The Conversation -- January 24, 2025

Sheryl Stolberg of the New York Times: "Dr. Anthony S. Fauci's government security protection was canceled Thursday night and he has now hired his own security detail, according to a person familiar with the move. Dr. Fauci, one of the nation's top health officials for decades, had received death threats during the coronavirus pandemic, when he became a frequent target of conservative critics.... Dr. Fauci did not have Secret Service protection; he was protected by federal marshals, and later by a private contractor whose fees were paid by the government, the person said. Dr. Fauci's chief critic on Capitol Hill, Senator Rand Paul, Republican of Kentucky, had publicly called for the security arrangement for Dr. Fauci to be withdrawn.... [Dr. Fauci] is the latest prominent former government official to lose his security protection since ... [Donald] Trump returned to the White House."

David Yaffe-Bellany of the New York Times: "... [Donald] Trump on Thursday issued an executive order to support the growth of the cryptocurrency industry, calling for a new plan to regulate a business in which he has substantial personal investments. The executive order, which was light on details, said the Trump administration would create a working group on digital assets to come up with a comprehensive plan including 'regulatory and legislative proposals.' The group would also consider establishing a national cryptocurrency stockpile, the order said -- a government-controlled stash of digital coins that the industry has spent months lobbying the new administration to create."

Ali Bauman of CBS News New York: "The mayor of Newark, New Jersey said federal Immigration agents 'raided a local establishment' Thursday. Mayor Ras Baraka said in a statement that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents detained multiple people, including United States citizens, a U.S. military veteran and undocumented individuals. According to Baraka, the agents did not produce a warrant. 'Today, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents raided a local establishment in the City of Newark, detaining undocumented residents as well as citizens, without producing a warrant. One of the detainees is a U.S. military veteran who suffered the indignity of having the legitimacy of his military documentation questioned,' Baraka said in a statement. 'This egregious act is in plain violation of the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees "the right of the people be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures'.'... In a joint statement late Thursday night, Democratic Sens. Cory Booker and Andy Kim, of New Jersey, said they were 'deeply concerned about the news of an ICE raid in Newark today.'"

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Marie: When you look over the news stories of the week, what you'll find is quite a good approximation of a comic-book presidency* run by a comic-book villain. The cartoonish president* is utterly brutish and cruel and careless and stupid and conniving to degrees that we seldom see in real life. I reckon there are some teenagers -- comic-book readers -- who admire & try to emulate these qualities because they're not mature enough to know better. But few adults behave as Donald Trump does. For one thing, they can't get away with it.

~~~ Here's digby, on living in a country where "Stupid Hitler" is president*: Bishop "Budde's message [to Trump] was something we grew up with in Sunday School or lived with as part of our social contract as long as we could remember. AOC's is the simplest political message you can imagine: 'we're against Nazis.' And yet they have to say these things out loud now because a large number of Americans have either forgotten these simple, children's lessons or never learned them in the first place." Read the full post for context. MB: The fact is that Donnie & Elon are among those who don't get Budde's and AOC's messages.

I've been on the bench for over four decades, I can't remember another case where the question presented is as clear as this one is. This is a blatantly unconstitutional order.... There are other times in world history where we look back and people of goodwill can say where were the judges, where were the lawyers? -- District Judge John Coughenour, (seeming to invoke Nazi Germany) from the bench, re: Trump's order to end birthright citizenship ~~~

~~~ Mike Baker & Mattathias Schwartz of the New York Times: "A federal judge on Thursday temporarily blocked ... [Donald] Trump's executive order to end automatic citizenship to babies born on American soil, dealing the president his first setback as he attempts to upend the nation's immigration laws and reverse decades of precedent. In a hearing held three days after Mr. Trump issued his executive order, a Federal District Court judge, John C. Coughenour, sided at least for the moment with four states that sued. 'This is a blatantly unconstitutional order,' he said. Mr. Trump's order, issued in the opening hours of his presidency, declared that children born in the United States to undocumented immigrants would no longer be treated as citizens. The order also extended to babies of mothers who were in the country legally but temporarily, such as tourists, university students or temporary workers." MB: Coughenour is a Reagan appointee. The AP story is here. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Catherine Rampell of the Washington Post: "Donald Trump promised to crack down on illegal immigration.... But so far, his administration has been much more fixated on punishing legal immigrants -- by threatening to raise their taxes, expatriate their kids and block them from the United States altogether.... In his first term, he had almost no effect on illegal immigration levels, but he did manage to demolish legal immigration levels. At one point, he cut legal immigration by the fastest annual pace in U.S. history. Trump this week threatened to double taxes on foreigners working in this country legally. The move received virtually no attention because it was slipped into a broader executive order on trade. [Here Rampell explains the order.]... The executive order attempting to overturn the 14th Amendment's guarantee of citizenship ... would also deny citizenship to children born to most categories of legal immigrants.... Finally, Trump is eliminating many of the pathways for immigrants to come here legally." Rampell provides examples. ~~~

~~~ Wait, Wait! There's More. Russell Payne of Salon: "In the Trump administration's arguments defending his order to suspend birthright citizenship, the Justice Department called into question the citizenship of Native Americans born in the United States, citing a 19th-century law that excluded Native Americans from birthright citizenship.... The [cited law, the] Civil Rights Act of 1866..., predates the 14th Amendment by two years." IOW, Trump would take away U.S. citizenship from all Native Americans subject to tribal law. Astounding. ~~~

~~~ Dred Scott All Over Again. Eugene Robinson of the Washington Post: "... Donald Trump's executive order purporting to abolish birthright citizenship is unambiguously and profoundly racist. We can conclude only that this is the whole point.... The saga begins before the Civil War with the Supreme Court's infamous Dred Scott v. Sandford decision in 1857, which denied citizenship to people of African descent even if they were not enslaved.... After the war, the race-based Dred Scott theory of citizenship was overturned by the very first sentence of the 14th Amendment, ratified in 1868: 'All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.' The whole point was race: Black people born here have the same status, and the same rights, as White people."

Hamed Aleaziz of the New York Times: "The Trump administration is giving Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials the power to quickly deport migrants who were allowed into the country temporarily under Biden-era programs, according to an internal government memo obtained by The New York Times. The memo, signed Thursday night by the acting head of the Homeland Security Department, offers ICE officials a road map on how to use expansive powers that were long reserved only for encounters at the southern border to quickly remove migrants. It also appears to give the officials the ability to expel migrants in two major Biden-era programs that have allowed more than a million people to enter the country temporarily."

Cruelty Is of the Essence of the Scheme. Miriam Jordan & Hamed Aleaziz of the New York Times: "The State Department abruptly canceled travel for thousands of refugees already approved to fly to the United States, days before a deadline that ... [Donald] Trump had set for suspending the resettlement program that provides safe haven for people fleeing persecution. The cancellation of the flights comes on the heels of an executive order signed by Mr. Trump on Monday that indefinitely paused the refugee resettlement.... More than 10,000 refugees were currently in the pipeline to travel to the United States.... They include Afghans who faced danger because of their association with the United States before the military withdrawal from Afghanistan. Among other refugees who had been approved for travel were people from Africa, Latin America and the Middle East. The sudden halt to the flights was an agonizing blow to refugees who had been following a complicated and lengthy process to enter the country legally, resettlement group workers said." (Also linked yesterday.)

WABC 7 New York: "Federal law enforcement and ICE agents have arrested over 500 undocumented migrants wanted for outstanding crimes in sanctuary cities, including three in New York. ICE says it has made 538 arrests, and detained 373 undocumented immigrants in sanctuary cities across the country.... There were similar scenes in Boston, Denver, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Seattle, Miami, and Washington, DC. A Justice Department memo threatened criminal charges against state and local officials who don't cooperate with ICE, but New York Attorney General Letitia James says the Trump administration cannot force local law enforcement to help them detain and deport immigrants.... The NYPD issued a memo as well, saying officers should not assist with federal immigration enforcement.... New York is a so-called sanctuary city, and laws forbid city agencies from cooperating with immigration agents in all but criminal deportations." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Apparently these raids were the story-du-jour on Fox "News" yesterday, with Fox reporters exclaiming about the wonderfulness of Trump for catching these murderous criminales. However, MSNBC reported that these raids yesterday were not different from the raids carried out during the Biden administration and were in fact planned during Biden's tenure; the raids did not represent some new Trump awesomeness. This is a good example of how a news report can be both accurate and misleading.

Teddy Rosenbluth, et al., of the New York Times: "The Trump administration, moving quickly to clamp down on health and science agencies, has canceled a string of scientific meetings and instructed federal health officials to refrain from all public communications, including upcoming reports focused on the nation's escalating bird flu crisis. Experts who serve on outside advisory panels on a range of topics, from antibiotic resistance to deafness, received emails on Wednesday telling them their meetings had been canceled. The cancellations followed a directive issued on Tuesday by the acting director of the federal Department of Health and Human Services, who prohibited the release of any public communication until it had been reviewed by a presidential appointee or designee...." A STAT News report is here. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Who's in Charge??? Alexander Tin of CBS News: "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is operating without an acting director, multiple health officials confirm to CBS News, leaving the agency responsible for defending the U.S. against emerging pandemics and responding to health emergencies without a clear chain of command. A leadership vacuum atop the CDC is unprecedented. Under previous administrations, including the first term of ... [Donald] Trump, officials made sure either to immediately appoint their pick for the position or decide during the transition on whom would assume the top post in an acting capacity. Other federal health agencies are also operating without publicly named acting heads, including the Food and Drug Administration and National Institutes of Health." (Also linked yesterday.)

Emily Davies of the Washington Post: "... Donald Trump on Thursday began his crack down on telework, a sweeping decree that officials estimate could impact more than 1 million federal workers. The White House's Office of Personnel Management in a memo directed heads of federal agencies to revise their telework policies by 5 p.m. Friday and gave employees roughly 30 days from then to comply — panicking workers who rely on the flexibility for child care, affordable housing and to save time on long commutes.... 'No one knows what's going on,' said a lawyer with the Department of Veterans Affairs.... 'We're attorneys, but even us, we are scared about what to do.'" MB: Hey, if Trump has to go all the way downstairs to the office by noon on most days, all the peasants should have to show up at their offices, too. ~~~

     ~~~ Update: Once again, RAS finds a very sensible way to interpret a Trumpy order. See today's Comments.

Trump Pardoned His Most Violent Trump Accomplices. Alan Feuer & Dmitriy Khavin of the New York Times: "After Daniel Rodriguez pleaded guilty to assaulting a police officer during the attack on the Capitol by a pro-Trump mob on Jan. 6, 2021, he was sentenced to more than 12 years in prison by a federal judge who called him a l 'one-man army of hate.' Two other men, Albuquerque Cosper Head and Kyle J. Young, were sentenced to more than seven years for their parts in the assault on the officer, Michael Fanone. On Monday, President Trump pardoned all three of them, lumping them together with nearly 1,600 other people who had been charged in connection with the Jan. 6 riot and who he suggested had been victimized by a politicized prosecution. His grant of clemency comes despite a wealth of evidence about their crimes, including videos used against them by the Justice Department." The article includes video of some of the violence Trump endorsed in his pardons.

Maggie Haberman of the New York Times: "... [Donald] Trump revoked security protection for his former secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, and a former top aide, Brian Hook, despite warnings from the Biden administration that both men faced ongoing threats from Iran because of actions they took on Mr. Trump's behalf, four people with knowledge of the matter said on Thursday. Mr. Pompeo and Mr. Hook had been part of an aggressive posture against Iran during the first Trump presidency, most notably the drone strike that killed the powerful Iranian general Qassim Suleimani in early 2020. Mr. Trump also remains under threat because of that action, and his advisers have regularly stressed the seriousness of the situation in the years between his two terms in office. Mr. Pompeo and Mr. Hook had their security details ... pulled on Tuesday, one of the people briefed on the matter said. A day before, Mr. Trump pulled the U.S. Secret Service detail of John R. Bolton, who was Mr. Trump's third national security adviser and also faces threats." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ digby reminds us, "Mike Pompeo was one of Trump's most aggressive loyalists during his tenure in the first term. Now he’s on the hit list." She adds, "If any of these men [Trump has put at risk] are killed by Iranian assassins [his] warning will be even more powerful."

Petty, Petty, Petty. Glenn Thrush of the New York Times: "The Justice Department has abruptly rescinded job offers made to dozens of recent law school graduates who were to be placed in entry-level positions in its antitrust, criminal, civil rights, immigration and national security divisions, and at the F.B.I.... The offers were made through the Attorney General's Honors Program, which has functioned without controversy -- or much notice -- under presidents of both parties for decades. The program is the latest target of Trump political appointees intent on reversing even the most workaday decisions made by their predecessors." (Also linked yesterday.)

Praveena Somasundaram of the Washington Post: "... Donald Trump on Thursday ordered the declassification of records related to the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, former U.S. senator Robert F. Kennedy and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. 'That's a big one, huh?' he said while signing the order in the Oval Office.... Trump on Thursday directed the director of national intelligence, attorney general and other officials to present a plan for the 'full and complete release of records' related to John F. Kennedy's assassination within 15 days. He directed officials to review the documents related to the assassinations of Robert F. Kennedy and King and present a plan for their release within 45 days." The AP story is here. MB: Trump is like a toddler, thrilled and in awe of his own, newly-discovered powers to make things happen on demand. Think potty-training: "That's a big one, huh?"

Military Massacres in the Making. Meg Kelly, et al., of the Washington Post: "The Trump administration is moving to abolish a Pentagon office responsible for promoting civilian safety in battlefield operations, suggesting that incoming Defense Department leaders may attempt to loosen restrictions on U.S. military operations worldwide.... The office, housed within the Department of the Army, helps the military to limit unintended civilian deaths. As a result of that order, the Army has begun drafting a proposal to defund and potentially 'disestablish' the office.... Shuttering the office, which was established under a 2023 law, would require congressional approval.... The early moves suggest the Trump Pentagon may distance itself from a host of measures established under President Joe Biden to prioritize the safety of noncombatants in conflict zones. Trump's nominee for defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, who has promised to make the U.S. military more lethal, has complained about overly restrictive rules of engagement...." ~~~

~~~ Marie: If you were wondering why the statements & affidavits concerning Hegseth's second marriage seemed so convoluted, here's the answer: ~~~

     ~~~ Lisa Rubin of MSNBC: "... Pete Hegseth testified during his confirmation hearing this month that he wasn't aware of any nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) in connection with his two divorces. While a review of court documents from Hegseth's divorce from his second wife, Samantha Hegseth, does not reflect a full NDA, it includes a court-ordered agreement precluding either of them from saying anything publicly that would disparage the other.... Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia ... [D], had asked [Hegseth] during the Jan. 14 confirmation hearing whether there were NDAs between him and his first ... or his second wife.... 'Senator, it is not something I am aware of,' Pete Hegseth responded. Pressed whether he would release either of those women from the NDAs if they exist, Hegseth said, 'Senator, that is not my responsibility.'... Asked whether Kaine had any comment on whether he thought Hegseth was untruthful or misleading during his testimony, a spokesperson for the senator told MSNBC, 'Yes, he does think that.'" ~~~

~~~ Tara Copp of the AP: "Pete Hegseth..., Donald Trump's nominee for defense secretary, paid $50,000 to the woman who accused him of sexual assault in 2017, according to answers he provided to a senator during his confirmation process that The Associated Press has obtained. The written answers were provided to Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren in response to additional questions she had for Hegseth as part of the vetting process." BUT that's okay, because ~~~

~~~ Abigail Hauslohner, et al., of the Washington Post: "Pete Hegseth..., Donald Trump's contentious pick for defense secretary, narrowly cleared a key procedural hurdle in the Senate on Thursday, as Republicans demonstrated en masse that they are undeterred by the allegations of misconduct that have clouded his nomination. The full Senate voted 51 to 49 to advance Hegseth's nomination toward a final confirmation vote, expected Friday night, with two Republicans, moderate Sens. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and Susan Collins (Maine), joining the chamber's Democrats in opposing the former Fox News personality's bid to run the Defense Department." The NBC News story is here.

Maegan Vazquez of the Washington Post: "John Ratcliffe, a former Texas congressman who served as director of national intelligence during ... Donald Trump's first term, was confirmed by the Senate on Thursday to serve as CIA director. The vote to confirm Ratcliffe was 74-25." The CBS News story is here.

Devlin Barrett of the New York Times: "To people who have studied conspiracy theories, [Kash] Patel's suspicion of the government is a public embrace of conspiracist thinking. The approach, some say, raises concerns over how Mr. Patel would run the F.B.I., whose core mission centers on sifting fact from fiction."

Dasha Burns & Holly Otterbein of Politico: "Some of ... Donald Trump's key aides and allies are furious with Elon Musk for publicly trashing his $500 billion artificial intelligence mega-deal. A White House official said Musk 'very much' got over his skis when the tech tycoon launched a daylong screed against the AI project.... Another Republican close to the White House ... [said] Trump's staff is 'furious' over Musk using his massive social media platform to pour cold water on the infrastructure deal that Trump called 'tremendous' and 'monumental' just a day prior.... 'The problem is the president doesn't have any leverage over him and Elon gives zero fucks.'... Trump [told reporters] it did not bother him that Musk criticized the deal, saying, 'No, it doesn't. He hates one of the people in the deal.'&"

GOP House Members Sexted Trump Aide. Jacqueline Alemany of the Washington Post: "An aide to House Speaker Mike Johnson advised Republican colleagues against subpoenaing former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson as part of their investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack in an effort to prevent the release of sexually explicit texts that lawmakers sent her, according to written correspondence reviewed by The Post and a person familiar with the effort. The aide intervened last June.... Multiple colleagues had raised concerns with the speaker's office about the potential for public disclosure of 'sexual texts from members who were trying to engage in sexual favors' with Hutchinson, according to correspondence produced at the time that detailed the conversation.... Johnson revived the investigation this week as part of an effort by ... Donald Trump and his allies to seek retribution against perceived political enemies, including those who investigated his role in the Capitol attack.... The Washington Post ... has not seen the purported sexually explicit messages nor identified who sent them or whether Hutchinson responded." (Also linked yesterday.)

Dan Mangan of CNBC: "A Republican House member introduced a resolution Thursday to amend the U.S. Constitution in order to allow ... Donald Trump -- and any other future president -- to be elected to a third term in the White House. Trump 'has proven himself to be the only figure in modern history capable of reversing our nation's decay and restoring America to greatness, and he must be given the time necessary to accomplish that goal,' said Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee, who proposed extending the current maximum of two elected terms." MB: These Republicans seem to like the idea of dictatorships.

Even Big, Tough CEOs are A'Skeert. Emma Goldberg of the New York Times: "Mr. Trump ... revoked an executive order signed in 1965 that prohibited discriminatory hiring and employment practices for private government contractors. Perhaps most alarming for business leaders was the order's focus on private corporations, whether they do business with the government or not.... The executive order instructs the federal government to look at private sector D.E.I. initiatives: Each federal agency, it says, will identify 'up to nine potential civil compliance investigations' that could include publicly traded corporations, nonprofits and large foundations, among others. 'We're already seeing that this flurry of orders has created fear and confusion,' said David Glasgow ... at N.Y.U. Law.... Plenty of companies, reading the writing on the wall, had begun to shift their approaches to D.E.I. before Mr. Trump took office.... Some companies have stood firm in support of D.E.I., including Costco, Patagonia and Microsoft." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: It is quite amazing that Trump is effectively telling private corporations, even those with no government contracts, "You must hire the white boys."

Claire Miller, et al., of the New York Times: "Instagram and Facebook have recently blurred, blocked or removed posts from two abortion pill providers. Instagram also suspended the accounts of several abortion pill providers and hid the providers from appearing in search and recommendations. The actions ramped up in the last two weeks, and were especially noticeable in the last two days, abortion pill providers said. Content from their accounts -- or in some cases, their entire accounts -- were no longer visible on Instagram. Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, confirmed some account suspensions and the blurring of posts. The company restored some of the accounts and posts on Thursday, after The New York Times asked about the actions. Meta has been under scrutiny since Mark Zuckerberg, its chief executive, announced sweeping changes to the company's speech policies earlier this month. Mr. Zuckerberg vowed to loosen restrictions on online speech, causing concerns among misinformation researchers and others...."

Marie: As you may know, the Associated Press has a "stylebook" that many news organizations and writers follow when deciding how to, say, refer to a bishop or place commas and semicolons, or spell names in translation. So now there's this: ~~~

~~~ "President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday shortly after his inauguration calling for the Gulf of Mexico to be renamed the Gulf of America, and Denali, the tallest peak in the United States, to revert to the name Mount McKinley. The Associated Press sent its staff the following style guidance for both geographic areas. We will use Gulf of Mexico, while acknowledging the name Gulf of America in our copy. We will also use Mount McKinley rather than Denali. -- The AP"

The Conversation -- January 23, 2025

Mike Baker & Mattathias Schwartz of the New York Times: "A federal judge on Thursday temporarily blocked ... [Donald] Trump's executive order to end automatic citizenship to babies born on American soil, dealing the president his first setback as he attempts to upend the nation's immigration laws and reverse decades of precedent. In a hearing held three days after Mr. Trump issued his executive order, a Federal District Court judge, John C. Coughenour, sided at least for the moment with four states that sued. 'This is a blatantly unconstitutional order,' he said. Mr. Trump's order, issued in the opening hours of his presidency, declared that children born in the United States to undocumented immigrants would no longer be treated as citizens. The order also extended to babies of mothers who were in the country legally but temporarily, such as tourists, university students or temporary workers." MB: Coughenour is a Reagan appointee. The AP story is here.

Teddy Rosenbluth, et al., of the New York Times: "The Trump administration, moving quickly to clamp down on health and science agencies, has canceled a string of scientific meetings and instructed federal health officials to refrain from all public communications, including upcoming reports focused on the nation's escalating bird flu crisis. Experts who serve on outside advisory panels on a range of topics, from antibiotic resistance to deafness, received emails on Wednesday telling them their meetings had been canceled. The cancellations followed a directive issued on Tuesday by the acting director of the federal Department of Health and Human Services, who prohibited the release of any public communication until it had been reviewed by a presidential appointee or designee...." A STAT News report is here. ~~~

~~~ Who's in Charge??? Alexander Tin of CBS News: "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is operating without an acting director, multiple health officials confirm to CBS News, leaving the agency responsible for defending the U.S. against emerging pandemics and responding to health emergencies without a clear chain of command. A leadership vacuum atop the CDC is unprecedented. Under previous administrations, including the first term of ... [Donald] Trump, officials made sure either to immediately appoint their pick for the position or decide during the transition on whom would assume the top post in an acting capacity. Other federal health agencies are also operating without publicly named acting heads, including the Food and Drug Administration and National Institutes of Health."

Maggie Haberman of the New York Times: "... [Donald] Trump revoked security protection for his former secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, and a former top aide, Brian Hook, despite warnings from the Biden administration that both men faced ongoing threats from Iran because of actions they took on Mr. Trump's behalf, four people with knowledge of the matter said on Thursday. Mr. Pompeo and Mr. Hook had been part of an aggressive posture against Iran during the first Trump presidency, most notably the drone strike that killed the powerful Iranian general Qassim Suleimani in early 2020. Mr. Trump also remains under threat because of that action, and his advisers have regularly stressed the seriousness of the situation in the years between his two terms in office. Mr. Pompeo and Mr. Hook had their security details ... pulled on Tuesday, one of the people briefed on the matter said. A day before, Mr. Trump pulled the U.S. Secret Service detail of John R. Bolton, who was Mr. Trump's third national security adviser and also faces threats."

Petty, Petty, Petty. Glenn Thrush of the New York Times: "The Justice Department has abruptly rescinded job offers made to dozens of recent law school graduates who were to be placed in entry-level positions in its antitrust, criminal, civil rights, immigration and national security divisions, and at the F.B.I., according to people familiar with the situation. The offers were made through the Attorney General's Honors Program, which has functioned without controversy -- or much notice -- under presidents of both parties for decades. The program is the latest target of Trump political appointees intent on reversing even the most workaday decisions made by their predecessors."

Cruelty Is of the Essence of the Scheme. Miriam Jordan & Hamed Aleaziz of the New York Times: "The State Department abruptly canceled travel for thousands of refugees already approved to fly to the United States, days before a deadline that ... [Donald] Trump had set for suspending the resettlement program that provides safe haven for people fleeing persecution. The cancellation of the flights comes on the heels of an executive order signed by Mr. Trump on Monday that indefinitely paused the refugee resettlement.... More than 10,000 refugees were currently in the pipeline to travel to the United States.... They include Afghans who faced danger because of their association with the United States before the military withdrawal from Afghanistan. Among other refugees who had been approved for travel were people from Africa, Latin America and the Middle East. The sudden halt to the flights was an agonizing blow to refugees who had been following a complicated and lengthy process to enter the country legally, resettlement group workers said."

Even Big, Tough CEOs are A'Skeert. Emma Goldberg of the New York Times: "Mr. Trump ... revoked an executive order signed in 1965 that prohibited discriminatory hiring and employment practices for private government contractors. Perhaps most alarming for business leaders was the order's focus on private corporations, whether they do business with the government or not.... The executive order instructs the federal government to look at private sector D.E.I. initiatives: Each federal agency, it says, will identify 'up to nine potential civil compliance investigations' that could include publicly traded corporations, nonprofits and large foundations, among others. 'We're already seeing that this flurry of orders has created fear and confusion,' said David Glasgow ... at N.Y.U. Law.... Plenty of companies, reading the writing on the wall, had begun to shift their approaches to D.E.I. before Mr. Trump took office.... Some companies have stood firm in support of D.E.I., including Costco, Patagonia and Microsoft." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Trump is effectively telling private corporations, even those with no government contracts, "You must hire the white boys."

GOP House Members Sexted Trump Aide. Jacqueline Alemany of the Washington Post: "An aide to House Speaker Mike Johnson advised Republican colleagues against subpoenaing former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson as part of their investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack in an effort to prevent the release of sexually explicit texts that lawmakers sent her, according to written correspondence reviewed by The Post and a person familiar with the effort. The aide intervened last June.... Multiple colleagues had raised concerns with the speaker's office about the potential for public disclosure of 'sexual texts from members who were trying to engage in sexual favors' with Hutchinson, according to correspondence produced at the time that detailed the conversation.... Johnson revived the investigation this week as part of an effort by ... Donald Trump and his allies to seek retribution against perceived political enemies, including those who investigated his role in the Capitol attack.... The Washington Post ... has not seen the purported sexually explicit messages nor identified who sent them or whether Hutchinson responded."

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Peter Baker of the New York Times: "At a late-night inaugural ball on Monday..., [Donald] Trump, flush with his restoration to power, began waving a ceremonial sword he had been given almost as if it were a scepter and he were a king.... His return to the White House has been as much a coronation as an inauguration, a reflection of his own view of power and the fear it has instilled in his adversaries. His inaugural events have been suffused with regal themes. In his Inaugural Address, he claimed that when a gunman opened fire on him last summer, he 'was saved by God to make America great again,' an echo of the divine right of kings. He invoked the imperialist phrase 'manifest destiny,' declared that he would unilaterally rename mountains and seas as he sees fit and even claimed the right to take over territory belonging to other nations.... And in the weeks since his comeback election in November, Mr. Trump has asserted his dominance in the political space, making little effort to recognize anyone else's authority in a three-branch government, but instead making it clear that he expects other actors in the system to bend to his will." (Also linked yesterday.)~~~

~~~ Jonathan Swan, et al., of the New York Times: "His vice president, JD Vance, said he 'obviously' wouldn't do it. His nominee for attorney general, Pam Bondi, agreed there was no way: 'The president does not like people that abuse police officers,' she told senators last week. The Republican speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, gave similar assurances that ... [Donald] Trump would not pardon 'violent criminals' -- the kind who bashed police officers with pieces of broken furniture or stashed an arsenal of weapons in Virginia to be used if their breach of the Capitol failed on Jan. 6, 2021. Even public opinion was against Mr. Trump. Just 34 percent of Americans thought he should pardon the Jan. 6 rioters, according to a Monmouth University poll in December. But on Monday..., he ... did exactly what he wanted: He decreed that every rioter would get some sort of reprieve. It didn't matter what crimes they committed.... [Mr. Trump] intends -- even more so than in his first term -- to test the outer limits of what he can get away with." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Trump Pardons Two More Violent Criminals. Paul Duggan & Peter Herman of the Washington Post: "... Donald Trump on Wednesday pardoned two D.C. police officers convicted of misconduct in a vehicle chase that killed a young Black man and sparked a night of destructive civil unrest in the city during the nation's 2020 racial reckoning. Officer Terence Sutton and Lt. Andrew Zabavsky were convicted on charges of conspiracy and obstructing justice, and Sutton also was found guilty of second-degree murder. They were sentenced to prison terms of 5½ years and four years, respectively, but remained free pending the outcomes of their appeals.... On Oct. 23, 2020..., Zabavsky and Sutton, both White, conducted what federal prosecutors said was an unjustified, illegally reckless vehicular pursuit. They were chasing 20-year-old Karon Hylton-Brown, who was riding a rented moped during the low-speed chase and crashed into an SUV in traffic." Although a lawyer for Mr. Hylton-Brown's mother said he was born in the U.S., Trump twice referred to him this week by the derogatory term "an illegal." CNN's story is here.

In an unusual remark that closely echoed actual journalism, Sean Hannity said to Donald Trump last night, "The only criticism or pushback I've seen is about people that were convicted or involved in incidents where they were violent with police. Why did they get a pardon?" You can read Trump's response in this item by Charlie Nash of Mediaite. It kind of boils down to: It would be a lot of trouble to figure out who might have been involved in "very minor incidents" vs. who was completely innocent. Most of them were totally innocent and some were elderly but they got really long sentences & the government treated them "like the worst criminals in history" while Philadelphia murderers are sitting happily at home acting holier-than-thou. More on this interview linked below.

Erica Green of the New York Times: "... [Donald Trump on Wednesday revoked a 60-year-old executive order banning discrimination in hiring practices in the federal government, his latest action aimed at gutting diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. His order, which the White House called 'the most important federal civil rights measure in decades,' revokes Executive Order 11246 signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965. It prohibited discriminatory practices in hiring and employment in government contracting and asserted the government&'s commitment to affirmative action. Mr. Trump's order says that his action 'protects the civil rights of all Americans and expands individual opportunity.' Among its provisions is the elimination of any references to diversity, equity and inclusion in federal contracting and spending.... The administration has moved swiftly to eradicate all programs and practices in the federal government aimed at addressing systemic inequities." (Also linked yesterday.) The Huffington Post's story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Do notice the gaslighting. In Trump's upside-down world, he labels undoing an historic civil rights initiative "the most important federal civil rights measure in decades." Trump pretends that he is undoing a wrong by guaranteeing "equal rights" to white men, a group that has held almost every bit of power since, well, the birth of our nation. ~~~

~~~ Perry Stein & David Nakamura of the Washington Post: "The Justice Department has ordered the civil rights division to halt much of its investigative activity dating from the Biden administration and not pursue new indictments, cases or settlements, according to a memo sent to the temporary head of the division.... A separate memo sent to [Kathleen] Wolfe [-- designated by the Trump administration as supervisor of the division --] on Wednesday says the civil rights division must notify the Justice Department's chief of staff of any consent decrees the division has finalized within the last 90 days. That directive suggests that police-reform agreements the Justice Department has negotiated with cities including Minneapolis, Louisville and Memphis could be in jeopardy."

Trump: Snitch on Your Co-workers or Else. Erica Green & Hamed Aleaziz of the New York Times: "The Trump administration on Wednesday threatened federal employees with 'adverse consequences' if they fail t report on colleagues who defy orders to purge diversity, equity and inclusion efforts from their agencies. Tens of thousands of workers were put on notice that officials would not tolerate any efforts to 'disguise these programs by using coded or imprecise language.' Emails sent out, which were based on a template from the Office of Personnel Management, gave employees 10 days to report their observations to a special email account without risking disciplinary action." ~~~

     ~~~ Robert King & Ben Leonard of Politico: "Federal government websites devoted to diversity, equity and inclusion went offline Wednesday as the White House threatened 'adverse consequences' for agencies that fail to report DEI-related information within 10 days. The sites went down a day after the Office of Personnel Management sent a memo to all agencies Tuesday calling for all DEI workers to be placed on paid leave by 5 p.m. Wednesday. One of the instructions in the letter directed agency heads to remove 'all outward facing media' related to DEI work by 5 p.m. Wednesday." ~~~

~~~ Andrew Prokop of Vox: "New executive actions from the Trump administration on Tuesday make clear that not only is ... Donald Trump using his power to purge the practice of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) from the federal government -- he's acting to try and purge it from American culture as a whole.... In an executive order [issued] Tuesday night..., [Trump declared that] every federal agency ... must send a recommendation to the attorney general of up to nine potential investigations of corporations, large nonprofits, foundations with assets of $500 million or more, higher education institutions with endowments of $1 billion or more, or bar and medical associations. All this, the order said, was meant to 'encourage the private sector to end illegal discrimination and preferences, including DEI.'... For now, what is clear is that Trump's team is making an all-out effort to dismantle both the legal framework and the larger culture that have underpinned affirmative action and DEI in recent years."

Ellen Nakashima & John Hudson of the Washington Post: "National security adviser Michael Waltz has authorized a 'full review' of dozens of career officials who staff the White House on issues ranging from Iranian and North Korean nuclear proliferation to cyberespionage and Russia's war in Ukraine, according to his spokesman.... The officials, known as aides or detailees, were told Wednesday in a brief call conducted by Waltz's chief of staff, Brian McCormack, that they were to leave the building immediately, go home and be 'on call.' They were given instructions to return only if asked by their supervisors -- senior directors appointed by the Trump administration...." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Michael Birnbaum of the Washington Post: "... Donald Trump's plan to grant temporary security clearances to anyone he chooses opens the door to breaches and even espionage, experts and former officials say." (Also linked yesterday.)

Charlie Savage of the New York Times: "The Trump White House is moving to paralyze a bipartisan and independent watchdog agency that investigates national security activities that can intrude upon individual rights.... Congress established the agency, called the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, as an independent unit in the executive branch after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. It has security clearances and subpoena power, and is set up to have five members, appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate, who serve six-year terms. Some members are picked by the president, and some are selected by congressional leaders of the other party.... On Tuesday evening, each of the three members who were picked by Democrats -- Sharon Bradford Franklin, Edward W. Felten and Travis LeBlanc -- received an email from the White House telling them to submit resignation letters by the close of business on Jan. 23.... [Their] departure ... would mean the agency would lack enough members to function...." (Also linked yesterday.)

Nick Miroff, et al., of the Washington Post: "... Donald Trump is preparing to send around 10,000 troops to the southern border, where they will support Border Patrol agents under new orders to shut off access to asylum, according to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection briefing document obtained by The Washington Post. The order directs border agents to block entry to migrants on the grounds that they have passed through countries where communicable diseases are present, without citing any specific health threat." MB: Obviously, there isn't a country or a U.S. city where communicable diseases are not present. Got a cold? You've got a communicable disease. ~~~

~~~ Erik De La Garza of the Raw Story: "The country's agricultural sector is in full-blown panic mode as President Donald Trump's long-promised mass deportations are starting to become a reality in farming communities across the United States. And the ripple effect could soon hit supermarkets, as the chaos surrounding Trump's strict immigration policies -- which already include stepped-up ICE raids -- is already threatening to send food prices soaring before long, according to a report in The New Republic. 'Bakersfield, California saw a massive drop off in the number of field workers showing up for work Tuesday while ICE agents in unmarked Chevy Suburbans rounded up and detained immigrants in the area, profiling individuals they believed to be field workers,' the outlet reported. The roundup resulted in acres of oranges left unpicked in the California sun during the most active period of the season."

Cat Zakrzewski, et al., of the Washington Post: "... Donald Trump threatened to withhold federal aid from California as it works to recover from devastating wildfires, recycling several baseless claims and attacks against California's Democratic leaders during his first sit-down interview since his inauguration. 'I don't think we should give California anything until they let water flow down,' he told Sean Hannity during a Fox News interview that aired Wednesday night. Trump was repeating a false claim he has repeatedly made that California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-California) and other public officials have refused to allow water from the northern part of the state to flow down into the Los Angeles area. Withholding aid, or making it conditional, would be a significant change in standard practice for how the government responds to natural disasters. Recent hurricane funding for mostly GOP-led states passed Congress without condition." An AP story is here.

     ~~~ Marie: So the WashPo reports matter-of-factly that the better part of recent disaster funding went to red states. Then we have this: ~~~

     ~~~ Rebecca Falconer of Axios: "... [Donald] Trump plans to have a 'whole big discussion very shortly' on the Federa Emergency Management Agency because he'd 'rather see the states take care of their own problems,' according to an interview broadcast Wednesday evening.... Trump and others in the GOP have in recent months complained that FEMA's disaster response has been biased against Republicans.... [Trump told Sean Hannity], 'FEMA has not done their job for the last four years.'... Project 2025 suggests 'reforming FEMA emergency spending to shift the majority of preparedness and response costs to states and localities instead of the federal government' -- though during the 2024 campaign Trump disavowed the Heritage Foundation-backed blueprint that some of his Cabinet picks have ties to." ~~~

~~~ Brett Samuels of the Hill: "... [Donald] Trump on Wednesday repeatedly suggested it was a mistake that former President Biden did not preemptively pardon himself before leaving office. Trump, in a sit-down interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity, also danced around questions on whether Biden should be investigated. But on multiple occasions, Trump signaled Biden should have taken advantage of the pardon power to protect himself." ~~~

     ~~~ Irie Sentner & Ali Bianco of Politico: "... Donald Trump appeared to suggest Wednesday that former President Joe Biden should be investigated and should even have pardoned himself on the way out of the White House. Trump did not specify what offenses the former president may have committed, only that his predecessor should endure the kind of legal scrutiny he endured before he was reelected."

Dan Lamothe of the Washington Post: "The Coast Guard will surge additional resources to the 'Gulf of America' and several other locations, the service said in a statement Tuesday, after the Trump administration sacked its top admiral and alleged that she had failed to prioritize the security of U.S. borders. The statement marked one of the U.S. government's first official uses of ... Donald Trump's desired name for the Gulf of Mexico, a policy shift that has elicited derision from his domestic political foes and leaders in Mexico. Trump signed an executive order soon after his inauguration Monday setting a 30-day deadline for the Interior Department to take 'all appropriate action' needed to codify the new name." (Also linked yesterday.)

⭐Judges Get the Last Word, After All. Kyle Cheney of Politico: "A prominent federal judge on Wednesday ripped ... Donald Trump's mass clemency for Jan. 6 rioters, saying the justification he offered in his proclamation -- to correct an 'injustice' and trigger a 'national reconciliation' -- was 'flatly wrong' and a 'revisionist myth.' 'No "national injustice" occurred here, just as no outcome-determinative election fraud occurred in the 2020 presidential election,' U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell wrote in an eight-page order in the case of two Jan. 6 defendants who pleaded guilty to felonies. 'No "process of national reconciliation" can begin when poor losers, whose preferred candidate loses an election, are glorified for disrupting a constitutionally mandated proceeding in Congress and doing so with impunity.... She said his decision 'merely raises the dangerous specter of future lawless conduct by other poor losers and undermines the rule of law.'...

"U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan -- who was slated to preside over Trump's own criminal prosecution for seeking to subvert the 2020 election before his 2024 victory ended the case -- said Trump's mass pardons 'cannot whitewash the blood, feces, and terror that the mob left in its wake.'... U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly said Trump's action could never change the 'immutable' record of violence and heroism of law enforcement, which will remain enshrined in court records."

Alan Feuer of the New York Times: "Fresh from being freed by ... [Donald] Trump's sweeping grants of clemency, two of the nation's most notorious far-right leaders -- Enrique Tarrio of the Proud Boys and Stewart Rhodes of the Oath Keepers militia -- spoke out this week.... They asserted unrepentantly that they wanted Mr. Trump to seek revenge on their behalf for being prosecuted in connection with the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Before Mr. Trump offered them a reprieve on Monday night, both men had been serving lengthy prison terms -- Mr. Tarrio 22 years and Mr. Rhodes 18 years -- on seditious conspiracy convictions arising from the roles they played in the storming of the Capitol.... 'Success,' Mr. Tarrio said, 'is going to be retribution.'... When asked how history should remember Jan. 6, [Mr. Rhodes] said, 'As Patriots' Day -- that we stood up for our country because we knew the election was stolen.' As for any regrets, he said he had none, adding, 'Because we did the right thing.'" (Also linked yesterday.)

You remember how a little while ago we learned that Elon did not play well with Vivek so Elon kicked Vivek out? Well, he's not playing much better in Donnie's sandbox. Oh, how will this end? ~~~

~~~ Theodore Schleifer & Cecilia Kang of the New York Times: "Elon Musk is casting doubt on the first major tech investment announcement made by ... [Donald] Trump, openly questioning the administration he now serves. On Tuesday, Mr. Trump announced a joint venture between OpenAI, SoftBank and Oracle to create at least $100 billion in computing infrastructure to power artificial intelligence, some of which is already underway. But in two late-night messages on X, Mr. Musk said that the venture, dubbed Stargate, did not have the financing to achieve the promised investment levels. 'They don't have the money,' Mr. Musk wrote in reply to an OpenAI post on the announcement. 'SoftBank has well under $10B secured....' ... It's ... an unusual move for any senior policy official to question an initiative trumpeted by the president.... Mr. Musk has been battling with OpenAI's chief executive, Sam Altman." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Elon's pique with the project likely means that Trump's "people" planned this hu-u-u-ge AI project either (a) without consulting Musk, who has an AI product of his very own (Grok/xAI), or (b) consulting him but ignoring his advice. That is, by Day 2 in the Realm of Trump II, there's trouble at the top.

Marie: Long, long ago (2009, to be exact), I warned that Republican men should never publicly speak or write about anything having to do with sex (or gender, if you prefer), because they seldom know WTF they're talking about. Nevertheless, they persisted. So it's not surprising that this is where we are: ~~~

     ~~~ I hope you're all feeling your feminine side, because Donald Trump just declared by executive fiat that you are a female. Congratulations, Girls! Eric Garcia of the Independent: "Specifically, the order defines a female as a 'a person belonging, at conception to the sex that produces the large reproductive cell,' while a male is a 'person belonging, at conception, to the sex that produces the small reproductive cell.'... Critics pointed out that genitalia at conception are 'phenotypically female,' according to the National Library of Medicine. For the first several weeks after conception, all human embryos follow a 'female' developmental blueprint until the activation of the SRY gene initiates sexual differentiation. Embryos with an XY genotype will begin developing male traits linked to the Y chromosome at roughly six weeks. Before then, human embryos have only developed female traits linked to the X chromosome. One social media critic scoffed that the order was 'written by morons.'" (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Update: If you look pretty far down the page in yesterday's Comments, you'll find that RAS has suggested an excellent way to manage this conundrum.

Heather Cox Richardson has some thoughts about Trump's stunts, and shares some of Will Bunch's observations about Trump's performance. Here's Richardson on Bunch: "Trump's first day on the job was 'a dangerous display of rapid mental decline.' Bunch recorded Trump's slurred speech, rambling, and nonsensical off-the-cuff speeches and said that his 'biggest takeaway from a day that some have anticipated and many have dreaded for the last four years is seeing how rapidly the oldest new president in America is declining right in front of us.' Thanks to laura h. for the lead. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ AND Jonathan Chait of the Atlantic strikes an optimistic tone: "... a politician and a party that are built for propaganda and quashing dissent generally lack the tools for effective governance. As far as policy accomplishments are concerned, the second Trump term could very well turn out to be as underwhelming as the first.... Even by realistic standards..., Trump seems unprepared to deliver on some of his biggest stated goals.... Trump's fiscal agenda is where the desires of his wealthy benefactors, the preferences of his voters, and economic conditions will clash most violently.... A leader surrounded by sycophants cannot receive the advice he needs to avoid catastrophic error, and to signal that his allies can enrich themselves from his administration is to invite scandal. In his inaugural spectacle of dominance and intimidation, Trump was planting the seeds of his own failure." Thanks to laura h. for this gift link. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Chait argues that Trump & Co. won't do all that much harm because they don't know how to govern & Trump's "sweeping" executive orders were so vague as to be meaningless. I hope Chait is right, but I have no such confidence. ~~~

~~~ Paul Waldman, in a Substack essay, also is somewhat confident Trump's reign of terror will fizzle because it's based almost entirely upon the sense that "The real Americans have been betrayed, their world and their place in it taken from them." Waldman thinks Democrats can fix that with "strategic thinking." MB: I could not agree less. That backlash we're seeing is an extension of the backlash that arose when the South lost the Civil War. There's no break, no loss of continuity between then and now. Sure, the white (majority male) bigots may have more clearly identified a few more groups to despise -- Latinos, LGBTQ+, & so forth -- but it's all that same bedrock belief that white men should rule and everybody else should "know your place." These yahoos were willing to die for white supremacy in 1860 and they're still willing to fight for it in 2025.

Catie Edmondson & Matthew Duehren of the New York Times: "Top Republicans are passing around an extensive menu of ideas to cover the cost of a massive tax cut and immigration crackdown bill. They could create a 10 percent tariff on all imports, bringing in an estimated $1.9 trillion. They could establish new work requirements for Medicaid recipients, bringing in $100 billion in savings. They have even calculated that they could generate $20 billion by raising taxes on people who can use a free gym at the office, according to a 50-page list of options that the House Budget Committee has circulated in recent days." MB: Yes, the plans are to raise your cost-of-living, raise your taxes AND reduce your benefits. That's what passes for "ideas" in the GOP today.

Sarah Fortinsky of the Hill: "The reverend who called on ... [Donald] Trump to have mercy on transgender children and immigrants during a prayer service for his inauguration said in a new interview she would not apologize for her remarks. 'I am not going to apologize for asking for mercy for others,' Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde told Time magazine in an interview published Wednesday afternoon. The interview comes after Trump criticized Budde as a 'Radical Left hard-line Trump hater' and called on her to apologize for her 'nasty' remarks at the National Cathedral prayer service on Tuesday.... Trump also called on her and the church to apologize to him." MB: I recall how furious Trump was when Nancy Pelosi said she prayed for him. He just can't stand it when women of faith obliquely demonstrate what a cruel, empty person he is, so he lashes out, proving their unspoken premise.

~~~~~~~~~~

Just as we know "Two dogs walked into a bar...." is the preface to a joke, so do we know that "A state senator in Mississippi has filed a bill" also promises a joke, usually a downright ridiculous one. ~~~

~~~ Mississippi. WLBT News (Jackson): "A state senator in Mississippi has filed a bill entitled the 'Contraception Begins at Erection Act.' A written by Sen. Bradford Blackmon, the bill would make it 'unlawful for a person to discharge genetic material without the intent to fertilize an embryo.' There are also fines involved, the third strike resulting in the loss of $10,000 from the perpetrator." Really, Brad, that's great. What was I saying yesterday about how Republican men should not write or say anything about sex or gender? Well, Brad's a Democrat. Looks like a good percentage of Democratic men should STFU, too.

News Lede

New York Times: "A new brush fire rapidly exploded on Wednesday north of Los Angeles, bringing new terror to Southern California more than two weeks after wildfires first tore through the region. The blaze forced tens of thousands of people to evacuate, shut down schools and businesses, and temporarily closed parts of Interstate 5. The new threat, named the Hughes fire, ignited just before 11 a.m. local time near Castaic Lake, a reservoir about 40 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles. By 10 p.m., it had grown to more than 10,000 acres, burning mostly brush around a state park called the Castaic Lake State Recreation Area. By late Wednesday night, firefighters had been able to contain 14 percent of the fire, the U.S. Forest Service said. No injuries had been reported and no structures had been destroyed, officials said." This is a liveblog.

The Conversation -- January 22, 2025

Peter Baker of the New York Times: "At a late-night inaugural ball on Monday..., [Donald] Trump, flush with his restoration to power, began waving a ceremonial sword he had been given almost as if it were a scepter and he were a king.... His return to the White House has been as much a coronation as an inauguration, a reflection of his own view of power and the fear it has instilled in his adversaries. His inaugural events have been suffused with regal themes. In his Inaugural Address, he claimed that when a gunman opened fire on him last summer, he 'was saved by God to make America great again,' an echo of the divine right of kings. He invoked the imperialist phrase 'manifest destiny,' declared that he would unilaterally rename mountains and seas as he sees fit and even claimed the right to take over territory belonging to other nations.... And in the weeks since his comeback election in November, Mr. Trump has asserted his dominance in the political space, making little effort to recognize anyone else's authority in a three-branch government, but instead making it clear that he expects other actors in the system to bend to his will." ~~~

~~~ Jimmy Kimmel seems unimpressed: ~~~

~~~ Jonathan Swan, et al., of the New York Times: “His vice president, JD Vance, said he 'obviously' wouldn't do it. His nominee for attorney general, Pam Bondi, agreed there was no way: 'The president does not like people that abuse police officers,' she told senators last week. The Republican speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, gave similar assurances that ... [Donald] Trump would not pardon 'violent criminals' -- the kind who bashed police officers with pieces of broken furniture or stashed an arsenal of weapons in Virginia to be used if their breach of the Capitol failed on Jan. 6, 2021. Even public opinion was against Mr. Trump. Just 34 percent of Americans thought he should pardon the Jan. 6 rioters, according to a Monmouth University poll in December. But on Monday..., he ... did exactly what he wanted: He decreed that every rioter would get some sort of reprieve. It didn't matter what crimes they committed.... [Mr. Trump] intends -- even more so than in his first term -- to test the outer limits of what he can get away with."

Erica Green of the New York Times: "... [Donald Trump on Wednesday revoked a 60-year-old executive order banning discrimination in hiring practices in the federal government, his latest action aimed at gutting diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. His order, which the White House called "'he most important federal civil rights measure in decades,' revokes Executive Order 11246 signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965. It prohibited discriminatory practices in hiring and employment in government contracting and asserted the government's commitment to affirmative action. Mr. Trump's order says that his action 'protects the civil rights of all Americans and expands individual opportunity.' Among its provisions is the elimination of any references to diversity, equity and inclusion in federal contracting and spending.... The administration has moved swiftly to eradicate all programs and practices in the federal government aimed at addressing systemic inequities."

Ellen Nakashima & John Hudson of the Washington Post: "National security adviser Michael Waltz has authorized a 'full review' of dozens of career officials who staff the White House on issues ranging from Iranian and North Korean nuclear proliferation to cyberespionage and Russia's war in Ukraine, according to his spokesman.... The officials, known as aides or detailees, were told Wednesday in a brief call conducted by Waltz's chief of staff, Brian McCormack, that they were to leave the building immediately, go home and be 'on call.' They were given instructions to return only if asked by their supervisors -- senior directors appointed by the Trump administration...." ~~~

Michael Birnbaum of the Washington Post: "... Donald Trump's plan to grant temporary security clearances to anyone he chooses opens the door to breaches and even espionage, experts and former officials say."

Charlie Savage of the New York Times: "The Trump White House is moving to paralyze a bipartisan and independent watchdog agency that investigates national security activities that can intrude upon individual rights.... Congress established the agency, called the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, as an independent unit in the executive branch after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. It has security clearances and subpoena power, and is set up to have five members, appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate, who serve six-year terms. Some members are picked by the president, and some are selected by congressional leaders of the other party.... On Tuesday evening, each of the three members who were picked by Democrats -- Sharon Bradford Franklin, Edward W. Felten and Travis LeBlanc -- received an email from the White House telling them to submit resignation letters by the close of business on Jan. 23.... [Their] departure ... would mean the agency would lack enough members to function...."

Alan Feuer of the New York Times: "Fresh from being freed by ... [Donald] Trump's sweeping grants of clemency, two of the nation's most notorious far-right leaders -- Enrique Tarrio of the Proud Boys and Stewart Rhodes of the Oath Keepers militia -- spoke out this week.... They asserted unrepentantly that they wanted Mr. Trump to seek revenge on their behalf for being prosecuted in connection with the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Before Mr. Trump offered them a reprieve on Monday night, both men had been serving lengthy prison terms -- Mr. Tarrio 22 years and Mr. Rhodes 18 years -- on seditious conspiracy convictions arising from the roles they played in the storming of the Capitol.... 'Success,' Mr. Tarrio said, 'is going to be retribution.'... When asked how history should remember Jan. 6, [Mr. Rhodes] said, 'As Patriots' Day -- that we stood up for our country because we knew the election was stolen.' As for any regrets, he said he had none ... 'Because we did the right thing.'"

Dane Lamothe of the Washington Post:"The Coast Guard will surge additional resources to the 'Gulf of America' and several other locations, the service said in a statement Tuesday, after the Trump administration sacked its top admiral and alleged that she had failed to prioritize the security of U.S. borders. The statement marked one of the U.S. government's first official uses of ... Donald Trump's desired name for the Gulf of Mexico, a policy shift that has elicited derision from his domestic political foes and leaders in Mexico. Trump signed an executive order soon after his inauguration Monday setting a 30-day deadline for the Interior Department to take 'all appropriate action' needed to codify the new name."

You remember how a little while ago we learned that Elon did not play well with Vivek so Elon kicked Vivek out? Well, he's not playing much better in Donnie's sandbox. Oh, how will this end? ~~~

~~~ Theodore Schleifer & Cecilia Kang of the New York Times: "Elon Musk is casting doubt on the first major tech investment announcement made by ... [Donald] Trump, openly questioning the administration he now serves. On Tuesday, Mr. Trump announced a joint venture between OpenAI, SoftBank and Oracle to create at least $100 billion in computing infrastructure to power artificial intelligence, some of which is already underway. But in two late-night messages on X, Mr. Musk said that the venture, dubbed Stargate, did not have the financing to achieve the promised investment levels. 'They don't have the money,' Mr. Musk wrote in reply to an OpenAI post on the announcement. 'SoftBank has well under $10B secured....' ... It's ... an unusual move for any senior policy official to question an initiative trumpeted by the president.... Mr. Musk has been battling with OpenAI's chief executive, Sam Altman."

Marie: Long, long ago (2009, to be exact), I warned that Republican men should never publicly speak or write about anything having to do with sex, because they seldom know WTF they're talking about. Nevertheless, they persisted. So it's not surprising that this is where we are: ~~~

     ~~~ I hope you're all feeling your feminine side, because Donald Trump just declared by executive fiat that you are a female. Congratulations, Girls! Eric Garcia of the Independent: "Specifically, the order defines a female as a 'a person belonging, at conception to the sex that produces the large reproductive cell,' while a male is a 'person belonging, at conception, to the sex that produces the small reproductive cell.'... Critics pointed out that genitalia at conception are 'phenotypically female,' according to the National Library of Medicine. For the first several weeks after conception, all human embryos follow a 'female' developmental blueprint until the activation of the SRY gene initiates sexual differentiation. Embryos with an XY genotype will begin developing male traits linked to the Y chromosome at roughly six weeks. Before then, human embryos have only developed female traits linked to the X chromosome. One social media critic scoffed that the order was 'written by morons.'" ~~~

     ~~~ Update: If you look down the page of Comments, you'll find that RAS has suggested an excellent way to manage this conundrum.

Heather Cox Richardson has some thoughts about Trump's stunts, and shares some of Will Bunch's observations about Trump's performance. Here's Richardson on Bunch: "Trump's first day on the job was 'a dangerous display of rapid mental decline.' Bunch recorded Trump's slurred speech, rambling, and nonsensical off-the-cuff speeches and said that his 'biggest takeaway from a day that some have anticipated and many have dreaded for the last four years is seeing how rapidly the oldest new president in America is declining right in front of us.'" Thanks to laura h. for the lead.

~~~~~~~~~~

Michael Schmidt & Mark Mazzetti of the New York Times: "Since his election victory..., [Donald] Trump has said he would not seek retribution against his perceived enemies.... But in an executive order he signed on Monday night, Mr. Trump made clear that he has every intention to seek out and possibly punish government officials in the Justice Department and America's intelligence agencies as a way to 'correct past misconduct' against him and his supporters. It would be justice, the order said, against officials from the Biden administration who carried out an 'unprecedented, third-world weaponization of prosecutorial power to upend the democratic process.' This is what retribution could look like during the second Trump presidency: payback dressed up in the language of victimhood. That executive order ... came amid a blizzard of other actions on Monday evening. They included a highly unusual separate order that stripped the security clearances of dozens of former intelligence officials whom Mr. Trump has viewed as his political enemies. Another order gave the White House authority to grant immediate top-secret security clearance to any official for up to six months, circumventing the traditional background process managed by the F.B.I. and the intelligence community." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Reporters & commentators are discussing just how much more methodical Trump is being in his second term. But within that methodology, he is breeding a nationwide chaos which will stretch further and deeper than that which he managed to impose in his first term. His appointees, even at the highest levels, are woefully unqualified to fill their jobs, he is removing qualified lower-level staff from their jobs and replacing them with unvetted, unqualified loyalists, he is issuing unconstitutional and unlawful orders that eventually will affect every American and resident, he is threatening other nations in North America and around the world. This is a bitter & dangerous old man who has an entire cadre of administrative, Congressional & judicial sycophants to do his bidding. Chaos? You bet. Fastening our seatbelts for a bumpy ride will not be enough to save us.

Hamed Aleaziz of the New York Times: "The Trump administration on Tuesday expanded the powers that Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers have to swiftly remove some undocumented immigrants from the U.S., a move that could help ... [Donald] Trump carry out the large-scale deportation campaign he has promised. The new policy, detailed in a notice posted online, makes it so the Department of Homeland Security can more quickly deport certain undocumented immigrants who, upon arrest, cannot prove they have been in the country longer than two years. Such sweeping powers -- a process known as expedited removal, which allows unauthorized immigrants to be deported without court proceedings -- have long been reserved primarily for the area near the southern border. But the policy issued by the acting homeland security secretary, Benjamine C. Huffman, allows ICE officers to use it across the entirety of the United States." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Adios, due process. You stop momentarily on a street corner while "looking Hispanic." A cop arrests your for loitering. Back to Guatemala you go, amigo.

Alan Rappeport of the New York Times: "... [Donald] Trump said on Tuesday that he intended to impose a 10 percent tariff on Chinese imports into the United States on Feb. 1, a decision that is sure to escalate trade tensions between the world's largest economies. Speaking at the White House, Mr. Trump said that the tariffs were in response to China's role in America's fentanyl crisis. Mr. Trump said that China was sending fentanyl to Canada and Mexico, from where it would be transported into the United States. The tariff threat comes after Mr. Trump said on Monday that he planned to impose a 25 percent duty on imports from Canada and Mexico as punishment for allowing fentanyl and illegal immigrants to cross into the United States." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Well, thank goodness I ordered my LG washer & dryer (maybe made in China & recommended by the NYT's Wirecutter) on Monday.

Cecilia Kang & Cade Metz of the New York Times: "President Trump on Tuesday announced a joint venture between [MB: among!] OpenAI, SoftBank and Oracle to create at least $100 billion in computing infrastructure to power artificial intelligence. The venture, called Stargate, adds to tech companies' significant investments in U.S. data centers, huge buildings full of servers that provide computing power.... The announcement of the joint venture was an early trophy for Mr. Trump, even though the effort to form the venture predates his taking office on Monday.... On Monday he rolled back an executive order from former President Joseph R. Biden Jr. that imposed standards on safety and other requirements for government use of A.I.... OpenAI's chief executive, Sam Altman; SoftBank's chief, Masayoshi Son; and Oracle's founder, Larry Ellison, were at the White House announcement with Mr. Trump."

Spencer Hsu, et al., of the Washington Post: "... Donald Trump defended his decision to free all of roughly 1,600 Jan. 6 riot defendants on Tuesday as the leaders of two extremist groups who played outsize roles in the Capitol attack walked out of federal prisons after serving a fraction of their sentences for seditious conspiracy. Trump called the conspirators' sentences 'ridiculous and excessive,' saying he pardoned 'people that were treated unbelievably poorly.' But counterterrorism experts say the pardons could further embolden fringe groups and hamper the Justice Department's fight against political violence.... 'Those [militia-style] groups of course are going to see the return of battle-hardened leaders, who in addition to having a kind of real-life legitimacy due to having actually fought the government, will also have a strong sense of victimhood and martyrdom, which will further radicalize and fuel recruitment platforms,' said Jacob Ware, a Council on Foreign Relations research fellow. 'This move is going to make combating terrorism far more difficult....'"

But more than anything else, I'm sorry for myself. ~~~

~~~ Jeffrey Toobin of the New York Times: "By pardoning the rioters, [Donald Trump] was, in every real sense, pardoning himself. The president repeatedly promised during the campaign that he would pardon what he called the 'J6 hostages,' but he was vague about the details.... [Monday,] he pardoned a vast majority of the 1,600 who were arrested, including those who assaulted police officers.... Further, Mr. Trump ordered all pending cases, including those for defendants charged with violent crimes, to be dismissed.... The cases against them now disappear..., and the consequences of those convictions vanish as well. Former convicts ... will now have no restrictions on their right to purchase firearms; they will be free to bring guns to their next confrontation with authorities. The pardon recipients now join Mr. Trump himself as former Jan. 6 defendants who are in the clear for their actions on that day.... His actions were consistent with the transactional narcissism that characterized his approach to clemency during his first term." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Toobin's assertion piqued my interest. The text of Trump's executive order is here, via the Trump White House. It is worded in such a way that it does not pardon Trump himself. I think that was a mistake.

David Yaffe-Bellamy & Ryan Mac of the New York Times: "... [Donald] Trump on Tuesday granted a pardon to Ross Ulbricht, the creator of the Silk Road drug marketplace and a cult hero in the cryptocurrency and libertarian worlds.... A Bitcoin pioneer, Mr. Ulbricht, 40, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in 2015, after he was convicted on charges that included distributing narcotics on the internet. 'I just called the mother of Ross William Ulbright to let her know,' Mr. Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social, misspelling Mr. Ulbricht's name and making a reference to federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York. 'The scum that worked to convict him were some of the same lunatics who were involved in the modern day weaponization of government against me.'" Thanks to laura h. for the link. An NPR story is here.

Luke Broadwater of the New York Times: "When inmates are released from federal prison, the Justice Department places a call to their victims, notifying them that the defendant who attacked them is now free. On Tuesday, the phones of U.S. Capitol Police and D.C. police officers were buzzing nonstop. For Aquilino A. Gonell, a former Capitol Police sergeant, the automated calls began on Monday evening and continued into Tuesday morning after ... [Donald] Trump issued a sweeping legal reprieve to all of the nearly 1,600 defendants, including those convicted of violent crimes, in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. Between 7:03 a.m. and 9:37 a.m., Mr. Gonell received nine calls from the Justice Department about the release of inmates. Mr. Gonell, who was assaulted during the attack and retired because of the injuries he suffered, was as outraged and distraught as he was shortly after the violence.... Harry Dunn, one of the most outspoken officers who protected the Capitol on Jan. 6, spent Monday and Tuesday checking in with his former colleagues. 'Everybody's angry and sad and devastated,' said Mr. Dunn, who has left the Capitol Police." ~~~

~~~ Sareen Habeshian of Axios: "... Trump's near-total pardon of Jan. 6 rioters was denounced by the Fraternal Order of Police, the largest police union in the U.S., and the International Association of Chiefs of Police on Tuesday.... The groups said they're deeply discouraged by pardons and commutations made by both the Biden and Trump administrations of individuals convicted of killing or assaulting law enforcement officers.... The Fraternal Order of Police endorsed Trump in 2016, 2020 and 2024." ~~~

House Republicans are celebrating pardons issued to a bloodthirsty mob that violently assaulted police officers on January 6, 2021. What happened to backing the Blue?... Far right extremists have become the party of lawlessness and disorder. Don't ever lecture America again. About anything. -- House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) posted Tuesday on Threads (via the Hill)

~~~ Carrie Johnson, et al., of NPR: "Jan. 6 defendants and their families celebrated Trump's actions. Jacob Chansley, the convicted rioter widely described as the 'QAnon Shaman,' posted on social media, 'THANK YOU PRESIDENT TRUMP!!! NOW I AM GONNA BUY SOME MOTHA FU*KIN GUNS!!!'... Matthew Graves, [who] led the office that prosecuted all of the Jan. 6 cases..., told NPR, 'The actions taken by the President disproportionately benefit the most violent among the mob.'... Rioters used bats, flags, chemical sprays, poles and stolen police shields and batons to beat officers. Several rioters were convicted of charges for carrying loaded firearms in the melee.... Here are some of the people convicted of violence on Jan. 6, who received 'full, complete and unconditional' pardons...[.]"

~~~ BUT Republican members of Congress whose lives these officers saved on January 6, 2021? Meh! ~~~

We're looking at the future, not the past. -- Sen. Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) ~~~

~~~ Robert Jimison of the New York Times: "A small contingent of Republicans in Congress [-- like Sens. Thom Tillis (N.C.) & Susan Collins (Maine) --] on Tuesday criticized ... Donald Trump's pardons of more than 1,500 people charged for their actions during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, including rioters who violently attacked police.... Members of Congress ran in fear of their lives from the Capitol four years ago as it was besieged by a pro-Trump mob, and many Republicans made strong statements in the immediate aftermath of the attack that violent rioters must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. But on Tuesday, few spoke up to object to Mr. Trump's pardons, and many Republican lawmakers said it was time to move on.... Last week before being sworn in as vice president, JD Vance was clear during an interview on 'Fox News Sunday' that violent rioters should not be pardoned." ~~~

     ~~~ The Chickens Come Home to Roost ... in the Palm of Trump's Tiny Hand. Aaron Blake of the Washington Post: "When the idea of pardons for Jan. 6 defendants first circulated, the pushback from Republican senators was pretty swift. And even the few who entertained the idea drew a line at pardoning the violent ones.... But now that ... Donald Trump has gone there and granted clemency to every Jan. 6 defendant -- including those who assaulted police -- the response from Republicans has been strikingly muted. And some are even giving Trump a nod of approval, a remarkable episode that shows how Trump gradually lures his party to vouch for the previously unthinkable.

Alan Feuer of the New York Times: "One day after ... Donald J. Trump issued a sweeping legal reprieve to all of the nearly 1,600 people charged in connection with the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, some of the defendants started having their cases dismissed or even began to be released from custody. By Tuesday afternoon, two of the country's most prominent far-right extremists -- Enrique Tarrio of the Proud Boys and Stewart Rhodes of the Oath Keepers militia -- who played central roles in the Capitol attack had been set free.... Defendants have also started to be released from the local jail in Washington, where several rioters have been held in recent years in a special area nicknamed the 'patriot wing.' On Monday night, two brothers from Pennsylvania, Matthew and Andrew Valentin, were set free, only days after being sentenced to two and a half years each on charges of assaulting the police." (Also linked yesterday.)

Bill Kristol of the Bulwark: "Shortly after noon yesterday, Donald Trump took the oath of office. He swore that he would 'faithfully execute the office of president of the United States' and would, to the best of his ability, 'preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.' He spent the rest of the day violating that oath.... Trump's embrace of illegality and unconstitutionality was a feature, not a bug, of Day One of his presidency. From abrogating the law governing TikTok to trying to end birthright citizenship -- not to mention a host of other actions, especially but not only concerning immigration -- Trump made clear that a lawless presidency is at the core of his vision for his second term. Yet in a way the most radical statement of lawlessness was an act for which Trump does have constitutional authority: the pardon, or in a few cases commutation, of all the criminals and defendants involved in the January 6th assault on the Capitol. The pardons included the most violent and unrepentant of the convicts, and the leaders of dangerous extremist groups." (Also linked yesterday.)

Jack Detsch & Paul McLeary of Politico: "Homeland Security officials have removed Adm. Linda Fagan from her role as the Coast Guard's commandant, according to a note sent to service members -- the first firing of a top military officer under the Trump administration. Acting Homeland Security Secretary Benjamin Huffman, in his message, said Fagan had been relieved and Adm. Kevin E. Lunday would become the service's acting commandant.... A senior DHS official said Fagan was removed for failing to address border threats, allowing delays and cost overruns in the Coast Guard's icebreaker and helicopter programs, and putting an 'excessive focus' on diversity and inclusion efforts that diverted 'resources and attention from operational imperatives.'... Fagan was the first female service chief of a U.S.military branch.... But Fagan's firing ran into immediate protests from some top Democratic lawmakers." (Also linked yesterday.)

Petty, Petty, Petty. Kaitlin Collins of CNN: "Within hours of taking office..., Donald Trump terminated the Secret Service detail that was assigned to his former national security adviser John Bolton, Bolton confirmed to CNN on Tuesday. Bolton, who left the Trump White House in November 2019, has required ongoing US Secret Service protection because of threats against him from Iran. Trump initially terminated his protection after he left his administration in the first term, but President Joe Biden restored it once he took office." (Also linked yesterday.) The New York Times story is here.

Frances Vinall of the Washington Post: "Donald Trump's administration took aim at government DEI programs, ordering federal diversity, equity and inclusion employees to be placed on leave no later than Wednesday and for DEI offices to be closed down, according to a memorandum sent Tuesday by the Office of Personnel Management. The directive will eventually lead to these employees being laid off or reassigned, and followed executive orders on Monday in which Trump directed an end to what he called 'radical and wasteful' federal government DEI programs. OPM acting director Charles Ezell sent the memorandum to federal department and agency heads, instructing them to inform all employees of DEI offices by 5 p.m. Wednesday that they were being placed on paid administrative leave effective immediately." The AP report is here.

Trump Shuts Down Health Agency Info. Lena Sun, et al., of the Washington Post: "The Trump administration has instructed federal health agencies to pause all external communications, such as health advisories, weekly scientific reports, updates to websites and social media post.... The instructions were delivered Tuesday to staff at agencies inside the Department of Health and Human Services, including officials at the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and National Institutes of Health, one day after the new administration took office.... The health agencies are charged with making decisions that touch the lives of every American and are the source of crucial information to health-care providers and organizations across the country." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I need an inoculation that Medicare paid for, at least up until noon on Monday. I saw an item that indicated Trump had cut or would cut that benefit. I guess if I called around the federal government trying to find out what the rule of the moment was, no one would be allowed to tell me, even if he knew the answer.

Faiz Siddiqui, et al., of the Washington Post: "... Donald Trump's order establishing the 'Department of Government Efficiency' aims to give billionaire Elon Musk's team sweeping access to operations at federal agencies, revamping its structure after competing visions left one of its leaders seeking an exit. The new structure -- which has DOGE taking over the U.S. Digital Service, part of the Executive Office of the President -- emerged after months of behind-the-scenes maneuvering between Musk and fellow billionaire entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, the DOGE co-leader who will depart to run for governor of Ohio. Deep philosophical differences over how the panel should operate helped spur Ramaswamy to leave.... In his new role, Musk appears to have vast access to the inner workings of government that far exceeds the plan as initially conceived." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Anyone who thought Elon or Vivek could work with a partner was foolish. Elon can "work with" Donald because Donald doesn't do anything. But Donnie is the boss, so the longer Elon sticks around, the more it means he's getting what he wants out of Donnie Boy.

Alan Feuer of the New York Times: "A federal judge in Florida stopped the Justice Department on Tuesday from releasing to Congress a potentially damning section of a report by the former special counsel, Jack Smith, detailing his lengthy investigation of ... [Donald] Trump's mishandling of classified documents. In a strongly worded 14-page order, the judge, Aileen M. Cannon, said that federal prosecutors should not be allowed to share the section of the two-volume report with anyone outside the Justice Department, including members of Congress, given the risk that the information, some of which she said had not yet been made public, could slip out.... Merrick B. Garland, then the attorney general, had proposed showing the classified documents section of Mr. Smith's report to the four top leaders of the House and Senate Judiciary Committees.... Mr. Trump's lawyers and the other defense lawyers in the case have vehemently fought the release of the report to anyone outside the Justice Department." (Also linked yesterday.)

Mattathias Schwartz of the New York Times: "Attorneys general from 18 states sued ... [Donald] Trump on Tuesday to block an executive order that refuses to recognize the U.S.-born children of unauthorized immigrants as citizens, the opening salvo in what promises to be a long legal battle over the Trump administration's immigration policies. The complaint, filed in Federal District Court in Massachusetts was joined by the cities of San Francisco and Washington, D.C.... [Trump's] order flew in the face of more than 100 years of legal precedent.... The courts recognized only a narrow exception for the children of accredited diplomats. But there are signs the judiciary could be divided on the issue. Judge James C. Ho, whom Mr. Trump nominated to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, has ... liken[ed] unauthorized immigrants to an invading army. That comparison has also been made by lawyers for the State of Texas and another declaration by Mr. Trump that illegal crossings at the southern border amount to an 'ongoing invasion.'" An NBC News report is here. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ New Lede: "Attorneys general from 22 states sued President Trump in two federal district courts on Tuesday to block an executive order that refuses to recognize the U.S.-born children of unauthorized immigrants as citizens, the opening salvo in what promises to be a long legal battle over the Trump administration's immigration policies." ~~~

     ~~~ Also Too. Gaby Del Valle of the Verge: "The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and a host of other organizations filed a suit in a New Hampshire federal court on Monday night, hours after the order was announced." Del Valle also notes that to get around that pesky Constitution thing, "Trump's executive order attempts to reinterpret the 14th Amendment rather than amending or repealing it altogether.... Put simply, under Trump's order, the children of most undocumented immigrants wouldn't be US citizens, nor would the children of people in the country on student, work, or tourist visas." The report includes the pertinent language of the order. ~~~

     ~~~ Steve M. explains why the courts -- or at least what he aptly calls "the FedSoc Six" will find for Trump: "So I'm calling it now: This case will reach the Supreme Court and the Court will rule in Trump's favor. Established law? Roe was established law. Chevron deference was established law. Sections 4(b) and 5 of the Voting Rights Act were established law. Leonard Leo's minions don't care." Thanks to Akhilleus for the link.

Jonathan Landay of Reuters: "Nearly 1,660 Afghans cleared by the U.S. government to resettle in the U.S., including family members of active-duty U.S. military personnel, are having their flights canceled under ... Donald Trump's order suspending U.S. refugee programs, a U.S. official and a leading refugee resettlement advocate said on Monday. The group includes unaccompanied minors awaiting reunification with their families in the U.S. as well as Afghans at risk of Taliban retribution because they fought for the former U.S.-backed Afghan government, said Shawn VanDiver, head of the #AfghanEvac coalition of U.S. veterans and advocacy groups and the U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity." Thanks to RAS for the link. (Also linked yesterday.)

A WWJD Moment. Jason DeRose & Sarah Ventre of NPR: "During a prayer service at Washington's National Cathedral Tuesday, the Episcopal bishop of Washington directly confronted President Trump while he and Vice President J.D. Vance were seated in the front row. 'Let me make one final plea, Mr. President,' Bishop Mariann Budde said in her 15-minute sermon. 'Millions have put their trust in you. And as you told the nation yesterday, you have felt the providential hand of a loving God. In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now,' said Budde, as she appeared to look towards the president.... 'There are gay, lesbian and transgender children in Democratic, Republican, and independent families, some who fear for their lives.... The people who pick our crops and clean our office buildings; who labor in poultry farms and meat packing plants; who wash the dishes after we eat in restaurants and work the night shifts in hospitals, they -- they may not be citizens or have the proper documentation. But the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. They pay taxes and are good neighbors.'..." ~~~

Lucifer Responds. Tiffany Stanley, et al., of the AP: "... Donald Trump on Wednesday demanded an apology from the Episcopal bishop of Washington after she made a direct appeal to him during a prayer service marking his inauguration to have mercy on the LGBTQ+ community and migrant workers who are in the United States illegally.... After he returned to the White House, Trump said, 'I didn't think it was a good service' and 'they could do much better.' But later, in an overnight post on his social media site, he sharply criticized the 'so-called Bishop' as a 'Radical Left hard line Trump hater.... She brought her church into the World of politics in a very ungracious way. She was nasty in tone, and not compelling or smart,' said Trump..., adding that Budde didn't mention that some migrants have come to the United States and killed people. 'Apart from her inappropriate statements, the service was a very boring and uninspiring one. She is not very good at her job!' Trump said. 'She and her church owe the public an apology!'" ~~~

     ~~~ And Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.) wants Bishop Budde to be deported. (Link is to a Hill story.) (MB: Yeah, Trump might as well throw out the First Amendment along with the Fourteenth. Pretty soon all that will be left is the Second Amendment and the first parts of Article II [but not Section 4, which is about impeachment].)

     ~~~ Marie: I'll tell you one thing Bishop Budde gets wrong. She's a woman. And women who disagree with Donald Trump are automatically "nasty" and "not smart." And so forth.

Julie Tsirkin, et al., of NBC News: "Senators received an affidavit Tuesday from the former sister-in-law of defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth in which she says his behavior caused his second wife to fear for her safety. The receipt of the affidavit comes after Senate Armed Services Committee staffers were in contact with Hegseth's former sister-in-law for several days. The former sister-in-law, Danielle Hegseth, submitted the affidavit in response to a Jan. 18 letter from Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., seeking 'a statement attesting to your personal knowledge about Mr. Hegseth's fitness to occupy this important position.'... Reed said in a statement Tuesday, 'As I have said for months, the reports of Mr. Hegseth's history of alleged sexual assault, alcohol abuse, and public misconduct necessitate an exhaustive background investigation. I have been concerned that the background check process has been inadequate, and this sworn affidavit confirms that fact.' He added that 'the alleged pattern of abuse and misconduct by Mr. Hegseth ... would disqualify any service member from holding any leadership position in the military, much less being confirmed as the Secretary of Defense.' Danielle describes in the affidavit allegations of volatile and threatening conduct by Hegseth that made his second wife, Samantha Hegseth, fear for her safety." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ ⭐Karoun Demirjian & Sharon LaFraniere of the New York Times: "Yet just hours after the affidavit was filed, Republican leaders plowed ahead on Tuesday night to schedule a vote on Mr. Hegseth's confirmation, with several rank-and-file members of the party dismissing the sworn statement as a desperate attempt at character assassination that would fail. Senator John Thune, Republican of South Dakota and the majority leader, began taking the necessary steps to limit debate and schedule an up-or-down vote within days, effectively closing off any avenue for senators to investigate further. And all Republicans voted to keep the nomination on track." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Placing a violent, incompetent drunk atop the U.S. military is on Thune & Republican senators. Their constituents should not be allowed to forget it.

Here's a 21st-century version of Scott Fitzgerald's "Let me tell you about the very rich. They are different from you and me." ~~~

~~~ Sigal Samuel of Vox: "For the tech bros -- or as some say, the broligarchs -- [MAGA] is about much more than just maintaining and growing their riches. It's about ... An ideology inspired by science fiction and fantasy. An ideology that says they are supermen, and supermen should not be subject to rules, because they're doing something incredibly important: remaking the world in their image.... Their philosophy goes well beyond simple libertarianism. It's not just that they want a government that won't tread on them. They want absolutely zero limits on their power. Not those dictated by democratic governments, by financial systems, or by facts.... All of these men see themselves as the heroes or protagonists in their own sci-fi saga. And a key part of being a 'technological superman' -- or ubermensch, as the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche would say -- is that you're above the law.... They valorize aggression, which is coded as male." Thanks to RAS for the link. (Also linked yesterday.)

The Kack Is Back. Tobi Raji of the Washington Post: "A decision by a federal judge last week is reviving the effort to limit access to mifepristone, opening a fresh round of litigation over a widely used drug that has grown in importance since the Supreme Court eliminated the constitutional right to abortion nearly three years ago. U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk of the Northern District of Texas ruled Thursday that three states -- Missouri, Kansas and Idaho -- can move forward with a lawsuit that seeks to change the way the drug is prescribed and used. Kacsmaryk, who was nominated by ... Donald Trump in 2019, has a history of strong antiabortion views, The Washington Post reported...."

Jules Feiffer's New York Times obituary is here. A Washington Post obituary was linked yesterday.

~~~~~~~~~~

Oklahoma. Nuria Martinez-Keel of the Oklahoma Voice: "In an email to district superintendents..., [State (School) Superintendent Ryan] Walters said the first act of his new Office of Religious Liberty and Patriotism is to require all schools to 'play the attached video to all kids that are enrolled' and also send it to parents. In the video, which is posted on the Education Department's YouTube page, Walters prays for Trump and his presidential administration 'as they continue to bring about change to the country.' Walters told students they weren’t obligated to join him in prayer. His video also blames the 'radical left' for attacking religious liberty in schools and claims teacher unions have mocked patriotism.... Oklahoma's top education official has no authority to force schools to show students a video of himself praying for ... Donald Trump, the state Attorney General's Office found. 'Not only is this edict unenforceable, it is contrary to parents’ rights, local control and individual free-exercise rights,' Attorney General’s Office spokesperson Phil Bacharach said Friday." Thanks to Akhilleus for the link. See also his commentary near the end of yesterday's thread.

~~~~~~~~~~

Israel's Wars. Isabel Kershner & Fatima AbdulKarim of the New York Times: "Israeli security forces on Tuesday embarked on a military operation in Jenin, a Palestinian city in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, as Israel turned its focus to an area seen as a hotbed of militancy just days after a temporary cease-fire took hold in Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel said in a statement that the operation, the latest in a string of West Bank raids over the past year, was aimed at 'eradicating terrorism' and would be 'extensive and significant.'... On Monday..., Trump rescinded sanctions imposed by the Biden administration last year on dozens of far-right Israeli individuals and settler groups accused of violence against Palestinians and the seizure or destruction of Palestinian property ... even as Jewish extremists raided several Palestinian villages.... The Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited control over parts of the West Bank and is a rival of Hamas, has been carrying out its own operation against armed militants in Jenin in recent weeks...."

U.K. When Harry Met Rupert ... Rupert Backed Down. Karla Adam of the Washington Post: “A much anticipated trial pitting a crusading prince against a media giant ended before it began on Wednesday, when Prince Harry reached a last-minute settlement with Rupert Murdoch's British media group that included an eight figure sum and a long-sought apology. As part of the deal, Murdoch's News Group Newspapers (NGN) issued a formal apology, which was read out in court by Harry's lawyer David Sherborne, conceding 'unlawful' acts."

News Lede

Washington Post: "Valérie André, a French military officer, brain surgeon and licensed pilot who was believed to be the first woman to fly helicopter rescue missions in combat zones -- during the French-Indochina war of the early 1950s -- and who two decades later became the first woman to reach the rank of general in the French armed forces, died Jan. 21 in Paris. She was 102."