Week of March 23, 2025

Here goes…

1. NYT reported that the workers caring for the genetic lines of crops are being fired. Some 600,000 genetic lines from 200 crop species are the last line of defense for disease or apocalypse. Musk thinks this is waste. Or not. Sometimes he changes his mind. (NYT)

2. I have seen too many people on social media say that civil rights do not extend to non-citizens. So listen up, the only rights a noncitizen does not have is the right to vote or run for office. Due Process may be the most important. Filling a plane full of people you don’t like and sending them to a Salvadoran prison is unconstitutional. We have no idea how many of these people were innocently swept up in this. They may never get out because they never got to prove their case before a judge. Why should you care? BECAUSE DECENT PEOPLE SHOULD CARE ABOUT PEOPLE BEING FALSLEY ACCUSED AND IMPRISONNED. And because it could happen to you. Say your son was falsely accused of being in a violent white supremacist gang, nabbed and thrown in a van by mask-wearing thugs. And he never got to see a judge to prove his case – because that is how you prove your case - going before a judge (if you are saying yeah they only do that to brown people, so I don’t really care, you need to reevaluate your life). Empathy folks – it keeps us from being brain-eating zombies. Empathy and a shared respect for the rules.

“One young man sobbed when a guard pushed him to the floor. He said, ‘I’m not a gang member. I’m gay. I’m a barber.’ I believed him. *** He “began to whimper,” as his head was roughly shaved, “folding his hands in prayer as his hair fell.” He “asked for his mother & cried as he was slapped again.” (TIME)

Is he lying? I don’t know. We’ll never know because he was not given DUE PROCESS. If you are just fine with that you have utterly lost your humanity.

3. Donald Trump just cut off legal services for 26,000 unaccompanied minors in our immigration system. CHILDREN who cross the border alone, will now be forced to navigate the system alone, with no support and no protection from trafficking, exploitation, or worse. (AP, ABC).

4. Trump issues an EO targeting law firms that worked on cases against him. The powerful law firm Paul Weiss caved to Trump’s retribution threat and agreed to give 40 million to a Trump legal fund and stop all DEI initiatives. This is extortion and at any other time in our history the president would be facing impeachment. (NYT, NBC News) More evidence of our slide into authoritarianism.

5. 17 states looking to imprison……….librarians…..for having banned books and such. (Vanity Fair, EveryLibrary) All red states by the way.

6. IRS estimates a loss of $500B in revenue as DOGE cuts impair tax collection. (Yahoo News, The Independent). This might be the best definition of assbackward.

7. Trump and Vance are obsessed with annexing Canada, and “taking” Greenland. (BBC, Washington Post). Why might that be?

A. Greenland has lots of rare earth minerals including lithium, which are desperately needed for electric car batteries. Yeah.

B. Trump thinks the US would look great on a map if it included Canada. (There was a recent meeting between Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte (to talk about security and alliance unity), in which a White House Reporter witnessed Trump say “Canada only works as a state,” and gushed about how the U.S. would look on a map if we just erased the border and took Canada as our own.” This wasn’t satire. This wasn’t a joke. You can argue with me about the veracity of the report and why the reporter remains anonymous but look, does that not sound like something he would say?

C. Most likely? Russia is obsessed with controlling the arctic. There is talk of a joint US-RUSSIA military base so that Russia can control the Arctic. (AP, Newsweek, NBC News)

8. On the topic of seniors being worried about missing SS checks because of all the DOGE nonsense, Secretary of Commerce, Howard Lutnick, a multi-millionaire says, “Let's say Social Security didn't send out their checks this month, my mother-in-law — who's 94 — she wouldn't call and complain,” Lutnick said on the business and tech podcast All-In. “She'd just think something I messed up and she’d get it next month. A fraudster always makes the loudest noise, screaming, yelling and complaining.” (The Hill, Yahoo Finance). Yeah. He said that.

9. Comedy break from Kathleen Wolak on Threads: The media when Biden was president: “Biden calls Senator by incorrect name before correcting himself: mental health concerns abound” The media now: “Trump declares war on Whoville, suspends habeas corpus in order to find Jimmy Hoffa’s body based on magic 8 ball prediction: How this gutsy move will help interest rates”

10. Trump complains mightily about a portrait of him that he hates in the Capitol of the State of Colorado (because this is really important). Yet another unhinged TruthSocial post (remember last week I told you he is pumping these out dozens of times a day – sometimes 100). And of course he insults the artist. Look, I know the train car that held any notion that he might be presidential left the station a long time ago. But it’s still embarrassing, and come on, he has nothing better to do?

11. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth accidentally shared top secret war plans with a journalist from The Atlantic hours before a US strike in Yemen. This is jaw-dropping. (AP. NYT – all of them) I don’t think I need to convince anyone (except hard core MAGA) that this is disastrous, entirely against communications security protocols which even the lowest rank soldier know, dangerous for our troops, pilots, etc., arrogant, stupid, and OBVIOUSLY why these cabinet positions are a freaking clown show, especially when they keep saying everyone should get their job based on MERIT and nothing else. (yes, that was a long sentence, phew). But of course, a few very predictable things happen.

A. No one takes responsibility, admits a mistake, or vows to do better

B. Hegseth assured us he “knows exactly what he was doing.”

C. Everyone in the administration starts blaming THE REPORTER who btw, did not add himself to the text group.

D. Trump blames the “failing (it’s not) Atlantic magazine, and the radical left reporter.”

E. Waltz even suggests the reporter hacked into a text group he knew nothing about.

F. Trump says maybe it was a bug in the Signal app. And of course, called it a "witch hunt" (I just did a massive, almost painful eye roll)

G. They start threatening The Atlantic with lawsuits for their own mistake.

H. Said “what about Hilary’s emails” a whole bunch of times. (Please, just for a moment, imagine what the Right would be doing if this happened during Biden’s term. Really. Just imagine the frenzy of righteous indignation, the tearing of clothing, the lighting of hair on fire. It would have been exceedingly unlikely however because his Sec of Defense was actually chosen based on MERIT.)

Biden’s Secretary of Defense, four star General Lloyed James Austin III

Why is it so damn hard to just saying I blew it I’m sorry. This is a HUGE story with so many angles. I’m just afraid it will fall out of the news cycle amid every other appalling news item from the Administration. In any other Administration there would be investigations, hearings, people would resign.

12. The IRS is participating in the deportation of undocumented immigrants who pay taxes. Yes, people who hold down jobs, pay taxes, and because they are undocumented, don’t qualify for most services in return (despite what right wingers want you to believe).(NYT, WaPo). Again, not prioritizing violent criminals as we were told, nor prioritizing efficiency (this will be a net loss in revenue). It's prioritizing Trump’s deportation numbers.

13. Trump/Musk stopped the distribution of millions of millions of lbs. of food ready to be sent to food banks. Much of it is fresh produce grown by American farmers. Foodbanks are scrambling to meet the need. (Politico, CNN)

14. (I don’t always report on things that are that significant in the grand scheme of things. Sometimes it’s just weird.) This week Trump’s spiritual advisor Paula White says supernatural blessings will be released to you if you purchase her 7 easter eggs for the low low price of $1000. That was not an exact quote. The 7 supernatural gifts: “God will assign an angel to you. He'll be an enemy to your enemies. He'll give you prosperity. He'll take sickness away from you. He will give you long life. He'll bring increase in inheritance, and He'll give a special year of blessing." (ChristianPost, Mediaite) He’ll be an enemy to your enemies?

15. GET YOUR GRIMY, PUTRID, IGNORANT, PEURILE, PAWS OFF OF THE SMITHSONIAN!! JD Vance, great historian that he is (not) thinks we need to remove “Anti-American ideology” from the Smithsonian which he also refers to as “improper ideology” (could not be more Nazi-like). (BBC, Politico, NPR, NBC News). The "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History" order removes "divisive, race-centered ideology" from Smithsonian museums, educational and research centers, and the National Zoo (wait, the Zoo?).

They don’t want to see things like – actual history – that might make them feel bad about their country. However painfully fragile their patriotism is, the Smithsonian’s entire mission is to preserve HISTORY. Keep your “improper ideology” garbage out of our Smithsonian. Imagine the painfully embarrassing arrogance of JD Vance telling the Historians of the Smithsonian they are doing it wrong.

By the way, for all of my life I have been able to actively acknowledge the truth of what is the worst in our history (and the best), while still being a patriotic American who cries over the National Anthem. Stop being so f%$cking fragile. And again, LEAVE THE SMITHSONIAN ALONE.

16. Trump floated the possibility of – ehem – paying reparations to the J6 rioters. (Politico, NYT) J6 logged the worst and longest list of officer injuries since 9/11. (NYT) I must say this makes me physically ill. Yes, by all means, don’t just pardon the people who did this, please give them financial rewards for all of their suffering!

Officer Daniel Hodges

Officer Michael Fanone

Rioter dragging officer to the mob, “I fed him to the people."

17. More on Social Security from HCR (Heather Cox Richardson) HCR. Washington Post reporters Lisa Rein and Hannah Natanson warn that “Social Security is breaking down.” Senator Angus King (I-ME) told them: “What’s going on is the destruction of the agency from the inside out, and it’s accelerating…. What they’re doing now is unconscionable.”

18. Ice arrested a Tuffs University student for co-authoring an editorial. From HCR: Chillingly, on Tuesday federal authorities in plain clothes took Tufts University international student Rumeysa Ozturk into custody on the street in Somerville, Massachusetts, saying she had “engaged in activities in support of Hamas,” apparently a reference to a pro-Palestinian op-ed she had written for the Tufts newspaper. Our rights are eroding by the day. She was not advocating violence. She was simply expressing the opinion that Tuffs should divest from investments that support Israel and acknowledge what she called Palestinian genocide (over 50k killed so far). You may not agree with her, but in this country we all have a right to express our damn opinion.

19. Musk doubled down on calling Mark Kelly (astronaut, combat veteran, and husband of Gabby Giffords, who was shot in the head during a mass shooting) a traitor. (Newsweek). The last time Musk said that I called him a bag of rancid ham, to which I would now add “giant” bag of rancid ham. Musk thinks if Kelly disagrees with Trump’s approach to Ukraine that he is putting the interests of another country over ours. Huh? By disagreeing with the approach. Not everyone is choosing to lick the soles of Trump’s boots, but you do you.

20. The FCC has alerted the Walt Disney Company and its ABC unit that it will begin an investigation into the diversity, equity and inclusion efforts at the media giant. (AP, CNN) What fresh hell? DEI is not illegal. Trump, despite his authoritarian leanings, cannot just declare it so. This is a private company. But Herr Trump is directing the FCC to investigate whether Disney…um… teaches employees how to better understand people (coworkers) of different races.

21. In this week’s edition of Why is JD Vance Such an Asshole: Regarding Trump wanting Greenland - "We cannot just ignore the president’s desires.”(Yahoo) Really? Why JD? Why can’t we ignore Trump’s idiotic desires? What the hell are you all going to do? Vance then went on to insult Denmark. Greenland is an autonomous territory of Denmark), "You have not done a good job by the people of Greenland. You have under-invested in the people of Greenland."(Irish Star, The Independent) “That has to change, and because it hasn't changed, this is why President Trump's policy in Greenland is what it is," Vance said. Oh, the President just cares about the people. Okay.

By the way, Vance was only able to speak at the American military base because no one, absolutely no one in Greenland wanted to meet with him and his wife. They tried to get regular families to meet with them and every single one was like, “Hell to the No!” (not a direct quote ) (Newsweek). Vance, bloody hell, leave them alone.

One last note, I read Hillbilly Elegy when Trump won last time. I enjoyed the book. It’s a good story. I had no idea at the time that this was who he really was.

22. Noted by a random person on social media but I have to say, he’s not wrong. “If one carefully listens to JD's and Trump's words and rhetoric style, it's evident that they fully bought into Putin's gaslighting playbook:

A. tell locals they are wonderful people

B. - tell them their current leaders have let them down

C. -tell them their current leaders do not care about them and oppress them

D. -emphasize how wonderful the country is

E. -tell them they need your help in order to flourish - It's very sad to see

23. Important comment from Rick Steves this week, “Many don’t realize that the first people Hitler sent to his concentration camps weren’t everyday Jewish citizens, but his political opponents. So, when Trump rants about retribution, locking up his opponents, and giving them “very long sentences,” I can’t help but take him seriously… because history teaches us that is what fascist dictators do during their ‘Day One’ period to consolidate their power. “—Rick Steves

24. Three high-profile Professors with expertise in Philosophy, History, Fascism are so concerned for the country that they are fleeing to Canada. (Economic Times, CNN, Toronto Star) Yes, I am ALARMED. And you know what? I’m not over-reacting! Anyone who still, at this point, is just saying, “nah, it’s all fine” Is severely underreacting.

25. I’ll end with this truly tragic note in which Canada our longest ally and best friend announces their relationship with the US is over. (BBC, Yahoo, NYT) Direct from the BBC article “Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said that Canada's old relationship with the United States, "based on deepening integration of our economies and tight security and military cooperation, is over". Speaking to reporters in Ottawa after a cabinet meeting, Carney said Canadians must "fundamentally reimagine our economy" in the face of US President Donald Trump's tariffs. He said Canada would respond with retaliatory tariffs that will have "maximum impact" on the US. Trump announced on Wednesday he would target imported vehicles and vehicle parts with a 25% tax, stating: "This is permanent."

All because of Trump’s colossal ego, childish understanding of tariffs (and complete imperviousness to learning – he likes the thoughts in his own head best), utter lack of respect for our allies and history, narcissistic view of relationships – which in his view are nothing more than transactional. Mutual benefit is for babies. He only feels like he wins if he wins AND you lose.

Once again in the words of Thoms Jefferson in Hamilton, “So what did I miss?”