The Conversation -- June 20, 2025

 

Jonah Bromwich of the New York Times: “A federal judge on Friday ordered that Mahmoud Khalil be released on bail, a ruling that could end the monthslong imprisonment of the first pro-Palestinian campus protester detained by the Trump administration. Mr. Khalil, a Columbia University graduate and legal permanent U.S. resident, has spent 104 days in detention, watching as other students targeted by the administration won favorable rulings and were released on bail.... But his lawyers slowly chipped away at the government’s case, and on Friday they convinced the judge, Michael E. Farbiarz of Federal District Court in Newark, that there was reason to believe Mr. Khalil’s detention represented unlawful retaliation for his role in demonstrations on Columbia’s Manhattan campus. Toward the end of a two-hour hearing, Judge Farbiarz said there was 'at least something' to the argument that there had been 'an effort to use the immigration charge here to punish Mr. Khalil.... And, of course, that would be unconstitutional....'...

“The Louisiana judge in his immigration case, Jamee Comans, denied [Mr. Khalil] asylum and ruled that he could be deported based on another of the government’s allegations, a ruling that Mr. Khalil will have an opportunity to appeal. Judge Comans also denied him a bail hearing. In a statement, a spokeswoman for the Homeland Security Department, Tricia McLaughlin, said Judge Farbiarz did not have the authority to direct Mr. Khalil’s release. The claim appears to be false as the law is currently understood: District judges have ordered the release of other noncitizens detained while going through immigration proceedings. But Ms. McLaughlin’s assertion could signal that the government does not intend to release Mr. Khalil on Friday as ordered.” The AP's report is here. ~~~

     ⭐~~~ Update. New NYT Lede: “Mahmoud Khalil, the first pro-Palestinian campus protester detained by the Trump administration, was released on bail Friday after a judge ordered an end to his monthslong imprisonment. Mr. Khalil, a Columbia University graduate and legal permanent U.S. resident, had been held for 104 days, watching as other students targeted by the administration won favorable rulings and were released on bail. He was denied the opportunity to be present when his wife gave birth to their son in April and he missed his graduation from Columbia.” MB: It's about time. ~~~

     ~~~ Maybe, as he claims, Marco Rubio is afraid of this young man. It's not easy to see why: ~~~

Rebecca Shabad & Nnamdi Egwuonwu of NBC News: “Vice President JD Vance bashed Democrats at the state, local and national levels Friday during his visit to Los Angeles, accusing top California officials of encouraging violent protesters and Sen. Alex Padilla, whom he referred to as 'José Padilla,' of engaging in 'political theater.' 'I was hoping José Padilla would be here to ask a question. But, unfortunately, I guess he decided not to show up because there wasn’t the theater, and that’s all it is,' Vance said. 'It’s pure political theater. These guys show up. They want to be captured on camera doing something.'” MB: Says Vance, as he is engaging in political theater. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: JayDee and Alex Padilla were in the Senate together for two years (Jan. 2023 -- Jan. 2025). Vance is still the president of the Senate. So it's pretty hard for him to pretend he doesn't know Padilla's first name. Senators are on first-name bases with each other, even though they are more formal when delivering floor speeches. Labeling Alex Padilla "José" was a purposeful racist slur. It's disgusting. 

Minho Kim of the New York Times: “The Trump administration sent layoff notices on Friday to more than 600 employees at Voice of America, a federally funded news organization that provides independent reporting to countries with limited press freedom. The layoffs, known as reductions in force, will shrink the staff count at the news organization to less than 200, around one-seventh of its head count at the beginning of 2025. They put Voice of America journalists and support staff on paid leave until they are let go on Sept. 1. The termination notices are the latest round of the Trump administration’s attack on federally funded news networks, including Voice of America. In March..., [Donald] Trump accused the news group of spreading 'anti-American' and partisan 'propaganda,' calling it 'the voice of radical America.' He then signed an executive order that effectively called for dismantling of the news agency and put nearly all Voice of America reporters on paid leave, ceasing its news operations for the first time since its founding in 1942.” Politico's report is here.

Bill Chappell of NPR: "A man who appeared at the door of Memphis Mayor Paul Young's home on Sunday night did so with the intent to kidnap the city's leader, according to the Memphis Police Department. Trenton Abston, 25, is now facing multiple criminal charges. The department said in a statement, that officers found a Taser, rope and duct tape in Abston's vehicle when they took him into custody. Abston 'jumped a wall leading into our subdivision' around 9:30 p.m. on Sunday, Young said in a statement posted on Instagram. He added that Abston then knocked on the door 'with gloves on ... and a nervous demeanor,' and then fled after no one answered the door."

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Israel/Iran, et al. The New York Times' live updates of the Israel/Iran war for today are here: “World leaders accelerated diplomatic efforts on Friday to end the Israel-Iran war, as Iran’s top diplomat prepared to meet in Switzerland with senior European counterparts, and ... [Donald] Trump raised hopes of a truce. The renewed diplomatic push came as the sides continued to trade fire. Israel announced overnight strikes on missile factories and a research center linked to Iran’s nuclear program, and Iran fired a ballistic missile early on Friday that damaged a residential street in southern Israel.” ~~~

     ~~~ The New York Times' live updates for Thursday are here: “Israel’s defense minister warned on Thursday that the Israeli military would intensify its strikes on 'strategic targets' in Iran, after a barrage of Iranian missiles hit several locations, including a major hospital complex in southern Israel. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed that Iran had targeted Israeli military facilities near a hospital, according to the Fars news agency, an Iranian outlet affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards, though it offered no evidence to support that. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the claim. The hospital, the Soroka Medical Center in the city of Beersheba, said it had sustained widespread damage....” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ How Deep a Bunker Would a Bunker-Buster Bust if a Bunker-Buster Could Bust Bunkers? Hugo Lowell of the Guardian: “Donald Trump has suggested to defense officials it would make sense for the US to launch strikes against Iran only if the so-called 'bunker buster' bomb was guaranteed to destroy the critical uranium enrichment facility at Fordow, according to people familiar with the deliberations. Trump was told that dropping the GBU-57s, a 13.6-tonne (30,000lb) bomb would effectively eliminate Fordow but he does not appear to be fully convinced, the people said, and has held off authorizing strikes as he also awaits the possibility that the threat of US involvement would lead Iran to talks. The effectiveness of GBU-57s has been a topic of deep contention at the Pentagon since the start of Trump’s term, according to two defense officials who were briefed that perhaps only a tactical nuclear weapon could be capable of destroying Fordow because of how deeply it is located.” ~~~

~~~ Shawn McCreesh of the New York Times: “'Within the next two weeks.' That is when ... [Donald] Trump now says he will be ready to make his decision about bombing Iran or not.... As almost everyone in Washington is by now aware, 'two weeks; is one of Mr. Trump’s favorite units of time.... Tax plans, health care policies, evidence of conspiracy theories he claimed were true, the fight against ISIS, the opening of some coal mines, infrastructure plans — all were at one point or another riddles he promised to solve for the public in about two weeks.... It is not an objective unit of time.... It simply means later. But later can also mean never. Sometimes.” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

⭐~~~ Paul Waldman on Substack: "Which group of morons is Trump going to listen to?... There are some smart, thoughtful, and experienced people in the Republican foreign policy and national security world, but none of them have any influence over this president. He sits between two collections of idiots, all begging for his favor while they try to convince him that their side is the correct one.... I’m sure Trump has seen the polls [which show most Americans oppose inserting the U.S. military into Israel/Iran war], but the truth is that he’s less likely to be influenced by them than he is by whatever he sees on Fox & Friends the morning he makes his decision. And on Fox, the cheerleading for Israel and the encouragement for America to join in has been relentless. Which is why odds are better than even that those bunker-busters are going to be falling before long. Either way, the morons will have won the argument." Thanks to Ken W. for the link. MB: Please read Waldman's post in full, because he names the usual suspects. BTW, I just heard on the news (Thursday afternoon) that moron Steve Bannon was seen entering the White House Thursday. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Josh Marshall of TPM: "... in the last 48 hours or so, we’ve gone from the U.S. being pretty clear it will not get involved beyond defensive assistance to Israel in blocking missiles and drones to the situation [Tuesday] morning, in which it seems like the U.S. may be very close to joining the Israeli bombing campaign.... It’s important to step back and recognize that there is really, literally no one in the inner discussion of U.S. foreign policy today who has any level of foreign policy or military crisis experience at all.... There’s really no one in the room, as it were, who is in a position to keep the President from just riffing. And I think there’s a decent chance that’s exactly what’s happening.... [Trump] sees a winning operation and he can’t resist slapping the Trump nameplate on it." Thanks to RAS for the lead. (Also linked yesterday.)

A Racist Message from the White POTUS*. Aishvarya Kavi of the New York Times: “Juneteenth, the holiday that marks the end of slavery in the United States, has been celebrated at the White House each June 19 since it was enshrined into law four years ago. But on Thursday, it went unmarked by the president — except for a post on social media in which he said he would get rid of some 'non-working holidays.' 'Soon we’ll end up having a holiday for every once working day of the year,' Mr. Trump said in mangled syntax, not mentioning Juneteenth by name nor acknowledging that Thursday was a federal holiday. 'It must change if we are going to, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!'” MB: That is, according to the White POTUS, the U.S. can't be great if it celebrates the end of slavery. At least we know now that it's possible to thumb-text while wearing a KKK hood. ~~~

     ~~~ Darlene Superville of the AP: “... Donald Trump honored Juneteenth in each of his first four years as president, even before it became a federal holiday. He even claimed once to have made it 'very famous.'But on this year’s Juneteenth holiday on Thursday..., [there were] no words about it from his lips, on paper or through his social media site.”

Ha Ha Ha. Ashley Belanger of ArsTechnica: "The Trump Organization's rollout of Trump Mobile on Monday — a new wireless service using Trump's image to sell smartphones — was notably messy. Not only did the website reportedly glitch while processing preorders (more on that below), but ... the Trump Mobile coverage map used the Gulf of Mexico instead of using Trump's controversial new name for the body of water, the Gulf of America, Reuters reported. Trump has been sued for penalizing AP News for failing to adopt the label, so a wireless service bearing his name would be expected to fall in line. Mocked with screenshots, the Trump Organization yanked the coverage map within hours of launching the site, breaking links and generating errors on Tuesday, confirming that 'the page could not be found.'" Thanks to RAS for the link. (Also linked yesterday.)

⭐Michael Gold of the New York Times: “The Department of Homeland Security has imposed new limits on visits by members of Congress and their staff to immigration enforcement facilities, intensifying a conflict between federal immigration officials and Democratic lawmakers over the separation of powers. Under federal law, members of Congress can make unannounced oversight visits to immigration facilities that 'detain or otherwise house aliens.' Lawmakers are not required to provide 'prior notice of the intent to enter a facility' to conduct oversight, though members of their staff must request a visit at least 24 hours in advance. But in guidance released this month, Immigration and Customs Enforcement asks members of Congress to give at least 72 hours notice for a visit to its facilities. Asked about the policy, a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, went even further, suggesting that federal officials would not be allowed entry unless they provided a week’s notice. 'A week is sufficient to ensure no intrusion on the president’s constitutional authority,' the spokeswoman, Tricia McLaughlin, said in a statement. She added that 'any request to shorten that time must be approved' by the homeland security secretary, Kristi Noem.” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Chuck Schumer and Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) (here) made statements. Well, blah blah. Members of Congress should immediately sue for an emergency order forcing all ICE facilities to allow Congressional oversight as required by law. Standing on the outside whining is not a strategy. ~~~

     ~~~ Scott Lemieux in LG&$: “'These are not detention facilities, they’re just facilities where people are being detained' is both farcical on its face and the kind of intelligence-insulting self-refutation that might be good enough for John Roberts since a Republican administration is making it.”

Charlie Savage & Laurel Rosenhall of the New York Times: “A federal appeals court on Thursday cleared the way for ... [Donald] Trump to keep using the National Guard to respond to immigration protests in Los Angeles, declaring that a judge in San Francisco erred last week when he ordered Mr. Trump to return control of the troops to Gov. Gavin Newsom of California. In a unanimous, 38-page ruling, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit held that the conditions in Los Angeles were sufficient for Mr. Trump to decide that he needed to take federal control of California’s National Guard and deploy it to ensure that federal immigration laws would be enforced. A lower-court judge had concluded that the protests were not severe enough for Mr. Trump to use a rarely-triggered law to federalize the National Guard over Mr. Newsom’s objections. But the panel, which included two appointees of Mr. Trump and one of former President Joseph R. Biden Jr., disagreed with the lower court.” A CBS News report is here.

Standoff at Dodger Stadium. Fabian Ardaya & Rebecca Tauber of the New York Times: “The Los Angeles Dodgers saw the ongoing battle between federal immigration authorities and immigrant rights advocates reach their front door on Thursday morning, as federal authorities showed up to Dodger Stadium’s Gate A and requested access. The organization said Thursday it denied the agency access to its parking lots, later postponing its plans to announce assistance to immigrant communities impacted by a recent crackdown from the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement.... According to local media reports and first-hand accounts, a caravan of unmarked vehicles showed up outside Gate A, the main entrance to Dodger Stadium, at about 8 a.m. local time, saying that they had detainees to process. The Dodgers denied the agents access to the property, at which point they moved to Gate E, the 'Downtown Gate.' Protestors also began to show up at Gate E, at which point the Dodgers, according to the Los Angeles Times, asked local police to intervene. In a scene that unfolded there, an LAPD officer told protesters that they were asking both protesters and federal agents to leave.... A reporter for a Los Angeles television station posted video on social media of LAPD vehicles escorting federal agents off the property just after noon.” The NBC News story is here.

Marie: Okay, I failed to post the video below timely, but every dog deserves his day, and that is doubly true for these gay robot dogs. Watch to the end: ~~~

Catherine Rampell of the Washington Post: “If you don’t have anything nice to say, just make something up instead. That’s the strategy Republican politicians have adopted in hopes of selling their regressive, unpopular budget bill to voters, as an even harsher version of the legislation now makes its way through the Senate.... Cruel, unpopular ideas from Republicans are a political gift to Democrats, of course. So how are Republicans responding? Not by defending their agenda on its merits, but by lying about or misrepresenting what they plan to do.”

Marie: I don't know about you, but I'm sick of paying for Elon Musk's SpaceX explosions: ~~~

~~~ Christian Davenport of the Washington Post: “SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft exploded on its test stand late Wednesday, sending a large fireball into the South Texas sky and dealing another major setback to Elon Musk’s company. It was the fourth time the company has lost a Starship spacecraft this year. In three previous test flights, the vehicle came apart or detonated during its flight. In a post on the social media site X, SpaceX said that the explosion, which could be seen for miles, happened at about 11 p.m. Central time.... [NASA] has awarded contracts worth $4 billion to SpaceX for the development of Starship, which it intends to use to ferry astronauts to the lunar surface.” (Also linked yesterday.) An AP report is here. A more detailed ArsTechnica report is here.

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The Conversation -- June 19, 2025

Israel/Iran, et al. The New York Times live updates are here: “Israel’s defense minister warned on Thursday that the Israeli military would intensify its strikes on 'strategic targets' in Iran, after a barrage of Iranian missiles hit several locations, including a major hospital complex in southern Israel. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed that Iran had targeted Israeli military facilities near a hospital, according to the Fars news agency, an Iranian outlet affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards, though it offered no evidence to support that. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the claim. The hospital, the Soroka Medical Center in the city of Beersheba, said it had sustained widespread damage....” ~~~

~~~ Shawn McCreesh of the New York Times: “'Within the next two weeks.' That is when ... [Donald] Trump now says he will be ready to make his decision about bombing Iran or not.... As almost everyone in Washington is by now aware, 'two weeks; is one of Mr. Trump’s favorite units of time.... Tax plans, health care policies, evidence of conspiracy theories he claimed were true, the fight against ISIS, the opening of some coal mines, infrastructure plans — all were at one point or another riddles he promised to solve for the public in about two weeks.... It is not an objective unit of time.... It simply means later. But later can also mean never. Sometimes.” ~~~

⭐~~~ Paul Waldman on Substack: "Which group of morons is Trump going to listen to?... There are some smart, thoughtful, and experienced people in the Republican foreign policy and national security world, but none of them have any influence over this president. He sits between two collections of idiots, all begging for his favor while they try to convince him that their side is the correct one.... I’m sure Trump has seen the polls [which show most Americans oppose inserting the U.S. military into Israel/Iran war], but the truth is that he’s less likely to be influenced by them than he is by whatever he sees on Fox & Friends the morning he makes his decision. And on Fox, the cheerleading for Israel and the encouragement for America to join in has been relentless. Which is why odds are better than even that those bunker-busters are going to be falling before long. Either way, the morons will have won the argument." Thanks to Ken W. for the link. MB: Please read Waldman's post in full, because he names the usual suspects. BTW, I just heard on the news (Thursday afternoon) that moron Steve Bannon was seen entering the White House Thursday. ~~~

~~~ Josh Marshall of TPM: "... in the last 48 hours or so, we’ve gone from the U.S. being pretty clear it will not get involved beyond defensive assistance to Israel in blocking missiles and drones to the situation [Tuesday] morning, in which it seems like the U.S. may be very close to joining the Israeli bombing campaign.... It’s important to step back and recognize that there is really, literally no one in the inner discussion of U.S. foreign policy today who has any level of foreign policy or military crisis experience at all.... There’s really no one in the room, as it were, who is in a position to keep the President from just riffing. And I think there’s a decent chance that’s exactly what’s happening.... [Trump] sees a winning operation and he can’t resist slapping the Trump nameplate on it." Thanks to RAS for the lead.

Ha Ha Ha. Ashley Belanger of ArsTechnica: "The Trump Organization's rollout of Trump Mobile on Monday — a new wireless service using Trump's image to sell smartphones — was notably messy. Not only did the website reportedly glitch while processing preorders (more on that below), but ... the Trump Mobile coverage map used the Gulf of Mexico instead of using Trump's controversial new name for the body of water, the Gulf of America, Reuters reported. Trump has been sued for penalizing AP News for failing to adopt the label, so a wireless service bearing his name would be expected to fall in line. Mocked with screenshots, the Trump Organization yanked the coverage map within hours of launching the site, breaking links and generating errors on Tuesday, confirming that 'the page could not be found.'" Thanks to RAS for the link.

Marie: I don't know about you, but I'm sick of paying for Elon Musk's SpaceX explosions: ~~~

~~~ Christian Davenport of the Washington Post: “SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft exploded on its test stand late Wednesday, sending a large fireball into the South Texas sky and dealing another major setback to Elon Musk’s company. It was the fourth time the company has lost a Starship spacecraft this year. In three previous test flights, the vehicle came apart or detonated during its flight. In a post on the social media site X, SpaceX said that the explosion, which could be seen for miles, happened at about 11 p.m. Central time.... [NASA] has awarded contracts worth $4 billion to SpaceX for the development of Starship, which it intends to use to ferry astronauts to the lunar surface.”

~~~~~~~~~~

James LaPorta of CBS News: Donald "Trump approved attack plans on Iran Tuesday night, but did not make a final decision on whether to strike the country and formally join Israel's air campaign, a senior intelligence source and a Defense Department official told CBS News. Mr. Trump held off on deciding to strike in case Tehran agrees to abandon its nuclear program, the sources said. The news was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.... 'I may do it. I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I'm going to do,' [Trump] said ... Wednesday, adding that he'd like Iran to negotiate on a deal to end its nuclear program. Iran — which has long insisted the program exists solely for peaceful purposes — said Wednesday it 'does NOT negotiate under duress,' and said it would 'respond to any threat with a counter-threat.'" ~~~

~~~ Felicia Schwartz, et al., of Politico: “... Donald Trump, who criticized his predecessor for allowing new wars to break out on his watch, is increasingly listening to a small group of Iran hawks who have been pushing to go tougher on Tehran. Trump has become more receptive to arguments by those advocating more military engagement, including Gen. Michael 'Erik' Kurilla, who leads Central Command, as well as Republican senators Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Tom Cotton of Arkansas, according to ... [people] familiar with discussions....” ~~~

~~~ David Sanger of the New York Times: “The American B-2 stealth bomber is the only plane capable of carrying the bombs needed to strike Iran’s deepest nuclear facilities, but the decision to use them is not without risk.... If Mr. Trump is taking a pause, it may be because the list of things that could go wrong is long, and probably incomplete. There’s the obvious: It’s possible that a B-2 could get shot down, despite Israel’s success of taking out so many of Iran’s air defenses. It’s possible the calculations are wrong, and even America’s biggest conventional bomb can’t get down that deep.... But assuming that the operation itself is successful, the largest perils may lie in the aftermath, many experts say, just as they did in Afghanistan and Iraq. There are many lessons from that ugly era of misbegotten American foreign policy, but the most vital may be that it’s the unknown unknowns that can come back to bite. Iran has vowed that if attacked by American forces, it would strike back, presumably against the American bases spread around the Middle East and the growing number of assets gathering in the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean.” ~~~

~~~ Lara Jakes of the New York Times: “Thousands of American troops could be in Iran’s direct line of fire if President Trump joins Israel in attacking Tehran’s nuclear program and military, as he said on Wednesday that he may or may not do. Many would have only minutes to take cover from an incoming Iranian missile. Experts expect that if Mr. Trump orders the American military to directly participate in Israel’s bombing campaign, Iran will quickly retaliate against U.S. troops stationed across the Middle East. 'The Americans should know that any U.S. military intervention will undoubtedly be accompanied by irreparable damage,' Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warned on Wednesday, according to state news media. More than 40,000 U.S. active-duty troops and civilians are working for the Pentagon in the Middle East, and billions of dollars in weapons and military equipment are stored there.” ~~~

~~~ Elisabeth Bumiller of the New York Times on the similarities between George W. Bush's decision to win a quick war against Iraq & the possibility that Trump will make the same decision regarding Iran.

Jess Bidgood of the New York Times: Donald Trump's “supporters are warring over two dueling campaign promises: to steer clear of foreign wars and to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.... It’s erupted into a fight over the meaning of the Make America Great Again movement, and whether the most fervent keeper of its flame is Mr. Trump’s original base and the isolationism that animated it or the Republicans who back whatever action he takes in the moment.... For days, longtime Trump allies across the Republican Party, including firebrands like Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Stephen K. Bannon and [Tucker] Carlson, have ... inveigh[ed] loudly against [joining Israel's war against Iran], warning that Mr. Trump risks finding himself in a quagmire overseas — and in a fight inside his own party that could end up harming him.” (Also linked yesterday.) 

House Judiciary Committee Democrats Press Release: "Today, Rep. Jamie Raskin, Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, released a new Committee staff analysis revealing how ... Donald Trump’s corrupt pardon spree will deprive victims and survivors of crime of $1.3 billion in restitution and fines owed to them and American taxpayers, allowing corporate fraudsters and tax cheats to keep their ill-gotten gains. Trump’s decision to wipe out restitution debts of fraudsters, millionaire tax evaders and other white-collar criminals will also severely deplete funds for victims’ assistance and compensation programs." In a statement, Rep. Raskin said, in part, "While prior presidents overwhelmingly reserved pardons for those who accepted responsibility for their crimes, made full restitution to their victims and paid all their legal fines, Trump uses pardons not only to shorten the sentences of his political friends but to wipe out the debt they owe to their victims and to our society."

Colby Smith of the New York Times: “The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady on Wednesday as expected, but new projections released alongside the decision showed officials are extremely divided about how significantly they will be able to lower borrowing costs this year as they brace for inflation to rise sharply as growth tumbles.... Wednesday’s unanimous decision, which kept interest rates at a range of 4.25 percent to 4.5 percent, shows that this approach still holds at a time when there is vast uncertainty. That includes questions about which countries will face Mr. Trump’s tariffs and how punishing those rates may be; how expansive the administration’s immigration crackdown will be, and whether Republicans will be able to slash taxes and cut spending as their bill making its way through Congress intends.... Just hours before the Fed’s rate decision, [Mr. Trump] repeatedly called [Fed chair Jerome] Powell 'stupid' and floated the idea of installing himself as chair of the central bank as he called for borrowing costs to drop by 2.5 percentage points.” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Speaking of "stupid," Lawrence O'Donnell said last night that "no other president was ever capable of saying anything as stupid or as indicative of dementia" as Trump was when he wondered out loud about appointing himself to head the Fed. 

When is a detention center not a detention center? When ICE calls it something else -- even though it's a place where ICE, um, detains people overnight. ~~~

~~~ Arya Sundaram of the Gothamist: “U.S. Reps. Jerry Nadler and Dan Goldman, both New York Democrats, were barred Wednesday from entering and inspecting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding areas at 26 Federal Plaza in Lower Manhattan. ICE Deputy Field Office Director Bill Joyce, with reporters and others looking on, met with the representatives on the ground floor of the building. He told the officials that some immigrants had slept overnight on the floor and on benches on the building’s 10th floor. But Joyce said the site was not a detention center, which members of Congress are legally allowed to inspect, but rather an off-limits 'processing center' to temporarily hold migrants possibly facing removal. Nadler said at the press conference that he would consider legal action if further efforts to inspect the holding areas were unsuccessful. Goldman said the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, was in clear violation of federal law. 'You have no right to say no to us. That’s a matter of law,' Nadler told Joyce, with more than a dozen reporters and aides looking on. He later added, 'If people are detained for several days, it is a detention facility, whatever you choose to call it.'”

Roni Rabin of the New York Times: “Travel and visa restrictions imposed by the Trump administration threaten patient care at hundreds of hospitals that depend on medical residents recruited from overseas. Foreign medical residents often serve as the frontline caregivers at busy safety-net hospitals in low-income communities. Normally the residents begin work on July 1. Orientation programs for some of them already started this week.... On May 27, the Trump administration suspended new interview appointments for foreign nationals applying for J-1 visas. The visas ... are used by most medical residents arriving from overseas. On Wednesday, the State Department lifted the pause on visa appointments.... The process now includes 'enhanced social media vetting,' intended to ferret out potential security risks, the official said. The administration also has banned or restricted travel to the United States from 19 countries. The restrictions may be extended to an additional 36 countries, including many African nations, if they do not comply with U.S. demands regarding overstayed visas and security concerns.” ~~~

~~~ Edward Wong of the New York Times: “The State Department plans to review the social media accounts of foreign citizens who apply for student and visiting scholar visas as it resumes processing those applications. Applicants will be screened for perceived 'hostility' toward the United States, and they will be asked to make their social media accounts 'public' for the review, State Department officials said on Wednesday. All applications for F, M and J nonimmigrant visas, which are for scholarly exchanges and research, will be reviewed, the officials said.” A related Politico story is here.

Patrick Smith, et al., of NBC News: "The U.S. government will activate 2,000 more National Guard troops in Los Angeles, the military confirmed in a statement Tuesday night, as a legal battle continues over the deployment. Protests against federal immigration policies that exploded in Los Angeles and across the country in recent weeks have died down, and a nighttime curfew has been lifted as businesses return to normal. Nevertheless, U.S. Northern Command said the reinforcements were needed to 'support the protection of federal functions, personnel, and property in the greater Los Angeles area.' The 2,000 troops are deployed at the direction of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, using Title 10, which allows the president to call in the National Guard when the country is at risk of invasion or rebellion." ~~~

~~~ Colin Meyn of the Hill (June 17): “Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth last week authorized the mobilization of up to 700 troops to assist federal immigration officials in Florida, Louisiana and Texas in processing detainees at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities, the Pentagon said Tuesday. 'These service members, drawn from all components and operating in a Title 10 duty status, will provide logistical support, and conduct administrative and clerical functions associated with the processing of illegal aliens at ICE detention facilities,' officials wrote in the press release.” ~~~

~~~ Marie: Of course I'm relieved to learn that heavily-armed officers are saving us from dangerous immigrants who go to swap meets: ~~~

The picture of the world's richest man killing the world’s poorest children is not a pretty one

Read more at:
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/global-trends/bill-gates-brutally-take-on-elon-musk-picture-of-the-worlds-richest-man-killing-worlds-poorest-children-is-not-a-pretty-one/articleshow/121001213.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

The picture of the world's richest man killing the world’s poorest children is not a pretty one

Read more at:
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/global-trends/bill-gates-brutally-take-on-elon-musk-picture-of-the-worlds-richest-man-killing-worlds-poorest-children-is-not-a-pretty-one/articleshow/121001213.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

The picture of the world's richest man killing the world’s poorest children is not a pretty one

Read more at:
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/global-trends/bill-gates-brutally-take-on-elon-musk-picture-of-the-worlds-richest-man-killing-worlds-poorest-children-is-not-a-pretty-one/articleshow/121001213.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

The picture of the world's richest man killing the world’s poorest children is not a pretty one

Read more at:
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The picture of the world's richest man killing the world’s poorest children is not a pretty one

Read more at:
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/global-trends/bill-gates-brutally-take-on-elon-musk-picture-of-the-worlds-richest-man-killing-worlds-poorest-children-is-not-a-pretty-one/articleshow/121001213.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

Trump/Musk/Rubio: Snatching Defeat from the Hands of Victory. Apoorva Mandavilli of the New York Times: “The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved a twice-yearly injection that provided a near-perfect shield against H.I.V. infection in clinical trials. The approval is among the most anticipated developments in the prevention of H.I.V. But it arrives during deep cuts to global health programs that were expected to purchase and distribute the drug in low-income countries. To what extent the drug, called lenacapavir, can now be rolled out is uncertain. 'We’re on the precipice of now being able to deliver the greatest prevention option we’ve had in 44 years of this epidemic,' said Mitchell Warren ... of the international H.I.V. prevention organization AVAC. 'And it’s as if that opportunity is being snatched out of our hands by the policies of the last five months,' he said.” ~~~

     ~~~ This NBC News story by Benjamin Ryan, emphasizes that the new medication also may not be available to Americans. Because of its high cost ($14,109 per injection), insurers may not make the drug available.

DOJ to Give Criminals More Access to Guns. Glenn Thrush of the New York Times: “The Justice Department plans to slash the number of inspectors who monitor federally licensed gun dealers by two-thirds, sharply limiting the government’s already crimped capacity to identify businesses that sell guns to criminals, according to budget documents. The move, part of the Trump administration’s effort to defang and downsize the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, comes as the department considers merging the A.T.F. and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It follows a rollback of Biden-era regulations aimed at stemming the spread of deadly homemade firearms, along with other gun control measures. The department plans to eliminate 541 of the estimated 800 investigators responsible for determining whether federal dealers are following federal law and regulations intended to keep guns away from traffickers, straw purchasers, criminals and those found to have severe mental illness, according to a budget summary quietly circulated last week.” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: How stupid do you have to be to think that Trump is making the nation safer by deporting dishwashers and nursing-home workers while putting more guns in the hands of criminals and the mentally ill?

Marlene Lenthang & Jo Yurcaba of NBC News: “The Trump administration will shut down the national LGBTQ youth suicide lifeline in 30 days. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced Tuesday that the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline will no longer use its LGBTQ youth services, also known as the 'Press 3 option,' effective July 17. The agency said it will 'no longer silo LGB+ youth services' — notably removing the 'T' representing the trans community in the initialism — to  'focus on serving all help seekers, including those previously served through the Press 3 option.'”

Tara Bernard & Margot Sanger-Katz of the New York Times: “The Social Security program faces a longstanding financing shortfall that, if left unaddressed, would slash millions of retirees’ crucial monthly benefit payments in just eight years. The deteriorating financial outlook for the retirement program, which supports roughly 61 million Americans, was released in its annual trustees report on Wednesday. It is now expected to run out of money nine months earlier than previously projected, which means benefits could be reduced by 23 percent if Congress does not act to bolster the program. That puts the Social Security Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund, which pays retiree and survivor benefits, on schedule to be depleted in 2033.... At that time, the program will have enough revenue coming in to pay only 77 percent of total scheduled benefits.” ~~~

~~~ Michael Stratford of Politico: “The long-term financial health of Social Security and Medicare worsened last year, according to the federal government’s latest projections, accelerating the funding cliffs for the key safety-net programs in the coming years. Annual reports released by the Treasury Department on Monday show that Social Security’s reserve funds, if combined, would run out of money to fully pay beneficiaries in 2034 — a year sooner than projected last year. And the trust fund that pays Medicare’s hospital bills would be depleted in 2033 — three years earlier than expected. The change to the financial outlook for Social Security’s reserves was primarily driven by a bipartisan expansion of benefits to millions of public sector workers that President Joe Biden signed into law in January. In addition, federal actuaries estimated that fertility rates would remain lower for longer and revised downward economic projections that suggest more sluggish long-term wage growth.”

Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) questions Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during an Armed Services Committee hearing Wednesday: 

~~~ Gregg Jaffe of the New York Times reports on the hearing. This appears to be a gift link.

Ann Marimow & Casey Parks of the Washington Post: “A divided Supreme Court on Wednesday cleared the way for states to ban certain gender transition treatments for minors, a landmark decision on a polarizing issue the Trump administration has seized on in initiatives targeting transgender rights. In one of the most high-profile cases of the term, the court’s conservative majority upheld a Tennessee law that prohibits minors from using hormones and puberty blockers for gender transition. The court’s decision, authored by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., affects the law in Tennessee and has implications for more than 20 other states that have banned similar treatments as a growing — but still small — number of young people seek to delay puberty as part of a gender transition. But the basis for the court’s ruling, legal experts said, appears to leave open opportunities for advocates to challenge other bans involving bathroom use, sports participation and military service.” The decision was 6-3. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Mark Sherman of the AP: “The Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for transgender minors, a jolting setback to transgender rights. The justices’ 6-3 decision in a case from Tennessee effectively protects from legal challenges many efforts by ... Donald Trump’s Republican administration and state governments to roll back protections for transgender people. Another 26 states have laws similar to Tennessee’s.” ~~~

     ~~~ Abbie VanSickle of the New York Times: “Justice Sonia Sotomayor, one of the court’s three liberals, wrote a scathing dissent criticizing her conservative colleagues’ decision to uphold a state ban on some medical treatments for transgender youths. The justice said that the court had retreated from 'meaningful judicial review exactly where it matters most,' adding that 'the court abandons transgender children and their families to political whims.' Justice Sotomayor also took the rare step of reading her dissent from the bench during the opinion announcement on Wednesday, a move typically reserved to emphasize a justice’s extreme displeasure with a decision. She took issue with the majority’s view that questions about such medical treatments should be resolved by 'the people, their elected representatives and the democratic process.' In her 31-page dissent, she argued that 'judicial scrutiny has long played an essential role' in guarding against efforts by lawmakers to 'impose upon individuals the state’s views about how people of a particular sex (or race) should live or look or act.'” (Also linked yesterday.) 

In case you think the good guys can't win, RAS pointed to an intriguing piece by David Robson, published on the BBC site, that suggests otherwise: "... compelling research by Erica Chenoweth, a political scientist at Harvard University, confirms that civil disobedience is not only the moral choice; it is also the most powerful way of shaping world politics – by a long way. Looking at hundreds of campaigns over the last century, Chenoweth found that nonviolent campaigns are twice as likely to achieve their goals as violent campaigns. And although the exact dynamics will depend on many factors, she has shown it takes around 3.5% of the population actively participating in the protests to ensure serious political change.... Overall, nonviolent campaigns were twice as likely to succeed as violent campaigns: they led to political change 53% of the time compared to 26% for the violent protests. This was partly the result of strength in numbers. Chenoweth argues that nonviolent campaigns are more likely to succeed because they can recruit many more participants from a much broader demographic, which can cause severe disruption that paralyses normal urban life and the functioning of society." (Also linked yesterday.) 

A video of President Obama's full remarks in Hartford, Connecticut, Tuesday night is now available here. (Also linked yesterday.) 

Adam Nossiter of the New York Times: “Stanley Nelson, a crusading small-town journalist with a passion for probing unsolved Ku Klux Klan murders, died on June 5 at his home in DeRidder, La. He was 69. Mr. Nelson’s efforts to solve a particularly vicious Klan murder — the arson death of the Black owner of a shoe-repair shop in Ferriday, La., in 1964 — made him a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2011; earned him the esteem of the small but ardent band of journalists dedicated to civil-rights-era cold cases; and were the inspiration for a central figure in the Mississippi writer Greg Iles’s best-selling novel 'Natchez Burning' (2014). 'In his quest for truth, Stanley led me through the secret pasts of our home states — Mississippi and Louisiana — among men who lived in the shadow of crimes that had no statute of limitations,' Mr. Iles wrote in The Natchez Democrat last week.”

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Minnesota. David Li of NBC News: "Police are investigating a reported overnight break-in at the boarded-up home where Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband were fatally shot over the weekend, authorities said Wednesday.... Investigators had processed the home as a crime scene before it was boarded up Sunday morning..., officials said. Hortman's family had 'removed items of value from the home on Tuesday,' police said. Wednesday morning, police said they had discovered 'that the plywood covering the rear window of the home had been pried off and the window broken to gain entry.... The family has indicated that they don’t believe anything is missing.'"

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Israel/Iran, et al. Farnaz Fassihi, et al., of the New York Times: “Israel has said it does not target Iranian civilians, but hundreds have died in the violence.... Dr. Hossein Kermanpour, the spokesman for the Ministry of Health, said 90 percent of casualties were civilians, not military.... Four physicians, including the director of a major hospital in Tehran, said that emergency rooms were overwhelmed.”

The Conversation -- June 18, 2025

A video of President Obama's full remarks in Hartford, Connecticut, Tuesday night is now available here.

Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) questions Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during a hearing Wednesday: 

Colby Smith of the New York Times: “The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady on Wednesday as expected, but new projections released alongside the decision showed officials are extremely divided about how significantly they will be able to lower borrowing costs this year as they brace for inflation to rise sharply as growth tumbles.... Wednesday’s unanimous decision, which kept interest rates at a range of 4.25 percent to 4.5 percent, shows that this approach still holds at a time when there is vast uncertainty. That includes questions about which countries will face Mr. Trump’s tariffs and how punishing those rates may be; how expansive the administration’s immigration crackdown will be, and whether Republicans will be able to slash taxes and cut spending as their bill making its way through Congress intends.... Just hours before the Fed’s rate decision, [Mr. Trump] repeatedly called [Fed chair Jerome] Powell 'stupid'  and floated the idea of installing himself as chair of the central bank as he called for borrowing costs to drop by 2.5 percentage points.”

Jess Bidgood of the New York Times: Donald Trump's “supporters are warring over two dueling campaign promises: to steer clear of foreign wars and to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.... It’s erupted into a fight over the meaning of the Make America Great Again movement, and whether the most fervent keeper of its flame is Mr. Trump’s original base and the isolationism that animated it or the Republicans who back whatever action he takes in the moment.... For days, longtime Trump allies across the Republican Party, including firebrands like Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Stephen K. Bannon and [Tucker] Carlson, have ... inveigh[ed] loudly against [joining Israel's war against Iran], warning that Mr. Trump risks finding himself in a quagmire overseas — and in a fight inside his own party that could end up harming him.”

Ann Marimow & Casey Parks of the Washington Post: “A divided Supreme Court on Wednesday cleared the way for states to ban certain gender transition treatments for minors, a landmark decision on a polarizing issue the Trump administration has seized on in initiatives targeting transgender rights. In one of the most high-profile cases of the term, the court’s conservative majority upheld a Tennessee law that prohibits minors from using hormones and puberty blockers for gender transition. The court’s decision, authored by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., affects the law in Tennessee and has implications for more than 20 other states that have banned similar treatments as a growing — but still small — number of young people seek to delay puberty as part of a gender transition. But the basis for the court’s ruling, legal experts said, appears to leave open opportunities for advocates to challenge other bans involving bathroom use, sports participation and military service.” The decision was 6-3. ~~~

~~~ Abbie VanSickle of the New York Times: “Justice Sonia Sotomayor, one of the court’s three liberals, wrote a scathing dissent criticizing her conservative colleagues’ decision to uphold a state ban on some medical treatments for transgender youths. The justice said that the court had retreated from 'meaningful judicial review exactly where it matters most,' adding that 'the court abandons transgender children and their families to political whims.' Justice Sotomayor also took the rare step of reading her dissent from the bench during the opinion announcement on Wednesday, a move typically reserved to emphasize a justice’s extreme displeasure with a decision. She took issue with the majority’s view that questions about such medical treatments should be resolved by 'the people, their elected representatives and the democratic process.' In her 31-page dissent, she argued that 'judicial scrutiny has long played an essential role' in guarding against efforts by lawmakers to 'impose upon individuals the state’s views about how people of a particular sex (or race) should live or look or act.'”

In case you think the good guys can't win, RAS pointed to an intriguing piece by David Robson, published on the BBC site, that suggests otherwise: "... compelling research by Erica Chenoweth, a political scientist at Harvard University, confirms that civil disobedience is not only the moral choice; it is also the most powerful way of shaping world politics – by a long way. Looking at hundreds of campaigns over the last century, Chenoweth found that nonviolent campaigns are twice as likely to achieve their goals as violent campaigns. And although the exact dynamics will depend on many factors, she has shown it takes around 3.5% of the population actively participating in the protests to ensure serious political change.... Overall, nonviolent campaigns were twice as likely to succeed as violent campaigns: they led to political change 53% of the time compared to 26% for the violent protests. This was partly the result of strength in numbers. Chenoweth argues that nonviolent campaigns are more likely to succeed because they can recruit many more participants from a much broader demographic, which can cause severe disruption that paralyses normal urban life and the functioning of society."

Marie: I just caught the last couple of minutes of Trump's holding some kind of press availability out on the White House lawn where his main interest was setting two big, beautiful flagpoles. He covered a number of topics, including the flagpoles, whether or not the U.S. would go to war on Iran -- maybe so, maybe not -- how he got no credit for single-handedly stopping a war between India and Pakistan -- he didn't stop a war -- Jerome Powell (I didn't hear that part), and Joe Biden -- who never did anything; his aides ran the country with an autopen. Trump seems absolutely deranged; I wouldn't hire him to set a flagpole on my lawn. Then the newspeople came on to "analyze" Trump's remarks, and they acted as if his rambling insane remarks were normal. We are in such trouble. There isn't a video up yet on YouTube, but I'll embed or link to one later in the day, so you can judge for yourself. ~~~

     ~~~ Update: The video below covers most of Trump lawn appearance; you can drop in anywhere. I made a comment earlier today on Trump's inability to concentrate on critical matters. The lawn show backs up my comment. Also, he makes quite a number of misstatements (I'm not sure I would call them lies because I think he is so addled he believes what he wants to believe): ~~~

~~~~~~~~~~

Every president* seems to think he needs a war. Now, the person who described himself as a "man of peace" seems to crave his, too. There is no time more dangerous than the moment a thoughtless, careless, belligerent ignoramus with unlimited military power is the "decider": ~~~

Michael Birnbaum, et al., of the Washington Post: “... Donald Trump faced one of the most monumental decisions of his presidency on Tuesday as he debated whether to join a war against Iran that risked sucking Washington into a new Middle Eastern conflict but also offered the chance to eliminate a foe’s nuclear program. In a string of social media posts across the day, the president said that the United States has 'complete and total control of the skies over Iran,' warned Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khameini that he was an 'easy target,' and demanded 'UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER' without defining what that would mean. As the day closed and after an 80-minute meeting with top aides in the Situation Room, he spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a White House official said. The tough language came at a moment of extraordinary weakness for Tehran, whose power is at a low ebb following a year of Israeli attacks against its allies and proxies in the Middle East. Trump has long taken an aggressive approach toward Iran, although he also campaigned on ending global conflicts and as recently as last week continued to seek a new agreement to restrict its nuclear program.” ~~~

New York Times liveblog (Wednesday): “Fears of a wider war were growing on Tuesday after ... [Donald] Trump called for Iran’s 'unconditional surrender,' cited the possibility of killing its supreme leader and referred to Israel’s war efforts with the word 'we' — all apparent suggestions that the United States could enter the conflict against Iran. As the Trump administration contemplates next steps, in Israel and Iran, the conflict continues unabated into its sixth day. Past midnight, on Wednesday, sirens sounded in areas of Israel and the Israeli military said it had detected Iranian missile launches, on two occasions in short succession. Around the same time, the Israeli military published an evacuation warning for an industrial area in Tehran, the Iranian capital, saying it would be taking action in the coming hours to attack military infrastructure there, and shortly afterward said its Air Force was conducting a series of strikes in the area of Tehran. Mr. Trump’s comments, in social media posts on Tuesday, came as Israel has been pressing the White House to intervene militarily in the conflict with Iran to put an end to that country’s nuclear program.” ~~~

~~~ New York Times liveblog (Tuesday): Donald “Trump on Tuesday called for Iran’s 'unconditional surrender,' cited the possibility of killing Iran’s supreme leader and referred to Israel’s war efforts with the word 'we' — all apparent suggestions that the United States could enter the war against Iran. Mr. Trump’s comments, in social media posts, came as Israel has been pressing the White House to intervene militarily in the conflict with Iran to put an end to that country’s nuclear program. The president has long professed opposition to getting involved in foreign wars and has expressed hopes for a negotiated agreement with Iran. Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, wants the United States to drop its largest bunker-busting bombs on Iran’s Fordo nuclear site, which lies deep underground. Israel has neither bombs that big nor warplanes big enough to carry them. In a post on Truth Social, Mr. Trump wrote, 'we know exactly where'  Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, 'is hiding,' but added,  'we are not going to take him out (kill!), at least for now.' Boasting of Israel’s air superiority, which he suggested was based on American technology, he wrote, 'We now have complete and total control of the skies over Iran,' associating himself with Israel’s war effort.” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ An NPR story is here. (Also linked yesterday.)  

TACO. Jonathan Swan, et al., of the New York Times: Over the years, Benjamin Netanyahu “had always backed down [from a military assault on Iran's nuclear program] after multiple American presidents, fearful of the consequences of another conflagration in the Middle East, told him the United States would not assist in an attack.... But over the last several weeks, it became increasingly apparent to Trump administration officials that they might not be able to stop Mr. Netanyahu this time.... At the same time, Mr. Trump was getting impatient with Iran over the slow pace of negotiations.... Five days after Israel launched its attack, Mr. Trump’s posture continues to gyrate.... Interviews with two dozen officials in the United States, Israel and the Persian Gulf region show how Mr. Trump vacillated for months over how and whether to contain Mr. Netanyahu’s impulses.... And when Israel chose war, Mr. Trump cycled from skepticism about attaching himself too closely to Mr. Netanyahu to inching toward joining him in dramatically escalating the conflict, even bucking the view that there is no immediate nuclear threat from Iran.” This looks like a gift link. MB: So it looks as if Bibi is nearly as good at playing Trump as Putin is. Our fake strongman is a fool and a weakling.

Here's the G-7 leaders' statement on Middle East peace, released by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. (Also linked yesterday.)  

Roger Cohen of the New York Times: Donald “Trump said on Tuesday that President Emmanuel Macron of France 'always gets it wrong,' as simmering tensions between the two leaders over the Israel-Iran conflict blew up into insults. As he made an early exit from the Group of 7 meeting in Canada and flew back to Washington, Mr. Trump called Mr. Macron 'publicity seeking.' In a post on his Truth Social platform, Mr. Trump said the French leader 'has no idea why I am on my way to Washington, but it certainly has nothing to do with a Cease Fire.' Mr. Macron had told reporters covering the G7 meeting in Calgary, Alberta, that the United States had given assurances that 'they will find a cease-fire, and since they can pressure Israel, things may change.' The speculation about his intentions clearly infuriated Mr. Trump, who said, without elaborating, that the real reason for his departure was 'much bigger than that.' In an earlier Truth Social post, he had said that 'everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran.'” MB: I'm shocked at the idea of a politician, much less a world leader, who is being “publicity seeking.” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ "I Don't Care What She Said." Avery Lotz of Axios: Donald "Trump on Tuesday said Iran was 'very close' to having a nuclear weapon, despite March testimony from Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard that Tehran was not building one.... His comments, which critics see as shirking his DNI's own assessment, came after he sent shockwaves through the Middle East with a Monday Truth Social post calling for the evacuation of Tehran.... When pressed on Gabbard's assessment by reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump replied, 'I don't care what she said. I think they were very close to having' a nuclear weapon. Trump has repeatedly stressed the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran. Israel wants the administration's help by joining the war against Iran to destroy its nuclear program." (Also linked yesterday.) An AP report is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Trump v. Gabbard. Rachel Bade, et al., of Politico: “At 5:30 a.m. on June 10, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard tweeted a cryptic, three-minute video warning that 'political elite and warmongers' are 'carelessly fomenting fear and tensions between nuclear powers' — and that the world is 'on the brink of nuclear annihilation.' Trump saw the unauthorized video and became incensed, complaining to associates at the White House that she had spoken out of turn.... Her post came a few days after Israel hawks met with Trump at the White House to lobby him to support Israel’s attacks on Iran. In the eyes of Trump and some close to him, Gabbard was warning him not to greenlight Israel attacking Iran. Trump even expressed his disapproval to her personally.... Iin recent months, Trump has increasingly mused about nixing Gabbard’s office completely, an idea he floated when he gave her the job.”

Heather Cox Richardson's newsletter is interesting today not just because she pointed to Trump's willingness to cop to his mob-bossy protection racket, but also because she referred to a 2011 speech by then-FBI Director Robert Mueller in which he "explained that globalization and modern technology had changed the nature of organized crime. No longer regional networks with a clear structure, he said, organized crime had become international, fluid, and sophisticated, with multibillion-dollar stakes." MB: Trump, who is essentially a thug, probably is not bright enough to catch onto this smoothe international crime racket, but it appears he has advisers who have steered him toward at least some aspects of it, like his new & hugely profitable crypto-grift.

Sapna Maheshwari of the New York Times: Donald “Trump intends to again extend the deadline for when TikTok must be separated from its Chinese owner, ByteDance, or face a ban in the United States, its third reprieve this year.... Mr. Trump has repeatedly declined to enforce the law, which the Supreme Court upheld in January after Congress passed it with wide bipartisan support last year. The app’s future is part of the discussion in his administration’s ongoing trade talks with China. Mr. Trump, who issued similar delays in January and in April, has given TikTok an unexpected lifeline after its future in the United States appeared to be doomed. The president tried to ban TikTok in his first term but flipped his stance on the app last year — a shift that is credited in part to one of his donors....” The NBC News report is here.

Ali Watkins of the New York Times: Donald “Trump said that he had no plans to call Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota after a man assassinated a state lawmaker there and wounded another over the weekend, calling Mr. Walz 'whacked out' and 'a mess.' 'I don’t really call him,' Mr. Trump told reporters during his flight back to Washington after making an early exit from the Group of 7 summit in Canada late Monday. 'I think the governor of Minnesota is so whacked out, I’m not calling him. Why would I call him?' It is a well established custom for presidents to call state leaders to express sympathy and offer support after deadly shootings and other calamities. But after the shootings in the Minneapolis suburbs over the weekend, which left one Democratic lawmaker and her husband dead and another lawmaker and his wife gravely wounded, Mr. Trump seemed perplexed when asked by reporters if he intended to call Mr. Walz....” The U.S. attorney and FBI agents already have been helping Minnesota apprehend and charge the alleged assassin, so I can't see what Trump's problem is, other than than he's a boor who doesn't know how to behave in polite society. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Steve M: "Pundits don't feel moral outrage in response to Trump's contempt and the [Brevard County, Florida,] sheriffs' bloodlust because, at least subconsciously, they feel the president and the sheriffs are punching up -- snooty lefties deserve to be taken down a peg. Trump and the sheriff are seen as avengers speaking on behalf of the downtrodden working class, not as power-mad fascists. I wouldn't say that contempt for liberals and leftists is 'the last acceptable prejudice' -- in Trump's America, there are many, many acceptable prejudices -- but this one has been acceptable all our lives." (Also linked yesterday.)  

Trumpelthinskin Lashes Out at Drunk Pete. Adam Nichols of the Raw Story: "Donald Trump unleashed his rage on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after last weekend's military parade failed to project the intimidating image the president craved, according to explosive new revelations from biographer Michael Wolff.... 'He's pissed off at the soldiers,' Wolff revealed, explaining that Trump was livid his troops appeared to be 'having a good time' rather than displaying the 'menacing' military face he had wanted. As thousands of soldiers and tanks paraded past largely empty bleachers on Constitution Avenue, social media erupted with mockery over the out-of-sync marching and dreary atmosphere.... The sparse crowds and lackluster energy clearly got under Trump's skin." MB: Gosh, Donald, maybe the lack of enthusiasm is a reflection of the fact that most people despise you. (Also linked yesterday.)  

Neil Vigdor & Hannah Ziegler of the New York Times: “A Pennsylvania man who was arrested on weapons charges at a 'No Kings' protest against the Trump administration on Saturday is facing more than two dozen additional charges after investigators said they found a cache of homemade bombs at his home outside Philadelphia. The man, Kevin Krebs, 31, of Malvern, Pa., first caused alarm among people in the crowd at the protest in West Chester, Pa., when he tried to hide a Sig Sauer P320 handgun under his raincoat and another layer of clothing, the authorities said. The protesters pointed him out to law enforcement officers, who said that they found nine fully loaded magazines, a bayonet, pepper spray and a ski mask on him and an AR-15-style rifle on the back seat of his Ford Explorer. Mr. Krebs did not have a license for the handgun he had on him, the police said. During a search of Mr. Krebs’s home on Monday, the police discovered 13 improvised explosive devices, in addition to military-style body armor vests and several drawings of grenades, the authorities said on Tuesday.” ~~~

~~~ Phil Williams of WTVF Nashville: “An armed man arrested Saturday during Nashville’s 'No Kings' protest has a long history of fascination with Nazis and mass murderers, and he was already on the FBI's radar.... Elijah Millar, 19, of Murfreesboro, was arrested Saturday after he 'brandished' a handgun while clashing with a few of the thousands of protesters who attended the peaceful rally in downtown Nashville, according to the arrest warrant taken out by Metro Nashville police. Millar was later released on bond.... For much of his time wandering around the protest at the Bicentennial Mall, Millar was livestreaming, declaring on X that he was going to be  'counter-protesting these commies.' He shouted at protesters, 'Commie scum! No f***ing commie, commie scum in America, motherf***er.'” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Funny, innit, how millions of people managed to protest peacefully, and almost all of the trouble came from pro-Trumpies not invited to the party. It isn't that there are no violent lefties; it's that there are way more violent right-wingers and some of them are way more violent and way more prone to premeditation than the few dumbass rock-throwers on the left.  

Kyle Cheney & Josh Gerstein of Politico: “A federal appeals court appears poised to permit ... Donald Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops in Los Angeles to continue uninterrupted despite the protests of California Gov. Gavin Newsom. During an hourlong argument session Tuesday, a three-judge panel sharply questioned Newsom’s argument that Trump had failed to sufficiently justify his decision to send 4,000 National Guard troops to protect federal buildings and support immigration authorities as they conduct arrests and enforcement operations. Instead, the judges appeared to lean on centuries-old principles — backed at times by the Supreme Court — giving the president vast discretion to deploy the military to suppress civil unrest. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals panel featured Trump appointees Eric Miller and Mark Bennett, as well as Biden appointee Jennifer Sung. All appeared openly skeptical of California’s position that courts can second-guess Trump’s determination that immigration protests in Los Angeles had amounted to a potential 'rebellion' against the government.” The New York Times analysis, by Charles Savage & Laurel Rosenhall, agrees with Cheney & Gerstein's conclusions.

There might be less TACO if the TACO King paid more attention to matters like (a) which immigrants he's going to target (see below) or  (b) whether or not he's going to annihilate the Earth (see above). But it seems home decor (gilding the Oval Office) and landscaping duties (paving over the Rose Garden) are top-of-mind. Now this: ~~~

~~~ Charlie Nash of Mediaite: “... Donald Trump took a break from threatening Iran on Tuesday to announce the erection of 'two beautiful Flag Poles' at the White House. 'It is my Great Honor to announce that I will be putting up two beautiful Flag Poles on both sides of the White House, North and South Lawns,' wrote Trump in a Truth Social post: 'It is a GIFT from me of something which was always missing from this magnificent place.'”

Once Again, Trump's Inconsistency, Failure of Leadership & Incompetence Creates Business Havoc. Tyler Pager, et al., of the New York Times: Donald “Trump is sending conflicting messages about his immigration crackdown, promising a reprieve for certain industries that rely on immigrant labor while doubling down on his promise to arrest and deport anyone who is living in the United States illegally. The situation has left business owners unclear on exactly what the Trump policy is, just days after the president said 'changes are coming' to help those in the farming and hospitality industries whose employees are too scared to show up for work. 'One minute you have a message saying they won’t go after agriculture, the next something else,' said Manuel Cunha Jr., president of the Nisei Farmers League, a growers organization in the Central Valley of California. Mr. Cunha said it was causing 'tremendous havoc' in the country’s largest agricultural region.” ~~~

~~~ Lauren Gurley & Mariana Alfaro of the Washington Post: “Industry and business groups that depend on immigrant workers are scrambling to respond to ... Donald Trump’s heightened deportation efforts, after winning a partial reprieve on raids last week that was reversed days later. The administration on Monday walked back a pause on immigration raids at farms, meatpacking plants, hotels and restaurants, sending renewed shock waves through the broader business community, parts of which are still pushing the White House for relief from workplace raids.... The policy reversal appeared to take effect immediately. On Tuesday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents raided Delta Downs, a horse racing track in Vinton, Louisiana, rounding up nearly 100 equine caretakers, some of whom fled the scene as drones swarmed overhead....” ~~~

~~~ The Forgotten. Emily Peck of Axios: "The White House immigration crackdown is hitting the long-term healthcare industry, as nursing homes and care providers lose foreign-born employees and struggle to hire.... These folks care for the disabled and for the country's fast-growing elderly population, and they're already in short supply. Advocates and policy experts warn the quality of care that people receive is under threat."

Luis Ferré-Sadurní of the New York Times: “Brad Lander, the New York City comptroller who is running for mayor, was arrested on Tuesday by federal agents at an immigration courthouse in Lower Manhattan as he tried to escort a migrant out of the building to prevent his arrest. Mr. Lander, a Democrat, was observing proceedings at the city’s main immigration courthouse, at 26 Federal Plaza, where an increasing number of migrants who appear for court have been arrested in recent weeks by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. Videos taken by reporters at the courthouse show Mr. Lander standing by a migrant man in a crowded hallway when several men who appear to be law enforcement officers, some wearing masks, walk up to the pair in an apparent attempt to arrest the migrant. Mr. Lander repeatedly asks the agents whether they have a judicial warrant and walks behind them, according to one of the videos, which was posted on social media by a reporter from The City, a digital news outlet.... Agents can be seen trying to pry Mr. Lander away. They ultimately separate Mr. Lander from the man, push him against a wall by the elevators and place handcuffs on him.... A spokeswoman for the comptroller’s office, said Mr. Lander was being held on the 10th floor of 26 Federal Plaza, where migrants apprehended by ICE are typically detained.” AM New York's story is here. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Update. Sarah Fortinsky of the Hill: “New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) condemned the arrest of New York City Comptroller Brad Lander (D), a candidate for mayor, who was detained Tuesday by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents while guiding a defendant out of immigration court.... It’s bull—-,' [Hochul said]. 'How dare they take an elected official, who’s been going down there for weeks, to escort people who are afraid to walk into a courthouse in the United States of America?.... Because, despite them having legal status and following the rules and making their appointments, that they don’t know what’s going to happen to them,' she continued, referring to migrants attending their required court appearances but then facing ICE agents waiting to detain them. 'So Brad Lander has stepped up, to be a guiding help for them, and this is what happens to him? What the hell is happening to this country?' the governor added.” ~~~

     ~~~ Update 2. Jenna Amatulli of the Guardian: “In a statement to the Guardian, assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin from the Department of Homeland Security said Lander 'was arrested for assaulting law enforcement and impeding a federal officer'. Upon his release, Lander said he 'certainly did not' assault an officer. Lander appeared at 26 Federal Plaza to observe immigration hearings involving individuals marked for potential deportation. He told an Associated Press reporter that he was there to 'accompany' some immigrants out of the building. Tuesday’s trip to an immigration court was Lander’s third over the last month.” The story goes on to report other reactions to Lander's arrest, including those of other NYC mayoral candidates. ~~~

~~~ Katie Glueck of the New York Times: “As Democrats struggle to push back against the administration, federal agents have arrested or clashed with a growing number of the party’s elected officials. The scenes of chaos reflect the tinderbox nature of this political moment, and the expanding national battles over due process, the rule of law and the system of checks and balances. 'This is executive authority, especially in the Department of Homeland Security, running out of control,' said Senator Tina Smith, a Minnesota Democrat. 'Do the members of Congress need security details to defend themselves from the executive branch? God, I hope not.'... Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York, the Democratic House leader, was more explicit, saying in a statement that 'the aggressive targeting of Democratic elected officials by the Trump administration will invariably result in law-abiding public servants being marked for death by violent extremists.'”

Brianna Tucker & Marianne LeVine of the Washington Post: “Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem was taken to a hospital on Tuesday after suffering an allergic reaction, a department spokesperson told The Washington Post. Tricia McLaughlin, an assistant secretary for DHS, said Noem was transported to the hospital by ambulance 'out of an abundance of caution' and 'is alert and recovering.'... No further details about the allergic reaction were provided.” The AP's report is here. MB: Okay, but I'll just go out on a limb and guess that Kristi has developed an allergy to Botox, which is uncommon but not unheard-of. Meanwhile, if you check the end of yesterday's Comments thread, you'll find that Akhilleus is “concerned” about Kristi, if not quite as “concerned” as Susan Collins is about various right-wing atrocities. I wish Kristi well, of course, and I hope her face doesn't sag or deflate too much. 

Case Study. Carolyn Johnson of the Washington Post: While NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya is defending staff cutbacks and falsely claiming that the cuts will not harm science & patients, this man may die as he now cannot time receive the treatment he needs “because of cuts to essential lab personnel — a painful illustration of the life-and-death stakes of the administration’s approach to shrinking the government workforce.” MB: Jay there is a medical doctor who seems to have forgotten all about that "do no harm" part of his oath. 

A Trillion Dollars Worse Than Originally Estimated. Tony Romm of the New York Times: “House Republicans’ sprawling package to cut taxes and slash federal safety-net programs would add about $3.4 trillion to the debt, according to nonpartisan congressional analysts, who reported on Tuesday that the minor gains in economic growth under the bill would not offset its full fiscal impact. The updated findings from the Congressional Budget Office amounted to yet another dour report card for the president’s signature legislation, which passed the House last month but now faces the prospect of significant revisions to its core components in the Senate. In its current form, the House Republican bill would extend and expand a set of expiring tax cuts enacted by ... [Donald] Trump during his first term. It would pay for some of those expensive components with deep cuts to federal anti-poverty programs, including Medicaid and food stamps. The C.B.O. report issued on Tuesday sought to project the ways the bill would interact with federal spending and the U.S. economy, building on its earlier finding that the House-passed measure carried a roughly $2.4 trillion price tag.” The article is currently topped by a photo of the Hunchback of Notre Pays. 

This is a bill that was written by the industry that will supercharge the profitability of Donald Trump's crypto corruption, while it undercuts consumer protection and weakens our national defense. -- Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., ranking member of the Senate Banking Committee, to NBC News ~~~

~~~ A Gift to Trump. Robert Jimison of the New York Times: “The Senate on Tuesday passed legislation to establish a regulatory framework for stablecoins, putting the cryptocurrency industry, which had long been viewed with suspicion by lawmakers in Washington, on the brink of a major policy breakthrough. Bipartisan approval of the bill, known as the GENIUS Act, followed an aggressive lobbying campaign aimed at transforming the cryptocurrency industry’s image from scandal-plagued experiment to legitimate financial sector. Senate passage came over the fierce objections of many Democrats, who warned that the measure lacked strict-enough regulations or oversight to prevent abuses, including anti-corruption rules that would bar President Trump and his family from continuing to profit from cryptocurrency. The bill still must be passed by the House and signed by the president. But the 68-30 vote in the Senate marked the first time the chamber has approved major cryptocurrency legislation. It represented a significant step toward giving the industry what it has long sought from Washington: the credibility that comes with federal oversight.” The NBC News story is here.

Lisa Lerer of the New York Times: “Former President Barack Obama will gingerly step into the public fray on Tuesday night, after weeks of quiet grumbling from some demoralized Democrats for what they say is his silence in the face of a frontal assault on liberal America by the Trump administration. Mr. Obama will participate in a discussion in Hartford, Conn., with Heather Cox Richardson, a popular liberal writer and historian, at a moment of deep uncertainty and volatility for his party, the country and the world.” MB: I can just hear President Obama's hesitant, stammering remarks now, but I'm hoping he embraces the fierce urgency of now and metaphorically knocks Trumpolini on his fat ass. ~~~

     ~~~ Update. Marie: It would appear Obama spoke just as I feared he would. Here's Lerer's updated report (same link): “Former President Barack Obama warned on Tuesday night that the country was 'dangerously close' to allowing its government officials to act in a way 'consistent with autocracies,' offering a veiled rebuke of the Trump administration that was delivered with trademark caution. Appearing before a civic group in Hartford, Conn., during a tumultuous stretch for the country both at home and abroad, Mr. Obama offered a winding explanation about the dangers facing American democracy. He pointed to an erosion of traditional values like the rule of law, an independent judiciary, the freedom of the press and the right to protest. 'If you follow regularly what is said by those who are in charge of the federal government right now, there is a weak commitment to what we understood — and not just my generation, at least since World War II — our understanding of how a liberal democracy is supposed to work,' he said during a discussion with Heather Cox Richardson, a popular anti-Trump writer and historian. Democracy, Mr. Obama said, requires government workers, judges and lawyers at the Justice Department to uphold the Constitution and follow the law.” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: This is not the time for “veiled rebukes” of Trump; What Obama apparently said yesterday was of the same kind of “veiled rebukes” he made of Congressional Republicans when they did something outrageous during his time in office. You had to know exactly what was going on to even tell whom he might be criticizing. We need people like Bernie & AOC & Chris Murphy, who are straight with ordinary people.

Kyle Cheney of Politico: “A California court has upheld a recommendation that attorney John Eastman should lose his law license because of his central role in ... Donald Trump’s effort to subvert the 2020 election. A three-judge 'review panel' of the California State Bar Court found that Eastman’s conduct was so egregious — and his remorse so lacking — that the only remedy was to permanently prohibit him from practicing law.... Eastman’s next step is the California Supreme Court, which has the final say over attorney discipline matters. While that’s typically the end of the line, Eastman hinted he may intend to pursue his grievances against the process in federal court.”

A Senator Goes to Jail. Tracey Tully of the New York Times: “For decades, Robert Menendez had the ear of presidents and prime ministers. He controlled the flow of military aid as the Democratic leader of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. A son of Cuban refugees, he was a go-to authority on immigration policy. But on Tuesday, just after 9 a.m., Mr. Menendez became a ward of the same government that he had once helped to lead when he entered a federal prison in Pennsylvania to begin an 11-year sentence for political corruption. He will be known as prisoner No. 67277-050 at Federal Correctional Institution Schuylkill in Minersville, Pa., roughly three hours away from the home he has shared in New Jersey with his wife, Nadine Menendez, who is expected to be sentenced in September for her role in the scheme.” (Also linked yesterday.)  

~~~~~~~~~

If being held in contempt is what it costs to defend the rule of law and stand firmly behind President Trump’s agenda on illegal immigration, so be it. -- Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier (R) ~~~

~~~ Florida. Frances Vinall of the Washington Post: “A federal judge found Florida’s attorney general in civil contempt of court Tuesday for violating a restraining order, which required state attorneys to tell officers to stop enforcing a newly enacted immigration law. That same judge, Southern Florida District Judge Kathleen M. Williams had issued a temporary restraining order in April halting the enforcement of a law that made it a state crime for any 'adult unauthorized alien' to enter or reenter Florida, with a mandatory minimum prison sentence of nine months. That law had been signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) in February. Afterward, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier (R) sent a letter to state law enforcement agencies saying he could not prevent them enforcing the new law. 'It is my view that no lawful, legitimate order currently impedes your agencies from continuing to enforce Florida’s new illegal entry and reentry laws,' he wrote in the letter. Williams on Tuesday found this letter to be in contempt of her order.”

Virginia. Gregory Schneider & Laura Vozzella of the Washington Post: “Former Norfolk delegate Jerrauld C. 'Jay' Jones won the Democratic nomination for Virginia attorney general while the party’s choice for lieutenant governor was too close to call Tuesday night, according to election results projected by the Associated Press. The winners will join gubernatorial nominee Abigail Spanberger in pivotal fall elections that will be watched as an off-year referendum on ... Donald Trump and on Virginia’s own ambitious Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R), who is term-limited out of office.”