Friday, April 10, 2026

Garlic Lemon Chicken Thighs in the Kitchen

Kim e-mailed to note Eat Well 101's recipe for Garlic Lemon Chicken Thighs:


Ingredients

  • 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic
  • 4 teaspoons chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons chili pepper flakes
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons instant chicken bouillon
Instructions

1. To make the Garlic Lemon Chicken Thighs: In a medium bowl, combine cilantro, 4 tablespoons olive oil, minced garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, chicken bouillon, chili powder, chili pepper flakes, cumin, salt, and pepper. Divide the mixture into two.

2. In a gallon-size Ziplock bag or large bowl, combine the chicken thighs and half the marinade mixture; marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight, turning the bag occasionally. Drain the chicken thighs from the marinade.

3. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a cast-iron grill pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken thighs to the grill pan in a single layer and cook until golden brown and cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165ºF (74ºC), about 4-5 minutes per side.

4. Serve the Garlic Lemon Chicken Thighs with the remaining lemon-garlic-cilantro mixture on the side immediately. Enjoy!


That sounds tasty.

Podcaster Joe Rogan tied two of President Donald Trump‘s most contentious issues together Wednesday, suggesting the war in Iran was a way to distract from the handling of the Epstein files.

Speaking to comedian Arsenio Hall about those seeking to manage political optics and control the narrative, Rogan and his guest agreed that at least one person should be prosecuted over the revelations in the Epstein files released by the Department of Justice in recent months.

Rogan said that while Trump was threatening to prosecute journalists publishing information on the Iran war, no one was being charged over the Epstein files. Hall said this was a classic distraction tactic.

“Look, the Epstein Files comes out. We go to war with Iran,” Rogan said on the Joe Rogan Experience. “It’s, it’s a good way to get people to stop talking about certain things.”


Even Joe Rogan can connect the dots.  Even Joe Rogan.  Joe Rogan. 




This is C.I.'s "The Snapshot" for Thursday:


Thursday, April 9, 2026. Pam Bondi disrespects the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein again as she refuses to be deposed by the House Oversight Committee, Chump demonstrates what a chump he actually is with his cease-fire with Iran, and much more.  


Yesterday afternoon, SCRIPPS NEWS GROUP reported, "Former Attorney General Pam Bondi will not appear next week for a scheduled deposition before the House Oversight Committee as part of its investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, Scripps News has confirmed. A committee spokeswoman said the Department of Justice informed lawmakers that Bondi will not appear for the April 14 deposition because she is no longer serving as attorney general and was subpoenaed in that capacity."  The Democrats on the House Oversight Committee issued the following: 


Washington, D.C. — Today, Rep. Robert Garcia, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, released the following statement after former Attorney General Pam Bondi refused to appear for her deposition before the Oversight Committee on April 14, despite the lawful bipartisan subpoena the Committee issued last month. This subpoena is binding, even after she was fired. The subpoena followed the Department of Justice’s botched release of the Epstein files and the continued White House cover-up.

“Now that Pam Bondi has been fired, she’s trying to get out of her legal obligation to testify before the Oversight Committee about the Epstein files and the White House cover-up.

Our bipartisan subpoena is to Pam Bondi, whether she is the Attorney General or not. She must come in to testify immediately, and if she defies the subpoena, we will begin contempt charges in the Congress. The survivors deserve justice,” said Ranking Member Robert Garcia.

###


The Department of Justice said Wednesday that Pam Bondi will not appear for her upcoming deposition in the House Oversight Committee’s Jeffrey Epstein investigation given that she is no longer serving as the US attorney general.

It marks the latest roadblock in Congress’ fight to secure Bondi’s sworn testimony related to the Justice Department’s public release of its investigative files into the late convicted sex offender.
The department argued that Bondi was subpoenaed in her official role as attorney general and not in a personal capacity. As such, she won’t appear on Capitol Hill on April 14 to discuss her role overseeing the release of the Epstein Files, Assistant Attorney General Patrick D. Davis wrote in a letter to House Oversight Chairman James Comer.

The Department of Justice says this?  DoJ is now the expert on Congressional subpoenas?  Congress subpoenas someone which makes them the 'decider' in this matter. The DoJ appears to be overstepping.  In addition, Pam's job has not been filled and she remains, per Chump's social media post announcing her firing, a government employee -- so still being paid her AG salary -- for the rest of the month as part of a "transitioning."  Therefore, she's still with the Justice Dept and she's still being paid her AG salary through the end of the month and April 14th is in the middle of the month so she could appear before the Committee as part of her "transitioning."







 




The DOJ’s position has drawn criticism from members of both parties on the Oversight Committee. Representative Nancy Mace (R-SC), who supported the subpoena alongside Democrats, said Bondi remains obligated to testify regardless of her current status.

“She was subpoenaed by name,” Mace said, arguing that leaving office does not remove the requirement to comply with congressional oversight. Several lawmakers have indicated they view the issue as a matter of institutional authority rather than a partisan dispute.
Representative Ro Khanna (D-Calif) also called for Bondi to appear, stating in a letter to Chairman James Comer that her status as a private citizen could allow for broader testimony.

Nancy Mace is correct, Bondi was subpoenaed by name.  She is compelled to testify or be held in contempt.  There was no "Unless you resign or are fired" exception to the subpoena.  So what happens now?  Alison Durkee (FORBES) ponders that:


What will happen next week. It’s unclear if the threat of contempt could lead Bondi to show up on April 14 as scheduled, and if any GOP lawmakers would support Democrats in bringing contempt charges against her. Republicans on the House Oversight Committee said Wednesday they planned to work with Bondi’s personal counsel to reschedule and have her testify in her personal capacity. It’s unclear when Bondi could testify, if it’s rescheduled, and if that would be enough to keep Democrats from trying to move forward with contempt charges.


Some Epstein victims expressed anger at Bondi’s intent not to appear. “Survivors have waited nearly three decades for answers – how much longer must we wait?” said Maria and Annie Farmer in a joint statement. “Any further delays only deepen survivors’ pain and weakens our confidence in the government’s willingness to hold accountable those who enabled and perpetrated Epstein’s heinous crimes.”

Bondi does not care about the survivors.  She made that clear in February when she appeared before the House Judiciary Committee and refused to turn around and look at the Epstein survivors who were attending the hearing.  The Democrats on the Committee noted this refusal in a press release they issued:


Washington, D.C. (February 12, 2026)—Rep. Jamie Raskin, Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, led Judiciary Committee Democrats in cross-examining Attorney General Pam Bondi for the damage done to the Department of Justice (DOJ) under her watch.

Seated in the audience were survivors and families of late survivors of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell’s sex trafficking ring, who were recognized, with their permission, at the start of the hearing: Theresa Helm; Jess Michaels; Lara Blume McGee; Dani Bensky; Liz Stein; Marina Lacerda; Sky and Amanda Roberts, who are the family of the late Virginia Giuffre; Sharlene Lund; and Lisa Phillips. Bondi ignored Members’ pleas for her to apologize directly to the survivors for the catastrophic harm Bondi’s DOJ caused by releasing their information and intimate details of their abuse. Rather than apologize, Bondi called the question “theatrics.” 

Bondi refused to confront the Trump DOJ’s botched handling of the Epstein files, which recklessly exposed survivors and shielded potential criminal co-conspirators. 

Rep. Pramila Jayapal pressed Bondi: “Will you turn to [the Epstein survivors] now and apologize for what your Department of Justice has put them through with the absolutely unacceptable release of the Epstein files and their information?” Bondi said: “I’m not going to get into the gutter with this woman doing theatrics.” 
 
Rep. Jayapal asked Epstein survivors to raise their hand if they still haven’t been invited to meet with Pam Bondi or the DOJ. Every single one raised their hand. 
 
Rep. Hank Johnson said: “We have the Epstein victim survivors here today. Rep. Jayapal asked a simple question. If you would be so kind and honorable as to turn around and face them and apologize to them for outing them. I mean, how many lives have been derailed because your Department was either sloppy and incompetent or willfully trying to intimidate and punish these ladies?” Bondi again refused to acknowledge the survivors, saying: “Your time is up.” 
 
Bondi obfuscated and filibustered when asked by Rep. Jerry Nadler how many of Epstein’s co-conspirators she has indicted. Rep. Nadler slammed her stonewalling: “The answer to my question of how many of Epstein’s co-conspirators has she indicted is zero. You have been the Attorney General for a whole year, and your DOJ fired the lead prosecutor of this case, sat on evidence this entire time, and claimed falsely last July that there were no more leads. It took an act of Congress for you to finally release part of the Epstein files. And when you did, you included personal information about the victims while protecting the names of abusers.” 
 
In response to a question from Rep. Ted Lieu on why she shut down the investigation into Epstein’s co-conspirators, the Attorney General deflected and made clear she is only here to defend Trump: “This is so ridiculous, that they are trying to deflect from all the great things Donald Trump has done.” Rep. Lieu slammed her non-response: “There are over 1,000 sex trafficking victims. And you have not held a single man accountable. Shame on you. If you had any decency, you would resign right after this hearing concludes.” 
 
Rep. Lou Correa blasted Bondi for redacting the names of powerful men in the Epstein files while dangerously exposing victims: “We have to make sure we tell those predators there is no place for them to hide. And if they commit the crime, they’re going to fry for it. It starts with showing us the names of the perpetrators in the Epstein files.” 
 
Bondi responded with personal attacks when Ranking Member Raskin asked her to “create a joint task force of the Department of Justice and governors and state attorneys general and district attorneys across the country to investigate the crimes that have taken place against [Epstein] victims.” 
 
In response to a question from Rep. Dan Goldman, Bondi refused to commit to providing key documents still missing from the Epstein files production: an 86-page prosecution memo from the Southern District of New York, and a draft indictment from Florida against Jeffrey Epstein’s co-conspirators. Bondi’s DOJ is violating the bipartisan Epstein Files Transparency Act compelling the unredacted release of these documents.  
 
Rep. Jared Moskowitz pointed out precisely why the DOJ has covered up the Epstein files: “Trump’s name appears more times in the Epstein file than Harry Potter’s name appears in the seven books about Harry Potter.” 
 
Rep. Deborah Ross probed the Trump Administration’s shameful transfer of sex offender Ghislaine Maxwell to a lower-security prison where she has been pampered: “Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein’s co-conspirator received perk after perk in prison. In July, she had a two-day interview with your deputy and President Trump’s former defense attorney, Todd Blanche. Just days after that, Maxwell was transferred from a federal correctional institution in Florida to a minimum-security camp in Texas, which she, as a sex offender, would normally be ineligible for at this new facility. We’ve heard reports that she’s been afforded special privileges: puppy time, private workouts, personal mail, secretarial services.” Bondi bizarrely claimed she didn’t know about the prison transfer that occurred under her watch and falsely claimed that Maxwell had not been transferred to a lower-security prison. 
 
Rep. Becca Balint said: “Now, I’ve seen some of the unredacted Epstein files. And obviously, as you know, President Trump’s name is all over them. But so are the names of other senior Trump officials. Howard Lutnick, Secretary of Commerce, John Phelan, the Secretary of the Navy, and Steven Feinberg, the Deputy Secretary of Defense. These men were appointed by President Trump to senior positions in his Administration. All of them have clear and confirmed ties to Jeffrey Epstein.” Bondi flailed when Rep. Balint pressed her on these ties and why they weren’t a dealbreaker for the President who hired them anyway. 
 
Amid all the lies and evasions, Bondi made a rare admission, saying that Trump’s name “appeared countless times” in the Epstein files.  




On Chump's pal Jeffrey Epstein, Shirsho Dasgupta (THE STATE COLUMBIA) reports:

In his attempts to position himself at the confluence of money and power, Jeffrey Epstein cultivated myriad relationships among the ruling elite of the Middle East, according to an extensive Miami Herald review of several million pages of documents recently released by the U.S. Justice Department.
From his Palm Beach and New York mansions and his luxurious apartment in Paris, Epstein enjoyed a remarkable level of access to sensitive information like the outcomes of political meetings and the itineraries of Gulf royals.

The disgraced financier, the Herald found, regularly corresponded with members of the ruling classes in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Yemen and the United Arab Emirates. He invited them to his properties and gave them business advice - even suggesting to Saudi palace officials that he tutor the crown prince about the ways of Wall Street.

He asked that he be given a “small palace” to live in while schooling the prince and demanded that the Saudis give him sweeping oversight over the kingdom’s fortunes.

When Qatar was accused of supporting Al Qaeda and the Islamic State, Epstein detailed to a Qatari royal a four-point campaign on how the country could clean up its image. Epstein also intervened on behalf of a Yemeni billionaire’s son to help him fight murder and rape allegations in Britain.


[. . .]

Epstein first got acquainted with Yemeni billionaire Shaher Abdulhak in the spring of 2012.

Abdulhak, at the time, was in a fix.

His son, Farouk, was a suspect in the rape and murder of 23-year-old Norwegian student Martine Vik Magnussen in London in 2008. According to the British press, British authorities wanted him for questioning, but Farouk had fled to Yemen.

Epstein, the records show, claimed to have facilitated an introduction with British attorney Lord Ken Macdonald, who had previously served as the top prosecutor in England and Wales.

Epstein told Abdulhak in a June 2012 email that he had spoken to Macdonald, who believed that Farouk could get a reduced charge and be granted bail, records show. Epstein advised Abdulhak to focus on “what punishment would be acceptable.”

“I think you are right, something like house arrest, plus charity work,” Abdulhak replied.



Let's move on over to the terrorist that is Donald Chump, the one who said he'd take a country back to "the stone age" and "obliterate" the people living there.  Chump sounded like a terrorist and like a lunatic.  He should be removed from office immediately.  Yes, Chump being Chump, he ended up chickening out at the last minute.  But that he took it that far goes to how severe the dementia has become.

He joined Netanyahu in starting a war of choice and he is now at a point where the US is much weaker and the government of Iran is much stronger.  Tom Boggioni (RAW STORY) reports:

Donald Trump claims to have reached a successful but still evolving ceasefire agreement with Iran, but National Review editor Jim Geraghty has a different assessment: the president has been completely outmaneuvered and is poised to capitulate on nearly every significant demand.
According to Geraghty's scathing analysis, Trump and Iran are describing fundamentally different agreements. The Iranian proposal includes concessions that represent a catastrophic setback for American national security interests.

The Iranian demands include: "Iran's continued control of the Strait of Hormuz," "Iran's uranium enrichment right should be accepted," and "Payment of compensation for damages inflicted on Iran."


Again, he lost.  Rex Huppke (USA TODAY) notes:

I don’t mean to sound controversial, but a president shouldn’t be able to walk away from threatening to wipe out an entire civilization ‒ even setting a deadline, as if Armageddon is a bloody reality show ‒ and then carry on like he’s a normal president. Even if Republicans want you to think it's normal.
In the sweep of less than 24 hours on April 7, Donald Trump went from threatening genocide to agreeing to a two-week ceasefire with Iran, a ceasefire that appears to give the Middle East nation a lot in return for nothing.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m damn glad he stepped away from mass murder. But let’s be honest: America can’t continue with this kind of “Look at me, I’m a crazy former reality show star, tune in to see what I’ll do next?!?” insanity.
The world just spent an entire day not knowing whether the American president was going to commit war crimes or drop a nuclear bomb on Iran as part of a war he started and was never authorized to conduct.




Donald Trump has lashed out at “fraudsters and charlatans” who he claims are circulating fake lists of Iran’s ceasefire plan as he tries to put a positive spin on the war.

In an angry Truth Social post on Wednesday, Trump claimed that “numerous agreements, lists and letters” were being sent out by people who had nothing to do with negotiations between the two countries.
“In many cases, they are total Fraudsters, Charlatans, and WORSE. They will be rapidly exposed after our Federal Investigation is completed,” he wrote, without providing any specifics.

“There is only one group of meaningful “POINTS” that are acceptable to the United States, and we will be discussing them behind closed doors during these Negotiations.”

The tirade came hours after Trump agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Iran—an abrupt climbdown from his earlier threat to unleash devastating military strikes if Tehran failed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.


Chump gets a revealed as a chump who needs someone to teach him THE ART OF THE DEAL and he lashes out at others.  Brad Bannon (THE HILL) offers:


Trump Net Approval Drops to Record Low.” That’s the headline from the YouGov story about the new national survey it conducted last week for The Economist. His overall performance score comes in at net negative 23 percent, which puts him as deep underwater as the Great Marianas Trench in the Pacific Ocean. Trump’s ratings have been in intensive care for months but the controversy over starting a war against Iran a month ago have put them on life support.
Iran is a big problem for the president. You don’t need a meteorologist to know which way the wind is blowing. Americans oppose the war by a 2-to-1 margin. While Republicans still support the conflict, opposition to his misguided military misadventure is high in every demographic public subgroup.

Trump also suffers from a significant credibility gap. A clear majority of people believe he hasn’t provided accurate information about the progress of the war. Things could soon even get worse for the commander in chief if he decides to put U.S. troops on Iranian ground. Only one out of every six surveyed favor the use of U.S. ground forces against the Middle Eastern nation.

There are two reasons why the situation has gone from bad to worse for Trump. He failed to demonstrate at the onset that Iran was a serious threat to U.S. national security and the assault weaponized existing public concerns about his failure to reduce inflationary prices.


His reputation is in tatters on the world stage.  Need an example?  Sam Meredith (CNBC) reports:

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Wednesday joined a chorus of world leaders welcoming the announcement of a U.S.-Iran ceasefire but issued a thinly veiled swipe at the Trump administration for having initiated the hostilities.
"Ceasefires are always good news. Especially if they lead to a just and lasting peace. But this momentary relief cannot make us forget the chaos, the destruction, and the lives lost," Sánchez said in a social media post, according to a translation.
"The Government of Spain will not applaud those who set the world on fire just because they show up with a bucket."
Sánchez, who has emerged as one of the European Union's leading critics of U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran, called for "diplomacy, international law and PEACE" to prevail.

I can't imagine any US president in post-WWII era being insulted like that.  And from our ally Spain.  But this is what Chump has fostered with his attacks and his bullying.  He's treated the world as though it doesn't matter and now he's getting the same treatment back.  



But the two-week cease-fire leaves the Islamic Republic in place and still in command of the future of the Strait of Hormuz, with Iran’s nuclear stockpile and ballistic missile program unresolved. After Mr. Trump’s declaration of victory, however hollow, it is difficult to imagine a resumption of full-scale war.

For the rest of the world, the war “is starting to look like a military defeat, more serious than Iraq or Afghanistan,” said Bruno Maçães, former secretary of state for European affairs for Portugal.

“The myth of America as all-powerful is important,” he added, “and it’s the basic requirement of a global hegemon to keep the oil flowing, to open up the strait and keep it open. This belief in an all-powerful America that can solve anything is disappearing.”

Keeping sea lanes open for American goods and global trade is one of the few permanent interests the United States has in the Middle East, as well as in Asia.

The war in Iran shut down the strait. Now, the Iranian military is still in control of the passageway and is likely to demand large tolls. “The strategic rationale for the American military presence in the region has taken a huge hit,” said Stephen Wertheim, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment in Washington.


The US looks like a crazed lunatic and a loser thanks to Chump.  And Iran?  As Charles P. Pierce points out at ESQUIRE:

Iran walks away with more than it had in the previous agreement it struck with the Obama administration. Israel is still firing missiles into Iran, to say nothing of laying waste to half of Lebanon. Iran maintains control of the Strait of Hormuz. Indeed, the deal turns the strait into an Iranian tollbooth. I think we’re lucky that Iran doesn’t now own half of Montana. On the other hand, Pete Hegseth thinks the whole thing is/was a masterstroke:

This morning, a big day for world peace. Iran wants it to happen. They’ve had enough. Operation Epic Fury was a historic and overwhelming victory on the battlefield. A capital V.
And JD Vance, fresh off canoodling with Viktor Orbán and still cosplaying Urban II in Budapest, emphasized that the U.S. is not kidding around this time. No sir. Not us. Uh-uhhh. 


June 23rd, Jonathan Swan and Maggie Haberman's REGIME CHANGE is released.  It's about Chump's second term thus far.  The two reporters for THE NEW YORK TIMES have written "How Trump Took the U.S. to War With Iran" which is based on their book and which THE TIMES published Monday.  Interesting details in the piece.  Most interesting?  Tulsi Gabbard, the Director of National Intelligence, was not present when Netanyahu made his case for war.  We'll note this part because it's been repeated in the media and it was always wrong: 

The Israelis also raised the prospect of Iranian Kurdish fighters crossing the border from Iraq to open a ground front in the northwest, further stretching the regime’s forces and accelerating its collapse.
[. . .]
The intelligence officials had deep expertise in U.S. military capabilities, and they knew the Iranian system and its players inside out. They had broken down Mr. Netanyahu’s presentation into four parts. First was decapitation — killing the ayatollah. Second was crippling Iran’s capacity to project power and threaten its neighbors. Third was a popular uprising inside Iran. And fourth was regime change, with a secular leader installed to govern the country.

The U.S. officials assessed that the first two objectives were achievable with American intelligence and military power. They assessed that the third and fourth parts of Mr. Netanyahu’s pitch, which included the possibility of the Kurds mounting a ground invasion of Iran, were detached from reality.


The Kurds in Iraq were never going to mount an invasion.  As we noted here repeatedly -- often noting the Talabni's extreme closeness to the Iranian government -- that was not going to happen.  The two ruling dynasties in the Kurdistan are both close to the government of Iran and have been for years.  Many fools in the US media repeated this claim -- from US anonymice whispers or Israeli anonymice whispers, I don't know -- and it was never viable.  

Back to the article:

When Mr. Trump joined the meeting, Mr. Ratcliffe briefed him on the assessment. The C.I.A. director used one word to describe the Israeli prime minister’s regime change scenarios: “farcical.”
At that point, Mr. Rubio cut in. “In other words, it’s bullshit,” he said.

Mr. Ratcliffe added that given the unpredictability of events in any conflict, regime change could happen, but it should not be considered an achievable objective.

Several others jumped in, including Mr. Vance, just back from Azerbaijan, who also expressed strong skepticism about the prospect of regime change.

The president then turned to General Caine. “General, what do you think?”

General Caine replied: “Sir, this is, in my experience, standard operating procedure for the Israelis. They oversell, and their plans are not always well-developed. They know they need us, and that’s why they’re hard-selling.”

Mr. Trump quickly weighed the assessment. Regime change, he said, would be “their problem.” It was unclear whether he was referring to the Israelis or the Iranian people. But the bottom line was that his decision on whether to go to war against Iran would not hinge on whether Parts 3 and 4 of Mr. Netanyahu’s presentation were achievable.



Let's wind down with this from Senator Elizabeth Warren's office:

Text of Letter (PDF)

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), along with Representative Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.) and Representative Troy Carter (D-La.), pressed the Inspectors General of the Departments of Homeland Security (DHS) and State to open an investigation into the Trump administration’s attempts to deport people to countries they have no ties to.

“We request that your offices evaluate the Trump Administration’s unlawful and costly system of “third-country removals”...Congress and the public deserve answers to better understand the scale of legal violations within this system that was recently ruled unconstitutional,” wrote the lawmakers.

Since President Trump took office for a second time, his administration has deported hundreds of people, including children, long-time U.S. residents, and individuals with no criminal records, to countries they are not from and that were not designated for their removal, which U.S. immigration law only allows in rare circumstances. Deportees are being sent to these countries without proper due process, and in some cases without being provided an opportunity to voice concerns that their life or freedom would be in danger in that third country. To persuade countries to accept deportees, the Trump Administration has used a combination of threats and payments, including paying $32 million to El Salvador, Rwanda, Eswatini, Equatorial Guinea, and Palau.

In September 2025, Senator Warren led over 60 members of Congress in launching an investigation into these practices. Despite the serious implications of third-country removals, both State and Homeland Security have failed to comply with the requests made as part of that investigation.

On February 25, 2026, a federal court ruled that this third-country removal system violates the U.S. Constitution and immigration law. Even so, DHS’s 2025 guidance regarding third country removals — which do not appear to have been updated since the February 2026 court ruling — claim the Department can deport individuals to third countries with no individualized process whatsoever.

Many people first learn that they are being deported to a third country while on the flight overseas. Even when a country has not credibly promised to refrain from torture or persecution, DHS still generally gives individuals only 24 hours’ notice that they will be deported to a particular country, with no guaranteed opportunity to speak with an attorney. To make matters worse, some DHS attorneys have reportedly threatened asylum seekers that they may be deported to third countries in order to pressure them to abandon their asylum claims and accept deportation to their home countries.

Some people deported to third countries have reported torture, arbitrary detention, and forced return to their countries of origin where courts have found they are likely to face persecution, and other human rights violations.

“Such reports cast serious doubt on DoS’s process, if one exists, of verifying the reliability of countries’ assertions that they will not torture or persecute deportees, or transport them onward to other countries where they’re likely to face torture or persecution,” wrote the lawmakers.

Meanwhile, the Administration is continuing to execute third-country deportations. As of early March, ICE had over 500 people in its custody slated for third-country deportations, and DHS signaled that it had its sights on deporting over 8,000 people to third countries.

The lawmakers asked that Inspectors General’s investigation include the administration’s failure to follow due process, negotiations with foreign governments, evaluating the risk of torture and persecution, and the cost of third-country deportations.

Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Jackie Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) signed on to this letter.

Representatives Donald Beyer (D-Va.), Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.), Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), Dwight Evans (D-Pa.), John Garamendi (D-Calif.), Jesús García (D-Ill.), Sylvia Garcia (D-Texas), Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.), Jahana Hayes (D-Conn.), Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.), Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), and Adam Smith (D-Wash.) signed on to this letter.

###




The following sites updated:


Thursday, April 09, 2026

Linguine With Clam Sauce in the Kitchen


Ingredients

12 oz linguine
Kosher salt and pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
3 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 (4-oz) tins Siesta white clams in brine
1 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped (about 1/2 cup), plus more for serving
1 tsp lemon zest plus 2 Tbsp lemon juice, plus lemon wedges for squeezing

Directions

In a large pot, bring 10 cups of water to a boil. Add 2 tsp salt and cook linguine 2 minutes shy of al dente per the package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water then drain the pasta.
Meanwhile, drain clams and reserve brine (you should have about 1/2 cup of brine.
Heat the oil and garlic in a large skillet on medium, stirring occasionally, until garlic is just golden at edges (do not let brown), 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Carefully add the wine and cook until reduced by half, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.
Add the brine, leaving behind any grit, and cook until the sauce is slightly reduced, 2 to 3 min. If the pasta is not ready yet, remove the skillet from the heat.
If needed, reheat the sauce on medium. Add linguine, clams, 1/2 tsp pepper, and 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water to the sauce; cook, tossing and adding more of the pasta water 1 Tbsp at a time as needed, until the linguine is coated with a glossy sauce, about 2 minutes.
Remove from the heat then toss with the parsley, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Serve drizzled with olive oil and topped with additional chopped parsley and cracked pepper if desired, with lemon wedges alongside for squeezing.

Good Housekeeping, Margaret notes, is a good source for recipes.  I agree 100%.


The Trump administration is quietly seeking unprecedented access to medical records for millions of federal workers and retirees, and their families.

A brief notice from the Office of Personnel Management could dramatically change which personally identifiable medical information the agency obtains, giving it the power to see prescriptions employees had filled or what treatment they sought from doctors. The regulation would require 65 insurance companies that cover more than 8 million Americans — including federal workers, retired members of Congress, mail carriers, and their immediate family members — to provide monthly reports to OPM with identifiable health data on their members.
The proposal is prompting unease from insurers as well as health policy and legal experts, who are concerned about the legality of OPM acquiring such a sweeping database of sensitive health information, and the agency's ability to safeguard it.

OPM could use the data to analyze costs and improve the system, said Sharona Hoffman, a health law ethicist at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio.

"But," she said, "they are going to get very, very detailed and granular data about everything that happens. The concern here is the more information they have, they could use it to discipline or target people who are not cooperating politically."

OPM spokespeople did not respond to repeated requests for comment. The agency's notice asks insurers that offer Federal Employees Health Benefits or Postal Service Health Benefits plans to furnish "service use and cost data," including "medical claims, pharmacy claims, encounter data, and provider data." It says the data will "ensure they provide competitive, quality, and affordable plans."

The notice, posted and sent to insurers in December, does not instruct them to redact identifying information — a burdensome process that they would need federal guidance to complete.

Instead, it states that insurers are legally permitted to disclose "protected health information" to OPM. Several experts in health policy and law consulted by KFF Health News said they interpreted the request to mean the Trump administration was seeking identifiable data.

That does not sound good, that does not sound encouraging.  


This is C.I.'s "The Snapshot" for Wednesday:


Wednesday, March 8, 2026.  Chump chickens out, people worry about what Pete Hegseth is whispering to Chump, ICE shoots a man in California, Bill Gates set to be deposed by Congress in the ongoing Epstein investigation, and much more. 


Let's start with a reality from Catherine Bouris (THE DAILY BEAST), that the number injured in the Iran War is now 373. That's the official DoD figure.  


Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, leader of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, called on President Donald Trump to back off his threats to kill “a whole civilization,” issuing a rare direct rebuke of Trump as he faces growing criticism from Catholic leaders over his war against Iran.
Coakley said Tuesday, “the threat of destroying a whole civilization and the intentional targeting of civilian infrastructure cannot be morally justified,” calling on Trump “to step back from the precipice of war.”


If you missed it, last night was supposed to be Convicted Felon Donald Chump bombing Iran into "the stone age."  

What happened?

Chump caved. 

As Ben notes this morning on MEIDASTOUCH NEWS, Chump decided to go along with Iran's previous ten-point proposal.



Monday, the proposal wasn't good enough for Chump.  Tyler Pager and Erika Solomon (NEW YORK TIMES) reported:

President Trump said on Monday that a cease-fire proposal put forth by mediators between the United States and Iran was a “significant step,” but he warned that it was “not good enough” as his deadline of Tuesday evening for a deal approached.

Iran, for its part, rejected any proposal for a cease-fire, mandating that any peace plan include a complete end of hostilities. Diplomatic talks coordinated by Pakistan and other regional countries were continuing, officials said, even as there appeared to be little agreement on what any cessation of hostilities would look like.

If Iran does not agree to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by Tuesday at 8 p.m. Eastern time, Mr. Trump has threatened to launch a massive attack targeting bridges, power plants and other civilian facilities that would, in his words, send Iran “back to the Stone Ages.” But the president has also extended self-imposed deadlines in recent weeks, and diplomats around the world were asking whether Mr. Trump would find an off-ramp again or if he would follow through this time with what could be a gigantic conflagration.






Today, MORNING JOE talked about Chump's cave.  





As the war continues to drag on and as things continue to get uglier, there's a need on the part of some to rush to Chump's defense and find an Iago bringing about the downfall of the hero.  For some, the Iago whispering falsehoods to Chump is Pete Hegseth.  Zoe Engels (MEDIAITE) reports:

Officials have accused Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth of misleading President Donald Trump about the Iran War, declaring that “Pete is not speaking the truth.”

Hegseth has been feverishly blasting the media’s coverage of the Iran War, saying Americans would not believe U.S. “success” in the war if they “listened” to the mainstream media.
On March 6, he told CBS’s 60 Minutes that Iranians are the only people who should be concerned about the war.

“No one’s putting us in danger,” Hegseth said of the U.S. “We’re putting the other guys in danger. That’s our job. So, we’re not concerned about that. We mitigate it as we need to. Our commanders factor all of this, but the only ones that need to be worried right now are Iranians that think they’re gonna live.”

In a new report by The Washington Post, anonymous officials and analysts are quoted as showing concern about the negative influence that Hegseth’s overzealous, false optimism is having on Trump.



Hegseth’s triumphant rhetoric has stood in contrast to that of Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who has not suggested U.S. pilots can use Iranian airspace without concern of enemy threats.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell called scrutiny of Hegseth’s public messaging “lies and propaganda.”

“Secretary Hegseth has provided the Commander-in-Chief with decisive military options to achieve our clear, scoped objectives: destroy Iran’s missile arsenal, annihilate their Navy, destroy their terrorist proxies, and ensure Iran can never obtain a nuclear weapon,” he said in a statement. “The Washington Post is pushing a fake story of failure.”

White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly rejected any assertion that Hegseth has misinformed the president and said Trump always knew the Iranians would shoot back. “He has always had the full picture of the conflict. Nothing has surprised him or our military planners, who were prepared for any possible contingency,” she said.


[. . .]

Another source of scrutiny emerged March 31, when Hegseth told reporters the number of Iranian missile and drone launches had fallen to a lower level than any other 24-hour period since the war began. The figure was presented as evidence that “relentless” U.S. and Israeli strikes were degrading Iran’s ability to sustain attacks.

But administration officials said Hegseth’s claim was incorrect and that lower 24-hour periods occurred March 14, 15 and 22. “Documents sent around internally contradict Hegseth’s claims,” one official said.


I don't doubt that Hegseth is whispering errors and outright lies into Chump's ear.  But that's why Chump chose him.  Hegseth wasn't forced off on Chump -- no, Chump chose him.  So he's only whispering to Chump what Chump wants to hear. Hegseth was a known liar before his confirmation hearing.  Chump knew what he was getting. 


Now he knew JD Vance was a liar as well and he thought he could count on him.  But Chump decided he was wrong there so he has now distanced himself from Miss Sassy.  Matthew Rozsa notes:


President Donald Trump is degrading his own vice president, JD Vance, over the latter’s opposition to the former’s Iran war — and it is painfully obvious to White House observers.

“Nobody in Mr. Trump’s inner circle was more worried about the prospect of war with Iran, or did more to try to stop it, than the vice president,” reported The New York Times’ Jonathan Swan and Maggie Haberman on Tuesday. “Mr. Vance had built his political career opposing precisely the kind of military adventurism that was now under serious consideration. He had described a war with Iran as ‘a huge distraction of resources’ and massively expensive.’”
The Times elaborated that, although Vance is not a dove, he privately expressed the belief that a regime-change war in Iran would end badly for the United States. Because Trump wished to engage in some military action against Iran, Vance urged limited action rather than a large-scale campaign, even advocating for Trump to use “overwhelming force, in the hope of achieving his objectives quickly.”

Yet the president has reportedly noticed Vance’s reticence to declare war against Iran and is politically penalizing his own vice president accordingly, including through public displays of how he is out of the loop.


So despite Chump's talking up War Crimes and making outrageous threats, he didn't go through with it.  This time.  And this doesn't need to happen again.

Senator Elizabeth Warren's office issued the following ahead of the deadline Chump had imposed for last night:

Warren: “This is Deranged…Congress Must Pull the Emergency Brake Now”

Link to Video

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) released a new video condemning President Trump’s threat to wipe out the “whole civilization” of Iran“ and called for Majority Leader Thune to bring the Senate back into session immediately to vote to stop Trump’s war.

“Congress needs to pull the emergency brake now. We should be voting to stop Trump’s war today…Every Republican who refuses to speak out, every Republican who ducks a question, every Republican who votes to let this war continue bears a portion of the responsibility for what is happening in Trump’s war,” said Senator Warren.

Senator Warren highlighted that American families are paying the price for Trump and Hegseth’s war in Iran.

“Gas prices are more than $4 dollars a gallon. Groceries are up. Life was already unaffordable and now you’re paying for Trump’s war while our service members fight and die in another forever war halfway around the world,” she said.

“We don’t know what will happen tonight…But I do know that Congress has the power and the responsibility to end Trump's war. Enough. Call your representatives. And tell these Republicans to grow a backbone and do their damn jobs,” she concluded.

Transcript: Senator Warren on Trump Threatening to Wipe Out the “Whole Civilization” of Iran

Senator Elizabeth Warren: I want to talk directly to people who are sick with worry that Donald Trump is threatening war crimes in Iran. In his words, if Iran doesn’t do what he says, their “whole civilization will die tonight.”

The President of the United States is threatening to bomb innocent people and civilian infrastructure in Iran. He’s threatening to commit war crimes. And he is threatening to do it in our names.

This is deranged. And it must stop.

Some say that this is just Trump negotiating.

No. Trump is threatening mass death if he doesn’t get his way. And it’s further evidence that Trump’s war and Trump himself have spiralled out of control.

Trump’s guy in charge of the war, Pete Hegseth, is thumping his chest that the United States has “complete control of Iranian skies” while our brave pilots get shot down.

And you are paying the price.

Gas prices are more than $4 dollars a gallon. Groceries are up. Life was already unaffordable and now you’re paying for Trump’s war while our service members fight and die in another forever war halfway around the world.

And for what? How is your life better because of Trump’s war?

It is the constitutional responsibility of Congress to not only declare war, but to end war.

Instead, when Republicans have been forced to vote, they have voted repeatedly to continue Trump’s war.

Republican Leader John Thunehune must call the Senate back into session immediately. And Congress needs to pull the emergency brake NOW. We should be voting to stop Trump’s war TODAY.

Make no mistake: Every Republican who refuses to speak out, every Republican who ducks a question, every Republican who votes to let this war continue bears a portion of the responsibility for what is happening in Trump’s war.

We don’t know what will happen tonight. Will Trump back down or will he commit war crimes?

But I do know that Congress has the power and the responsibility to end Trump's war. Enough. Call your representatives. And tell these Republicans to grow a backbone and do their damn jobs.

###




Turning to immigration, Matthew Chapman (RAW STORY) reports on Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin's appearance on FOX "NEWS" 

"I believe sanctuary cities is (sic) not lawful," Mullin told Fox News' Bret Baier. "Some of these cities have international airports. If they are a sanctuary city, should they really be processing customs into their city? We need to have a really hard look at that."
"So you are saying that big cities that are sanctuary cities that have a big airport, they might lose their customs?" said Baier.

"I'm going to be forced to make tough decisions," said Mullin, also noting that this could serve as retaliation for cities whose lawmakers have obstructed funding for DHS in the standoff over ICE reforms.
Mullin's threat here was met with instant outrage on social media, with experts pointing out he doesn't actually have the authority to do this.


The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in Sacramento was launching a probe Tuesday after a shooting involving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officers near San Jose, California.

KNTV reported that the Tuesday morning shooting shut down on- and off-ramps on Interstate 5 and Sperry Avenue in Patterson, California.  Lauren Mascarenhas (CNN) adds, "Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were involved in a shooting that sent one person to the hospital while they were conducting a targeted traffic stop in California’s Central Valley, the agency said Tuesday."  Uwa Ede-Osifo (GUARDIAN) reports that the man shot was Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez:


Hernandez was hospitalized after the shooting. A spokesperson for the Stanislaus county sheriff’s office, which has jurisdiction over Patterson, declined to comment on Hernandez’s condition.




A Jamaican national arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after overstaying a tourist visa is disputing the agency’s account of his case, alleging that his identification documents were taken during detention and not returned.

Carlton Junior Burke, 25, said he was taken into custody on October 1, 2025, by federal agents at his home in Madison, Wisconsin, and transported to a detention facility, where he claims his passport and driver’s licenses were collected and not given back.


ICE has earned a reputation for lying about their actions -- to the public, to the courts.  So I'll give Burke the benefit of the doubt. 





Turning to Chump's old friend Jeffrey Epstein. Daniel Ruetenik (CBS NEWS) reports on Epstein's 2008 sweetheart deal:

After serving fewer than four months in jail, Epstein was granted a special arrangement that allowed him to leave custody for up to 16 hours a day, six days a week, as part of a work release program, allegedly to perform work at a charitable organization he had just established called the Florida Science Foundation. 

This continued for the next nine months until his release to a year of supervised house arrest in July 2009. 

Each day during his work release, Epstein was transported between the jail and an office in downtown West Palm Beach by his bodyguard and driver, Igor Zinoviev. His personal attorney, Darren Indyke, was listed as his official supervisor at the job. Epstein agreed to hire off-duty sheriff's deputies to monitor his movements, log visitors and provide security at his office and home. 

According to documents released under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, his SUV used for these trips was outfitted with a bed. An account given to the FBI by one woman included the claim that Epstein engaged in sexual activity with her in the vehicle — while it was parked in the jail lot. 
The woman told the FBI she was a former model from Slovakia who Epstein had first met when she was a teenager and still in high school. She told agents she was recruited from Slovakia by Epstein's friend and business associate Jean-Luc Brunel during her senior year to move to New York City and pursue a career in modeling. She met Epstein at Brunel's birthday party at the New York City restaurant Cipriani in 2003. 

By the time of Epstein's incarceration, she had been involved sexually with him for several years. She was one of four "assistants" granted immunity in a federal non-prosecution agreement that Epstein received in exchange for his plea.

King Charles will be visiting Donald Chump in the US later this month.  Survivors of Jeffrey Epstein have already requested that Charles meet with them.  Luke Alsford (METRO) notes:

An Epstein survivor has said she is prepared to wait outside the White House to meet with King Charles during his state visit. Rina Oh is willing to hold a mock tea party with other Epstein victims at the White House gates, with an empty chair reserved for the Monarch to sit down and talk with them. The campaigner, who was groomed and sexually assaulted by Epstein from the age of 21, wants the Royals to prove they care about survivors by funding their therapy costs. Her calls for the King to donate to mental health care for Epstein's victims have been supported by the US's leading anti-trafficking organisation, World Without Exploitation. Charles will visit the US with Queen Camilla at the end of April to mark the 250th anniversary of American Independence, where he will meet President Trump and address Congress.
Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna, who spearheaded the release of the Epstein Files, wrote to the King last week asking him to meet the sex offender’s victims. However, it is understood that Charles will not be able to meet survivors during the trip. Oh, who lives in New Jersey, said that would not stop her from visiting Washington DC to see the Monarch. She told Metro: 'If the King and Queen really do support the victims, then it would be a nice gesture to meet with some of them. It would show that he cared. I don't mind gathering a group and going to Washington. We'll just sit in and have afternoon tea in front of the White House gates.'

Pam Bondi, the former Attorney General, is expected to be deposed by the House Oversight Committee on April 14th.  Joe Sommerlad (INDEPENDENT) reports another 

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick will testify before the House Oversight Committee on May 6 regarding his past association with the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, according to reports.

Kentucky Republican Rep. James Comer, the panel’s chairman, announced on March 3 that Lutnick had “proactively agreed to appear voluntarily” and applauded his “demonstrated commitment to transparency” but did not at that stage offer a schedule.
[. . .]
The secretary told Pod Force One presenter Miranda Devine in October that he had been a neighbor of Epstein’s in New York and once visited his brownstone in 2005 but was appalled when his host made a creepy comment about receiving “the right kind of massages” during a tour of the property.

“In the six to eight steps it takes to get from his house to my house, my wife and I decided that I will never be in the room with that disgusting person ever again,” Lutnick told Devine.

However, the release of the Epstein files by the Department of Justice in late December and January revealed that the men had remained in contact after all.

And there's another person who will be deposed by the committee: Bill Gates.  Dan Mangan (CNBC) reports:

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates will sit for an interview about Jeffrey Epstein by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on June 10, according to a person familiar with the situation, who spoke anonymously because the appearance has not been announced.

Gates is one of several people who have agreed to be interviewed by the oversight panel about their dealings with Epstein, the notorious sex offender who killed himself in a New York jail in August 2019.


Let's wind down with this from Senator Tammy Baldwin's office:

Demand comes after Wisconsinites faced weeks long delays getting mail

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) demanded answers from Postmaster General David Steiner regarding long-term mail delays and staffing shortages at post offices across Wisconsin that are impacting local businesses, newspapers, and Wisconsin families who rely on USPS for prescriptions, bills, voting, and more.

“I write you today to express my frustrations with ongoing mail delays and staffing shortages throughout Wisconsin,” wrote Senator Baldwin. “This is not the first time I have reached out to the United States Postal Service (USPS) about mail delivery issues on behalf of my constituents.”

“Millions of Wisconsinites rely on the Postal Service to stay in touch with loved ones, pay bills, receive much-needed medications and cast their vote. We have a duty to find solutions to these difficulties for the people we serve,” Baldwin concluded.

In the letter, Senator Baldwin raised that Wisconsinites across the state have faced significant delays in receiving their mail from USPS. Service delays have been especially pronounced in Brown Deer and Madison, where residents reported weeks-long delays in mail delivery.

These delays follow USPS’ implementation of the Local Transportation Optimization (LTO) policy, an overhaul spearheaded by former Postmaster General Louis DeJoy that has caused widespread service issues in the years since it was first introduced. A March 2025 report by the USPS Office of Inspector General found a general decrease in service in Wisconsin after LTO was implemented.

Senator Baldwin has repeatedly called on the USPS to address rate hikes and delays Wisconsinites are experiencing. In 2024, Senator Baldwin led a group of her colleagues in calling out USPS leadership for unsustainable price hikes and poor service. Baldwin also called on former Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to immediately address costly mail delays suffered by Wisconsin newspapers that rely on the USPS.

In her letter, Senator Baldwin requests written answers to the following questions:

  1. What was the retention rate among pre-career and career USPS employees from Fiscal Year 2024 to Fiscal Year 2025 in Wisconsin? What are the nationwide retention rates among pre-career and career USPS employees from Fiscal Year 2024 to Fiscal Year 2025?
  2. How many USPS employees currently work in Wisconsin? How many open positions does USPS currently have?
  3. Is USPS concerned with staffing shortages and retention rates in Wisconsin? If so, besides job fairs, what solutions have been implemented to address staffing challenges in Wisconsin, specifically?
  4. How successful have the USPS-sponsored job fairs been at hiring new employees in Wisconsin and nationwide? Thus far, have job fairs resulted in long-term employment for Wisconsinites?
  5. How has the USPS responded to the issues raised in the March 2025 OIG report regarding LTO implementation?
  6. Has the USPS implemented the process to track Local Transportation Optimization savings as agreed to in the March 2025 USPS OIG Report? If so, can you provide an explanation of the process and any current findings?
  7. How will USPS ensure customers are immediately notified of any impacts to service in their area moving forward?

A full version of this letter is available here and below.

Dear Postmaster General Steiner,

I write you today to express my frustrations with ongoing mail delays and staffing shortages throughout Wisconsin.

This is not the first time I have reached out to the United States Postal Service (USPS) about mail delivery issues on behalf of my constituents. I frequently urged your predecessor to improve service, emphasizing that USPS’s transition to the Local Transportation Optimization policy (LTO) led to a decline in mail delivery reliability across Wisconsin. This was confirmed by the USPS Office of Inspector General’s March 2025 Report for the Wisconsin region, which found a general decrease in service in the state after this disastrous policy was implemented. The report also found that customers were not notified of the impacts to service in their areas until after an issue arose or they directly asked questions. To make matters worse, the supposed cost savings attributed to the LTO were not even effectively tracked by USPS, making it difficult to verify whether the policy delivered any meaningful financial benefit.

Most recently, I have heard from constituents who have endured long stretches without any mail delivery. In Brown Deer, residents experienced significant delays and inconsistent service from the Post Office on Bradley Road. Some reported going weeks at a time without receiving any mail. I have heard similar stories from my constituents in Madison, who have seen lengthy mail service delays across the entire city.

I appreciate that USPS has addressed staffing shortages in these areas, but the agency must continue to prioritize the hiring and retention of workers across the state in order to prevent future staffing issues that contribute to mail delays. Despite my repeated warnings, it is clear that service issues have not been substantially addressed.

I request that you provide written answers to the following questions by April 30, 2026:

  1. What was the retention rate among pre-career and career USPS employees from Fiscal Year 2024 to Fiscal Year 2025 in Wisconsin? What are the nationwide retention rates among pre-career and career USPS employees from Fiscal Year 2024 to Fiscal Year 2025?
  2. How many USPS employees currently work in Wisconsin? How many open positions does USPS currently have?
  3. Is USPS concerned with staffing shortages and retention rates in Wisconsin? If so, besides job fairs, what solutions have been implemented to address staffing challenges in Wisconsin, specifically?
  4. How successful have the USPS-sponsored job fairs been at hiring new employees in Wisconsin and nationwide? Thus far, have job fairs resulted in long-term employment for Wisconsinites?
  5. How has the USPS responded to the issues raised in the March 2025 OIG report regarding LTO implementation?
  6. Has the USPS implemented the process to track Local Transportation Optimization savings as agreed to in the March 2025 USPS OIG Report? If so, can you provide an explanation of the process and any current findings?
  7. How will USPS ensure customers are immediately notified of any impacts to service in their area moving forward?

Millions of Wisconsinites rely on the Postal Service to stay in touch with loved ones, pay bills, receive much-needed medications and cast their vote. We have a duty to find solutions to these difficulties for the people we serve. Thank you for your attention to this matter, and I look forward to your prompt response.

Sincerely,

###




The following sites updated: