on bail, a ruling that could end the monthslong imprisonment of the first pro-Palestinian campus protester detained by the Trump administration. Mr. Khalil, a Columbia University graduate and legal permanent U.S. resident, has spent 104 days in detention, watching as other students targeted by the administration won favorable rulings and were released on bail.... But his lawyers slowly chipped away at the government’s case, and on Friday they convinced the judge, Michael E. Farbiarz of Federal District Court in Newark, that there was reason to believe Mr. Khalil’s detention represented unlawful retaliation for his role in demonstrations on Columbia’s Manhattan campus. Toward the end of a two-hour hearing, Judge Farbiarz said there was 'at least something' to the argument that there had been 'an effort to use the immigration charge here to punish Mr. Khalil.... And, of course, that would be unconstitutional....'...
“The Louisiana judge in his immigration case, Jamee Comans, denied [Mr. Khalil] asylum and ruled that he could be deported based on another of the government’s allegations, a ruling that Mr. Khalil will have an opportunity to appeal. Judge Comans also denied him a bail hearing. In a statement, a spokeswoman for the Homeland Security Department, Tricia McLaughlin, said Judge Farbiarz did not have the authority to direct Mr. Khalil’s release. The claim appears to be false as the law is currently understood: District judges have ordered the release of other noncitizens detained while going through immigration proceedings. But Ms. McLaughlin’s assertion could signal that the government does not intend to release Mr. Khalil on Friday as ordered.” The AP's report is here. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
⭐~~~ Update. New NYT Lede: “Mahmoud Khalil, the first pro-Palestinian campus protester detained by the Trump administration, was released on bail Friday after a judge ordered an end to his monthslong imprisonment. Mr. Khalil, a Columbia University graduate and legal permanent U.S. resident, had been held for 104 days, watching as other students targeted by the administration won favorable rulings and were released on bail. He was denied the opportunity to be present when his wife gave birth to their son in April and he missed his graduation from Columbia.” A Politico story is here. MB: It's about time. ~~~
~~~ Maybe, as he claims, Marco Rubio is afraid of this young man. It's not easy to see why: ~~~
~~~ Update 2. “The Trump administration appealed the judge’s ruling Friday evening....”
Rebecca Shabad & “Vice President JD Vance bashed Democrats at the state, local and national levels Friday during his visit to Los Angeles, accusing top California officials of encouraging violent protesters and Sen. Alex Padilla, whom he referred to as 'José Padilla,' of engaging in 'political theater.' 'I was hoping José Padilla would be here to ask a question. But, unfortunately, I guess he decided not to show up because there wasn’t the theater, and that’s all it is,' Vance said. 'It’s pure political theater. These guys show up. They want to be captured on camera doing something.'” MB: Says Vance, as he is engaging in political theater. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Marie: JayDee and Alex Padilla were in the Senate together for two years (Jan. 2023 -- Jan. 2025). Vance is still the president of the Senate. So it's pretty hard for him to pretend he doesn't know Padilla's first name. Senators are on first-name bases with each other, even though they are more formal when delivering floor speeches. Labeling Alex Padilla as "José" was a purposeful racist slur. It's disgusting. ~~~
~~~ Update. The New York Times story is here. “Mr. Vance’s spokeswoman later said that he misspoke when he said the senator’s name.” Bull. JayDee meant to insult an Hispanic Senator, the son of immigrants from Mexico. For all I know, JayDee refers to all Hispanic men as “José.” Get out, Usha. You can have a nice life without that bigoted bastid bringing you down.
Ken Stone of the Times of San Diego: AT San Diego's federal building, ICE agents scattered and made no arrests when a delegation of Roman Catholic Church priests, led by y Bishop-elect Michael Pham, showed up at the courthouse to "walk in solidarity" with the immigrants. Pham is a refugee from Vietnam. One member of the clergy "said he was told that ICE agents had intended to detain some immigrants Friday — and their lawyers expressed gratitude to the assembled clergy."
David Chen of the New York Times: “A federal judge has temporarily blocked the U.S. Department of Transportation from withholding billions of dollars in funding to states unless they complied with the Trump administration’s demands on immigration enforcement. A coalition of 20 states, most led by Democrats, filed a lawsuit last month arguing that the administration was usurping Congress’s authority over spending and using that power of the purse to to force states to adopt its policies. Judge John J. McConnell Jr., the chief judge of the United States District Court for Rhode Island, agreed with the states. In a preliminary injunction issued Thursday, the judge said that their claims 'are likely to succeed because the Defendants’ actions here violate the Constitution and statutes of the United States.' He also said that the states 'face losing billions of dollars in federal funding, are being put in a position of relinquishing their sovereign right to decide how to use their own police officers, are at risk of losing the trust built between local law enforcement and immigrant communities, and will have to scale back, reconsider, or cancel ongoing transportation projects.'”
Trump’s behavior around Juneteenth isn’t isolated at all — it speaks to how he views our community, and everyone who doesn’t look like him or isn’t as wealthy as he is. It’s why he’s stripping away our rights, erasing our history and silencing our voices. -- Derrick Johnson, President, N.A.A.C.P. ~~~
~~~ Erica Green of the New York Times: “The president’s decision to snub Juneteenth — a day that has been cherished by generations of Black Americans before it was named a federal holiday in 2021 — is part of a pattern of words and actions by Mr. Trump that minimize, ignore or even erase some of the experiences and history of Black people in the United States. Since taking office in January, he has tried to reframe the country’s past involving racism and discrimination by de-emphasizing that history or at times denying that it happened. Government websites have been scrubbed of hundreds of words, including 'injustice' and 'oppression.' Federal agencies eliminated or obscured the contributions of Black heroes, from the Tuskegee Airmen who fought in the military, to Harriet Tubman, who guided enslaved people along the Underground Railroad. School libraries were purged of writings by pre-eminent Black authors like Maya Angelou. Mr. Trump has assailed the Smithsonian Institution for what he characterized as 'divisive, race-centered ideology' in its exhibits on race. He ordered the renaming of monuments to honor Confederate soldiers who fought to preserve slavery.” ~~~
~~~ Green is featured in a NYT video re: the aggressive efforts to remove historical information about racism and discrimination.
Michael Schmidt & Alan Blinder of the New York Times: “Harvard University and the Trump administration have restarted talks to potentially settle the acrimonious dispute that led ... [Donald] Trump to wage a far-reaching attack on the school and raised stark questions about the federal government’s place in higher education.... The discussions began again this week at a meeting in the White House. At the meeting, Harvard representatives showed White House officials a PowerPoint presentation that laid out measures the school has taken on antisemitism, viewpoint diversity and admissions. In turn, the White House signaled other steps it would like for Harvard to take on those subjects and later sent a letter laying out conditions that could resolve the conflict, according to one of the people.” This is the pinned item in a liveblog. MB: The “acrimonious dispute” is of Trump's own making. It did not “lead” Trump to “wage his attack.” He waged an attack because he is a stupid, vengeful bully who bears an insatiable grudge against those he reckons are his betters. I'm sorry to see Harvard reps go hats-in-hand to the White House to beg the bully for mercy. ~~~
~~~ Dhruv Patel of the Harvard Crimson: “... Donald Trump claimed on social media Friday that Harvard is in active settlement talks with the White House, suggesting a possible resolution could be announced 'over the next week or so.' In a post on Truth Social, his social media platform, Trump presented no evidence of ongoing talks and scant detail about their purported contents. But he praised the University’s conduct, saying Harvard had 'acted extremely appropriately during these negotiations, and appear to be committed to doing what is right.' It was not clear whether Trump was referring to formal settlement talks in one of the University’s two ongoing lawsuits against the federal government, or informal discussions around the Trump administration’s demands on Harvard.” MB: What does “extremely appropriately” mean? Obsequiously?? It seems to me that, generally speaking, “appropriate” is a word like “unique”: it either is or it isn't; there are no degrees of appropriate behavior.
~~~ Collin Binkley & Albee Zhang of the AP: “A federal judge on Friday blocked the Trump administration’s efforts to keep Harvard University from hosting international students, delivering the Ivy League school another victory as it challenges multiple government sanctions amid a battle with the White House. The order from U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs in Boston preserves Harvard’s ability to host foreign students while the case is decided, but it falls short of resolving all of Harvard’s legal hurdles to hosting international students. Notably, Burroughs said the federal government still has authority to review Harvard’s ability to host international students through normal processes outlined in law.... 'We expect the judge to issue a more enduring decision in the coming days,' Harvard said Friday in an email to international students.... The stops and starts of the legal battle have unsettled current students and left others around the world waiting to find out whether they will be able to attend America’s oldest and wealthiest university.”
Minho Kim of the New York Times: “The Trump administration sent layoff notices on Friday to more than 600 employees at Voice of America, a federally funded news organization that provides independent reporting to countries with limited press freedom. The layoffs, known as reductions in force, will shrink the staff count at the news organization to less than 200, around one-seventh of its head count at the beginning of 2025. They put Voice of America journalists and support staff on paid leave until they are let go on Sept. 1. The termination notices are the latest round of the Trump administration’s attack on federally funded news networks, including Voice of America. In March..., [Donald] Trump accused the news group of spreading 'anti-American' and partisan 'propaganda,' calling it 'the voice of radical America.' He then signed an executive order that effectively called for dismantling of the news agency and put nearly all Voice of America reporters on paid leave, ceasing its news operations for the first time since its founding in 1942.” Politico's report is here. (Also linked yesterday.)
Lousier Service, But We're Hiding It! Meryl Kornfield & Hannah Natanson of the Washington Post: “Social Security has stopped publicly reporting its processing times for benefits, the 1-800 number’s current call wait time and numerous other performance metrics, which customers and advocates have used to track the agency’s struggling customer service programs. The agency removed a menu of live phone and claims data from its website earlier this month, according to Internet Archive records. It put up a new page this week that offers a far more limited view of the agency’s customer service performance. The website also now urges customers to use an online portal for services rather than calling the main phone line or visiting a field office — two options that many disabled and elderly people with limited mobility or computer skills rely on for help. The agency had previously considered cutting phone services and then scrapped those plans amid an uproar.”
CFPB, the Do-Nothing Agency. Peter Whoriskey of the Washington Post: “Since ... Donald Trump’s second term began, the [Consumer Financial Protection Bureau] has moved to terminate or dismiss 18 ... enforcement lawsuits.... Those cases had accused banks, mortgage firms and installment lenders of financial abuses and deception.... Eric Halperin, who resigned in February as the CFPB’s enforcement director, said: 'Trump’s CFPB has abandoned the agency’s directive to protect consumers.'... On June 10, Cara Petersen, the acting head of enforcement for the agency, quit after sending a staff email denouncing the Trump administration’s efforts to gut the agency. The agency’s acting director is Russell Vought, the White House budget director and an author of Project 2025, the right-wing blueprint for reshaping the federal government.... Shortly after Trump’s inauguration..., staff from the newly formed U.S. DOGE Service set up shop at the agency’s headquarters and the group’s leader, Elon Musk, used his social media site X to post 'CFPB RIP,' along with an emoji of a tombstone. In April, the Trump administration attempted to fire 1,400 agency employees, but a judge suspended the move in March.”
Hiding Out at the CDC. Samuel Lovett of the Times [of London]: At “the headquarters of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia..., staff do everything they can to avoid the twentysomething officials from the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) who stalk the building’s corridors, said a global health specialist.... Ever since Robert F Kennedy Jr was appointed health secretary in February, more than 10,000 staff — many with decades of experience — have been fired. Now, the tens of thousands of health workers and scientists still employed by the US government feel like their lives have been turned upside down.... Under instruction from Kennedy and Doge, health priorities have been reset, longstanding scientific norms disrupted and thousands of research programmes cancelled because of their perceived 'wokeness', officials said. 'RFK Jr is a disaster,' said one CDC grant specialist.... 'He is completely dismantling things to the point where the damage is going to become irreparable.'”
Finally, evidence that Trump's claims about corrupt judges is true. Oh, wait, maybe this isn't what he meant: ~~~
~~~ Hailey Fuchs of Politico: “A Florida state judge was lobbying for a seat on the federal bench. After he sided with the president in a defamation case, Donald Trump gave him one. Ed Artau, now a nominee to be a district court judge in Florida, met with staff in the office of Florida Republican Sen. Rick Scott to angle for the nomination less than two weeks after Trump’s election last fall.... In the midst of his interviews, Artau was part of a panel of judges that ruled in Trump’s favor in the president’s case against members of the Pulitzer Prize Board. About two weeks after the court published his opinion — which called for the overturning of a landmark Supreme Court case that made it harder for public officials to sue journalists — he interviewed with the White House Counsel’s Office. In May, Trump announced his nomination to the federal judiciary. Critics raised concerns about Artau’s impartiality at the time of the announcement, in light of his ruling in the Pulitzer case. But the overlapping timeline of that decision with his meetings with Senate staff and the White House Counsel’s Office has not previously been reported.” ~~~
~~~ Marie: It seems to me Artau had two choices: withdraw from the Florida case or withdraw from consideration for a federal bench seat. And the government had one choice: withdraw Artau's nomination. Now it's up to the Senate to deny this corrupt judge a seat. As Trump would say, "Let's see what happens."
Marie: While I was whining about Mike Lee's horrid disrespect for the victims of political assassination and assassination attempts, Lee was busy with another destructive plot: ~~~
~~~ Hayes Brown of MSNBC: "Senate Republicans are rushing to complete work on ... Donald Trump’s major spending package. Of the many moving pieces, a proposal included in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee’s portion of the budget reconciliation bill stands out. If passed as written, it would make at least 250 million acres of public land available for sale, mandating at least 2 million of that be sold over the next five years. The fire sale of public lands is something of a pet project from the committee’s chair, Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee. Lee and other supporters argue that the provision would help alleviate the nation’s housing crisis. But, in practice, the sale of these lands would more likely be yet another boon to the wealthy in a bill already designed to facilitate a massive upward transfer of wealth."
Bill Chappell of NPR: "A man who appeared at the door of Memphis Mayor Paul Young's home on Sunday night did so with the intent to kidnap the city's leader, according to the Memphis Police Department. Trenton Abston, 25, is now facing multiple criminal charges. The department said in a statement, that officers found a Taser, rope and duct tape in Abston's vehicle when they took him into custody. Abston 'jumped a wall leading into our subdivision' around 9:30 p.m. on Sunday, Young said in a statement posted on Instagram. He added that Abston then knocked on the door 'with gloves on ... and a nervous demeanor,' and then fled after no one answered the door." (Also linked yesterday.)
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Louisiana. Rick Rojas of the New York Times: “A federal appeals court on Friday found that a Louisiana law was 'plainly unconstitutional' for requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in every classroom of the state’s public schools and universities, and agreed with a lower court’s decision to block it. A panel of three judges from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit unanimously upheld a preliminary injunction that a district court judge issued last year. The law, which had been passed last year, was the first of its kind since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a Kentucky law with a similar directive in 1980. The panel of judges found that the requirements established by Louisiana’s law were 'materially identical' to those in the law that had been struck down. The judges — Irma Carrillo Ramirez, James L. Dennis and Catharina Haynes — had been appointed by Presidents Joseph R. Biden Jr., Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.... Louisiana’s attorney general, Liz Murrill, said in a statement on Friday that she strongly disagreed with the decision and vowed to fight it. 'We will immediately seek relief from the full Fifth Circuit and, if necessary, the United States Supreme Court,' said Ms. Murrill, a Republican.” The AP's report is here.
Texas. Tobi Raji of the Washington Post: “Texas’s conservative governor may soon sign a measure that opponents say would dramatically limit how more than a million students enrolled in one of the country’s largest public university systems are allowed to protest on campus, part of the Republican response to last year’s roiling student protests over the Israel-Gaza war. Senate Bill 2972 prohibits protesting between the hours of 10 p.m. and 8 a.m., or during the last two weeks of the semester; and bans students from camping or erecting tents on campus, or wearing a disguise to conceal their identity. It also bars the use of microphones and drums. State Sen. Brandon Creighton, a Republican from north of Houston, wrote S.B. 2972 — dubbed the 'Campus Protection Act' — which he and other Republicans in the Texas legislature have touted as the state’s response to nationwide protests over the Israel-Gaza war. Last year, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) called in more than 100 state troopers to clear out students attempting to occupy a campus lawn on the University of Texas at Austin.”
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Ireland. Blathnaid O'Dea of PV Magazine: "Ireland today (June 20) became the 15th coal-free country in Europe, having ended coal power generation at its 915 MW Moneypoint coal plant in County Clare.... With Ireland now generating a lot more renewable energy nowadays, coal burning is no longer such an urgent need. Energy think tank Ember data states Ireland generated 37% (11.4 TWh) of its electricity from wind in 2024. Solar is not near wind levels of generation, (0.97 TWh in 2024) but it has been continuously breaking generation records in recent months and local stakeholders are confident this positive trend will continue. Following the closure, the Moneypoint plant will continue to serve a limited backup role, burning heavy fuel oil under emergency instruction from Ireland’s transmission system operator EirGrid until 2029." ~~~
~~~ Marie: Meanwhile, the Black Lung/Global Warming/Pollution King is doing everything he can to boost the coal industry in the U.S. In April, Trump signed four executive actions "aimed at reversing policies that transitioned the country away from coal production and aimed at boosting America's 'beautiful clean coal industry,' as the White House put it." This is inexcusable.
Iran didn’t want to speak to Europe, they want to speak to us. -- Donald Trump, speaking in his usual crude, boastful, insulting manner, Friday ~~~
~~~ Israel/Iran, et al. The New York Times' live updates of developments Satuday in the Israel/Iran war are here: “... a European diplomatic effort — dismissed by ... [Donald] Trump — made little immediate progress in preventing the exchanges of fire from spiraling into a broader war.... Early Saturday morning, Iran sent a barrage of missiles toward Israel, setting off air-raid sirens throughout the country’s densely populated heartland. There were no reports of casualties. The Israeli military said it had launched a wave of airstrikes on Saturday against Iranian missile sites. The attacks’ full toll remained unclear. A strike overnight in Qom killed Mohammed Said Izadi, a senior official in Iran’s Quds Force who was responsible for maintaining ties with Palestinian armed groups, the Israeli defense minister’s office said. Mr. Izadi was one of the few people aware of Hamas’s plan for the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel that ultimately triggered the war in Gaza, according to the Israeli military. Israeli jets also struck Iranian nuclear sites in Isfahan. On Friday, talks between representatives of Iran and Europe ended with no signs of a breakthrough. The foreign ministers of Britain, France and Germany, along with the European Union’s top diplomat, met for three hours in Geneva with Iran’s foreign minister....”
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"Canada-Europe security and defence pact to be signed Monday in Brussels"
Tired of the Republicans destroying the future, raise your hand.
Cheaper bribe. How many times has the delusional baby been nominated now for a Peace Prize? The biggest loser.
"Pakistan said on Saturday it would recommend U.S. President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, an accolade that he has said he craves, for his work in helping to resolve the recent conflict between India and Pakistan. Some analysts in Pakistan said the move might persuade Trump to think again about potentially joining Israel in striking Iran’s nuclear facilities. Pakistan has condemned Israel’s action as a violation of international law and a threat to regional stability.
In May, a surprise announcement by Trump of a ceasefire brought an abrupt end to a four-day conflict between nuclear-armed foes India and Pakistan. Trump has since repeatedly said that he averted a nuclear war, saved millions of lives, and grumbled that he got no credit for it. Pakistan agrees that U.S. diplomatic intervention ended the fighting, but India says it was a bilateral agreement between the two militaries."
Money and the Old Guard.
"Representative James E. Clyburn of South Carolina, a veteran lawmaker who was once the highest-ranking Black member of Congress, endorsed former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo in New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary on Friday.
Mr. Clyburn made the case that Mr. Cuomo was the right candidate to help Democrats fend off the ill effects of President Trump’s second term, when Mr. Trump is “challenging the pillars of our democracy.”
“The mayor of New York is uniquely positioned to play an important role in the future of the national Democratic Party,” Mr. Clyburn said in a statement, adding that Mr. Cuomo had the “experiences, credentials and character to not just serve New York, but also help save the nation.”"
So afraid of change and progress that they will push the corrupt sex pest who is a vindictive asshole who refuses to take responsibility for his actions to head one of the most powerful cities in the US. The Democratic Trump Lite, Andrew Cuomo. The fact that Clyburn is pushing this loser as the future of the Democratic Party and touting his character of all things is corrupt as hell. I'm reminded that when Clyburn endorsed Biden that he and the media consensus was that Biden would govern as a boring middle of the road, don't rock the boat, Democrat. Fortunately he ended up with a much more progressive and ambitious agenda. I think Clyburn wanted and thought he was getting a Wall Street Democrat in the mold of how Cuomo would try to run NYC.
David Frum, in The Atlamtic, writes about t****'s "absence of any strategic planning or preparedness" on taking any type of action, noting:
The mullahs of Iran join the bet that Trump always chickens out
"President Donald Trump is being pulled toward war in the Middle East by his predator’s eye for a victim’s weakness and his ego’s need to claim the work of others as his own. But since his 'unconditional surrender' social-media post on Tuesday, other Trump instincts have asserted themselves: above all, his fear of responsibility.
Trump enjoys wielding power. He flinches from accountability. Days ago, Trump seemed to hunger for entry into Israel’s war. A dramatic victory seemed poised to tumble into somebody’s lap. Why not his? But as the hours passed, Trump reconsidered. Instead of acting, he postponed. He said that a decision would come within 'two weeks.'
Robert Kagan, in The Atlantic, is concerned that American Democracy Might Not Survive a War With Iran
"The current debate over bombing Iran is surreal. To begin with, bombardment is unlikely to lead to a satisfactory outcome. If history has shown one thing, it is that achieving a lasting resolution by bombing alone is almost impossible.
....
However, that is not the main reason I oppose bombing Iran. Nor is it the reason I find the discussion of all of this so bizarre. You would never know, as The New York Times churns out its usual policy-option thumb-suckers, that the United States is well down the road to dictatorship at home.
That is the context in which a war with Iran will occur. Donald Trump has assumed dictatorial control over the nation’s law enforcement....When he celebrates the bombing of Iran, he will be celebrating himself and his rule. The president ordered a military parade to honor his birthday. Imagine what he will do when he proclaims military success in Iran. The president is working to instill in our nation’s soldiers a devotion to him and him alone. Imagine how that relationship will blossom if he orders what he will portray as a successful military mission."
@RAS: Yes, if Pakistan is pretending that Trump saved the world from a nuclear holocaust in order to keep the U.S. out of the Israel/Iran war, that's fine with me (as long as the Norwegians don't fall for it).
As for Clyburn, what a disappointment. He was late to supporting Obama in 2008, but at least he held his fire and did not endorse anyone until it was clear in June that Obama had more of the popular vote of Democrats in the primaries.
Then in 2020, I thought maybe Clyburn was right about Joe Biden. I had a lot of trouble picking a candidate in 2020 (I voted in the New Hampshire primary), and I will tell you that I made a bad choice. Then when Clyburn vouched for Biden in 2024, I just figured he was over-the-hill. And now Cuomo??? Good grief!