The Conversation -- May 12, 2025
Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor White People. Teo Armus & Emily Wax-Thibodeaux of the Washington Post: "A group of about 50 White South Africans landed at Dulles International Airport on Monday as refugees, coming to the United States under a humanitarian designation meant for people fleeing war or persecution that the Trump administration has suspended for all other groups worldwide.... Donald Trump has said the Afrikaners -- a minority group descended from Dutch settlers in South Africa -- are facing racial discrimination due to a land redistribution law in that country that seeks to correct an imbalance in property ownership stemming from four decades of apartheid rule. No land seizures have been carried out under that law. But Trump claimed Monday that a genocide was taking place in South Africa, an allegation government officials there say lacks any evidence." ~~~
~~~ Marie: The WashPo reporters don't mention it, but I saw a clip on MSNBC in which a reporter asked the Trump official who greeted the Afrikaners why they were admitted to the U.S. when all others were barred. The official, Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, replied that the Afrikaners were better able to assimilate in the U.S. and did not pose a challenge to our national security (unlike non-white people, one infers). On another MSNBC program, Eddie Glaude said that among its various characteristics, Team Trump was running a white nationalist administration. IMO, that is an appropriate description. And this Afrikaner refugee program -- again, just my opinion -- is purposely flaunting that white nationalist agenda.
River Davis & Jason Karaian of the New York Times: "Stocks swung sharply higher on Monday after the United States and China agreed to temporarily lower tariffs on each other, a significant step-back in the trade war that's roiled markets for nearly six weeks. The S&P 500 gained 3.3 percent, its best day since April 9, when a huge rally was spurred by Mr. Trump pausing his 'reciprocal' tariffs on all countries except China. The tech-heavy Nasdaq climbed even higher, rising more than 4 percent. The apparent thaw in relations between the United States and China, even if temporary, was the latest concession offered by the Trump administration, which had sent stocks tumbling last month after announcing unexpectedly high tariffs on dozens of countries." ~~~
~~~ Marie: I'm sure Trump gets a tremendous thrill out of manipulating the stock market, and I'm nearly as certain that there is insider trading going on.
Paul Waldman on the high cost of Trumpian corruption: "... a wealthy foreign government is giving Donald Trump a personal gift worth $400 million.... By the time these four years are over, domestic and foreign interests who want some policy favor -- a tariff waiver, a change in regulation, an arms sale -- will probably have deposited billions of dollars directly into Trump's pockets. 'I could be a stupid person and say, "Oh no, we don't want a free plane,"' he said by way of explaining why he'll take the Qatari jet. As far as he's concerned, if you don't cash in on public office, you're just a sucker." ~~~
~~~ Waldman also makes these two points about the Supremes: "... the Supreme Court, which in a series of recent cases has all but defined corruption out of existence.... More important, however, was their contemptible decision in Trump v. United States, in which the six conservative justices ruled that presidents are immune from criminal prosecution for just about anything they do while in office. I can't prove this, but I believe that this decision ... not only ... free[d Trump] from the specter of prosecution for many of his crimes, it sent him a message: You can do whatever you want. A man who always chafed at even the slightest impingement on his ability to lie and cheat and scam his way through life now had the ultimate get-out-of-jail-free card. It told him that he was subject to no limits." Thanks to Ken W. for the link. And do read Waldman's whole post.
OMG. Josh Gerstein & Katherine Tully-McManus of Politico: "The leadership of the Library of Congress is in apparent dispute after the White House moved Monday to install Justice Department's No. 2 official as its new acting chief. A DOJ official said ... Donald Trump appointed Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche as acting Libarian of Congress. But the official who now holds that post, Robert Randolph Newlen, disputed a change had been made in an email to library staff Monday morning. 'Congress is engaged with the White House and we have not received direction from Congress about how to move forward,' Newlen wrote in an internal email to Library of Congress employees. Newlen took over as acting Librarian of Congress Thursday after Trump fired Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden, cutting short her 10-year term.
"White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Friday that Trump had dismissed Hayden because 'she did not fit the needs of the American people.' Leavitt described as 'quite concerning' Hayden's work on diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, programs.... Leavitt also claimed Hayden was 'putting inappropriate books in the library for children,' a puzzling assertion since the Library of Congress is not a lending library and researchers have to be at least 16." (See clarification in Miller & Barrett's report below.)
~~~ Marie: You will, no doubt, recognize Todd the Librarian as one of Felonious Trump's many defense attorneys. You also might have noticed we have less and less of a government and more and more of a Trumpocracy where Trump's cronies (minus the ones he's discarded along the way) are "in charge" of everything and necessarily don't do much other than run errands for the boss. In any event, our "government" is becoming a farcical outfit run principally in service to the king. As for Press Secretary Pouty Barbie, she clearly has never been inside the Library of Congress.
~~~ Update. Maya Miller & Devlin Barrett of the New York Times: "... staff members at the Library of Congress pushed back, insisting that Congress must have input and refusing to give two other top Justice Department officials whom Mr. Blanche chose for senior positions there access to the agency's headquarters on Capitol Hill.... Staff members ... called the U.S. Capitol Police as well as their general counsel, Meg Williams, who told the two officials that they were not allowed access to the Copyright Office and asked them to leave.... [Blanche's employees] then left the building willingly, accompanied to the door by Ms. Williams.... It is primarily a research facility limited to people 16 years or older, but it also has a children's reading room."
Last Chance!! Sale Ends Today!! Eric Lipton & David Yaffe-Bellany of the New York Times: "The sale of face-to-face access to ... [Donald] Trump using the Trump family's own cryptocurrency has done more than benefit him financially, though it has certainly done that.... Since the announcement [of the bribery opportunity auction], crypto investors around the world have raced to expand their holdings of $TRUMP -- a digital currency called a memecoin, which is typically treated more as a novelty investment than an actual currency. Certain buyers, in interviews and statements, have said they bought the coins or entered the dinner contest with the intention of securing an action by Mr. Trump to affect United States policy.... But the bidders' buying patterns, documented on a public ledger called the blockchain, suggest that a large share of the investors are based abroad. Many of the purchases took place on overseas crypto platforms like Binance or Bybit that do not allow United States-based users....
"Trading records examined by The New York Times show that a flurry of purchases of the $TRUMP token started the day before the coin's backers disclosed the contest. Information had leaked about the upcoming promotion, allowing certain parties to make early bets that the market price was about to jump, the records suggest. The aggressive effort by Mr. Trump and his partners to promote the dinner has also drawn scrutiny from former securities regulators, who assert that Mr. Trump may be violating federal securities laws. However, he would almost certainly not be targeted for investigation, now that his administration has curtailed crypto enforcement efforts at both the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Justice Department."
Maggie Haberman of the New York Times: Donald "Trump angrily brushed off ethical concerns about accepting a $400 million luxury jet from Qatar to be used as a new Air Force One, saying only someone 'stupid' would turn down such an offer.... Mr. Trump said when the Qatari plane is decommissioned from military use and is turned over to his library at the end of his term that he won't continue flying in it.... He grew angry at the questions of an ethical quagmire, including whether Qatar expected anything in exchange for the donation, which he said would be to the Defense Department and not to him personally.... 'You should be embarrassed asking that question,' Mr. Trump told an ABC News reporter who pressed him on the issue. 'They're giving us a free jet. I could say, "No, no, no, don't give us. I want to pay you a billion or $400 million, or whatever it is." Or I could say, "Thank you very much."' He then invoked a golf analogy about accepting a free putt during a round, suggesting that following rules when one doesn't have to is foolish." ~~~
~~~ Update. Shawn McCreesh of the New York Times: "This is the parable of the president and the putt." This is a gift link.
Marcie Jones of Wonkette seems a bit unsympathetic to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Rep. Jamieson Greer having to "haggle with themselves over how much dolls and pencils should cost back home" while Chinese trade reps sampled the fruit platters. "Scott B. and JG ended up with a final offer of 30 percent for 90 days, after Trump had talked himself down to 80 percent on Friday. Hey, those tariffs were supposed to make us RICH RICH RICH and make all the little girls grateful! What happened to that?... Watch Jamieson and Scott B., both looking haggard and miserable, explaining that this is all China's fault for reciprocating after Trump started the whole thing, leading to an effective embargoing of ourselves. Behold how Scott B.'s heavy pancake is not blended with his neck or hairline at all while he tries to say this is all big strategery, we were just negging, us and China are still a couple!" ~~~
~~~ Marie: It is refreshing to know that at a moment when Team Trump has floored me that some people are still able to cheerfully mock them. Not only that, Jones' point is well-taken.
Last week, Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vt.) addressed Congressional Republicans. Thanks to Akhilleus for the link. See also his commentary below: ~~~
Bill Shaner, a local, Worcester, Massachusetts, reporter, in Mother Jones: Shaner witnessed an arrest and detention of an alleged undocumented woman (name still unknown). The local police, who claimed not to be helping the federal agents (departments unclear), in fact showed up in force to protect the agents from residents trying to stop the detention or at least see a warrant (that didn't happen). The local cops arrested two people, one a 16-year-old girl who is the daughter of the detained woman, the other a community activist. Thanks to RAS for the link. MB: I urge you to read this report. This is happening in a town near you (and in this particular case, near me). ~~~
~~~ Philip Bump of the Washington Post: "In the weeks since [Tufts Ph.D. student Rumeysa Ozturk's] arrest, similar scenes have become commonplace. Reports and social media posts from across the country document federal agents seizing targeted individuals (and likely some number of non-targeted ones) while wearing plainclothes and face coverings. The mass deportation effort Donald Trump promised on the campaign trail has unfolded less like a careful, accountable police operation than the emergence of a secret police force acting on behalf of the chief executive. This is almost certainly not an accident.... Radley Balko..., author of 'Rise of the Warrior Cop,' explained in an email to me that this desire for anonymity is likely a function of numerous overlapping impulses.... 'The masking ... [is] mostly about intimidation.'... This overlaps with another motivation: impunity. '... I think there's a strong correlation between cops who think they're above the law,' Balko said, 'and cops who shield their faces and refuse to give names and badge numbers.' Trump has made very clear that he has little interest in confronting police corruption or abuse....
"'These are public employees that are accountable to the public and accountable to Congress,' Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York) said in a social media post on Saturday. 'And this idea that we are going to allow some kind of paramilitary force to bloom that is not in any way ... accountable to the Constitution of the United States? We've got another thing coming.' This lack of accountability, she said, was what was 'actually anti-American' -- given that it served 'to attack free speech, to attack the powers of Congress, to erode our ability to investigate and conduct oversight.'"
Patricia Clarke of the Observer (Guardian) draws a Venn diagram of the Trumpocracy's various corrupt players & their interests. Thanks to laura h. for the link. MB: Looks like Clarke wrote the piece before the Sky Palace story erupted, so we'll need another circle or perhaps another part of the Oval Office walls on which to begin a new Venn diagram. BTW, you'll realize when you take a look at that chart that there is no way to separate the Trump corrupt players from the Trump corrupt administration. They're one-and-the-same.
Here's a hopeful note, maybe not for us in the U.S., but for the world: ~~~
~~~ Noah Berlatsky of Public Notice: "... the new pope, like the old pope, does not support MAGA's christofascist nationalism. MAGA, confronted with the fact that they do not control everything or everyone, responded in their usual fashion -- by wailing and gnashing their teeth.... The Vatican had to know that selecting an American, reform-minded, pro-immigrant pope would be perceived by Trump and his followers as a rebuke. Trump is currently the leading exponent of dehumanizing anti-immigrant rhetoric, and of Christian fascism, in the world. Leo's first homily pointedly referenced the Biblical phrase 'a city set on a hill' -- a phrase Ronald Reagan used to refer to America, but which the pope reads as a reference to the Church.... Trump's uniquely clumsy illiberalism makes him a perfect foil for opponents of fascism across the globe.... Trump's unfailing ability to make everyone his enemy benefits liberals in Canada, Australia, and Germany, who are trying to fight their own right wing...." ~~~
~~~ MB Note to Berlatsky: The Pope would read "a city set on a hill" as "as reference to the Church." It recalls the Sermon on the Mount: "You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden." (Matthew 5:14)
Claire Parker, et al., of the Washington Post: "Hamas released Israeli American Edan Alexander from captivity in Gaza after more than 19 months, in a gesture to the Trump administration following direct talks between U.S. and Hamas officials in recent days. Alexander was handed over to representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Khan Younis on Monday evening local time, Hamas said in a statement. The ICRC then transferred him to the Israeli military, the Israel Defense Forces said. He is expected to be flown to a facility in southern Israel to undergo initial medical examinations and reunite with his mother, who traveled from New Jersey to meet him. If his health allows, he will then fly to Qatar to meet ... Donald Trump and Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, his family told Israeli media.... He was the last living American held hostage in Gaza, and Hamas's decision to free him was seen as a goodwill gesture amid efforts to reach a ceasefire with Israel."
~~~ MB: I meant to link this earlier. Thanks to RAS for the link.
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A Temporary, Partial Ceasefire in Trump Trade Tax War with China. Daisuke Wakabayashi, et al., of the New York Times: "The United States and China said Monday they reached an agreement to temporarily reduce the punishing tariffs they have imposed on each other in an attempt to defuse the trade war threatening the world's two largest economies. In a joint statement, the countries said they would suspend their respective tariffs for 90 days while they negotiate. Under the agreement, the United States would reduce the tariff on Chinese imports to 30 percent from its current 145 percent, while China would lower its import duty on American goods to 10 percent from 125 percent. 'We concluded that we have a shared interest,' said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent at a news conference in Geneva where U.S. and Chinese officials met over the weekend.... The agreement breaks an impasse that had brought trade between China and the United States to a halt. Many American businesses had suspended orders, holding out hope that the two countries could strike a deal to bring down the tariff rates while raising the possibility of price increases." A CNBC report is here. ~~~
~~~ Marie: Are we supposed to cheer now? ~~~
~~~ Marcy Wheeler: "Against the background of empty ports, stalled shipping traffic, and impending business failures, Trump has capitulated on his trade embargo with China. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer will announce an even bigger rollback of tariffs than the 80 or 50% tariffs Trump floated last week, to 30% (which is the 10% tariffs imposed worldwide, plus the 20% that purports to be a punishment for China's role in providing precursors for fentanyl).... In announcing this 'deal,' Greer offered up thin excuses for capitulating within hours." Wheeler argues that Greer's thin excuses may be useful evidence for the plaintiffs bringing lawsuits against the tariffs.
... And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State. -- U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 9, Clause 8
⭐~~~ Extraordinary Graft. Maggie Haberman of the New York Times: "The Trump administration plans to accept a luxury Boeing 747-8 plane as a donation from the Qatari royal family that will be upgraded to serve as Air Force One, in possibly the biggest foreign gift ever received by the U.S. government, a senior official with direct knowledge of the matter said. The plane will then be donated to ... [Donald] Trump's presidential library when he leaves office, the official said, allowing him to continue using it as a private citizen. The plan raises substantial ethical issues, given the immense value of the lavishly-appointed plane and the fact that Mr. Trump plans to use it after he leaves office. Sold new, a commercial Boeing 747-8 costs in the range of $400 million.... The plane being donated by Qatar is expected to be retrofitted by a military contractor called L3Harris, in Texas, and that work can begin once the government approves how the plane is being acquired, the official said. It is expected to be finished being equipped with military capabilities by the end of the year, the official said, allowing Mr. Trump to use it while in office." (Also linked yesterday.) The story has been updated. ~~~
~~~ Here's the last graf: "The current plan has been signed off on by government lawyers who concluded it does not violate the emoluments clause of the Constitution and that the Defense Department can accept the gift, the official said." MB: Yeah, I'll bet those government lawyers signed off. Wouldn't we like to know who they were: Pam Bondi & Emil Bove?? And who will be doing the extensive remodeling and upkeep of Trump's plane? You and I, of course. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Oh, wait. This is from the ABC News report, which broke the story: "... Attorney General Pam Bondi and Trump's top White House lawyer David Warrington concluded it would be 'legally permissible' for the donation of the aircraft to be conditioned on transferring its ownership to Trump's presidential library before the end of his term.... Bondi provided a legal memorandum addressed to the White House counsel's office last week after Warrington asked her for advice on the legality of the Pentagon accepting such a donation.... Both the White House and DOJ concluded that because the gift is not conditioned on any official act, it does not constitute bribery, the sources said. Bondi's legal analysis also says it does not run afoul of the Constitution's prohibition on foreign gifts because the plane is not being given to an individual, but rather to the United States Air Force and, eventually, to the presidential library foundation, the sources said." MB: I was mostly kidding about Bondi. I should have known she would not even consider standing between Trump and a $400MM thing. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Marie: While Trump is flying around in his "palace in the sky," he is cutting services and programs for young families, cutting R&D for medical and other scientific advancement that help us all, AND is raising the prices of everything that struggling young families need, especially safe products for babies and children like car seats & strollers (or as Trump would have it, "the thing you carry the baby around in"). Also, do see Patrick's comment in yesterday's thread regarding federal government gift laws. ~~~
The possible transfer of an aircraft for temporary use as Air Force One is currently under consideration between Qatar's Ministry of Defense and the US Department of Defense. But the matter remains under review by the respective legal departments, and no decision has been made. -- Ali Al-Ansari, Qatar's media attaché, in a statement made shortly before Trump boasted about acquiring the plane
Nothing says "America First" like Air Force One, brought to you by Qatar.... It's not just bribery, it's premium foreign influence with extra legroom. -- Sen. Chuck Schumer, in a statement ~~~
~~~ The Latest. So Far. Zeke Miller & Will Weissert of the AP: "... Donald Trump is ready to accept a luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet as a gift from the ruling family of Qatar during his trip to the Middle East this coming week, and U.S. officials say it could be converted into a potential presidential aircraft. The Qatari government said a final decision hadn't been made. Still, Trump defended the idea -- what would amount to a president accepting an astonishingly valuable gift from a foreign government -- as a fiscally smart move for the country. 'So the fact that the Defense Department is getting a GIFT, FREE OF CHARGE, of a 747 aircraft to replace the 40 year old Air Force One, temporarily, in a very public and transparent transaction, so bothers the Crooked Democrats that they insist we pay, TOP DOLLAR, for the plane,' Trump posted on his social media site on Sunday night. 'Anybody can do that!'...
"One expert on government ethics, Kathleen Clark of the Washington University School of Law in St. Louis, accused Trump of being 'committed to exploiting the federal government's power, not on behalf of policy goals, but for amassing personal wealth.'... [The Trump Organization recently entered into] a new deal to build a luxury golf resort in Qatar, partnering with Qatari Diar, a real estate company backed by that country's sovereign wealth fund." ~~~
~~~ Politico's story concentrates on the Qatari's insistence that reports about the gift plane are inaccurate. MB: So it appears to me that Trump's boast about acquiring the Qatari "gift" is an effort to force the Qataris to give him the luxury plane. ~~~
~~~ Robert Reich: "Apparently [Trump has] been talking about the plane for months. In February, he toured it while it was parked at Palm Beach International Airport. He's tried to redecorate the White House into a palace but that's not nearly as satisfying as flying around the world in one, especially once he's left the White House (assuming he will).... [Pam Bondi, who blessed this gift,] represented Trump in a criminal proceeding. Presumably he appointed her attorney general because he knew she'd do and say anything he wanted. Oh, and she used to lobby for Qatar.... This week's trip to Qatar, Saud Arabia, and the U.A.E. is as much a personal business trip for Trump and his family businesses as a diplomatic trip." ~~~
~~~ Julianne McShane of Mother Jones outlines just a few of the other incidents in which Trump has flouted the Constitution, the law and ethics rules. She concludes, "The real threat to our democratic institutions and national interests, then, may not be the foreign kings the Emoluments Clause warned about, but the one sitting in the White House." ~~~
~~~ Jacob Levy in a Washington Post op-ed: "... how can the royal family of Qatar give Trump a $400 million 'flying palace' of a plane, one that will act as Air Force One during his presidency but remain his afterward? The answer lies in a problem that predates Trump: the presidential library system. These somewhat misnamed institutions -- they do house presidential records and archives, but they also act as hagiographic museums, almost shrines -- are established through private donations, from anyone, in any amount.... Concerns have been raised about this system since at least the Clinton Presidential Library and Museum, which received millions from foreign governments; reform efforts have stalled.
"The Qatari plane will first be a time-limited gift to the Air Force. Shortly before Trump leaves office, after it has been upgraded at taxpayer expense, it will be transferred to the Donald J. Trump Presidential Library Fund, which will then keep it available for the fund's namesake. Presto: a gift to the Air Force becomes one to the library fund becomes a lavish lifetime perk for Trump personally. As with donations to a presidential inaugural committee, gifts to the library fund fall between the cracks of campaign finance regulations and rules governing ethics in office. As he has already done with inaugural committees, Trump seems likely to expand a known problem with library foundations into a crisis.... Now that he has shown the path to personal enrichment in the billions of dollars from those currying his favor, lawful general governance is at risk even after he departs." ~~~
~~~ Josh Marshall of TPM disagrees: "... the [presidential] libraries are structured as nonprofits with boards and so forth. They become little museums ... and they also become the official repositories of the presidential papers. But those remain under the control and custody of the National Archives. Basically, you've got what is in effect a museum and then the Archives enter into some contract to store and protect the official presidential records on the grounds. The point is that the library isn't the ex-president's official office. It's not owned by the president and it doesn't, like, book his hotel reservations. Each president also gets public funds to do just that, to have an official office, the formal entity from which he does his ex-presidenting. The [New York Times is] acting like the library is his office. But it's not.... The relevant point here is that the plane remains for the personal use of Trump and his family, permanently. So that means he owns it, whatever paperwork definition they may come up with. It's a bribe. (Trump has literally been found to have abused a charity. So he's got a record for this.) They're not even trying to hide it. And the Times does everyone a bit of a disservice by not making clear that this isn't how presidential libraries work."
Jonathan Swan, et al., of the New York Times: Donald "Trump will tour the Gulf this week in search of ... business deals. Planes. Nuclear power. Artificial intelligence investments. Arms. Anything that puts a signature on the bottom of a page. While planning the first major overseas trip of his second term, a four-day swing through Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, Mr. Trump told his advisers that he wanted to announce deals that would be worth more than $1 trillion.... Yet as a strategic exercise, the trip's purpose remains foggy.... It is unclear what foreign policy goals, if any, will be advanced on this visit.... In place of grand strategy will be a series of financial transactions that Mr. Trump will promote as producing jobs for American workers. The agenda conveniently aligns with Mr. Trump's expanding business plans. His family has six pending deals with a majority Saudi-owned real estate firm, a cryptocurrency deal with an affiliate of the government of the United Arab Emirates and a new golf and luxury villa project backed by the government of Qatar."
Gerry Shih of the Washington Post: "During his first major overseas trip this week..., Donald Trump is set to visit three countries in the Middle East -- Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates == without stopping in Jerusalem. It's not the first time he has bypassed Israel -- or Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. From embarking on nuclear talks with Iran to attempting hostage talks with Hamas without Israel's knowledge, Trump has increasingly sidelined Netanyahu, stoking anxieties in a country long accustomed to being consulted by successive U.S. administrations." The article includes quite a good rundown of the Trumpity slights to Israel and tensions between the two administrations. So the link here is a gift link. In the meantime, I suggest Bibi find a $500MM yacht to donate to the Trump Presidential* "Library" & Emoluments Ministry. And how 'bout those plans for a Middle East Riviera in Gaza, featuring a complex of gaudy Trump-branded highrises?
Rebecca Robbins & Margot Sanger-Katz of the New York Times: Donald "Trump will sign an executive order on Monday aimed at lowering some drug prices in the United States by aligning them with what other wealthy countries pay, he said on Truth Social on Sunday evening. The proposal he described, which alone cannot shift federal policy, is what he calls a 'most favored nation' pricing model. Mr. Trump did not provide details about which type of insurance the plan would apply to or how many drugs it would target, but he indicated that the United States should pay the lowest price among its peer countries. Any such plan will most likely be subject to challenges in court, and it is not clear whether it will pass legal muster, especially without action by Congress. In his first term, Mr. Trump tried unsuccessfully to enact a version of this idea for Medicare.... A federal court blocked it, ruling that the administration had skipped steps in the policymaking process. The pharmaceutical industry bitterly opposes the idea, which would almost certainly cut into its profits, and has been lobbying against it...." The CBS News story is here.
The Trump Effect. Giovanna Coi of Politico: "A majority of people [around the world, surveyed in a poll by the Alliance of Democracies Foundation] had an overall negative perception of the U.S., marking a steep decline from last year. America's reputation took a particularly massive hit in EU countries -- perhaps unsurprisingly, as ... Donald Trump has called the bloc "horrible," "pathetic" and "formed to screw the United States... Meanwhile, China kept improving its global standing, overtaking the U.S. for the first time and recording mostly positive perceptions in all regions except Europe.... The survey showed [Trump is] less popular worldwide than his Russian and Chinese counterparts, Putin and Xi Jinping."
Troy Closson of the New York Times: "As Newark Liberty International Airport, one of the nation's busiest airports, struggled with technological disruptions and staffing shortages, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned in a television interview on Sunday that more U.S. airports could face similar disruptions as the busy summer travel season approached. Mr. Duffy, who recently announced a multibillion-dollar proposal to modernize and overhaul the country's air traffic control system, said in the interview that he would meet with the leaders of major airlines on Wednesday in Washington, D.C., to create a plan for scaling back flights at Newark. It was not clear by how much flights could be reduced.... The troubles at the nation's airports have created significant havoc for travelers, stranding some far from their destinations. [Besides the mounting troubles in Newark,] in Georgia, an equipment outage on Sunday led to a ground stop for more than an hour at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the area's largest airport, according to the F.A.A." (Also linked yesterday.)
Stephanie Loder of NJ.com: "The mounting air traffic control problems at Newark Liberty International Airport caused aviation officials to implement a ground stop for flights on Sunday morning, the third such incident in the past two weeks. The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed Sunday that there was a telecommunications outage that impacted communications and radar display at the Philadelphia Terminal Radar Approach Control center known as TRACON, which manages air traffic control in the airspace surrounding the Newark airport. 'The FAA briefly slowed aircraft in and out of the airport while we ensured redundancies were working as designed,' the FAA said in a statement. 'Operations have returned to normal.' FAA advisories show the ground stop lasted for about 45 minutes, according to a CNN report." (Also linked yesterday.)
Lisa Mascaro of the AP: "House Republicans unveiled the cost-saving centerpiece of ... Donald Trump's 'big, beautiful bill' late Sunday, at least $880 billion in cuts largely to Medicaid to help cover the cost of $4.5 trillion in tax breaks. Tallying hundreds of pages, the legislation is touching off the biggest political fight over health care since Republicans tried to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, during Trump's first term in 2017 -- which ended in failure. While Republicans insist they are simply rooting out 'waste, fraud and abuse' to generate savings with new work and eligibility requirements, Democrats warn that millions of Americans will lose coverage.... [They] said the cuts are shameful' and essentially amount to another attempt to repeal Obamacare. A preliminary estimate from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said the proposals would reduce the number of people with health care by 8.6 million over the decade."
Derek Hawkins of the Washington Post: "Federal judges say unsolicited pizza deliveries to jurists' homes that began in February may number in the hundreds across at least seven states, prompting increased security concerns and a demand from a Senate leader for a Justice Department investigation. Many of the deliveries have gone to judges presiding over lawsuits challenging the Trump administration's policies.... Some of the pizza deliveries have gone to judges' relatives. In recent weeks, orders have been placed in the name of U.S. District Judge Esther Salas's son, Daniel Anderl, who was fatally shot at the family home in New Jersey in 2020 by an attorney who posed as a delivery person.... The U.S. Marshals Service has been tracking the deliveries...."
Keith Alexander of the Washington Post: "A fight to lead Washington's influential bar association has drawn triple the votes of a typical cycle, animated by the candidacies of two lawyers connected to Trump appointees who some members fear could transform the body into a retaliatory arm for the president's administration.... Heightened attention has focused on the bids of Bradley J. Bondi, a presidential candidate and brother of Attorney General Pam Bondi, and Alicia Long, a candidate for treasurer and longtime prosecutor who was principal assistant to the District's departing interim U.S. attorney, Ed Martin.
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India/Pakistan. Anupreeta Das, et al., of the New York Times: "The fragile truce between India and Pakistan appeared to be largely holding on its first full day after some initial skirmishing, as both countries turned on Sunday to making the case that they had come out on top in the four-day conflict.... [Donald] Trump announced on Saturday that the two sides had agreed to a cease-fire with the help of U.S. mediation.... [He followed up on Sunday, saying] that he would increase trade 'substantially' with both countries, and that he would work with them to see if a 'solution can be arrived at' to settle their seven-decade dispute over the Kashmir region. Pakistan ... praised the American role as a mediator. But ... in the hours after the cease-fire was announced, India said it had negotiated directly with Pakistani officials.... On Sunday, a senior Indian official offered a timeline of the conflict that acknowledged discussions throughout with American officials but described India as making its own decisions." MB: That's because President* Blunderbuss couldn't zip his fat lips. Also, because he had Junior Scout JayDee phoning up Modi, and deploying JayDee is an automatic insult.
Israel/Palestine, et al. Wafaa Shurafa & Samy Magdy of the AP: "Hamas said Sunday that the last living American hostage in Gaza, Edan Alexander, will be released as part of efforts to establish a ceasefire, reopen crossings into the Israeli-blockaded territory and resume the delivery of aid. Two Hamas officials told The Associated Press they expect the release in the next 48 hours. The announcement of the first hostage release since Israel shattered a ceasefire in March comes shortly before ... Donald Trump visits the Middle East this week. It highlighted the willingness of Israel's closest ally to inject momentum into ceasefire talks for the 19-month war as desperation grows among hostages' families and Gaza's over 2 million people under the new Israeli blockade. Alexander is an Israeli-American soldier who grew up in New Jersey. He was abducted from his base during the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack that ignited the war in Gaza." (Also linked yesterday.) The New York Times story is here.
Philippines. Sui-Lee Wee of the New York Times: "... Rodrigo Duterte, the former president of the Philippines..., is accused of crimes against humanity, and [is currently housed in a detention center for the International Criminal Court in The Hague.]... Mr. Duterte, who ordered a brutal antidrug campaign in which tens of thousands of people died during his presidency, remains very popular in the Philippines. With Filipinos voting in midterm elections on Monday, he is expected to win another term as mayor of Davao City, his eighth, by a landslide. For now, he remains eligible for office."
Turkey. Erika Solomon & Ben Hubbard of the New York Times: "A Kurdish militia group that has waged a bloody insurgency against the Turkish state for four decades said on Monday that it would lay down its arms and disband, a decision that could reshape Turkish politics and reverberate in neighboring countries. The announcement by the Kurdistan Workers' Party, known by its Kurdish acronym, P.K.K., came a few months after its imprisoned leader, Abdullah Ocalan, urged the group to disarm and disband. In his February message, he said the group's armed struggle had outlived its initial purpose and that further progress in the struggle for Kurdish rights could be achieved through politics. The P.K.K. began as a secessionist group that sought to create an independent state for Turkey's Kurdish minority. More recently, it has said that it sought greater rights for Kurds inside Turkey. It is classified as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and other countries."
⭐Ukraine/Russia, et al. Isobel Koshiw of the Washington Post: "... Donald Trump on Sunday backed Russian President Vladimir Putin's call for direct talks with Ukraine, breaking his administration's agreement with European leaders announced less than 24 hours earlier. On Saturday, the leaders of Britain, France, Germany and Poland met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and demanded that Putin accept a 30-day ceasefire starting Monday or see sanctions increased. Trump, they said, had joined them in the demand, a key development. Trump's envoy to Russia and Ukraine reposted a picture of the European leaders on a call with him and said the 30-day ceasefire would start theprocess of ending the war. Putin, in response, proposed direct talks to begin Thursday in Istanbul. Zelensky has said he would be open to direct talks -- once a ceasefire was agreed upon. Trump, writing on social media on Sunday... said, 'Ukraine should agree to this, IMMEDIATELY.... At least they will be able to determine whether or not a deal is possible, and if it is not, European leaders, and the U.S., will know where everything stands, and can proceed accordingly!' Zelensky responded moments later to Trump, saying Kyiv still expected a ceasefire but that he was ready to meet Putin on Thursday." ~~~
~~~ Marie: I guess Vlad reminded Donald of the "thing" he is holding over Donald's head. I don't know what the thing is, but it must be really bad, because there's almost nothing that can shame Donald Trump. But you do have to wonder how many times a day that colossal dirtbag can shame the USA. Yesterday was a monumental doozy.
Vatican. Elisabetta Povoledo of the New York Times: "Pope Leo XIV returned to the balcony where he was presented to the world as the new leader of the Roman Catholic church just days ago, using his first Sunday address to the faithful to call for peace. 'Never again war,' he said to a roar from the tens of thousands who had gathered in St. Peter's Square at noon. Leo's appeal was addressed to the world's most powerful leaders, and he noted that it had been almost 80 years to the day since the 'immense tragedy' of World War II had ended. He quoted Pope Francis, his predecessor, who often referred to the current global wave of violence as 'a third world war in pieces.'" (Also linked yesterday.) -56-
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