The Conversation -- April 21, 2025

Stephanie Saul of the New York Times: “Harvard, the world’s wealthiest university, sued the Trump administration on Monday, fighting back against its threats to slash billions of dollars from the school’s research funding as part of a crusade against the nation’s top colleges.... The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Massachusetts, accuses the government of unleashing a broad attack as 'leverage to gain control of academic decision-making at Harvard.' It also references other major universities that have faced abrupt funding cuts. The lawsuit names as defendants Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the health and human services secretary; Linda M. McMahon, the education secretary; Stephen Ehikian, acting administrator of the General Services Administration; Attorney General Pamela J. Bondi; and several other administration officials.” ~~~

~~~ Marie: Yeah, well, I feel like suing Donald Trump personally. I'm pretty sure that sumbitch's latest thumb farts & tariffing just transformed me from a middle-class old codger to a poor coot. For no reason. Othe than pure assholery. ~~~

~~~ Dippity-Doo-Dah. Danielle Kaye & Kevin Granville of the New York Times: “Stocks slumped, bonds sold off and the U.S. dollar continued to lose ground on Monday as ... [Donald] Trump renewed his attacks on Jerome H. Powell, the chair of the Federal Reserve, unnerving already-anxious investors who see the independence of the central bank as critical to the health of the American economy. Wall Street began the day with a slump, but the sell-off gained steam after Mr. Trump targeted Mr. Powell in a social media post, calling him “a major loser” and urging the Fed to cut interest rates. Mr. Trump also suggested that an economic slowdown would be Mr. Powell’s fault. After a late recovery, the S&P 500 dropped 2.4 percent for the day. All of the major sectors in the index fell, with the technology, energy and consumer discretionary sectors hardest hit.”

Oh, Lordy, how can gun-totin' Kristi keep us secure when she can't even secure her own handbag stuffed with cash? ~~~

     ~~~ Erin Doherty of CNBC: "A thief stole Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s purse while she was dining at a restaurant in downtown Washington, D.C., on Sunday night, two law enforcement sources confirmed to CNBC. Noem’s bag contained roughly $3,000 in cash, which she had withdrawn to treat her family to dinner and Easter gifts and activities, a DHS spokesperson said Monday. The bag also contained Noem’s passport, makeup, blank checks, her driver’s license, keys and medication, according to CNN, which first reported the theft. The U.S. Secret Service has reviewed security footage that shows an unidentified white male, who wore a medical mask, snatching the bag, CNN reported." The New York Times report is here.

Joe Gould, et al., of Politico: “... Donald Trump 'stands strongly behind Pete Hegseth,' press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday morning, defending the scandal-plagued Defense secretary against escalating criticism from Democrats and former senior officials. Hegseth 'is doing phenomenal leading the Pentagon,' Leavitt said in a 'Fox & Friends' appearance. 'This is what happens when the entire Pentagon is working against you and working against the monumental change you are trying to implement.' Her comments came a day after The New York Times reported that Hegseth shared sensitive information about military operations in Yemen in a private chat on the Signal app that included his wife, brother and personal lawyer — the second reported instance of the secretary sharing operational plans in an unclassified chat.... 'We keep learning how Pete Hegseth put lives at risk,' Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said. 'But Trump is still too weak to fire him.'”

Ann Marimow of the Washington Post: “The American Civil Liberties Union asked the Supreme Court on Monday to broaden its extraordinary weekend order that temporarily blocked the Trump administration from using a wartime power to deport dozens of alleged gang members detained in Texas. Lawyers for the Venezuelan migrants say the Trump administration is not complying with an earlier Supreme Court directive to provide detainees with a real opportunity to challenge their planned deportations to a notorious megaprison in El Salvador. They want the Supreme Court to take up the broader question of whether the Trump administration can lawfully invoke the Alien Enemies Act when they say the United States is not actually at war with the targeted Venezuelan gang known as Tren de Aragua.”

Guns 4 Kidz. Adam Liptak of the New York Times: “The Supreme Court on Monday turned down an opportunity to weigh in on whether the government may restrict 18- to 20-year-olds from buying or carrying guns, a question that has divided the lower courts. The case concerned a Minnesota law that makes it a crime for people under 21 to carry guns in public. Last year, the Eighth Circuit struck down the law, ruling that the Second Amendment required letting those as young as 18 be armed. 'The Second Amendment’s plain text does not have an age limit,' wrote Judge Duane Benton, who was appointed by President George W. Bush.”

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Via LG&$.

⭐ ~~~ Greg Jaffe, et al., of the New York Times: “Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared detailed information about forthcoming strikes in Yemen on March 15 in a private Signal group chat that included his wife, brother and personal lawyer, according to four people with knowledge of the chat. Some of those people said that the information Mr. Hegseth shared on the Signal chat included the flight schedules for the F/A-18 Hornets targeting the Houthis in Yemen — essentially the same attack plans that he shared on a separate Signal chat the same day that mistakenly included the editor of The Atlantic. Mr. Hegseth’s wife, Jennifer, a former Fox News producer, is not a Defense Department employee, but she has traveled with him overseas and drawn criticism for accompanying her husband to sensitive meetings with foreign leaders. Mr. Hegseth’s brother Phil and Tim Parlatore, who continues to serve as his personal lawyer, both have jobs in the Pentagon, but it is not clear why either would need to know about upcoming military strikes aimed at the Houthis in Yemen....

“Unlike the chat in which The Atlantic was mistakenly included, the newly revealed one was created by Mr. Hegseth. It included his wife and about a dozen other people from his personal and professional inner circle in January, before his confirmation as defense secretary, and was named 'Defense | Team Huddle,' the people familiar with the chat said. He used his private phone, rather than his government one, to access the Signal chat.” MB: Let's hope loose lips sink Pete. It isn't often that the drunk at the end of the bar is passing around military plans. ~~~

     ~~~ Natasha Bertrand, et al., of CNN: “The revelation comes as some of Hegseth’s closest advisers have begun sounding the alarm about the secretary’s judgment, including his former press secretary, John Ullyot, and three former senior officials Hegseth fired last week — his top adviser Dan Caldwell, deputy chief of staff Darin Selnick, and Colin Carroll, who served as chief of staff to the deputy secretary of defense.” ~~~

     ~~~ Former Spokesman Turns on Drunk Pete. John Ullyot, in a Politico Magazine essay: “It’s been a month of total chaos at the Pentagon. From leaks of sensitive operational plans to mass firings, the dysfunction is now a major distraction for the president — who deserves better from his senior leadership.... Donald Trump has a strong record of holding his top officials to account. Given that, it’s hard to see Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth remaining in his role for much longer. The latest flashpoint is a near collapse inside the Pentagon’s top ranks. On Friday, Hegseth fired three of his most loyal senior staffers — senior adviser Dan Caldwell, deputy chief of staff Darin Selnick and Colin Carroll, chief of staff to the deputy secretary of Defense. In the aftermath, Defense Department officials working for Hegseth tried to smear the aides anonymously to reporters, claiming they were fired for leaking sensitive information as part of an investigation ordered earlier this month. Yet none of this is true.”

Hannah Natanson of the Washington Post: “Government officials under both Joe Biden and Donald Trump improperly shared sensitive documents with thousands of federal workers, including potentially classified floor plans of the White House, according to internal records reviewed by The Washington Post. Career employees at the General Services Administration, which provides administrative and technological support for much of the federal bureaucracy and manages the government’s real estate portfolio, were responsible for the oversharing, which spurred a cybersecurity incident report and investigation last week. The records show that the employees inadvertently shared a Google Drive folder containing the sensitive documents with the entire GSA staff, which totals more than 11,200 people, according to the agency’s online directory.”

Annie Correal & Julie Turkewitz of the New York Times: “El Salvador’s president proposed on Sunday repatriating Venezuelan detainees sent to his country from the United States in exchange for the release of prisoners by Venezuela, including key figures in the Venezuelan opposition. 'I want to propose a humanitarian agreement that includes the repatriation of 100 percent of the 252 Venezuelans who were deported, in exchange for the release and surrender of an identical number (252) of the thousands of political prisoners you hold,' President Nayib Bukele wrote in an X post directed at President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela.... Venezuela’s attorney general, Tarek William Saab, demanded the immediate release of the Venezuelans held in El Salvador late Sunday in a statement responding to Mr. Bukele. Mr. Saab didn’t say whether the Venezuelan government would consider the proposal.”

Vaughn Hillyard, et al., of NBC News: “Video from Friday night shows Immigration and Customs Enforcement buses full of Venezuelan migrants headed toward an airport in North Texas before abruptly turning around before the Supreme Court ruled the Trump administration must, for now, refrain from deporting Venezuelan men based in the state under the Alien Enemies Act. At least 28 detainees — most, if not all, understood to be Venezuelan nationals — were placed on buses Friday evening at ICE’s Bluebonnet Detention Center in Anson, Texas, and then driven toward Abilene Airport about 30 miles away. The motorcade — including at least 18 squad cars from various law enforcement agencies with flashing lights along the north Texas highways — left the ICE facility, with some men on board being told they were being deported to El Salvador and some told they were headed to Venezuela.... As the motorcade was headed for the airport, [District Judge James Boasberg was holding] a last-minute federal hearing on the matter.... 'We hear they are on buses on the way to the airport,' said Lee Gelernt, the lawyer for the ACLU ... [told Judge Boasberg].... Boasberg [then] asked Justice Department lawyer Drew Ensign to make calls to ensure there were no flights deporting immigrants from Bluebonnet under the Alien Enemies Act on Friday night.... The Supreme Court heard the case overnight, after Boasberg declined to rule [on the case].” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: As Mark Stern of Slate (linked yesterday) noted, "... it is plain as day that the Supreme Court simply did not trust the Trump administration’s claims that it would not deport migrants over the weekend without due process." Clearly, the Supremes were right not to trust the Trump mob. One of them, however, did his best to aid and abet Trump's unlawful action: ~~~

~~~ Abbie VanSickle of the New York Times: “In his five-page dissent released on Saturday shortly before midnight, Justice Alito, joined by Justice Clarence Thomas, wrote that in his view, the court’s decision to intervene overnight was not 'necessary or appropriate.'... The order [to which Alito dissented] suggested a deep skepticism on the court about whether the Trump administration could be trusted to live up to the key part of an earlier ruling that said detainees were entitled to be notified if the government intended to deport them under the law, 'within a reasonable time,' and in a way that would allow the deportees to challenge the move.” MB: Moreover, Alito, who is the justice assigned to oversee the Fifth Circuit, which includes Texas, had earlier declined to issue a stay and did not bring up the matter to the full Court. The ACLU had to go begging in the middle of the night. Clearly the Court's intervention was “necessary and appropriate.” (Also linked yesterday.) 

Robert Jimison & Annie Correal of the New York Times: “Four Democratic lawmakers have arrived in El Salvador, where they intend to continue pressing for the release of a Maryland resident who was wrongly deported to a prison in the Central American country. Representatives Robert Garcia of California, Maxwell Alejandro Frost of Florida, Yassamin Ansari of Arizona and Maxine E. Dexter of Oregon landed on Sunday. They are hoping their trip will focus more attention on the Trump administration’s lack of action after the Supreme Court ordered the government to facilitate the return of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia.”

Sen. Foghorn Leghorn Breaks with Trump. Sarah Fortinsky of the Hill: “Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) said on Sunday he does not think the law would allow ... [Donald] Trump to send United States citizens convicted of violent crimes to Salvadoran prisons, despite the president’s suggestion that he might be open to that possibility. 'No, ma’am. Nor should it be considered appropriate or moral,' Kennedy told NBC News’s Kristen Welker when asked on 'Meet the Press' whether he thinks such a move would be legal.''We have our own laws,' he continued. 'We have the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution. We shouldn’t send prisoners to foreign countries in my judgment.'” MB: The way Fortinsky presents the exchange, it's not clear whether Leghorn is talking about any criminals or only U.S. citizens. However, I listened to the tape, and it does appear Leghorn is speaking only of U.S. citizens. That is, it sounds very much as if Foghorn Leghorn thinks noncitizens do not have the same rights of due process & humane treatment that U.S. citizens do.

Yesterday, the story was about a young U.S. citizen with an Hispanic name whom ICE detained near the U.S.-Mexico border. Today's story is about an older Wisconsin man with a Germanic?? name who says he is a natural-born U.S. citizen. Nevertheless, the Department Homeland Security sent him a threatening email warning him he must self-deport "immediately" or law enforcement "potentially" would "remove" him from the U.S.:

     ~~~ If Sam Alito & Clarence Thomas had their way, Mr. Franck might be headed for El Salvador. And so might you or I.

You may not be able to see it at home as yet, but the U.S. is rapidly becoming a scary, third-world country. Here's more evidence: ~~~

~~~ Douglas MacMillan of the Washington Post: “The Trump administration’s efforts to boost deportations has increased the number of immigrant detainees so quickly that the government is failing to provide basic necessities, including beds and medical care, for some of them. Nearly half the people currently detained by ICE or Customs and Border Protection have no criminal charges, federal data show, yet some are being held in conditions that would be unacceptable in high-security prisons. At the same time, the administration has eliminated two oversight bodies that ensured that facilities met health and safety requirements.... The number of detainees is growing because of increased arrests and because ICE authorities are not exercising their discretion to release people who would normally qualify for bond or parole — those with medical conditions or who present no threat to the community, for example — said Eunice Cho, an [ACLU] attorney.... 'This is a crisis entirely manufactured by ICE,' Cho said.”

Quiz Question of the Day. Marie: Oh, let's see if you can figure out what's driving this pair of seemingly antithetical Trump plans. On the one hand, Trump has ordered an end to "birthright citizenship," as guaranteed in the Fourteenth Amendment. Birthright citizenship of course increases the number of young Americans. On the other hand, as Caroline Kitchener of the New York Times reports, "The White House has been hearing out a chorus of ideas in recent weeks for persuading Americans to get married and have more children, an early sign that the Trump administration will embrace a new cultural agenda pushed by many of its allies on the right to reverse declining birthrates and push conservative family values." This is, Trump wants to increase the number of young Americans.

Dhruv Patel of the Harvard Crimson: “The Trump administration plans to slash another $1 billion in federal grants and contracts for health research to Harvard, on top of an existing $2.2 billion cut, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday. The new cut comes after [Harvard President Alan] Garber decided to publicly reject the revised — and more aggressive — set of demands that the White House issued to Harvard last Friday as part of his message to Harvard affiliates on Monday. Garber’s rejection sparked the federal government’s first funding freeze. Citing the two anonymous sources, the Journal reported that the Trump administration saw the release as a breach of a confidential negotiation process. Harvard had not agreed to keep the demands private, according to the Journal, but its public release is now being touted by some in the White House as a reason to take a more aggressive approach to Harvard’s funding.”

Tobi Raji & Samantha Chery of the Washington Post: “Members of the U.S. DOGE Service met with National Gallery of Art leadership Thursday, museum and administration officials confirmed, signaling that cuts or other changes may be on the horizon for the Washington institution that makes its world-class art collection freely accessible to roughly 6 million visitors a year.... Thursday’s visit comes as the administration has sought to assert more control over federally funded art initiatives and overhaul the nation’s most renowned museums, including the separate Smithsonian Institution. While DOGE is nominally a cost-cutting operation led by the billionaire Elon Musk, it has drafted detailed plans to purge employees and programs that it associates with diversity initiatives from the federal government. In recent years, the NGA has worked to diversify its art, holding its first exhibition of Native American artists in decades and adding works by Haitian artists to its permanent collection, among other work created by artists from marginalized communities.” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: You and I may not agree on what art is, and we may not think the National Gallery gets it right, either. But we can agree, I suspect, that we don't want Big Balls & Little Musk deciding what the National Gallery can collect & display.

Spencer Hsu of the Washington Post: “The Trump administration is reconsidering the legal basis for White House trade adviser Peter Navarro’s conviction for criminal contempt of Congress, according to court filings, a step that could lead to voiding his case.... Navarro, 75, served a four-month sentence last year after being found guilty in September 2023 of ignoring subpoenas for records and testimony by the House panel investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.... In a two-page motion filed April 4, the office of U.S. Attorney Ed Martin of the District of Columbia, which prosecuted Navarro, asked a court to delay oral arguments scheduled for Thursday 'to enable the Department of Justice to reexamine its position on the executive-privilege issues implicated in this appeal.'... Martin, a pro-Trump 'Stop the Steal' organizer who helped plan Jan. 6 events and later blamed Democrats using the online hashtag #CapitolInsurrectionHoax, has hosted Navarro on his podcast since 2020 and condemned his prosecution, saying early last year that he was a 'political hostage' and 'shouldn’t go to jail for a day.' .” However, the decision over Navarro’s case is likely to rest with U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.”

⭐⭐ Jason Horowitz & Jim Yardley of the New York Times: “Pope Francis, who rose from modest means in Argentina to become the first Jesuit and Latin American pontiff, who clashed bitterly with traditionalists in his push for a more inclusive Roman Catholic Church, and who spoke out tirelessly for migrants, the marginalized and the health of the planet, died on Monday at the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta. He was 88. The pope’s death was announced by the Vatican in a statement on X, a day after Francis appeared in his wheelchair to bless the faithful in St. Peter’s Square on Easter Sunday. Throughout his 12-year papacy, Francis was a change agent, having inherited a Vatican in disarray in 2013 after the stunning resignation of his predecessor, Benedict XVI, a standard-bearer of Roman Catholic conservatism.” ~~~

     ~~~ Here's a New York Times liveblog, related to Francis' death. ~~~

     ~~~ The AP's obituary is here. The AP has live updates here.

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South Carolina. Kipp Jones of Mediaite: “On Saturday, Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) posted a video to her social media accounts showing a heated encounter with a constituent who asked her about holding a town hall meeting in her district which resulted in her yelling, 'Fuck you!'” MB: I would not publicize a video in which I lost it with someone I was supposed to be serving. Or one in which I was dressed like a hooker in skinny jeans & spike heels. Apparently Mace thinks all publicity is good publicity.

The Conversation -- April 20, 2025

Vaughn Hillyard, et al., of NBC News: “Video from Friday night shows Immigration and Customs Enforcement buses full of Venezuelan migrants headed toward an airport in North Texas before abruptly turning around before the Supreme Court ruled the Trump administration must, for now, refrain from deporting Venezuelan men based in the state under the Alien Enemies Act. At least 28 detainees — most, if not all, understood to be Venezuelan nationals — were placed on buses Friday evening at ICE’s Bluebonnet Detention Center in Anson, Texas, and then driven toward Abilene Airport about 30 miles away. The motorcade — including at least 18 squad cars from various law enforcement agencies with flashing lights along the north Texas highways — left the ICE facility, with some men on board being told they were being deported to El Salvador and some told they were headed to Venezuela.... As the motorcade was headed for the airport, [District Judge James Boasberg was holding] a last-minute federal hearing on the matter.... 'We hear they are on buses on the way to the airport,' said Lee Gelernt, the lawyer for the ACLU ... [told Judge Boasberg].... Boasberg [then] asked Justice Department lawyer Drew Ensign to make calls to ensure there were no flights deporting immigrants from Bluebonnet under the Alien Enemies Act on Friday night.... The Supreme Court heard the case overnight, after Boasberg declined to rule [on the case].” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: As Mark Stern of Slate (linked below) noted, "... it is plain as day that the Supreme Court simply did not trust the Trump administration’s claims that it would not deport migrants over the weekend without due process." Clearly, the Supremes were right not to trust the Trump mob. One of them, however, did his best to aid and abet Trump's unlawful action: ~~~

~~~ Abbie VanSickle of the New York Times: “In his five-page dissent released on Saturday shortly before midnight, Justice Alito, joined by Justice Clarence Thomas, wrote that in his view, the court’s decision to intervene overnight was not 'necessary or appropriate.'... The order [to which Alito dissented] suggested a deep skepticism on the court about whether the Trump administration could be trusted to live up to the key part of an earlier ruling that said detainees were entitled to be notified if the government intended to deport them under the law, 'within a reasonable time,' and in a way that would allow the deportees to challenge the move.” MB: Moreover, Alito, who is the justice assigned to oversee the Fifth Circuit, which includes Texas, had earlier declined to issue a stay and did not bring up the matter to the full Court. The ACLU had to go begging in the middle of the night. Clearly the Court's intervention was “necessary and appropriate.”

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Time for Some Easter Spuds! (Thanks to RAS for the link.) ~~~

~~~ But if you do choose old-fashioned Easter eggs, here's Eli Zabar's recipe for two "platonic" egg salad sandwiches (via the New York Times):

8 large eggs
Salt
Pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
4 slices bread

Put the eggs in a medium pan and cover them with cold water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 10 minutes.

Place pan in the sink under cold running water until the eggs are cool.Peel the eggs. Remove the yolks from 4 of them (save the whites for another use). Chop the 4 yolks with the 4 remaining whole eggs.

In a medium bowl, gently and quickly mix the chopped eggs, mayonnaise, and salt and pepper to taste. Add the dill, mix the egg salad once more, and make into sandwiches.

You can use the leftover eggwhites for eggwhite salad.

Ben Johansen of Politico: “The White House’s annual Easter Egg Roll will have major corporations sponsoring activities this year, which ethics experts say would not have passed muster under previous administrations.... Ethics experts said the arrangement for Monday’s egg roll was highly unusual, and a break from tradition about not corporatizing the White House and its grounds.... The White House on Friday announced details for the annual event, which has taken place in some form for more than 100 years. Among the companies sponsoring stations are Amazon, Meta and YouTube — all tech companies whose leaders have sought a closer relationship with ... Donald Trump in his second term.

Jesus Jiménez & Minho Kim of the New York Times: “Thousands of protesters across the country once again took to the streets on Saturday to rally against ... [Donald] Trump and his policies, a sign of sustained resistance to his leadership just two weeks after cities and towns nationwide saw mass demonstrations.... In front of the White House, protesters repeatedly shouted a single word. 'Shame!'” The Washington Post's story is here.

Naftali Bendavid of the Washington Post: “Barack Obama urged Americans to resist ... Donald Trump’s bullying. Joe Biden warned that Trump is wrecking the 'sacred promise' of Social Security. Bill Clinton decried the emphasis on grievances and the need to dominate. In an extraordinary stretch of just over two weeks, three former presidents have taken to the public stage to sound the alarm against the current occupant of the White House, despite the tradition that former presidents generally refrain from publicly criticizing their successors. Obama, Biden and Clinton did not explicitly name Trump, but their message was unmistakable. The three Democrats said, as much by their presence as their words, that these are unusual times for American democracy, that norms are being disregarded and extraordinary measures are required. The only living president who has not spoken out since Inauguration Day is Republican George W. Bush, though he has made little secret of his antipathy for Trump.” (Also linked yesterday.)

Karoun Demirjian of the New York Times: “A number of prominent Republicans, including several former members of the first Trump administration, have signed an open letter decrying the president for using his power to punish two former administration officials who criticized him, likening his actions to those of a 'royal despot.'... The letter, signed by more than 200 people, criticized [Mr. Trump's] actions as part of a 'profoundly unconstitutional break' with precedent.” The letter, which is not firewalled, is here. (Also linked yesterday.)

David Sanger, et al., of the New York Times: “Iran and the United States wrapped up a second round of diplomatic talks over Tehran’s nuclear activities on Saturday, setting an agenda for rapid-paced negotiations that, according to Iranian officials, would not require the dismantlement of the country’s extensive nuclear infrastructure. Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister, said after meeting Steve Witkoff..., [Donald] Trump’s envoy, that an expert group would meet in the coming days to discuss technical details, including setting the maximum levels to which Iran could enrich uranium, the size of nuclear stockpiles it could retain and how compliance with any agreement could be monitored and verified.” So, gosh, the emerging agreement looks a lot like John Kerry's nuclear agreement, which Trump “called a 'disaster' and ultimately ripped up in 2018.”

Edward Wong of the New York Times: “Edward Wong of the New York Times: “A draft White House executive order proposes a drastic restructuring of the State Department, including eliminating almost all of its Africa operations and shutting down embassies and consulates across the continent. The draft also calls for cutting offices at State Department headquarters that address climate change and refugee issues, as well as democracy and human rights concerns. The purpose of the executive order, which could be signed by ... [Donald] Trump this week, is to impose 'a disciplined reorganization' of the State Department and 'streamline mission delivery' while cutting 'waste, fraud and abuse,' according to a copy of the 16-page draft order obtained by The New York Times. The department is supposed to make the changes by Oct. 1. The signing of the executive order would be accompanied by efforts to lay off both career diplomats, known as foreign service officers, and civil service employees, who usually work in the department’s headquarters in Washington, said current and former U.S. officials familiar with the plans.... The draft executive order calls for ending the foreign service exam for aspiring diplomats, and it lays out new criteria for hiring, including 'alignment with the president’s foreign policy vision.'” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I'm going to guess that many of the State Department employees dedicated to working on sub-Saharan issues are African-Americans. So this is one way to get rid of a lot of Black federal workers while pretending no racial discrimination is at work here. Add to that the fact that Trump doesn't care about "shithole countries," and it's all a win-win for Trump.

Corruption Junction. Josh Marshall of TPM: "One of the most important stories in some time came out two days ago.... The game here is pretty straightforward. Trump and Musk are looking to hand some or all of the government’s $700 billion internal expense card program (SmartPay) over to Ramp. A bunch of the meetings were organized by Josh Gruenbaum, a private equity guy who Trump and Musk installed as chief acquisitions officer at the GSA.... The overall picture is a standard one: Come in, take over the data and financial architecture; discredit it by having your media arms dish out mountains of phony stories about fraud and abuse; fire all the employees and hand a cash-drenched, sweetheart contract to yours and your friends company." Read on. ~~~

~~~ Christopher Bing & Avi Asher-Schapiro of ProPublica: The General Services Administration "is eying [financial tech startup] Ramp to get a piece of the government’s $700 billion internal expense card program, known as SmartPay. In recent weeks, Trump appointees at GSA have been moving quickly to tap Ramp for a charge card pilot program worth up to $25 million, sources told ProPublica, even as Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency highlights the multitudes of contracts it has canceled across federal agencies. Founded six years ago, Ramp is backed by some of the most powerful figures in Silicon Valley. One is Peter Thiel, the billionaire venture capitalist who was one of Trump’s earliest supporters in the tech world and who spent millions aiding Vice President JD Vance’s Ohio Senate run.... To date, the company has raised about $2 billion in venture capital, according to startup tracking website Crunchbase, much of it from firms with ties to Trump and Musk [including Joshua Kushner, Jared's brother]."

Jonathan Edwards & Susan Svrluga of the Washington Post: “Harvard University on Saturday challenged anonymous Trump administration officials who said a mistake had sparked the escalating confrontation between a U.S. president and one of the country’s most prestigious colleges.... Harvard on Saturday ... point[ed] out that the Trump administration had 'doubled down' on its threats. After Harvard refused to comply with the letter’s demands, the Trump administration froze $2.2 billion in federal funding to the university and threatened to revoke its tax-exempt status.” Related NYT story linked yesterday.

Adam Lynch of AlterNet: "The Daily Beast reports the Justice Department is helping ... Donald Trump with his personal appeal of a defamation award and leaving the attorney fees with taxpayers. In 2023, a federal jury found Trump liable for sexual abuse against advice columnist E. Jean Carroll and ordered him to pay her $5 million. Instead, Trump continued to deny all allegations and appealed both cases. Later, in 2024, a a different federal jury ordered Trump to pay $83.3 million in damages for defamatory comments he made denying allegations of sexual abuse that was already affirmed by the 2023 jury. Trump is still appealing that order, only now the Justice Department has moved to substitute itself as defendant in the Carroll v. Trump defamation case." (Also linked yesterday.)

Natalie Allison, et al., of the Washington Post: “Vice President JD Vance met with Pope Francis on Easter Sunday, the Vatican confirmed, a remarkable encounter between the ailing head of the global Catholic church and a high-profile convert to the faith who has publicly criticized some of the church’s social teachings.... The 'private meeting' occurred at 11:30 a.m. at the papal residence, Casa Santa Marta, and happened while Easter Mass was being said in St. Peter’s Square. 'The meeting, which lasted a few minutes, gave them the opportunity to exchange Easter greetings,' the Vatican said in a statement.... The encounter found Vance in the position of greeting the spiritual leader of 1.4 billion Catholics who has preached humility, mercy and inclusion at a time when ... Donald Trump’s administration has sought to project dominance at all cost....

“A meeting with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state and Francis’s No. 2, took place Saturday.... A Vatican readout portrayed Vance’s meeting with Parolin as a substantive discussion on a wide range of issues. It noted 'cordial talks' and an expression of 'satisfaction' over 'good existing bilateral relations' and a common commitment to protect the right to 'freedom of religion and conscience.' It also mentioned an 'exchange of opinions' on war, political tensions and humanitarian situations, with 'particular attention to migrants, refugees, and prisoners.'” Politico's story is here.

Jamelle Bouie of the New York Times: “On Tuesday, Vice President JD Vance wrote a long defense of the administration’s anti-immigrant rendition program, slamming critics who want the White House to obey a court order to facilitate the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia. It is a notable example of the lengths the White House has gone to try to deceive the public as it deals with political fallout from its open defiance of the federal judiciary.” Bouie goes on to catalog JayDee pack o' lies. You can find JayDee's screed here on X. (Also linked yesterday.)

Adam Liptak of the New York Times: “... the [Supreme C]ourt can move fast when it wants to, busting through protocols and conventions. It did so around 1 a.m. on Saturday, blocking the Trump administration from deporting a group of Venezuelan migrants accused of being gang members under a rarely invoked 18th-century wartime law. The court’s unsigned, one-paragraph order was extraordinary in many ways. Perhaps most important, it indicated a deep skepticism about whether the administration could be trusted to live up to the key part of an earlier ruling after the government had deported a different group of migrants to a prison in El Salvador. That unsigned and apparently unanimous ruling, issued April 7, said that detainees were entitled to be notified if the government intended to deport them under the law, 'within a reasonable time,' and in a way that would allow the deportees to challenge the move in court before their removal.... In a typical case, the Supreme Court would await a ruling from the relevant appeals court ... and ask for a response from the administration, on a deadline set by the justices.

“It would not have been unusual for a single justice to issue an 'administrative stay' — a brief pause — to let the court consider the matter in a more deliberate fashion. But each of the nation’s 13 federal circuits is supervised by an assigned justice, and the member of the court responsible for overseeing the Fifth Circuit is Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. He was apparently not inclined to issue a stay on his own.” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ ⭐ A post by Mark Stern of Slate is firewalled, but Scott Lemieux, in LG&$, republishes the gist of it: “There are three remarkable aspects of the court’s decision. First, it acted with startling speed — so quickly, in fact, that it published the order before Alito could finish writing his dissent; he was forced to note only that a 'statement' would 'follow.' It is a major breach of protocol for the Supreme Court to publish an order or opinion before a dissenting justice finishes writing their opinion, one that reflects the profound urgency of the situation. Relatedly, awkward phrasing in court’s order may imply that Alito — who first received the plaintiffs’ request — failed to refer it to the full court, as is custom, compelling the other justices to rip the case away from him.... Second, it is plain as day that the Supreme Court simply did not trust the Trump administration’s claims that it would not deport migrants over the weekend without due process. If the court did believe these representations, it would not have acted in such a rapid and dramatic fashion....”

Lemieux writes, “It is very hard to avoid the conclusion that Alito wanted to just sit on the case, first by refusing to refer it at all and then if necessary further delay the Court from issuing the order while his clerks polished off The Concept of the Political (Sam’s Version), until the detainees were in CECOT [the El Salvadoran prison].... The Court has been using the shadow docket to delay cases that are unfavorable for Trump for many years. For a majority of the Court’s Republicans to act like a Democratic president is in the White House suggests that something is actually happening here.” ~~~

~~~ Ian Millhiser of Vox: "Thus far, the Supreme Court has been extraordinarily tolerant of Trump’s efforts to evade judicial review through hypertechnical procedural arguments.... Though it is just one order, Saturday’s post-midnight order suggests that the Court may no longer tolerate procedural shenanigans intended to evade meaningful judicial review.... Still, it remains to be seen how this case will play out once it is fully litigated. The post-midnight order is only temporary. And it leaves open all of the most important issues in this case, including whether Trump can rely on a wartime statute to deport people during peacetime."

Stories like the following soon will become so commonplace that news outlets won't carry them: ~~~

~~~ Danyelle Khmara of Arizona Public Media: “19-year-old Jose Hermosillo, who is visiting Tucson from Albuquerque, says he was lost and walking near the Border Patrol headquarters when an agent arrested him for illegally entering the country. Hermosillo was not carrying identification. Court documents say a Border Patrol agent arrested Hermosillo 'at or near Nogales, Arizona, without proper immigration documents' and that Hermosillo admitted to illegally entering the U.S. Hermosillo and his girlfriend, who have a 9-month-old child together, live in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and are visiting family in Tucson.... The family later provided officials with his birth certificate and social security card. 'He did say he was a U.S. citizen, but they didn't believe him,' [a family member] said.... A magistrate judge in Tucson dismissed his case on Thursday, and family says he was released much later that night.”

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Idaho. Even Here, Sometimes There May Be Some Justice. Kaye Thornbrugh of the Coeur d'Alene/Post Falls Press: “City prosecutors have filed criminal charges against six men involved in a chaotic legislative town hall, including the private security guards who dragged a Post Falls woman out of the Coeur d’Alene High School auditorium. Paul Trouette, Russell Dunne, Christofer Berg and Jesse Jones, all of whom are associated with the security firm Lear Asset Management, are charged with the misdemeanor crimes of battery and false imprisonment. The five men and Alex Trouette were also cited for security agent uniform violations and security agent duties violations. Post Falls resident Michael Keller is also charged with battery, a misdemeanor. The charges stem from Feb. 22, when Teresa Borrenpohl shouted from the audience during a town hall hosted by the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee.... Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris approached Borrenpohl and told her to leave. When she refused, Norris tried to pull her from her seat. He then appeared to gesture to plainclothes security personnel, who dragged Borrenpohl out of the auditorium.... Police identified Norris as an 'involved' party. No criminal charges have been filed against him.” MB: As I wrote, some justice. Thanks to RAS for the link to a post by digby on the topic. According to digby, Borrenpohl has not been charged in the incident. (Also linked yesterday.) 

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Ukraine, et al. Siobhán O'Grady, et al., of the Washington Post: “Russia continued to fire artillery at Ukraine after President Vladimir Putin declared a 30-hour truce for Easter, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said, but Kyiv will honor the ceasefire if Moscow does. Both sides appear eager to show an interest in peace talks before an increasingly impatient Trump administration. Putin declared a unilateral truce to begin at 6 p.m. Moscow time Saturday and said he expected Ukraine to follow Russia’s example.... On Sunday morning, Zelensky said Russia had shelled Ukrainian positions hundreds of times since the ceasefire declaration, although no major attacks occurred on cities overnight.”

Two Hundred Fifty Years Ago Today

"This marker is on the lawn of the Sacred Heart near 2001 Mass Ave. [in Lexington, Massachusetts]."

Two hundred fifty years ago today, 31-year-old blacksmith & dairy farmer Benjamin Wellington -- a married man and father -- left his homestead at what is now the corner of Concord Avenue & Pleasant Street in Lexington, Massachusetts, to answer the call of the Minute Men. Setting out on foot before dawn and "armed with his musket and bayonet," he headed for the Lexington Common, a little more than three miles up Pleasant Street from his home, to joint Captain John Parker's company.

Less than halfway to his destination, British Lt. William Sutherland, on horseback, accosted Wellington and ordered him "to give up his firelock and bayonet." As other British troops were approaching, Wellington surrendered. "The British officers took his weapons.... Thus it was claimed ... that he was the first belligerent or armed man captured by the British." "But for some reason, he was allowed to depart.... He started toward home but when out of [the British troops' sight], he turned" toward "the village common and [-- arriving ahead of the British troops -- he] warned others that the British troops were about to arrive. He rearmed himself with another musket from the town’s supply of weapons stored in the meetinghouse."

As for the "some reason" the Brits did not hold Wellington, there were two. One, they had no means to detaining him, as they were headed off to the Common. Two, when Sutherland questioned Wellington as to what he was doing walking around with a musket of an early spring morning, Wellington claimed he was just out "shooting rabbits." This I know because years ago I read an account that Wellington himself gave many years later.

In a slightly different account which I found online, an unknown writer says of the elderly Wellington,

"Benjamin Wellington comes before my memory at an advanced age, being 32 at the time of the battle. I remember his vigorous and well-knit frame; and that, though of moderate stature, he bore a commanding presence. He had the distinction of being the first prisoner taken within the town that day. He was captured early in the morning, at the foot of what is now called 'Mount Independence,' in East Lexington. The British officer who took him asked, 'What are you going to do with that firelock? Where are you going now?' He replied, 'I am going home.' 'I thought within myself,' he used to say, 'but not till I have been upon the Common.' The officer took his firelock from him and soon passed on. Mr. Wellington then left the main road, waded through swamps, and reached the Common in time to join Capt. Parker's company before the engagement...."

The Battle of Lexington itself lasted only about five minutes. "The British sustained only three light injuries. Yet, the toll was very heavy for the Lexington Training Band. Eight men were killed and ten more were wounded in the brief encounter."

Benjamin Wellington went on to serve sporadically throughout the war -- as was common in the revolutionary army -- and "was at the taking of Burgoyne in 1777." That is, Wellington fought in another decisive battle: the second Battle of Saratoga, in which the revolutionary armies led by General Horatio Gates defeated British forces under General John Burgoyne. The victory persuaded France to enter the war on the Americans' side. Wellington was commissioned a second lieutenant in 1780.

If you'd like to know more about what happened on April 19, 1775 -- "the opening day of the War of the American Revolution" -- the Congressional Record for 1959, starting at page 13606, provides a remarkable timeline.

Several of my forebears joined the American Revolution against the British king. One -- Benjamin Wellington -- was in it from the get-go. I doubt he could have imagined just how his revolutionary project would develop and evolve. Whatever Wellington's motives, whatever his hopes -- the result, after a couple of centuries, was likely far grander than his vision.

Contributor Akhilleus told us yesterday that he "was at the Old North Church for the 200th anniversary celebration" of the sexton's signal that British troops were coming across the Charles River ("by sea"). As Akhilleus asked rhetorically, "Who could have predicted that fifty years LATER we’d have to fight our way past another tyrannical, demented king?" Yet here we are, with the grand project ready to collapse. Unless we save it. ~~~

~~~ Michael Moore on Substack: "This Saturday — April 19th — there are nationwide protests being organized EVERYWHERE. In state capitols, major cities, in the town square, and outside the county courthouse. There is a protest near you. If for some reason you cannot find one — start one. Do not sit this out! Here are the links to help you find one near you:

• FiftyFifty.one — the folks who started the movement.

• Full List of Events

• Google Map with All Events Nationwide