Thursday, September 24, 2026

Tuna and Tomato Pasta in the Kitchen

Becca notes Honestly and Truly's recipe for Tuna and Tomato Pasta:

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup red onion chopped
4 cloves garlic minced
14.5 ounces diced tomatoes (1 can)
2 tablespoons capers drained and rinsed
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup fresh parsley chopped
6 ounces white albacore tuna in water
1 pound linguine

Instructions
Bring salted water to boil.
Heat large saucepan on medium heat and add oil once hot. Chop onion and add with the oil. Saute for 5-7 minutes. Mince garlic cloves and add. Add your tomatoes and stir, then turn heat to simmer.
2 tablespoons olive oil,1 cup red onion,4 cloves garlic,14.5 ounces diced tomatoes
Add pasta to boiling water and cook 7 minutes until al dente, then drain without rinsing.
1 pound linguine
While pasta cooks, add the capers, red pepper flakes, and lemon juice to onions and stir to combine.
2 tablespoons capers,1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes,3 tablespoons lemon juice
Chop parsley and drain tuna. A minute or so before the pasta is finished cooking, add tuna and parsley, reserving a bit of the parsley for garnish. Gently stir to combine and break up some tuna without losing all its chunks. Add salt and pepper, to taste.
1/2 cup fresh parsley,6 ounces white albacore tuna in water,salt and pepper
When the pasta is done, immediately add to the pasta sauce and use tongs to gently toss with sauce. Turn off the heat and let sit for a couple minutes to allow the sauce to absorb into the pasta and flavor it. Garnish with the remaining parsley and serve immediately.


I love tuna and pasta, by the way.  But I think I've noted before that I can use a can or pouch of tuna on nearly anything -- including an avocado -- and be happy with the meal. 


“People that are against Tariffs are FOOLS!” President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social in November 2025, according to CNN (1). “A dividend of at least $2,000 a person (not including high income people!) will be paid to everyone.”

However, the administration hasn’t issued an update on this idea since then.
During a hearing of the Senate Finance Committee (2) on July 22, Senator Elizabeth Warren followed up on it with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer directly. “Are American consumers going to get any refunds on the tariffs that were illegally collected from them?” she asked.

In response, Greer suggested the administration had already issued refunds — just not to consumers. Instead, billions of dollars are steadily flowing to some of the largest and most profitable corporations across the country.

So we're never going to see any refunds?  Of course not, Chump's a liar.  


This is C.I.'s "The Snapshot" fo:

Wednesday, September 23, 2026.  All demographics are abandoning Chump as the midterms loom, 
Todd Blanche's DoJ makes a 'legal' case for 'decorum,' Don Jr. and Susan Collins are in trouble, and much more.



Ben (MEIDASTOUCH NEWS) notes in the video above Chump's latest crazy.


TrumpDaBigLoosah was held earlier this month in Texas.  It was an unneeded convention which existed only to fulfill Chump's vanity.  THE WEEK notes:

The music was loud, the flags were everywhere, and the “sense of panic” was inescapable, said Nikki McCann Ramirez in Rolling Stone. With Election Day less than two months away, and polls showing Republicans in danger of losing both the House and Senate, the GOP earlier this month held its first-ever midterm convention in Dallas. The MAGA luminaries addressing “Trumpapalooza” barely mentioned soaring gas prices or the quagmire in Iran, the related catastrophes that have dragged Trump’s approval rating down into the mid-30s. Instead, they gushed over Trump’s leadership; warned of an America overrun by Islamists, “killer migrants,” and trans athletes if “evil” Democrats win, and left it to Trump himself, addressing both nights of the event, to rally the MAGA faithful. But “the cult of Trump is waning,” said Jamelle Bouie in The New York Times. Speaking to thousands of unfilled seats—many left empty by swing-state candidates who skipped the event—Trump had attendees pledge allegiance to him personally, “the greatest president in the history of the United States,” and promise to “cheat like hell” in November. In what is surely one of our Republic’s lowest moments, Trump promised a $5,000 “dividend check” to every American, if Republicans win the midterms. “Far from juicing turnout” for the GOP, Trumpapalooza may have just “reminded the voting public” of why they need to elect Democrats.
Trump did make some questionable choices, said David M. Drucker in Bloomberg. He mocked voters’ affordability anxieties. He ridiculed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, now trailing Democrat James Talarico in the race for Texas’ open Senate seat, saying, “I don’t really like the way he looks.” But Trump may have accomplished his main goal: to have his die-hard supporters “pretend that I’m on the ballot.” Still, Republicans’ bigger problem is the president’s “evaporating support among GOP regulars who have never been Trump’s biggest fans.” Perhaps the promise of a “$5,000 payoff” will motivate some, but the fact that “Trump was compelled to resort to this sort of dubious measure is revealing.”
“No one is falling” for Trump’s dividend “gimmick,” said The Washington Post in an editorial. Congress would need to approve the payout, and not even the GOP’s Trumpified House delegation wants any part of a vote-buying scheme that would turbocharge inflation and add another $1.2 trillion to the $40 trillion national debt. Trump’s “$5,000-check promise may be the moment he finally underestimated his audience,” said Jonathan Chait in The Atlantic. Does he really think voters have forgotten the DOGE “refund” checks that were supposedly in the mail? Or the “tariff rebate” checks he also promised? Trump’s free-money “ruse,” like the rest of his shtick, has “worn thin.”

The bloom is off Chump's rose and most Americans are focused on other things -- stuff like who to vote for in the midterms.  That's 41 days away although early voting has begun in some states.  In Dallas earlier this morning, Chump told people to vote like he was on the ballot.  People are agreeing with that which is why Democrats are doing so well in the polling.   Sarah Ewall-Wice (THE DAILY BEAST) reports: 


A new poll shows Democratic Senate candidate Josh Turek with a jaw-dropping lead in Iowa as Democrats across the country are seeing signs of momentum with just over 40 days to go until Election Day.
The Marist poll shows Turek with 50 percent of support, a whopping eight-point lead over Republican Senate hopeful Ashley Hinson with 42 percent among registered voters.
It was the largest polling lead Turek has seen in a series of mixed-results polls since he became the Democratic nominee for the midterms.
[. . .]
But the poll shows Trump is dragging down Republicans as he has repeatedly inserted himself at the center of the midterm fight for control of Congress.




Senator Susan Collins has been doing her best to distance herself from Chump -- and from Vice President JD Vance.  When Miss Sassy showed up in Maine to campaign for her, Collins made it clear that she'd be doing no events with JD.  But is that enough for the Republican Collins?  Rachel Cohen (VOX) reports: 

Nationally, abortion has faded as a campaign issue. Four years after it helped Democrats stave off a red wave, candidates in battleground races are focusing their attention on cost-of-living issues, immigration, and policing. As of mid-August, abortion was mentioned in less than 5 percent of Democratic Senate ads, a key difference from the past two cycles, according to the Wesleyan Media Project.
Maine is different. As of September 16, Democratic advertisers had spent roughly 15 percent of their $40.8 million broadcast TV and streaming dollars on ads focused on abortion rights, according to Nate Schwartz from AdImpact. It’s one of the biggest topics there, he told me, after ads about President Donald Trump and healthcare. Planned Parenthood’s political arm is also making its biggest ad buy of 2026 against Susan Collins, at $600,000, and WinSenate, a super PAC aligned with Senate Democratic leadership, has spent 70 percent of its TV, streaming, and digital money in Maine on abortion-focused ads.

The target is Collins, the only Republican senator up for reelection in a state Trump lost in 2024, and one of Democrats’ best chances to flip a seat. Seeking her sixth term, Collins is running in a year when Democrats lead the generic congressional ballot by about 9 points. It’s also the first time she will face voters since Roe v. Wade was overturned — a decision Justice Brett Kavanaugh helped deliver after Collins, who has long described herself as “pro-choice,” cast the pivotal vote to confirm him in 2018. 


Susan Collins has other problems in her re-election as well.





In the final weeks of 2019, a top fundraiser for Sen. Susan Collins walked into a perilous meeting at a Corner Bakery in Washington, D.C.

For the first time in her two-decade Senate career, the Republican lawmaker from Maine was in danger of losing her seat. President Donald Trump’s dismal approval ratings were dragging her down in the polls, and she was falling behind her likely 2020 Democratic challenger in fundraising.

Scott Reed, head of the Collins super PAC, was on a mission to close that gap. Reed was meeting that day with three executives from a Hawaiian defense contractor, Navatek. A year earlier, Collins had helped their company land a multimillion-dollar Navy research contract in Maine. Now, seated at a coffee shop not far from the U.S. Capitol, Reed asked them for a $500,000 donation.

Government contractors are banned from making political contributions. More consequentially, for the company to offer donations to Collins in exchange for an official action, or for Collins to accept, would constitute criminal bribery.

But the company did have such a proposal: Navatek was hungry for more government contracts in Maine. If they cut a big check, the CEO told Reed, Navatek wanted Collins to guarantee tens of millions of dollars in additional federal funding.

To skirt campaign finance laws and conceal the source of the funds, Navatek planned to funnel the donation through a shell company. The CEO wanted assurance that Collins would know where the money came from. Reed confirmed that she would, the executive said — and that Navatek would get its government contracts.

After the Corner Bakery meeting, Navatek’s CEO, Martin Kao, sent an initial $150,000 to the Collins super PAC using the shell company. Two months later, he told Navatek executives that Collins committed to getting the company $32 million in naval contracts, according to an internal company email reviewed by ProPublica.

Three years later, Kao holed up in a conference room to recount the Corner Bakery meeting to a group of four FBI agents and federal prosecutors. The FBI had seen through his shell company ruse, and in 2022 a grand jury indicted him for making illegal campaign contributions. No one working for Collins was charged.

Facing years in prison, Kao hoped to do less time by revealing the entire scheme.

What he told them has never before become public. The Corner Bakery meeting, he asserted, was just one episode in a sprawling pay-to-play operation that embroiled some of the most powerful figures in Congress.

Over three days at the U.S. attorney’s office in Honolulu, Kao laid out in devastating detail how his operation worked. He gave agents a 50-page document naming dozens of lobbyists, congressional staffers and members of Congress who he said helped him trade cash for contracts. Kao and his close associates had donated nearly $900,000 to dozens of politicians, allowing Navatek to establish operations in half a dozen states with over $40 million a year in government funding.


So Susan has a few problems right now and not all of them are Chump.  Mateo Moreno (LATIN TIMES) reports more bad news for Chump:


 Texas Republicans have not lost a statewide race since the mid-1990s. Heading into the November 2026 midterms, new polling, a bipartisan revolt over data centers and a self-inflicted scandal inside the GOP are combining to put that three-decade streak under more pressure than at any point in a generation.
Two years after Hispanic voters helped deliver Donald Trump his best-ever showing in Texas, several independently conducted polls now point the other way. A August 2026 University of Texas/Texas Politics Project survey found Hispanic Texans viewing Trump unfavorably by 51% to 42% -- a sharp reversal from the dead-even 48-48 split the same pollster measured in October 2024.


Another prominent Florida Republican has publicly distanced himself from Donald Trump, days after María Elvira Salazar called out the US president’s immigration-enforcement policy targeting law-abiding undocumented immigrants.

Byron Donalds, the Republican nominee for governor in November’s US midterm elections, launched an updated campaign website on Tuesday that was stripped of almost every mention of Trump and removed a photograph of the congressman and his wife, Erika, posing with the president, the Miami Herald reported.
Until now, Donalds has proudly touted his close ties with the president, running a Republican primary campaign themed largely on Trump’s endorsement, and displaying a large banner on his website advertising his support.

The move comes as Trump’s overall approval rating fell below 30% for the first time, dragged down by dissatisfaction over his handling of the US economy and the Iran war, and Republicans brace for heavy losses in November, including the possible loss of the party’s majorities in the US House of Representatives and Senate.

Also in Florida, Nick Hilden reports:

On Tuesday, a lifelong Florida Republican declared that he will vote for Democratic midterm candidates in protest against President Donald Trump, and MAGA is not happy about it. While Republican Robbie Smither said his reasoning involved practical considerations, many disappointed MAGA supporters attempted to woo him back by appealing to culture war conspiracy theories.

“When I vote for a Democrat, [former Rep. David Jolly (D-FL)], for the first time in my 41 years of life this November, it will not be because my values have changed, but because my party has abandoned our values for the sycophancy of a transactional leader who has none,” posted Smither. Jolly is running a neck-and-neck race for Florida governor against Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), a staunch Trump supporter. “I made a personal commitment to vote for [former Rep. Mike Beltran (R-FL)],” Smither continued, referring to the toss-up race for Florida’s 14th District, “and I want to keep my word, but I’m a few more red hats, Trump mailers and fill-ups away from taking a mulligan and voting for [Rep. Castro (D-FL)]. Why? Because Mike, for whatever reason, has made [Trump] his identity in this race instead of the principled conservative independence that set him apart in Tallahassee.”


Republicans are more concerned about Alaska and Texas. And their worries about Ohio have escalated amid soaring diesel prices and backlash to tariffs — challenges they’re also confronting in Texas, Iowa, Michigan and Kansas. 
Already two battleground candidates have called for ends to the Iran war, pointing to the high prices: Iowa GOP Senate nominee Ashley Hinson, whose team has grown increasingly wary of the tight race and Michigan GOP Senate nominee Mike Rogers. Both Hinson and Rogers use top Trump pollster Tony Fabrizio to guide their campaigns.

The war on Iran, the war on immigrants and Chump's tariffs are the biggest problems impacting the US economy in a negative manner.  Jennifer Agiesta (CNN) reports movement in the popular opinion on the Iranian War:

Americans’ opposition to the war in Iran has hardened, according to a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS, with almost two-thirds saying the US is not winning the conflict and more saying President Donald Trump isn’t doing enough to end it.

Americans have never held positive views about the war, and nearly seven months after it began, broad majorities say the conflict has hurt US interests, has not been worth the costs and that the president lacks a clear plan to handle it.

[. . .]

Overall, 29% of US adults approve of Trump’s handling of foreign affairs, a new low in CNN polling across both of his terms as president, while 71% say they disapprove. More see his foreign policy decisions this term as harming America’s standing in the world rather than helping it. Only 26% say they approve of the president’s handling of the situation in Iran, down from 33% a month after the war began.
Much of the decline in approval of his handling of Iran comes among Republicans. Views among Democrats and independents have been steadily negative throughout the conflict. In March, though, 73% of Republicans approved of the way Trump was handling it. Now, that figure stands at 60%. Among Republican and Republican-leaning adults, approval of Trump’s handling of Iran dips into negative territory among those younger than 45 (53% disapprove) and those who say they are not members of the Make America Great Again movement (54% disapprove).

Republicans are also less positive now than they were earlier this year about the impact of Trump’s foreign policies more broadly: About half of Republicans now say that his decisions have helped the US’ standing in the world, down 13 points since March.




This shift came as the Pentagon announced another US service member killed in the war.  Patty Nieberg (TASK & PURPOSE) reports: 

The non-hostile death of an Army officer in support of ongoing operations in the Iran war was quietly reported in the Pentagon’s casualty tracking database Monday.
The female soldier was on a military flight en route to Saudi Arabia when she suffered a medical incident, a defense official told Task & Purpose.

On the Iran War, Con Coughlin (THE TELEGRAPH) feels Chump is making a fool of himself with his remarks about the war at the UN yesterday:

Yet, such is Trump’s evident confusion on the Iran issue, that his remarks were full of contradictions. At one point he boasted that, because of his actions, Iran could no longer bully the rest of the Middle East with its nuclear threat. If that is the case, then why did the American president find it necessary to threaten to drive Iran “into hell” if it did not comply with his demands to scrap its nuclear ambitions?

Rather than striking fear into the delegation of Iranian officials who have arrived in New York for the annual UN gathering, they are more likely to regard Trump’s latest bluster as the actions of a man desperate to dig himself out of a hole of his own making.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is said to have arrived in New York with a new peace plan which includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz within seven days if Washington agrees to ease its military military pressure and lifts its blockade.

With Trump’s own efforts having failed demonstrably to bring the war to an end, the American president could find himself in a position where the Iranians make him an offer he simply cannot afford to refuse.


Chump embarrassed himself and the country yesterday at the United Nations.











Let's move over to Chump's war on The First Amendment and a Free Press.  Daniel Dale (CNN) explains that Chump's convinced that the media isn't covering his 'accomplishments' -- or rather his baseless claims of accomplishments are not being parroted by the media:

Trump spoke about the White House ban during a Monday press conference in New York City with Mayor Zohran Mamdani. When Trump was asked why he announced the ban, he said, “I’m only doing it because I think the press also has an obligation. And, you know, I won in a landslide, I won the election in a landslide. I’ve done great things, I’ve done a lot of great things. I’ve settled eight wars. We have the best economic numbers for the country, in the history of our country. We have $21 trillion pouring in.”

He criticized media coverage of himself and of the war with Iran, which he described as overly negative given that “we’ve done so well.” Then, after deriding CNN and MS NOW, he said, “I think that these outlets have an obligation to be fair.”

Trump’s claims about having won a “landslide” victory, having “the best economic numbers for the country” and that “we’ve done so well” with Iran are some combination of too subjective and too vague to debunk, though it’s clear all three can be reasonably challenged. But his claims that “I’ve settled eight wars” and “we have $21 trillion pouring in” are incorrect, as CNN has repeatedly noted when he has made the same or similar claims on numerous previous occasions.

Trump’s list of eight wars supposedly settled includes two situations that were never actually wars during his tenure: a diplomatic dispute between Egypt and Ethiopia and a mysterious supposed situation between Serbia and Kosovo. The list also includes a war, involving Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, that has not ended despite a peace agreement brokered by the Trump administration.

In addition, the list includes the war between Israel and Hamas even though Israel continues to conduct frequent attacks in Gaza despite a US-brokered ceasefire agreement. And it includes the brief 2025 conflict between Israel and Iran, though Israel proceeded to join the US in starting another war against Iran in 2026.
As for the “$21 trillion” Trump says is pouring into the US?

That figure is fiction. The White House has never been able to substantiate it.


So Chump has a hissy fit because the media is not applauding him for his lies.  





NPR reports on the Department of Justice filing to uphold Chump's banning of CNN, MS NOW and POLITCO from the White House:


In its Tuesday's filing, the DOJ argued that Trump revoked access to White House grounds to the three media outlets because he "concluded that they have failed to maintain basic minimum standards of professionalism and decorum" and for "publishing sensitive or classified information."

"After all, access to the White House is a privilege -- not a right," the DOJ argued.

In letters to CNN and MS Now, the White House alleged that the news outlets had jeopardized national security or spread falsehoods by publishing details relating to the construction of the White House's East Wing bunker to depletion of U.S. ammunition stockpiles during the Iran war.

Decorum?  From Chump, that's hilarious.  More to the point, the US government has no say in the "decorum" of press outlets.  The DoJ filing actually does more harm for Chump. then it does good.


Maybe Chump got upset about Don Jr.'s corruption getting exposed last week?  Henry Giardina (QUEERTY) notes: 

Last week, a bombshell report informed us that Don Jr.’s 3-day wedding bonanaza in the Bahamas was paid for, in part, by a mysterious Russian oligarch who also happens to be the man behind the 2024 Olympics misgendering scandal.

That was crazy enough. Today, fresh information has come to light, and Don Jr. is in even bigger trouble.

Umar Kremlev, the close friend of Putin who footed the bill for parts of the lavish celebration, was found guilty of extortion and battery scandals as a younger man. More recently, Kremlev has been at the center of yet another scandal, this time concerning the “mass abduction, illegal deportation, and forced relocation” of Ukrainian children through the group Healthy Fatherland.
Um… WTAF?!
The group, which on the surface markets itself as a rehabilitation service for troubled youth, is sanctioned in Ukraine, as is Kremlev himself. To make matters even worse, the organization is run by the sister of Kremlev’s wife. And somehow, it gets even worse than that…

This summer, before Andrew Tate’s arrest, the IBA (of which Kremlev is president) planned to hold a boxing event hosted by Tate, himself accused of trafficking minors across country lines. Tate—whose ties to Don Jr. and Barron Tr*mp have already been publicized—was arrested before the event could take place.


Senator Bill Cassidy noted the whole thing had a book look while speaking with Margaret Brennen on CBS' FACE THE NATION Sunday:

MARGARET BRENNAN: We're joined now by Republican Senator Bill Cassidy. He is the chairman of the Health Committee. And he joins us from Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  Good morning to you, Doctor.  A lot to get to. I want to start first on something that grabbed our attention. President Trump claimed Friday that his son has now repaid a Russian billionaire named Umar Kremlev after it was reported that the Kremlin-linked billionaire paid for parts of his son's wedding celebrations in the Bahamas.  Don Jr. originally called it a gift, but your Republican colleague from Utah Senator Curtis called it corruption. Your colleague from North Carolina Thom Tillis said it was beyond bad.  Do you think it's corruption, and does repaying the funds make a difference?

SENATOR BILL CASSIDY (R-Louisiana): Well, repaying the funds does make a difference.  Any time someone gives a $250,000 gift and they have strong ties to the Kremlin, that's – that's wrong. You – with that proximity to power, being the president's son, you've got to give faith to the American people that Washington is not a swamp.  And even though in your mind it might be a gift, the appearance of it is really bad., And so I'm glad it's been repaid. Would be nice to have that kind of verified. And, no, it shouldn't have been done in the first place.  

MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, it was the free press that brought it forward in the first place. It was a publication called ProPublica, important reporting there.

Senator John Curtis has called it corruption.  And now he's calling for an investigation.  Annie Linskey and Tim Hanrahan (WALL STREET JOURNAL) reports:  

A Republican senator called for an investigation of Donald Trump Jr., following the disclosure that the president’s oldest son received a lavish afterparty as a wedding gift from a Russian businessman connected to the Kremlin.

Sen. John Curtis (R., Utah) sent a letter to the heads of the Judiciary Committee requesting a probe into the “use of presidential family relationships for private financial benefit, preferential treatment, or access by domestic and foreign interests.” He urged the committee to subpoena Donald Trump Jr. as well as Hunter Biden, the son of former President Joe Biden and whose dealings in Ukraine have drawn GOP scrutiny for years.

“A toaster is a wedding gift. A private-island party paid for by a Putin-connected oligarch is something else,” Curtis said. “Republicans nearly wore out the subpoena machine investigating Hunter Biden’s foreign relationships. We should not unplug it now.”

In the letter to Chairman Chuck Grassley (R., Iowa) and top Democrat Dick Durbin of Illinois, Curtis also cited Trump Jr.’s “active promotion of family-backed cryptocurrency ventures, his continued pursuit of international real estate deals involving direct meetings with foreign heads of state, and his reported investments in defense contracting.”


“Questions have arisen about the relationships of President Trump's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., with foreign business figures and the acceptance of significant gifts… These concerns are compounded by Donald Trump Jr.’s active promotion of family-backed cryptocurrency ventures, his continued pursuit of international real estate deals involving direct meetings with foreign heads of state, and his reported investments in defense contracting,” the letter reads.
“These reports raise legitimate questions about foreign access to members of a sitting president's family and whether such relationships can create actual or perceived expectations of favorable treatment. They also may create expectations of a returned favor that would not be in the best interests of the American people or our allies, and could even create national security vulnerabilities.”
 



More problems for Chump?  Sudiksha Kochi (THE HILL) reports: 

Simpson told reporters Monday “there’s a lot of things that we need the military funding for — in fact, we’re short on military funding right now,” according to Politico.

Asked whether he thinks Pentagon funds should be used for it, he said, “If it was my choice, I wouldn’t put any of that money into the arch,” Politico reported. 

Simpson’s remarks come after Trump wrote Sunday on Truth Social the plans for the massive triumphal arch bridging Washington and Virginia will incorporate a “top grade military complex.”


Considering that the military budget has skyrocketed under Chump, no, his arch shouldn't be funded out of the military budget.  Not a single dime. 

Turning to immigration, Monday Rachel Maddow notes that ICE had shot another person, this time in Austin and that protests were taking place. 





An Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent shot and wounded a man from Venezuela who was working as a DoorDash driver Sunday in Texas’ capital, city officials confirmed, with protests erupting at the scene against President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.

More than a day later, the man – whose lawyer identified him as a Venezuelan immigrant – said he had not been treated properly for the gunshot wound or received pain medication.

Federal authorities have not said what led up to the shooting in North Austin, which is at least the third involving immigration agents in Texas since the start of Trump’s second term, with criticism of heavy-handed tactics on the rise and polls showing most Americans against the president’s immigration policies.




The shooting of Wilber Rafael Garces Perez Sunday in Texas marks at least the ninth time this year an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer has been involved in firing a weapon during the course of federal immigration-related operations.

Garces Perez, 28, was shot in the back by an ICE officer in Austin after running from a traffic stop. He is now in federal custody at the South Texas Detention Center, where he was transferred from an ICE processing center early Monday morning and is being interrogated by federal investigators, his attorney said.
[. . .]

Haitian pastor pulled off ICE deportation flight amid case review
But Garces Perez’s attorney, Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, is among those — along with leaders of the League of United Latin American Citizens — calling on Congress to create an independent oversight committee to investigate all instances of the use of force by federal agents.



A US judge has temporarily blocked the deportation of a Venezuelan man who was shot by immigration agents in Texas, his lawyer says.

Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, 28, is being held in a detention centre with a bullet in his back, according to his lawyer. Judge Orlando Garcia, a Clinton appointee, scheduled a hearing for Garces Perez to appear in court in person next week.


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

New details reveal DoD was unprepared and failed to support service members and their families in the aftermath of Iranian strike

“It is critical that Congress gets answers on the failures that led to the attacks, and on the subsequent mistreatment of survivors and families of those killed”

“As the administration continues to ask Congress for more resources for this war, we can no longer afford to wait for DoD to deign when they are going to answer these questions.”

Text of Letter (PDF)

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel, and Representative Pat Ryan (D-N.Y.), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, led 19 members of Congress in a letter to Senator Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Chair of the Senate Committee on Armed Services, and Representative Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), Chair of the House Committee on Armed Services, urging them to hold public hearings on the Iranian attack of a U.S. military base in Kuwait that killed six service members and injured more than 30 others.

“[A]llegations reported by whistleblowers to Senator Warren’s and Representative Ryan’s offices, have raised even more concerns about the lack of appropriate medical care for service members injured in the strike, the treatment of survivors and their families, and the DoD [Department of Defense] investigation of this attack,” wrote the lawmakers. 

In April, Senator Warren and Representative Ryan led investigations into reports that Secretary Hegseth failed to take basic steps to protect troops during President Trump’s war in Iran, including during a strike that killed six service members and injured dozens in Kuwait. Following reports revealing that service members were warned of safety issues ahead of the strike, the lawmakers pressed for answers as to why the Trump administration reportedly failed to adequately prepare for attacks on troops in the Middle East. 

The lawmakers then expanded the investigation in July following additional new reports that DoD failed to provide adequate medical care to service members injured in the strike. In a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the lawmakers asked for clarity on the reports and DoD’s investigation into the Port Shuaiba strike. DoD has not responded to the lawmakers’ questions and has stonewalled oversight by failing to provide Congress with the results of the Army’s investigations into the Port Shuaiba strike despite repeated requests.

These new reports indicate that: 

  • “There was absolutely no evacuation plan” in the case of an attack on Port Shuaiba. 
  • Injured survivors of the March 1st strike faced delays in receiving appropriate care in the immediate aftermath of the strike.
  • Since then, multiple soldiers injured in the strike have waited months for appointments, with at least one still unable to secure an appointment months later. 
  • Families of the fallen were misled about meetings with DoD officials—they were told they had been invited to a ceremony instead of a briefing on the deaths of their loved ones. 
  • Some purple hearts were mailed to survivors and families of the fallen, instead of being presented in a ceremony in accordance with Secretary Hegseth’s policy memorandum. 
  • The service member originally appointed to conduct the investigation into the strike was a public affairs officer under the chain of command of one of the commanders present during the strike. Additionally, the more senior officer who later took over the investigation was reportedly still a lower rank than the commanders of the 103rd Sustainment Command and the 1st Theater Sustainment Command, who were both present during the strike. 

The lawmakers urged the chairmen to hold public hearings on the Port Shuaiba attack to answer the questions already posed by Congress and address the additional allegations regarding the treatment of military families, including whether DoD followed appropriate protocols in briefing the families, informing them of the injuries of their loved ones, and awarding medals.

“It is unacceptable that President Trump has dragged the U.S. into a reckless war while failing to properly protect our service members from Iranian attacks and to give them the care they need,” wrote the lawmakers.

“These are serious allegations and our service members, their families, and the American people deserve answers,” concluded the lawmakers. 

The full list of signers includes Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), and Tina Smith (D-Minn.); and Representatives Wesley Bell (D-Mo.), Joe Courtney (D-Conn.), Jason Crow (D-Colo.), Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.), Maggie Goodlander (D-N.H.), Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.), Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.), Marilyn Strickland (D-Wash.), Derek Tran (D-Calif.), and Eugene Vindman (D-Va.).

Senator Warren has fought to hold the Trump administration accountable for waging an illegal war in Iran and endangering the lives of service members and Americans:

  • On September 15, 2026, in response to an inquiry led by Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, along with Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released new data on the cost of President Trump’s war in Iran.  
  • On July 30, 2026, Senator Warren (D-Mass.) and Representative Pat Ryan (D-N.Y.), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, led 11 members of Congress in opening an investigation into reports that the DoD failed to provide adequate medical care to service members injured in a March drone strike on a U.S. military post at Port Shuaiba in Kuwait.
  • On May 29, 2026, Senator Warren’s oversight efforts uncovered that the State Department did not task the U.S. Transportation Command to assist with the evacuation of non-government Americans, despite tens of thousands of Americans being trapped in the region and the Trump administration’s lack of evacuation plans at the start of the war.
  • On April 28, 2026, at a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ranking Member of the Personnel Subcommittee, questioned Admiral Frank M. Bradley, Commander of U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM), on alarming reports of service members sustaining traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) in President Trump’s illegal war with Iran.  
  • On April 27, 2026, Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), and Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) launched a new investigation into reports that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth failed to take basic steps to protect troops during Operation Epic Fury, including during a strike that killed six service members and injured dozens in Kuwait.
  • On April 22, 2026, Senator Warren (D-Mass.) pushed General Reed, Commander of U.S. Transportation Command (TRANSCOM), for clarity on whether the Trump administration was using all the tools at its disposal, including TRANSCOM, to evacuate Americans in the Middle East out of harm’s way following President Trump launching an illegal war against Iran.   
  • On April 20, 2026, Senators Warren (D-Mass.) and Van Hollen (D-Md.) led nine senators in opening a new investigation into Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s role in weakening civilian harm prevention programs and the catastrophic civilian impacts of President Trump’s war in Iran.
  • On April 7, 2026, Senator 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.
  • On March 20, 2026, Senator Warren (D-Mass.), Ranking Member of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, wrote to Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent and other members of the Trump administration, raising concerns about the financial costs for American families from President Trump’s illegal and reckless war with Iran.
  • On March 20, 2026, at a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Warren (D-Mass.) sounded the alarm about the Trump administration’s sidelining of the military’s Judge Advocate General Corps, who are responsible for providing independent legal advice to commanders. Senator Warren pressed the commanders of United States Northern Command and United States Southern Command about the impact the sidelining of JAGs has on civilian harm as the war against Iran continues.
  • On March 12, 2026, Senator Warren (D-Mass.) pressed General Randall Reed, Commander of the U.S. Transportation Command (TRANSCOM), on the Trump administration’s failures in evacuating Americans from the Middle East at the start of President Trump’s illegal war in Iran.
  • On March 11, 2026, Senators Warren (D-Mass.), Van Hollen (D-Md.), Kaine (D-Va.), Schatz (D-Hawaii), Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and 41 colleagues pressed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for a full investigation into the airstrikes on a school in Minab, Iran, and other civilian casualties in the Trump administration’s war on Iran.
  • On March 12, 2026, at a hearing of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Growth, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) questioned the Director of the Congressional Budget Office on the financial implications of the Iran war and highlighted that the enormous financial cost could instead be used to lower the cost of health care.
  • On March 5, 2026, Senator Warren (D-Mass.) led the entire Massachusetts delegation in pressing Secretary of State Marco Rubio to explain the Trump administration’s “complete failure” to evacuate U.S. citizens — including Massachusetts residents — from the Middle East following the administration’s starting a reckless war in Iran.
  • On March 3, 2026, Senator Warren (D-Mass.) took to the floor of the U.S. Senate to call on Congress to end President Donald Trump’s reckless war in Iran and demand accountability.

###



The following sites updated:

Posted by at

Wednesday, September 23, 2026

Mushroom Pork Chops in the Kitchen



Ingredients
4 (7-oz., 1 1/4-in.-thick) boneless center-cut pork loin chops, patted dry

2 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, divided

1 tsp. black pepper, divided, plus more for garnish

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

1 lb. fresh cremini mushrooms, sliced (about 6 cups)

1 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves, divided, plus more for garnish

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped (about 1 1/2 Tbsp.)

1/2 cup (4 oz.) dry white wine

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

Directions
Gather all ingredients.
Preheat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high until very hot, about 5 minutes. While skillet heats, sprinkle pork chops evenly with 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt and 3/4 teaspoon of the pepper. Place flour in a shallow dish, and lightly coat each pork chop with flour, shaking off excess. Discard flour.
Add oil to hot skillet, swirling to coat. Add coated pork chops; cook, undisturbed, until deeply browned, about 4 minutes. Flip pork chops; reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, undisturbed, until a thermometer inserted into thickest portion of pork chops registers 140°F, about 6 more minutes. Transfer pork chops to a plate, and let rest for 5 minutes. (Temperature will continue to rise 145°F.)
Increase heat in skillet to medium-high; melt butter in skillet. Add mushrooms, and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in 2 teaspoons of the thyme, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Transfer 1/2 cup mushrooms to a small bowl, and set aside.
Add garlic and remaining 1 teaspoon thyme to remaining mushrooms in skillet; cook over medium, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add wine; cook, stirring once, until evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in cream, mustard, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt until smooth. Bring to a simmer over medium; cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 3 to 4 minutes.
Return pork chops and any accumulated juices back to skillet, spooning a little sauce over each pork chop. Remove from heat. Top with reserved mushrooms; garnish with additional thyme and pepper.




Donald Trump is heading into the United Nations with a pressing problem at home: Americans are turning further against his handling of the Iran war.

Just 26 percent now approve of the president’s handling of the conflict, down from 33 percent a month after the war began, according to a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS on Sept. 16-17 among 1,206 U.S. adults.

His wider foreign policy numbers are even weaker. Only 29 percent approve of his handling of foreign affairs, a new low across his two terms, while 71 percent disapprove.

The erosion is reaching into Trump’s Republican base. In March, 73 percent of Republicans approved of his handling of Iran. That has now fallen to 60 percent.


It should be eroding.  He said this war would last a "couple of weeks."  It hits eight months next week and he's saying it might -- might -- be over after the midterms.  That would mean it would pass the nine month mark.  So much for a couple of weeks.  And he's disrespected our troops by lying about their injuries and the death toll.  And he's disrespected all of us by allowing this war of choice to destroy our economy.  

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

Tuesday, September 22, 2026.  Chump's approval rating hits a new low, GOP senators worry about the midterms, Chump's attack on The First Amendment continues, Hegseth's latest embarrassment and much more. 


As I've noted repeatedly in the last two weeks, I'm not seeing any 'bounce' for Chump in the polls.  In fact, Dan Gooding (NEWSWEEK) reports:

President Donald Trump‘s approval rating dropped below 30 percent for the first time across both his White House terms Monday, as the midterms draw closer.

The new poll, from American Research Group, conducted September 16-20 among 1,100 American adults, showed the president with a 29 percent overall approval rating, with positive views on the economy at 26 percent.

Overall, 72 percent of those surveyed said they felt the U.S. economy was getting worse amid rising gas and grocery prices despite the Trump administration‘s insistence that those pressures are still largely down to the previous administration.

42 days until the midterms.  Early voting has already started in some states.  42 days and Chump is at 20% and his approval ratimg.


The last time a president’s approval rating nosedived into the 20s was President George W. Bush at the end of 2008, Newsweek reported.

In the American Research Group poll, Democrats almost universally panned the president’s performance at 98 percent disapproval, while among Republicans, Trump’s approval rating was a tepid 65 percent. Independents gave the president a damning 26 percent approval rating.

The results were based on 1,100 interviews conducted from Wednesday to Saturday nationwide among a random sample, with a 3-point margin of error.

Trump did even worse when respondents were asked about his handling of the economy, with just 26 percent saying they approved and 71 percent disapproving.

Only 5 percent said the national economy was getting better, while 17 percent said it was staying the same and 72 percent said it was getting worse.

42 days away and yet even Chump's promise of bribery isn't working.  In Dallas at the TrumpsaBigLooser event, Chump announced he would give $5,000 to every American adult if Republicans held onto the House and Senate.  The country can't afford this bribe.  Martha McHardy (DAILY BEAST) notes:


While 21 percent said Trump’s proposal would make them more likely to back a candidate, 46 percent said it would make them less likely to do so. Among independents, 45 percent said they would be less likely to support a candidate who endorsed the plan.

Another poll delivered a similar warning.

A Reuters/Ipsos survey of 1,143 Americans found 63 percent disapproved of Trump’s dividend proposal, including 4 in 10 Republicans and 9 in 10 Democrats.

The proposal was a desperate attempt by Trump to boost support for the GOP ahead of the midterms.
At the Dallas convention, designed to rally the GOP before the Nov. 3 elections, Trump promised every adult American a $5,000 payment if Republicans retain control of both houses of Congress, potentially adding $1.35 trillion to the national debt.

But an NBC News poll of 1,000 registered voters conducted from Sept. 11–15 found voters were more than twice as likely to back a candidate opposed to the plan than one who expressed support for it.

Meanwhile the American people continue to suffer with inflation at the grocery store and at the gas pump and on their electricity meters.  Steve Peoples, Jesse Bedayn and Jonathan J. Cooper (LOS ANGELES TIMES) report:

Quinten Martinez, pumping gas under a hot south Texas sun, remembers a time when fueling up didn’t require difficult decisions.

“Is it going to be groceries this week?” said the 28-year-old Amazon delivery driver as he watched the numbers tick higher. “Is it gonna be getting gas in our tank to go to work?”

He shook his head when asked about President Trump’s assertion last week that higher gas prices are a small price to pay for the war with Iran.

“I don’t feel like it’s a good trade-off,” Martinez said. “I don’t feel like this is good for anyone.”

Voters across the country, and across the political spectrum, tend to agree.

Interviews with voters in several states, along with a fresh round of national polling, reveal an overwhelming sense of frustration that skyrocketing gas prices — a direct result of Trump’s war — are creating serious and sustained financial hardships for America’s working class.

But Chump's planning to spend over $900 million on his ballroom.  Doesn't that make it easier?  No.  Well maybe it's time the American people -- especially those on the right -- made it clear to Chump that American workers are suffering and he needs to be addressing high gas prices -- not ballrooms and arches.  


Midterm voting was already underway Friday in Virginia, where Alan Johnson said Trump seems to have “no empathy” for Americans who are struggling financially.

“With the gas prices being what they are and continuing to grow, we’ve got to do something. Hopefully the Democrats can get into office and turn the ship around,” said the 60-year-old engineer, who cast ballots in the morning for Democrats for the U.S. Senate and House.

In Raleigh, N.C., teacher Brittney Bivins sees surging gas prices as evidence that Trump and his Republican Party aren’t dealing with the issues that matter most to people like her.

“He really doesn’t care about everyday people,” the 45-year-old said. “He can afford the gas, but most of us can’t. So it feels like he’s not even connected to his own people.”

Despite all of this suffering and more on the part of American workers, Chump has declared this a "golden age."  Adrian Volenik (BENZINGA) quotes US House Rep Thomas Massie's response to Chump's absurd claim, "You need gold to buy diesel now, so maybe it is the golden age."

American farmers are feeling screwed over by Chump.  Tom Boggioni (RAW STORY) explains:

President Donald Trump's chaotic handling of the economy is testing the loyalty of one of the GOP's most reliable voting blocs: farmers, according to The Washington Sun.

Ryan Marquardt, vice president of the Iowa Farmers Union, was working a booth at the Iowa State Fair when word broke that the U.S. would import hundreds of thousands of tons of below-market-priced beef from Argentina and Brazil. The reaction was instant. "I've never seen farmers more p---ed," Marquardt told the Sun. "That was the maddest I've seen farmers in a long time."
The decision was one of several actions by the Trump administration that experts and insiders say have dulled enthusiasm for Republicans among rural voters, who are already facing high input costs from the war in Iran and escalating trade wars with some of the country’s biggest buyers of American agriculture," the Sun reported on Monday.

Some conservatives insist the Democratic brand "is too poor to rehabilitate in many areas" for any of this to matter electorally. But William Galston, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, isn't so sure.
"A lot of people who are now being called 'reliable Republican voters' weren't within living memory," he told the Sun before elaborating, “It takes something big to change long-established voting patterns, but I think there’s a possibility that the Trump administration has done things that are big enough and bad enough from the standpoint of rural America to make some of the voters who shifted a decade ago reconsider their choice."




Biggest liar of the day in the Chump administration?  Probably the Secretary of Agriculture.  Andrew Stanton (NEWSWEEK) notes, "Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said demand for beef remains strong despite rising prices, and Americans say they are 'good with' paying more for meat to feed their families."  Beef prices have risen, on average, 8% this year and, no, Brooke, the majority of Americans are not "good with" paying that increase.  You're a liar and a fool. Four days ago, Lesley Abravanel Andersson noted this on FACEBOOK:
 

USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins looked at $6.50 ground beef and compared it to her Dunkin’ order. Imagine hearing families cannot afford groceries and responding, “Well, my coffee cost more.” They keep treating food like a luxury purchase instead of the bare minimum people need.

What all of this means, as Andrew Stanton (NEWSWEEK) points out, is less potential voters for Chump, "Gen Z voters powered President Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 election. But, two years later, Republicans are losing ground among the youngest voting group amid economic anxiety, according to several recent polls published ahead of the 2026 midterm elections." John Stoehr observes, "Trump is causing oil shocks. The price of diesel broke records four days in a row. The price of gasoline is following suit. Those prices affect all prices, especially the cost of food. Just as everyone seemed mad at [Jimmy] Carter, everyone seems mad at Trump. Disapproval of his handling of inflation is close to mainstream status.  A new Fox poll shows him 50 points underwater. A new Marquette University poll put that figure at 61 points."  Hayes Brown (MS NOW) reminds:

The warning signs have been there for months. As far back as December, polls showed that Trump’s own voters were beginning to blame him for rising costs. Since then, medical costs have risen and are poised to soar even higher by early next year. Electric bills have gone up thanks, in part, to a wave of data centers powering the artificial intelligence boom. And the cost of almost everything else has skyrocketed after the Iranian government closed the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping lane, in response to Trump starting a war he promised would be over in weeks. The flow of oil from the Middle East has been heavily stanched for months, leaving analysts worried that another major leap in gasoline and diesel prices could drive up costs even further.


We are six weeks from the midterm elections, and voters are starting to lock in to key races. Having just spent time in Texas and North Carolina, I can vouch for the fact that ad spending is pouring in and blanketing America.

Polling has been spotty this year, but it’s worth checking in on where things stand today. And, as of today, Democrats appear to have a solid edge.

According to polling averages at RealClear Polling, Democrats have advantages in eight of the nine closest states (the sole GOP edge is in Iowa). According to these averages, Democrats are leading in Texas, Ohio, Michigan, Maine, New Hampshire, Alaska, Georgia and North Carolina.



Republicans could be headed for a major loss in Alaska, a GOP stronghold, as the midterms swiftly approach, a new poll shows.

Democrat Mary Peltola is leading against GOP Sen. Dan Sullivan by 46-41 in the race for the Senate. The numbers indicate that a Democratic Senate majority is possible.

The poll, conducted for AARP by Trump pollster Tony Fabrizio and Democratic pollster John Anzalone, shows Trump badly underwater, too — he's tanking a lot with independents in the Last Frontier.

GOP panic has been worsening in recent months amid similar polls, too. In Georgia, Republicans are privately discussing pulling money out of the Senate race, and other GOP operatives have warned that the party is bleeding Latino support across the country.




Senate Republicans are growing worried per Alexander Bolton (THE HILL): 

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) said the Iran war’s impact on diesel and gas prices has become a major political problem.

“This is what people are talking about. How do we address it? I think we have to recognize, yes, we have seen the prices of fuel and related products, diesel — other refined products, fertilizer, we have seen all that rise as a consequence of what we’re seeing in Iran,” she said.

“People are feeling it, and they don’t like it. They don’t like it at all. And what kind of response are we seeing from the White House? Is there a recognition that there’s a connection here? If there is, I’m not hearing anybody enunciate it,” she added, expressing frustration over the president’s response to high energy prices.

Senate Republicans acknowledge they now face tough Senate races in several Midwestern states because farmers are angry over the cost of fuel and the impact of Trump’s trade policies, especially a recent decision by the president to allow 300,000 metric tons of foreign beef imports into the United States.

“Clearly beef is a critical issue for us. Our producers love the president, they consider him to be one of their own, and what he did in sending a message about increasing beef supplies in the United States by bringing in outside [foreign] beef really hurt them,” said Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), whose reelection race is rated solid Republican by Cook.

“That has shown up in his ratings in places that normally would be solidly in his corner. They’re frustrated and they’re hurt,” he said of the backlash among farmers against Trump.

Rounds said that’s “absolutely” giving Democrats a chance to win in Kansas and Nebraska, where the local economies depend heavily on farming.










Last Friday, Chump announced he was banning journalists with MS NOW, CNN and POLITICO from the White House.  Yesterday, the three outlets announced they were suing. 


Libertarian Liz Wolfe (REASON) responds to the news:

Now, the three outlets will sue the administration, arguing that such a ban is a violation of their First Amendment rights. "Without notice or process, the White House revoked our journalists' credentials because it objected to our reporting," they said in a joint statement. "Left unchallenged, this threatens press freedom and the public's right to independent journalism free from government interference."

"The Constitution does not allow a president or any other government official to deprive the press of their First Amendment rights and liberty and property interests with no notice or process based solely on his dislike of the content of their reporting," they added.

Of course, people should be allowed to write "purposely negative stories"! That's my whole raison d'être. I hate most of what the government does, and a lot of what each party does, and am constantly annoyed by people looking to accumulate ever more power in order to force the rest of us into submission and compliance. Let the negativity flow, baby!


Fox News, ABC News, CBS News, CNN, and NBC News joined together on Monday and pulled their TV cameras from White House pool, effectively boycotting coverage of the Trump White House following the ban on CNN, MS NOW, and Politico.

“The public has a vital interest in receiving accurate, independent information about its government. No administration should restrict a news organization because it objects to its reporting,” said the five networks that make up the White House TV press pool in a joint statement.

The move was led by White House TV pool chair and Fox News Washington Bureau Chief Bryan Boughton, who wrote, “Effective today, the TV pool will not be covering events designated as pool coverage of the President. This follows the White House’s position preventing CNN from fulfilling its assigned pool duties. There will be no replacement pool put in place.”



On Friday, President Trump, upset that reporters are not covering his presidency as the unalloyed triumph it obviously is, banned CNN, Politico, and MS NOW from the White House. The sudden prohibition meant that CNN, which was the network scheduled to provide TV pool coverage on Monday, could not do so. And in a rare act of press solidarity, no other network, including Fox News, stepped in to replace them. This meant that the White House was stuck providing its own live video coverage of the ceremony to debut Trump’s new White House helipad on Monday afternoon. Predictably, that coverage was a debacle.
If you want the world to know what the president says at his own ribbon cutting, you might want to make sure people can hear him:

Edith Olmsted (THE NEW REPUBLIC) looks for elected Republicans in Congress speaking out against the ban and only finds one:

So far, only one Republican lawmaker has publicly condemned President Donald Trump’s decision to ban three major news outlets from the White House.

Idaho Representative Mike Simpson told Punchbowl News Monday that restricting CNN, MS NOW, and Politico’s access to the White House was “wrong.”

“Just because you don’t like what the press is reporting or the fact that they wouldn’t call it the Gulf of America or something else like that, that’s not the reason to ban the press. You should never ban the press. The press is what keeps us honest,” Simpson said. “So I don’t like what they’re doing.”

Republican lawmakers who have opposed Trump’s policies in the past, such as Senators John Cornyn, Thom Tillis, Bill Cassidy, Susan Collins, and Lisa Murkowski, all remained silent. Republican lawmakers who like to pretend to be free speech advocates, such as Senators Ted Cruz and Rand Paul, also failed to respond to the president’s sudden crackdown on the press.

Secretary of Defense and wanna be male model Pete Hegseth is under fire yet again.  Alexander Willis (RAW STORY) reports:

MAGA influencers and professional fighters Jake and Logan Paul are being told to head to the “frontline” in Iran after offering motivational speeches to U.S. service members in a new Department of Defense video.

At just over a minute in length, the video shows the Paul brothers meeting with U.S. service members at the Pentagon and commending them for being “willing to live, die and fight for their country.” The video was published just hours after Trump threatened to “blow the entire nation [of Iran] up” amid continued reports suggesting a ground invasion remains on the table.
“I think it’s you guys who etch your name to history as you fight for and allow us in this country to have that freedom where we can prosper, be happy and be the great nation that we are,” Logan Paul is heard saying in the video.

Negative reactions were swift, including from Grace Chong, the CFO of “WarRoom,” the podcast hosted by Trump-ally Steve Bannon.
“They should enlist,” Chong wrote in a social media post on X, referencing the Paul brothers. “All fake tough guy losers.”

Carey O’Donnell, a pop culture podcast host and writer, echoed Chong’s proposal, urging the Paul brothers to be sent to the “frontline.”

Journalist Molly Jong-Fast joined in on the calls, asking aloud whether the Paul brothers were “going to Iran,” while also ridiculing the Trump administration for being “Laser focused on everything but what the government is actually supposed to do.”


​Journalist Philip DeFranco lamented, “Every day this administration manages to embarrass the country in a new unexpected way.”

​Former GOP Representative Adam Kinzinger, who voted to impeach Trump in 2021, also slammed the video on social media.

​“We aren’t a serious country at the moment,” Kinzinger wrote.

​Tom Nichols, a staff writer at The Atlantic, took a swipe at the post in a reference to the U.S.’s ongoing war with Iran.

​“The Iranians are terrified,” he quipped on X.

​The video shared by the Defense Department shows the Paul brothers posing and laughing with Hegseth, a former Fox and Friends Weekend host, while including clips from their address to troops in the Pentagon’s press room.


Lastly, Donald Chump's former roll dog Jeffrey Epstein may be dead but he's not forgotten.  Attorney General Todd Blanche wishes he were.  David Edwards (RAW STORY) reports:

Attorney General Todd Blanche "has only himself to blame" for having little time to fight a Jeffrey Epstein files order he ignored for months, a journalist's lawyers argued.

Lawyers for Katie Phang, a journalist suing Blanche to force the Justice Department to fully obey the Epstein Files Transparency Act, made the argument in a court filing Monday.
The dispute centers on an order from U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan requiring Blanche to start reviewing Epstein files written in foreign languages by Thursday.

Blanche asked Sullivan on Friday to pause that deadline while he appeals the order, according to his motion.
"[O]nce a document is produced, it cannot be unproduced," the Justice Department argued.

Blanche filed the request "at 8:46 p.m. on Friday" and demanded a ruling by 5 p.m. Monday without first contacting Phang's legal team, as court rules require, her lawyers wrote. Two of her three attorneys were observing Yom Kippur, which fell on Sunday and Monday, they added.

"While occasional procedural missteps are inevitable in civil litigation, Defendant is the Attorney General of the United States," the attorneys wrote. "His disregard for local rules and professional norms was particularly inappropriate here."
Sullivan first ordered the review in June, after the department told Congress that reviewing foreign-language records was not practical, according to his Sept. 16 order. Blanche let the original July 2 deadline pass without starting it.

"With less than 72 hours' notice, Defendant Attorney General Blanche asks this Court to stay his deadline to comply with obligations that Defendant has already flouted for nearly three months," Phang's lawyers wrote.

The lawyers said Blanche waited 85 days after the June order to seek a pause, calling the request "egregiously late."

"To the extent that the Attorney General now faces an imminent burden to comply with the law, and lacks adequate time to appeal, he has only himself to blame," they argued.

The filing also says the appeal itself is improper because last week's order only reset a deadline Blanche has faced since June. It is his second appeal in the case, and Phang's lawyers say he is using it to raise arguments he failed to make earlier.







Let's wind down with this from Senator Patty Murray's office:

Washington, D.C. — Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, and Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (D-OH-09), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, sent a letter to Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Chairman Ho K. Nieh about the broad changes being made at the NRC to regulations, security, organizational structure, and more, which could threaten worker safety at nuclear facilities and impair independent oversight. The NRC has been quickly making these changes and rehauling the organization without providing time for public input or transparency.

NRC, a statutorily independent agency, has been undertaking wholesale revision of its regulations, guidance, oversight processes, and organizational structure pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 14300, “Ordering the Reform of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission,” that President Trump signed on May 23, 2025. These sweeping changes encompass 47 regulations, 27 rulemakings, and 71 guidance documents.

“The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is undertaking wholesale revision of its regulations, guidance, oversight processes, and organizational structure,” write Murray and Kaptur. “We support efforts to ensure that the NRC’s regulatory framework is efficient, risk-informed, and capable of supporting the safe and secure deployment of nuclear energy. However, the breadth of the changes currently underway raises significant questions about whether the NRC has adequately evaluated the cumulative effects of these reforms on nuclear safety, security, independent oversight, and public confidence.”

Murray and Kaptur express deep concern for NRC plans to remove “as low as reasonably achievable” (ALARA) radiation safety requirements, endangering workers’ safety: “We are particularly concerned about the proposed revisions to the NRC’s radiation protection framework. The NRC proposes to remove regulatory requirements implementing the ‘as low as reasonably achievable’ (ALARA) principle and replace them with a determinate, graded approach to dose management based on defined thresholds. The proposal would also establish a new planned occupational dose limit extension permitting multi-year averaging of doses, revise monitoring and reporting requirements, and allow licensees in certain circumstances to request higher public dose limits for controlled areas and restricted situations.”

“The scale of this regulatory revision effort also warrants greater transparency regarding its costs, benefits, and resource implications. Given the scope of these changes, Congress needs to understand the analytical basis for the NRC’s determination that the proposed reforms will improve efficiency without compromising safety, security, or regulatory effectiveness. In particular, the NRC should be able to identify the specific requirements being eliminated or modified, explain the basis for each change, and demonstrate how the revised framework will continue to provide adequate protection,” Murray and Kaptur continue.

Murray and Kaptur conclude by demanding more information about the NRC’s extensive changes to its regulations, guidance, oversight process, security programs, and organizational structure, and by urging caution and sorely needed transparency: “We therefore urge the NRC to proceed with appropriate caution and transparency as it implements these sweeping changes. Congress has a responsibility to understand how and why the Nation’s nuclear safety regulator is changing its regulatory framework, and to ensure that those changes do not inadvertently weaken the protections that are required to maintain the safety of the U.S. nuclear fleet.”

The full letter is available HERE and below:

Dear Chairman Nieh:

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the “NRC” or “Agency”) is undertaking wholesale revision of its regulations, guidance, oversight processes, and organizational structure pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 14300, encompassing 47 regulations, 27 rulemakings, and 71 guidance documents. The NRC has also updated and “rebaselined” its Reactor Oversight Process and security programs, completed a reorganization, and is proceeding with broader efforts to reform the Agency’s culture. We support efforts to ensure that the NRC’s regulatory framework is efficient, risk-informed, and capable of supporting the safe and secure deployment of nuclear energy. However, the breadth of the changes currently underway raises significant questions about whether the NRC has adequately evaluated the cumulative effects of these reforms on nuclear safety, security, independent oversight, and public confidence.

On July 15, 2026, the NRC published a proposed rule revising its radiation protection framework (91 Fed. Reg. 43456). We are particularly concerned about the proposed revisions to the NRC’s radiation protection framework. The NRC proposes to remove regulatory requirements implementing the “as low as reasonably achievable” (ALARA) principle and replace them with a determinate, graded approach to dose management based on defined thresholds. The proposal would also establish a new planned occupational dose limit extension permitting multi-year averaging of doses, revise monitoring and reporting requirements, and allow licensees in certain circumstances to request higher public dose limits for controlled areas and restricted situations.

The scale of this regulatory revision effort also warrants greater transparency regarding its costs, benefits, and resource implications. Given the scope of these changes, Congress needs to understand the analytical basis for the NRC’s determination that the proposed reforms will improve efficiency without compromising safety, security, or regulatory effectiveness. In particular, the NRC should be able to identify the specific requirements being eliminated or modified, explain the basis for each change, and demonstrate how the revised framework will continue to provide adequate protection.

Accordingly, please provide the following information within 15 days of the date of this letter:

  1. A complete list of all NRC regulations, guidance documents, oversight processes, security programs, and other regulatory requirements that have been or are expected to be modified, eliminated, consolidated, or otherwise affected as part of the NRC’s implementation of E.O. 14300.
  2. For each regulation, guidance document, or other requirement that has been materially modified or eliminated, the NRC’s justification for the change, including the statutory, regulatory, technical, scientific, or operational basis relied upon.
  3. A complete description of the process used to identify, develop, review, and approve the 27 E.O. 14300 rulemakings to date, including the roles of the NRC’s leadership, program offices, and the Office of the General Counsel; the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards; and other independent or advisory bodies.
  4. For each of the rulemakings, the staff hours and full-time equivalents expended to date and projected through completion, by office, and the associated dollar cost by fiscal year.
  5. For those costs, an identification of what portion is recovered as a service fee under 10 C.F.R. Part 170, what portion is recovered through annual fees under 10 C.F.R. Part 171, and what portion is excluded from fee recovery under 42 U.S.C. 2215, together with the resulting effect on annual fees assessed to materials and medical licensees.
  6. All non-concurrences filed under the NRC’s Non-Concurrence Process and all differing professional opinions submitted under the Differing Professional Opinions Program relating to any rulemaking, guidance revision, oversight process change, or reorganization undertaken pursuant to E.O. 14300 to date, together with the management responses to each; all letters from the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards addressing those actions and the staff’s responses; and, for each action the NRC has voted on, the vote sheets and any additional views of individual Commissioners.
  7. For each completed or proposed rulemaking, the analyses conducted to determine whether the changes could affect nuclear safety, radiation protection, physical security, emergency preparedness, environmental protection, or the NRC’s ability to conduct effective oversight.
  8. A description of the criteria the NRC is using to determine that revised or eliminated requirements will provide protection equivalent to or greater than the requirements they replace.
  9. With respect to the proposed radiation protection framework, a detailed explanation of the scientific and technical basis for replacing ALARA requirements with determinate dose thresholds, including the analyses used to evaluate the potential effects on workers and members of the public.
  10. With respect to the proposed changes to occupational dose limits and monitoring requirements, an explanation of the basis for allowing multi-year averaging of occupational doses and establishing a reporting threshold tied to a five-year assessment.
  11. A description of the NRC’s engagement with radiation workers and the organizations representing them on the proposed changes to occupational dose limits and monitoring requirements, including the dates, participants, and subject of any such engagement; any analysis of the effects of the proposed planned occupational dose limit extension on the health of the affected workforce, including any evaluation of collective dose; and occupational exposure data for the past 10 years sufficient to establish a baseline against which the effects of the revised framework can be measured.
  12. With respect to the proposed changes to public dose limits, identify the circumstances under which a licensee could receive authorization for a higher dose limit, the maximum limits contemplated, and the controls and review criteria that would apply to such requests.
  13. All regulatory analyses, cost-benefit analyses, safety evaluations, scientific assessments, risk assessments, technical reports, legal analyses, decision memoranda, and other documents used to support the changes being undertaken pursuant to E.O. 14300.
  14. A description of the NRC’s process for identifying and monitoring unintended consequences resulting from the regulatory changes, including deterioration in safety performance, reduced regulatory visibility, increased radiation exposure, or other adverse outcomes.
  15. The specific, outcome-oriented goals and performance measures the NRC will use to evaluate the implementation of E.O. 14300, including baseline data against which changes in safety performance, occupational exposure, public exposure, inspection findings, enforcement actions, licensing timelines, and other relevant outcomes will be measured.
  16. A description of the circumstances or performance thresholds that would cause the NRC to reconsider, modify, or restore a requirement that has been eliminated or substantially revised pursuant to E.O. 14300.
  17. An identification of any licensing review, inspection, or oversight activity that has been deferred, narrowed, or reprioritized to absorb this workload, by office and fiscal year, and the fiscal year 2026 appropriation and the fiscal year 2027 President’s Budget Request amounts that supports implementation of E.O. 14300.

The NRC plays a unique and important role in protecting the American public from the risks associated with nuclear technology. We recognize the importance of maintaining a regulatory framework that is efficient, predictable, risk-informed, and capable of supporting the continued operation of the existing nuclear fleet and the deployment of new nuclear technologies. The NRC’s own materials identify these objectives as central to its implementation of E.O. 14300.

We therefore urge the NRC to proceed with appropriate caution and transparency as it implements these sweeping changes. Congress has a responsibility to understand how and why the Nation’s nuclear safety regulator is changing its regulatory framework, and to ensure that those changes do not inadvertently weaken the protections that are required to maintain the safety of the U.S. nuclear fleet.

We look forward to your response within 15 days.

Sincerely, 

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