Set
aside the reserved half of the chopped cucumber, tomatoes, red pepper
and green onions and place the remaining half in a blender. Add the
watermelon, garlic, basil, vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper and jalapeño
pepper, if using. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Pour into a large bowl (or small individual jars, as pictured) and stir in the reserved chopped vegetables.
Chill for 3 to 4 hours or overnight.
Drizzle with olive oil and garnish with diced avocado and/or micro greens, if desired, before serving.
So there we go, a watermelon recipe before summer's over.
The
World Health Organization(WHO) is "concerned" about the Trump
administration's recent executive order that pushes back on school
vaccine mandates.
WHO director-general Tedros
Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that the global health organization is
“concerned that recent changes to US immunization policy are not aligned
with decades of evidence that show when children are most vulnerable to
disease.”
Ghebreyesus added that vaccine science is clear: "vaccines – including the MMR vaccine – are safe and do not cause autism.”
“Vaccination
policy should be guided by rigorous, independent, and transparent
review of the best available science, not by political influence,” he
warned in a post on X.
Agreed.
And as Elaine noted yesterday in "Chump decides to share his 'knowledge'," the only thing scarier than Secretary of Health and Human Services Junior Kennedy sharing his thoughts on vaccines is Chump sharing his thoughts.
Wednesday, August 12, 2026. Chump grows more unpopular, his cowardly
actions are noted, he continues his war on immigrants and on reality,
two cry babies who voted to support Todd Blanche becoming Attorney
General now want to pretend that they ave backbones, and much more.
The threat to Air Force One was seen as so dire that they sneaked President Trump off the jet
in a catering container to keep him safe. But the same dire threat did
not stop them from then sending Air Force One into the skies anyway with
a planeful of senior officials, government employees, reporters and
military personnel serving as decoys, some unwittingly.
If
the Iranians were trying to shoot down the presidential plane last
month, as U.S. officials concluded at the time, then the subterfuge in
Ankara, Turkey, that protected the president also may have made targets
of dozens of others who flew aboard the jet, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and the senior aides Stephen Miller and Steven Cheung.
The government has on rare occasions engaged in sleight of hand
to safeguard presidents from possible jeopardy, particularly for
journeys to hazardous locations, such as when George W. Bush or Barack
Obama flew to Iraq during days of war or when Bill Clinton made a brief
visit to Pakistan with its history of terrorism. The Trump team’s ruse
in Ankara, however, stands out not only for its misdirection but also
for the way it shifted the evident peril to others and was kept secret
long after Mr. Trump was out of harm’s way.
“They
just didn’t seem to give a second thought to anybody but the president
and the few people who were with him,” said Joe Lockhart, who served as
White House press secretary to Mr. Clinton during his 2000 trip to Islamabad,
the Pakistani capital. “We went out of our way to make sure the maximum
number of people, especially civilians, were protected and not human
shields. They didn’t even think about it. And to me, that’s the big
difference.”
Republican
Sen. John Cornyn is raising concerns about the Trump administration’s
construction of a border wall through national and state parks in his
state.
In a letter
released on Tuesday, Cornyn warned that the border barrier’s
construction could disrupt natural beauty, indigenous sites, wildlife
and tourism at Big Bend National Park and Big Bend Ranch State Park,
both of which are located in Texas.
“Many residents
that live and work around the parks are also concerned that a physical
wall, which would be accompanied by lighting systems, access roads, and
maintenance corridors, would (1) ruin the beauty, landscape, and
wildlife of the park, (2) threaten culturally significant Native
American sites, (3) disrupt wildlife migration, (4) limit access to the
Rio Grande River, and (5) significantly harm the local economy as
tourism is a major economic driver for the region,” he wrote.
So?
What do you want us to do, Cornyn?
You're the one who said that you,
as a senator, didn't have the power to rein in Chump. That's what you
said as you explained voting for Todd Blanche to become Attorney
General.
So you wrote a letter? Like one of your constituents might do? You have no power because you don't know how to exercise power.
In related news, former US Vice President Kamala Harris has spoken out against Chump's SAVE America Act. Ryan Mancini (THE HILL) reports Senator John Kennedy spoke to Sean Hannity about Harris' statements:
“No
disrespect, but Vice President Harris is no longer relevant. She had a
shot and she missed. She can cozy up to the Lulu Lenins all she wants
to,” Kennedy said, referring to Russian revolutionary leader Vladimir
Lenin. “But she has me confused with somebody who cares what she thinks.
I mean, she’s yesterday.”
No,
disrespect, Kennedy, but you are no longer relevant. You've been voted
out of the Senate, stabbed in the back by Chump. Yet you voted for
Todd Blanche to become Attorney General. And in January 2025, you voted
for Robert Kennedy Junior to become Secretary of Health and Human
Services.
Now Kamala was a
senator like you once. But she went out as vice president. Makes her
much more relevant than you ever will be and you can blame your cry baby
self for that.
Cry
babies is all that MAGA's produced from the GOP. The biggest one of
all is, of course, Donald Chump and America has grown weary of his
constant crying and whining. Fernando Cervantes Jr. (USA TODAY) reports:
President Donald Trump’s approval rating has fallen to yet another low since his return to the White House, according to a new Economist/YouGov poll, which also found that just 1 in 3 Americans approve of his job performance.
The survey, released Aug. 11, found that 33% of Americans approve of Trump’s performance, down 3 percentage points from the previous week. This marks the lowest approval rating the president has seen in YouGov tracking since he returned to office in 2025.
Apart
from his continued slump in the polls, a majority of Americans, 60%,
said they perceived the president as "not honest and trustworthy".
According to the newest poll, 65% of respondents said the country is
headed in the wrong direction, up 2 percentage points from the Economist/YouGov’s poll in late July.
65% of Americans feel that "te country is headed in the wrong direction." The country's rejecting Chump.
And
this poll was taken before the country learned of Chump's cowardly
action of switching planes and leaving reporters and White House staff
at risk of an attack on the plane that they were in.
What
should have happened, if he had to be whisked away in a catering truck,
was that he ot on the third plane and flew off and it was announced
that the plane Rubio, reporters, et al were on had some sort of a
mechanical issue and was not departing just yet. And when Chump was
safely in England, it could be announced that due to the mechanical
problem, he flew on another plane. Then the plane that would carry
Rubio, et al, could take off and anyone wanting to bomb it because Chump
was on it would know Chump was not in the air.
And that's what he should have insisted upon.
Instead, he risked the lives of others. He put other people at risk. That's not a leader.
An important inflation report Wednesday could give the Federal Reserve a little breathing room in its battle against inflation.
The
consumer price index, due at 8:30 a.m. ET from the Bureau of Labor
Statistics, is expected to show only a modest increase for July — 0.1%
on the all-items headline number and 0.2% for the all-important core
reading that excludes volatile food and energy prices, according to the
Dow Jones consensus. On an annual basis, they are expected to show 3.4%
and 2.5% respectively, both down 0.1 percentage point from June.
While
that will still keep annual inflation rates well above the Fed's 2%
goal, two straight muted monthly readings could help buy Federal Open
Market Committee policymakers a little time before making a move on
interest rates.
Oil
prices bounced around before finishing higher Tuesday while global
stocks were mixed as markets awaited a key inflation report expected to
influence upcoming monetary policy decisions.
Crude
prices initially rose more than two percent on hardening rhetoric
between the United States and Iran on the prospects for reopening the
Strait of Hormuz, which is vital to the world's flow of petroleum
shipments.
[. . .]
All eyes will be on Wednesday's consumer price index report for July.
"It's
a wait-and-see day," said Sam Stovall of CFRA Research, who sees the
most recent lackluster jobs data as denting the odds of an imminent
interest rate hike.
As the economy continues to tank under Chump's leadership, voters reject Chump and, yes, embrace SNAP. Aliss Higham (NEWSWEEK) notes:
Democratic
and Republican voters across a series of politically competitive states
and congressional districts broadly agree that Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits should be increased, new polling shows, as grocery prices continue to put pressure on household budgets.
Surveys
conducted across 11 states and 28 competitive congressional districts
found that a majority of voters from both major parties supported higher
SNAP benefits for people living alone. Most Democrats also backed
increased assistance for single mothers, while Republican support for
raising those benefits was more mixed.
The
findings come as Americans continue to contend with food prices that are
significantly higher than they were before the COVID-19 pandemic,
despite a slowdown in inflation in recent years.
SNAP, commonly known as food stamps, is the largest federal food assistance program in the United States and provides monthly grocery benefits
to households with low or no income. The new surveys indicate there is
considerable bipartisan appetite for increasing that assistance.
Democratic
U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar says a Homeland Security Investigations agent was
outside her monthly town hall meeting in Richfield, Minnesota, on
Thursday.
Omar posted a letter she sent to
Michael McCarthy, interim special agent in charge of HSI's office in St.
Paul, Minnesota, regarding the incident on social media Monday
afternoon. The document said a Richfield police officer noticed a young
woman sitting in a Ford Explorer as people arrived at an area community
center, where the meeting took place, and "became suspicious of the way
she was monitoring the building."
According to
Omar's letter, the officer then ran the plates attached to the Ford and
found they were registered to a different vehicle. They then approached
the woman in the SUV.
"I understand that she
initially identified herself as security, and after Richfield Police
confirmed with my security team that she was not part of our operation,
she called her supervisor and explained that she was an HSI agent and
was outside the community center as part of an undercover drug operation
in the area," Omar said in the letter.
The woman left the property after speaking with her supervisor, according to Omar's letter.
"Instead
of monitoring the area for those who might wish harm to me and my
constituents, Richfield Police were required to devote time to
investigating why an HSI agent was outside of a Congressional event in a
vehicle with mismatched plates," Omar said in a written statement on
Monday. "It also raises serious and uncomfortable questions about the
purpose of HSI's presence outside of my event."
Now Homeland Security is spying on political townhalls led by members of Congress?
Chump's
war on immigrants is a very ugly and very mean-spirited action. It's
impcating all areas of the country -- including the decrease in travel
to the US by foreigners who kept the hospitality industry -- among
others -- rolling in the money until Chump's war. The crackdown on
immigrants is impacting the economy. Pedro Camacho (LATIN TIMES) reports:
Industry
groups representing construction, agriculture and other labor-dependent
sectors are warning the Trump administration that its immigration
crackdown is worsening worker shortages and could conflict with other
economic priorities, including lowering housing costs and maintaining
food production.
Representatives
have raised their concerns directly with the White House and the
departments of Homeland Security, Labor and Agriculture, CNN reports.
The administration's effort to end deportation protections for roughly
1.3 million people who had been authorized to work in the U.S., combined
with increased immigration enforcement, has intensified existing labor
shortages, industry groups said.
"These
two things might be working against each other at the moment," Jim
Tobin, president of the National Association of Home Builders, said of
Trump's immigration and housing agendas. The residential construction
industry is already short between 200,000 and 400,000 workers, he told CNN.
Foreign-born
workers accounted for more than a quarter of the U.S. construction
workforce in 2024 and more than half of workers in several trades,
including roofing, drywall installation and painting. "The more we
squeeze labor, the more we're going to increase home prices," Tobin
said.
The concerns have contributed to internal
debate over worksite enforcement. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne
Mullin has called for changes to employment visa programs while
maintaining that undocumented workers should be deported, drawing
criticism from immigration hardliners.
Agricultural
groups have raised similar concerns, particularly about industries
requiring year-round labor that cannot rely on existing seasonal visa
programs. Republican lawmakers have also urged changes to the H-2A
agricultural visa system.
Evidence of broader economic effects has emerged elsewhere. A Los Angeles County analysis published in February found widespread business losses following immigration enforcement operations, while studies of Houston and Chicago have linked enforcement surges to reduced employment and disruptions in construction-heavy labor markets.
Leaders
of enemy nations seeking to harm the U.S. economy and worsen the
affordability crisis plaguing American families would love to deprive
our country of hundreds of thousands of essential workers.
Fortunately
for our enemies — but unfortunately for our country — this is exactly
what President Trump is doing with his irrational anti-immigration
policies, which primarily keep out and deport hardworking immigrants of
color.
The latest example of this is the Trump administration’s move to revoke the legal status of more than 300,000 Haitian immigrants and about 50,000 immigrants from other countries living lawfully in the U.S. under a program called Temporary Protected Status.
A Supreme Court ruling
in June said the government could revoke the work permits of these
temporary status recipients and begin deportation proceedings against
them July 27. The ruling overturned a lower court decision that found
the move to curtail the status was “in part” based on “racial animus.”
As
a result of the Supreme Court decision, employers have already begun
firing Haitian employees who have lost the protection of Temporary
Protected Status.
Trump has demonized
unauthorized immigrants for years and claimed in an executive order on
the first day of his second term that they are staging a dangerous
“invasion” of the U.S.
The
president even said such immigrants are “poisoning the blood of our
country.” He later denied knowing that Adolf Hitler used the same
language about the 6 million Jews his Nazi regime murdered in the
Holocaust.
Despite the Supreme Court upholding birthright citizenship, Chump's issued an executive order targeting it.
Civil rights groups that successfully fought President Donald Trump’s first attempt to curtail birthright citizenship are targeting his latest effort.
The
American Civil Liberties Union and other groups asked a federal judge
on Aug. 11 to make it “unquestionably clear” that Trump’s new directive
can’t be enforced.
“Trump's
executive orders are a ham-handed attempt to distract the American
people from the Supreme Court’s clear holding: that birthright
citizenship is protected by our Constitution,” Carol Rose, executive
director at the ACLU of Massachusetts, said in a statement.
In June, the Supreme Court affirmed
that children born in the United States to parents who are unlawfully
or temporarily present in the country are citizens at birth. The few
exceptions to birthright citizenship are for children of foreign
diplomats or babies born to enemies in occupied territory.
ICE plans to spend up to $20m (£15m) to purchase
thousands of gloves for officers and agents that can deliver painful
electric shocks by March, according to a notice published Monday by the Department of Homeland Security.
The
devices, called Glove (Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter), are
manufactured by Compliant Technologies LLC of Lexington, Kentucky.
According
to the manufacturer, “the discomfort associated with the stimulation is
usually effective in bringing individuals into compliance in less than
three seconds and leaves no burns, marks or scars”. The company has
advertised the device as a “humane, low-optics, de-escalation solution
for many situations facing our men and women in uniform”.
On ICE, let's note this from Senator Elizabeth Warren's office:
Senate investigation
revealed ICE has attempted to deport 282 veterans and their relatives;
could be violating law that prevents the use of military against
civilians
“Service members must have
confidence that their sacrifices will be honored, not used against them
or to target their loved ones.”
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren
(D-Mass.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.),
along with Representatives Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.), Maggie Goodlander
(D-N.H.), Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.), and Lizzie Fletcher (D-Texas) led a
bicameral letter pressing the Department of Defense (DoD), the
Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Veterans Affairs (VA), U.S.
Customs and Border Protection, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement
(ICE) on their efforts to coordinate to arrest, and detain, and deport
hundreds of veterans and military families.In April 2025, U.S.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) rescinded its long-standing policy that
treated military service a “significant mitigating factor” when
deciding whether to pursue immigration enforcement, and replaced it with
a new policy stating that military service alone “does not automatically exempt” non-citizens from enforcement actions.
In September 2025, Senator Warren opened an investigation into the
impacts of these policy changes on military families. The investigation
revealed that ICE has attempted to deport 282 veterans and their
relatives. But DHS refused to disclose the number of active-duty troops
and their families who have been threatened by the administration’s
policy.
But new reports indicate that DoDand DHS appear to be coordinating to
convert military bases into “traps” for individuals this administration
deems deportable and has detained non-citizens during routine
check-ins, visits, and drop-offs at or near military installations. At
the same time, DoD has continued to recruit new service members with the promise of immigration protections.
Recent reporting by the Associated Press reveals
that, since January 2025, more than 50 parents and spouses of
active-duty service members have been detained, and at least six have
been deported. ICE’s statistics show that the agency has arrested 16
non-citizen armed forces members since the beginning of Fiscal Year
2026. Some service members have reportedly needed to take leave or delay
deployment because ICE detained their families.
“These efforts imperil military readiness, weaken service members’
morale, and betray America’s promises to the people who put their lives
on the line for our nation,” wrote the lawmakers. Alarmingly,
DoD has been reportedly targeting individuals at military
installations, detaining them on military property, and turning them
over to ICE — effectively converting military bases into “traps” for
noncitizens. For example, a 22-year-old military wife was recently detained while
attempting to obtain a military spouse I.D. Military officials
allegedly called DHS and held her in a room until ICE agents arrived to
take her to a detention center.
“DoD’s participation in civil immigration enforcement activities
raises both ethical and legal concerns, including potential violations
of the Posse Comitatus Act, which prohibits using the armed forces of
the military for civilian law enforcement,” wrote the lawmakers.
The coalition warned that if service members were to be swept up in
any of these enforcement actions, it could separately constitute a
violation of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, which provides
protections to all members of the United States military on active duty,
including non-citizens, from civil actions—such as immigration
proceedings—that interfere with their military duties.
“Service members must have confidence that their sacrifices will be
honored, not used against them or to target their loved ones,” wrote the lawmakers. “DoD’s
new anti-immigrant practices risk deterring future recruits and
damaging the credibility of military recruitment efforts—which promised
to care for service members even after their time in uniform.”
The lawmakers requested that the agencies explain the enhanced
coordination between DoD and DHS, restore long-standing immigration
protections for family members of service members, and explain what
steps they are taking to protect troops, veterans, and their families
from unjust immigration enforcement by August 23, 2026.
The letter was signed by Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Michael
Bennet (D-Colo.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Mazie
Hirono (D-Hawaii), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Ed Markey
(D-Mass.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Alex Padilla
(D-Calif.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Bernie Sanders
(I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Raphael Warnock
(D-Ga.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).
Representatives Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.), Nanette Barragán
(D-Calif.), André Carson (D-Ind.), Greg Casar (D-Texas), Sean Casten
(D-Ill.), Joaquin Castro (D-Texas), Gil Cisneros (D-Calif.), Bonnie
Watson Coleman (D-N.J.), Daniel Davis (D-Ill.), Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.),
Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), Mark DeSaulnier (D-Calif.), Maxine Dexter
(D-Ore.), Veronica Escobar (D-Texas), Bill Foster (D-Ill.), Maxwell
Frost (D-Fla.), Chuy García (D-Ill.), Sylvia Garcia (D-Texas), Adelita
Grijalva (D-Ariz.), Jonathan Jackson (D-Ill.), Hank Johnson (D-Ga.), Ro
Khanna (D-Calif.), John Larson (D-Conn.), Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.), Seth
Magaziner (D-R.I.), Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), Kevin Mullin (D-Calif.),
Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Nancy
Pelosi (D-Calif.), Mike Quigley (D-Ill.), Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.),
Lateefah Simon (D-Calif.), Marilyn Strickland (D-Wash.), Suhas
Subramanyam (D-Va.), Mark Takano (D-Calif.), Dina Titus (D-Nev.), Marc
Veasey (D-Texas), Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), and Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.),
joined in signing the letter.
The letter was endorsed by the Immigration Defenders Law Center, the
Seattle Clemency Project, Common Defense, Repatriate Our Patriots, and
League of United Latin American Citizens.
“It is hard to imagine a more profound betrayal than targeting
service members, veterans, and military families for deportation,” said
Jennie Pasquarella, interim executive director of the Seattle Clemency
Project. “This
administration is abandoning decades of bipartisan policies that
recognized a simple truth: protecting those who serve makes our military
stronger and our nation safer. Targeting the very communities that have
sacrificed for this country is not just morally indefensible, it is a
direct attack on military readiness, recruitment, and trust.”
“This administration has made a conscious decision to abandon its
promises to military families and fail those who put their lives on the
line for our nation,” said Amanda Schuft, director of legal services at Immigrant Defenders Law Center. “We
have seen the devastating human cost firsthand. Our client, the father
of an active-duty Army service member, was detained by ICE despite
suffering from terminal renal failure, forcing his son to take leave
from military service to plead for his release and provide evidence of
his grave medical condition. The government ignored those pleas. After
his health deteriorated in detention, our client was eventually
released, only to die within weeks.”
“Family readiness directly impacts mission readiness. Behind every
military spouse or parent in detention is a servicemember who could
deploy at any moment. Without a strong homefront, we cannot have a ready
force. Our government must honor its commitments to those who serve,”
said Danitza G. James, MSW, President, Repatriate Our Patriots.
Senator Warren has led the fight to hold the Trump administration
accountable for mishandling military funds to pursue its cruel
immigration agenda and has continuously fought for the safety and
well-being of our servicemembers and veterans:
In May 2026, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) released new answers from
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and the Department of Defense
revealing the Pentagon’s financial support for the Trump
administration’s cruel immigration agenda was far higher than initially
reported by DoD.
In April 2026, Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Chris Van
Hollen (D-Md.), along with Representative Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.) and
Representative Troy Carter (D-La.), urged the Inspectors General of
the Departments of Homeland Security and State to open an investigation
into the Trump administration’s attempts to deport people to countries
they have no ties to. These deportations use the military to conduct the
international deportation flights and detain noncitizens on U.S.
military bases within the United States and overseas.
In March 2026, Senator Warren (D-Mass.) and Representative Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) led 52 members of Congress in a new investigation into
potential corruption in government contracts stemming from the White
House’s fast-tracked expansion of inhumane warehouse-based immigration
detention facilities using a Navy contracting vehicle.
In March 2026, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) released new data obtained
from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) revealing that the Trump
administration has attempted to deport hundreds of veterans and their
family members after promising immigration protections at the time of
recruitment.
In January 2026, following a new report by the Congressional Budget
Office revealing Trump’s domestic deployments of the National Guard and
Marines have cost at least $589 million — more than double what Senator
Warren’s bicameral investigation previously found — she called for the Trump administration to “answer for wasting more than half a billion taxpayer dollars.”
In December 2025, at a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) pressed Trump’s nominee to
be Army General Counsel, on the deployment of the National Guard and
reports that senior Judge Advocate General (JAG) officers have been
sidelined after raising legal concerns about military operations.
In December 2025, Senator Warren (D-Mass.) and Representative John Garamendi (D-Calif.) co-led the release of a new report,
along with 11 other members of Congress, revealing the Trump
administration diverted more than $2 billion of military funds and
resources from the Pentagon to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
for immigration enforcement and its impact on readiness and morale. The
report also revealed that the diversion of funds was happening at the
expense of updates to barracks, maintenance hangers, and military
construction projects in the Pacific.
In October 2025, Senator Warren (D-Mass.) joined colleagues in requesting that
CBO provide an independent assessment of the projected costs associated
with the Trump administration’s deployment of the National Guard to
U.S. cities.
In September 2025, U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Tammy
Duckworth (D-Ill.), and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), along with Representatives
Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.), Maggie Goodlander (D-N.H.), and Delia C.
Ramirez (D-Ill.), led 55 members of Congress in opening a new investigation into
the Trump administration’s arrest, detention, and deportation of
non-citizen service members, veterans, and military families.
In September 2025, Senator Warren (D-Mass.) led more than 60 members of Congress in opening a new investigation into
the Trump administration’s practice of detaining and sending immigrants
to countries where they have no citizenship or connections of any kind.
These deportations use the military to conduct the international
deportation flights and detain noncitizens on U.S. military bases within
the United States and overseas.
In February 2025, Senators Warren (D-Mass.) and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) pressed Secretary
of Defense Pete Hegseth on the military’s deployment of active-duty
forces to the southern border and Guantanamo and the Department of
Defense’s (DOD) new involvement in immigration detention and
deportation.
###
Meanwhile Chump's having a fit that his false claims got rebuked and fact checked. Thomas Kika notes:
President
Donald Trump lashed out with a new social media tantrum this week,
taking aim at a think tank report that offered a sharp rebuke of his National Guard deployments, per a report from The Hill.
Trump's
post was in response to a July report from the liberal-leaning Center
for American Progress, which found that his deployment of the Guard to
Washington D.C., had "failed to reduce violent crime despite its claims
of success." His attack came after the report's author, Chandler Hall,
discussed its findings during an appearance on C-SPAN.
Trump's
extended post went so far as to threaten the group with a lawsuit, all
while also attacking numerous entities he claimed to be funding it, from
Walmart to Apple to Goldman Sachs.
[. . .]
The report, published on July 13,
argued that "The second Trump administration is trying to take credit
for the historic drop in violent crime across America," even though this
trend has been ongoing for years, well before Trump's return to the
White House. The administration has tried to use that preexisting trend
to "justify expanding policies that are unpopular, ineffective and
costly."
On Aug. 3 last year, the assault and attempted carjacking of Edward Coristine,
a 20-year-old programmer known online as “Big Balls” who had worked for
Elon Musk’s now-defunct Department of Government Efficiency, became a
flashpoint for President Donald Trump’s argument that Washington, D.C.,
had spiraled out of control.
Eight
days later, Trump mobilized roughly 800 National Guard troops to the
capital, an extraordinary use of military personnel on U.S. soil. He
cast the deployment in dire terms, describing a city overwhelmed by
violence and disorder and promising that federal intervention would
restore control, even as violent crime in Washington had fallen to its lowest level in 30 years, according to the Department of Justice.
The
deployment, dubbed “Make DC Safe and Beautiful,” quickly expanded. Some
4,000 troops from states and territories across the country are now
deployed to the capital, down from a summer surge for America's 250th
anniversary that pushed the force to roughly 5,000. That number is
expected to decline further in the coming weeks, with the mission
typically hovering between 2,500 and 3,000 troops.
But even as the force shrinks from its summer peak, the deployment is expected to remain a fixture in D.C. through the remainder of Trump’s term, ABC News was first to report.
The
mission is unprecedented in its scale and duration. The deployment is
projected to cost an additional $1.4 billion, a staggering price tag
even as its effectiveness remains murky. Two soldiers were also killed
in an attack near the White House last year. Meanwhile, the Guard is
juggling competing demands, with thousands of troops deployed to the
Middle East amid the war with Iran and others serving on missions around
the world.
Keeping
the National Guard in DC through the end of Chump's term? $1.4 billion
dollars. He's really spending (wasting) US tax dollars. Hugh Cameron (NEWSWEEK) notes:
According
to preliminary figures from the MPD, accurate as of August 10, total
crime is down 20 percent in the year-to-date compared with 2025, with
property crime seeing a decline of 23 percent driven by a 53-percent
drop in motor vehicle theft and a 37 percent decline in “Theft from
Auto”—the act of taking property or parts from a vehicle.
However,
while homicides are down 31 percent, violent crime has seen a slight
increase of 3 percent. This is thanks to a significant increase (41
percent) in the number of assaults with a dangerous weapon that have
been recorded, as well as a 2 percent increase in cases of sex abuse,
despite a 15 percent decline in the number of robberies.
John
Roman, director of the Center on Public Safety & Justice at the
National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago,
said establishing whether the reduction seen in overall crime rates in
D.C. would require corroboration from FBI data and comparison with other
cities.
He told Newsweek that the available
figures pointed to “among the largest declines in street crimes that a
National Guard presence could reasonably be expected to effect,” noting
the drop in robberies and homicides. However, he noted that other cities
in the United States had experienced similar declines without any
National Guard presence.
David Weisburd, a
professor at George Mason University’s Department of Criminology, Law
and Society, told Newsweek that “establishing a causal relationship
between the National Guard deployment and crime is virtually impossible
without careful controlled research.”
[. . .]
“Crime,
like in U.S. cities that were not subject to the deployments, was
actually already decreasing prior to the National Guard deployment in
D.C., and this is especially the case for violent crime,” Alex Piquero, a
professor of Criminology at the University of Miami, told Newsweek.
“And
while property crime, especially auto-related crimes, may have seen
some decreases during that time in D.C., it is difficult to link the
deployment with actually causing any crime change since the deployment
appears to have been targeted at tourist areas,” he said.
Piquero,
a former director of the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS)—the primary
federal agency for recording crime figures—said that the evidence from
other cities that experienced deployments “show no effect on crime,” as
this was already decreasing in those cities before the deployment began.
“It
is important to also note that cities without guard deployments also
saw crime decreases, which tends to suggest that the crime decline in
the U.S. was a more general phenomenon,” he said.
This
was the conclusion reached by the Council on Criminal Justice (CCJ) in a
recent analysis, which found that, nationwide, nine of the 13 examined
crimes fell in the first half of 2026, part of a long-running trend that
has left shoplifting as the only offense now sitting above 2019 levels.
Yet Chump intends to waste $1.4 billion dollars on this.
A lot of you are noting that you cannot wait until summer is over. The heat is getting to you and the electric bills are high. These were the dog days of summer. Seriously, that's July 3rd to August 11th. So maybe with the dog days over, we'll get some relief. In the meantime, Jan e-mailed to note All Recipe's One-Pan Chicken Piccata and Rice:
Heat olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
Season
chicken thighs evenly with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add chicken to the
skillet and cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Flip and cook
until nearly cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes more. Transfer chicken to a
plate.
Add shallot to the skillet and cook
until softened and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in rice and garlic and
cook, stirring constantly, until rice is lightly toasted, 1 to 2
minutes.
Pour in chicken stock, lemon zest, lemon juice, capers, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
Bring
mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 5
minutes. Return chicken and any accumulated juices to the skillet.
Continue to simmer, covered, until rice is tender and chicken is cooked
through (170 to 195 degrees F (77 to 90 degrees C), 10 to 15 minutes.
Remove skillet from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley before serving.
Rod
Dreher, the prominent conservative writer and blogger, says his
once-close friendship with JD Vance has fallen apart — which he
attributes to the vice president's refusal to confront rising
antisemitism and white nationalism on the online right.
Vance,
in his memoir, credits an early interview with Dreher for helping
launch his political career, saying without that relationship he might
have remained a center-right venture capitalist rather than a national
political figure, and the two grew close in the years since, meeting in
Hungary as recently as April, when Vance traveled there to campaign for
Viktor Orbán, reported The Bulwark.
But
Dreher now says Vance cut him off after a visit last fall. "I don't
know that we're friends anymore," Dreher said recently on the Jeremy
Boreing Show.
The break traces to a November
essay Dreher wrote for the Free Press, in which he cast Vance as the
only figure with enough credibility and "hillbilly gumption" to take on
the rise of Nick Fuentes and his "Groyper" followers, who Dreher warned
had become alarmingly popular among young Republican staffers.
Dreher
framed Vance — married to a woman of a different race and faith — as
proof that Vance himself embodied a more inclusive vision of American
identity than the "heritage American" faction of the right.
That optimism has since curdled.
As
it should have. But I'd argue that it should have curled in the summer
of 2024 if not sooner. That's when Miss Sassy JD was repeating the lie
about Haitians eating cats and dogs. I'd further add that the way he's
spoken of his wife Usha has been dismaying and off putting as well. He
was embraced by leftist intellectuals for his bad first book. And
they, like all who followed, were idiots for not seeing through his
nonsense.
Tuesday, August 11, 2026. Chump smuggled out of Air Force One, Homeland
Security targeting our troops and our troops families for deportation,
the deeply unpopular Pete Hegseth continues struggling and unable to
perform his job, Blanche refuses to assist New Mexico in their
investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, and much more.
Chump's
an embarrassment this morning. Ben touches on Chump's departure from
Turkey. Lawrence O'Donnell addressed it last night.
Top
administration officials engaged in an elaborate deception to spirit
President Trump out of Turkey during the NATO summit there last month,
transporting him in a catering container to a military jet because of a
threat against him and Air Force One from Iran, two senior U.S.
officials said on Monday.
Mr.
Trump and other officials had said publicly that he would be leaving
Turkey on July 8 aboard one of the older versions of Air Force One
rather than a luxury 747-8 donated by Qatar that he had flown in on. Mr.
Trump told reporters at the time that he was making the switch for “old
time’s sake.”
Mr.
Trump boarded the older plane from the left-side door in view of
cameras, and news organizations, including The New York Times, reported
that he had traveled on it to Britain, where he switched back to the
newer plane. The Times reported at the time
that the decision was driven in part by concern about the security of
the new plane donated by Qatar, which had not been equipped with all of
the defensive capabilities of older versions.
But
instead of flying out aboard that older, powder blue, modified 747, Mr.
Trump was whisked off that plane via a catering container that had been
lifted to the opposite side of the plane from where the journalists
traveling with him boarded, one of the U.S. officials said. The
president was then taken to a third plane, which he flew in secret to
Britain, the official with knowledge of the matter said.
The
Iranians said on Monday that any deal with Oman on controlling shipping
in the Strait of Hormuz would not lead to the waterway being fully reopened until the United States agreed to several of its demands.
These
demands show that the Iranians believe they are winning and that the US
consistently stopping the air campaign for negotiations demonstrates US
weakness.
This has emboldened Tehran, which is now demanding compliance from the US.
Iran’s
demands, as ridiculous as they are, show that they believe the United
States is not capable of seeing any kind of military action through and
has left little to no room for compromise.
Iran
said on Sunday that a deal with Oman on new shipping routes through the
Strait of Hormuz was in its final stages, but the waterway would not
fully reopen until the United States met Iran’s demand.
President
Donald Trump told senior aides he might weasel out on his demand for a
nuclear agreement so he can declare victory in the war against Iran, The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday.
The
Journal reported that Trump would instead tie the war’s end to Iran
fully reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway that was open
before the war, and that Iran effectively shut down after the U.S. and
Israeli attacks.
Meanwhile,
Todd Blanche and Chump tried to swindle the American people and
perpetrate a fraud on te court when the came to an agreement over
Chump's IRS lawsuit. There should have been no case to begin with
because he waited too long to file it. But he filed it and wanted
millions of dollars -- tax ayer dollars -- from the US government. And
Todd, ever the Toad, rushed to sign a deal. First, there would be the
fund for the January 6ers and then there would be promise that Chump and
his sons would not be audited by the IRS. Dave Jamieson and Arthur Delaney (HUFFINGTON POST) report:
After the Trump administration announced an unprecedented settlement
giving the president and his family immunity from tax audits, the union
representing workers at the Internal Revenue Service realized they had a
serious problem on their hands.
Many experts believe the immunity deal is flatly illegal.
So auditors who honor it and give the Trumps preferential treatment
could be violating their oath of office. But those who refuse could face
discipline and retaliation, said Doreen Greenwald, president of the
National Treasury Employees Union.
“It
puts our IRS employees between a rock and a hard place,” Greenwald told
HuffPost in an interview. “They take an oath of office to follow the
law and to uphold the Constitution… Then they’ll have this order that is
contrary to the law, and so it puts them in a very difficult
position.”
The union joined a lawsuit
as plaintiffs against President Donald Trump’s Justice Department last
week, arguing that the immunity deal puts its members in an “untenable”
position: carry out an unlawful order or risk their jobs.
Rep.
Gabe Vasquez (D-NM) is demanding answers from the Trump administration
over a mysterious plane crash he alleges the U.S. military "definitely had a role to play" in, a fight one journalist called Monday a "fight worth watching.”
On May 14, a medical transport aircraft crashed into the side of a mountain after its pilots “got disoriented,” Wired first reported – a crash that coincided with nearby military testing at the White Sands Missile Range in southern New Mexico. All four occupants died.
While
the crash has not been decisively linked to the nearby military
testing, Vasquez launched an effort to get to the bottom of the incident
with a set of demands
issued to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Defense Secretary
Pete Hegseth. Specifically, Vasquez requested a joint briefing between
Transportation and Defense officials to take questions regarding the
incident.
US House Rep Vasquez should
not have to demand answers. These answer should have been provided
back in May. Instead, it appears likely that there was a cover up. Pete
has a pattern of not doing what he's supposed to. Which leads us to our
next issue, Jack Brook and Safiyah Riddle (INDEPENDENT) report:
Democrats
in Congress have launched an investigation into the Trump
administration’s efforts to deport troops and their families following
revelations that immigration authorities have detained more than 50
spouses and parents of active-duty military personnel.
In
a letter sent Sunday evening to the Department of Homeland Security,
the Defense Department, and the Department of Veterans Affairs,
lawmakers pledged to examine whether the Pentagon and DHS are
coordinating to deport service members and their immediate families.
"These
efforts imperil military readiness, weaken service members’ morale, and
betray America’s promises to the people who put their lives on the line
for our nation," reads the letter, which was signed by more than 60
members of Congress.
[. . .]
"Donald
Trump is breaking our country’s promises to service members by tearing
apart dozens of military families who were promised immigration
protections," said Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren. "That’s just
plain cruel, and it’s hurting our military readiness and morale."
Warren
is heading the inquiry alongside Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal,
Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth, and several House Democrats.
An
Associated Press investigation found that President Donald Trump's
administration has rolled back protective measures for military
households, abandoning a longstanding bipartisan consensus to advance
its broader deportation efforts. Consequently, some service members have
had to request leave or delay deployments to care for their children
following the detention of their spouses.
Congress
has to protect the troops because Hegseth won't. As we noted last week
when we first covered this story, not only would Secretary of Defense
Lloyd Austin not have stood for this, nor would Secretary Chuck Hagel,
Secretary Leon Panetta or, for that matter, Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
This is an outrage. It creates stress for the service member that they
shouldn't be under. And since we lack a real Secretary of Defense, the
troops have to depend upon Congress on this issue and so many more.
Let's note this from Senator Elizabeth Warren's office:
Senate investigation
revealed ICE has attempted to deport 282 veterans and their relatives;
could be violating law that prevents the use of military against
civilians
“Service members must have
confidence that their sacrifices will be honored, not used against them
or to target their loved ones.”
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren
(D-Mass.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.),
along with Representatives Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.), Maggie Goodlander
(D-N.H.), Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.), and Lizzie Fletcher (D-Texas) led a
bicameral letter pressing the Department of Defense (DoD), the
Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Veterans Affairs (VA), U.S.
Customs and Border Protection, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement
(ICE) on their efforts to coordinate to arrest, and detain, and deport
hundreds of veterans and military families.In April 2025, U.S.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) rescinded its long-standing policy that
treated military service a “significant mitigating factor” when
deciding whether to pursue immigration enforcement, and replaced it with
a new policy stating that military service alone “does not automatically exempt” non-citizens from enforcement actions.
In September 2025, Senator Warren opened an investigation into the
impacts of these policy changes on military families. The investigation
revealed that ICE has attempted to deport 282 veterans and their
relatives. But DHS refused to disclose the number of active-duty troops
and their families who have been threatened by the administration’s
policy.
But new reports indicate that DoDand DHS appear to be coordinating to
convert military bases into “traps” for individuals this administration
deems deportable and has detained non-citizens during routine
check-ins, visits, and drop-offs at or near military installations. At
the same time, DoD has continued to recruit new service members with the promise of immigration protections.
Recent reporting by the Associated Press reveals
that, since January 2025, more than 50 parents and spouses of
active-duty service members have been detained, and at least six have
been deported. ICE’s statistics show that the agency has arrested 16
non-citizen armed forces members since the beginning of Fiscal Year
2026. Some service members have reportedly needed to take leave or delay
deployment because ICE detained their families.
“These efforts imperil military readiness, weaken service members’
morale, and betray America’s promises to the people who put their lives
on the line for our nation,” wrote the lawmakers. Alarmingly,
DoD has been reportedly targeting individuals at military
installations, detaining them on military property, and turning them
over to ICE — effectively converting military bases into “traps” for
noncitizens. For example, a 22-year-old military wife was recently detained while
attempting to obtain a military spouse I.D. Military officials
allegedly called DHS and held her in a room until ICE agents arrived to
take her to a detention center.
“DoD’s participation in civil immigration enforcement activities
raises both ethical and legal concerns, including potential violations
of the Posse Comitatus Act, which prohibits using the armed forces of
the military for civilian law enforcement,” wrote the lawmakers.
The coalition warned that if service members were to be swept up in
any of these enforcement actions, it could separately constitute a
violation of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, which provides
protections to all members of the United States military on active duty,
including non-citizens, from civil actions—such as immigration
proceedings—that interfere with their military duties.
“Service members must have confidence that their sacrifices will be
honored, not used against them or to target their loved ones,” wrote the lawmakers. “DoD’s
new anti-immigrant practices risk deterring future recruits and
damaging the credibility of military recruitment efforts—which promised
to care for service members even after their time in uniform.”
The lawmakers requested that the agencies explain the enhanced
coordination between DoD and DHS, restore long-standing immigration
protections for family members of service members, and explain what
steps they are taking to protect troops, veterans, and their families
from unjust immigration enforcement by August 23, 2026.
The letter was signed by Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Michael
Bennet (D-Colo.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Mazie
Hirono (D-Hawaii), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Ed Markey
(D-Mass.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Alex Padilla
(D-Calif.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Bernie Sanders
(I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Raphael Warnock
(D-Ga.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).
Representatives Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.), Nanette Barragán
(D-Calif.), André Carson (D-Ind.), Greg Casar (D-Texas), Sean Casten
(D-Ill.), Joaquin Castro (D-Texas), Gil Cisneros (D-Calif.), Bonnie
Watson Coleman (D-N.J.), Daniel Davis (D-Ill.), Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.),
Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), Mark DeSaulnier (D-Calif.), Maxine Dexter
(D-Ore.), Veronica Escobar (D-Texas), Bill Foster (D-Ill.), Maxwell
Frost (D-Fla.), Chuy García (D-Ill.), Sylvia Garcia (D-Texas), Adelita
Grijalva (D-Ariz.), Jonathan Jackson (D-Ill.), Hank Johnson (D-Ga.), Ro
Khanna (D-Calif.), John Larson (D-Conn.), Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.), Seth
Magaziner (D-R.I.), Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), Kevin Mullin (D-Calif.),
Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Nancy
Pelosi (D-Calif.), Mike Quigley (D-Ill.), Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.),
Lateefah Simon (D-Calif.), Marilyn Strickland (D-Wash.), Suhas
Subramanyam (D-Va.), Mark Takano (D-Calif.), Dina Titus (D-Nev.), Marc
Veasey (D-Texas), Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), and Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.),
joined in signing the letter.
The letter was endorsed by the Immigration Defenders Law Center, the
Seattle Clemency Project, Common Defense, Repatriate Our Patriots, and
League of United Latin American Citizens.
“It is hard to imagine a more profound betrayal than targeting
service members, veterans, and military families for deportation,” said
Jennie Pasquarella, interim executive director of the Seattle Clemency
Project. “This
administration is abandoning decades of bipartisan policies that
recognized a simple truth: protecting those who serve makes our military
stronger and our nation safer. Targeting the very communities that have
sacrificed for this country is not just morally indefensible, it is a
direct attack on military readiness, recruitment, and trust.”
“This administration has made a conscious decision to abandon its
promises to military families and fail those who put their lives on the
line for our nation,” said Amanda Schuft, director of legal services at Immigrant Defenders Law Center. “We
have seen the devastating human cost firsthand. Our client, the father
of an active-duty Army service member, was detained by ICE despite
suffering from terminal renal failure, forcing his son to take leave
from military service to plead for his release and provide evidence of
his grave medical condition. The government ignored those pleas. After
his health deteriorated in detention, our client was eventually
released, only to die within weeks.”
“Family readiness directly impacts mission readiness. Behind every
military spouse or parent in detention is a servicemember who could
deploy at any moment. Without a strong homefront, we cannot have a ready
force. Our government must honor its commitments to those who serve,”
said Danitza G. James, MSW, President, Repatriate Our Patriots.
Senator Warren has led the fight to hold the Trump administration
accountable for mishandling military funds to pursue its cruel
immigration agenda and has continuously fought for the safety and
well-being of our servicemembers and veterans:
In May 2026, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) released new answers from
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and the Department of Defense
revealing the Pentagon’s financial support for the Trump
administration’s cruel immigration agenda was far higher than initially
reported by DoD.
In April 2026, Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Chris Van
Hollen (D-Md.), along with Representative Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.) and
Representative Troy Carter (D-La.), urged the Inspectors General of
the Departments of Homeland Security and State to open an investigation
into the Trump administration’s attempts to deport people to countries
they have no ties to. These deportations use the military to conduct the
international deportation flights and detain noncitizens on U.S.
military bases within the United States and overseas.
In March 2026, Senator Warren (D-Mass.) and Representative Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) led 52 members of Congress in a new investigation into
potential corruption in government contracts stemming from the White
House’s fast-tracked expansion of inhumane warehouse-based immigration
detention facilities using a Navy contracting vehicle.
In March 2026, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) released new data obtained
from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) revealing that the Trump
administration has attempted to deport hundreds of veterans and their
family members after promising immigration protections at the time of
recruitment.
In January 2026, following a new report by the Congressional Budget
Office revealing Trump’s domestic deployments of the National Guard and
Marines have cost at least $589 million — more than double what Senator
Warren’s bicameral investigation previously found — she called for the Trump administration to “answer for wasting more than half a billion taxpayer dollars.”
In December 2025, at a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) pressed Trump’s nominee to
be Army General Counsel, on the deployment of the National Guard and
reports that senior Judge Advocate General (JAG) officers have been
sidelined after raising legal concerns about military operations.
In December 2025, Senator Warren (D-Mass.) and Representative John Garamendi (D-Calif.) co-led the release of a new report,
along with 11 other members of Congress, revealing the Trump
administration diverted more than $2 billion of military funds and
resources from the Pentagon to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
for immigration enforcement and its impact on readiness and morale. The
report also revealed that the diversion of funds was happening at the
expense of updates to barracks, maintenance hangers, and military
construction projects in the Pacific.
In October 2025, Senator Warren (D-Mass.) joined colleagues in requesting that
CBO provide an independent assessment of the projected costs associated
with the Trump administration’s deployment of the National Guard to
U.S. cities.
In September 2025, U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Tammy
Duckworth (D-Ill.), and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), along with Representatives
Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.), Maggie Goodlander (D-N.H.), and Delia C.
Ramirez (D-Ill.), led 55 members of Congress in opening a new investigation into
the Trump administration’s arrest, detention, and deportation of
non-citizen service members, veterans, and military families.
In September 2025, Senator Warren (D-Mass.) led more than 60 members of Congress in opening a new investigation into
the Trump administration’s practice of detaining and sending immigrants
to countries where they have no citizenship or connections of any kind.
These deportations use the military to conduct the international
deportation flights and detain noncitizens on U.S. military bases within
the United States and overseas.
In February 2025, Senators Warren (D-Mass.) and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) pressed Secretary
of Defense Pete Hegseth on the military’s deployment of active-duty
forces to the southern border and Guantanamo and the Department of
Defense’s (DOD) new involvement in immigration detention and
deportation.
###
Stockpiles
of weapons? They have apparently dwindled under Hegseth's
'leadership.' Prissy Pete can't seem to manage costs. Wasn't he
ordering lobsters to waste tax payer money? Yes, he was. Alexa Mae Asperin (FOX 11) reported March 11th:
A
government watchdog report reveals the Pentagon, under Defense
Secretary Pete Hegseth, spent $6.9 million on lobster tails during a
single month in late 2025.
The expenditure was part of a
record-breaking $93.4 billion "use-it-or-lose-it" spree in September
that included ribeye steaks, king crab, and luxury furniture.
Critics
and lawmakers are slamming the optics of the spending, contrasting the
"surf and turf" budget with the administration's public push for federal
efficiency.
So
he could have used that $93.4 billion to order more weapons. But he
didn't. No, he wasted it. He wasted $93.4 billion. And now he's
begging for more money. And Congress isn't feeling like giving it to
him. Connor O'Brien and Mark Satter (POLITICO) report:
In the year and a half since Pete Hegseth squeaked through
his Senate confirmation, congressional Republicans have handed the
Pentagon chief big wins — and defended some of his most controversial
moves.
But now that GOP unity is splintering
under the weight of President Donald Trump’s party-line push for the
biggest defense budget in modern history.
Senators
left town last week for their summer break no closer to enacting the
crown jewel of Hegseth’s agenda, a $1.5 trillion defense budget that
would stamp Trump’s mark across the military, from new battleshipsto a
Golden Dome missile defense shield.
Hegseth
hasn’t persuaded Republicans to steamroll Democrats and advance the
record-breaking plan, despite regularly trekking to the Hill in recent
weeks and hobnobbing with lawmakers. Instead, an increasingly vocal
group of GOP lawmakers argue the administration hasn’t explained why
Republicans should burn valuable political capital in pursuit of Trump’s
vision — especially with the midterms just months away.
“So
much of that additional defense funding is banking on not only a third,
but potentially a fourth reconciliation [bill]," said Sen. Lisa
Murkowski (R-Alaska). “So what if that doesn't come? I’ve asked
[Pentagon officials]: you have your F-35s, your Patriot missiles baked
into that — what’s your plan B? And it’s been tough to get an answer.”
He
wants a trillion and a half. And he spent 93.4 billion in September on
lobsters and other items. Now he's begging for more money for the next
fiscal year. The 2026 Fiscal Year budget was a record $1 trillion and
now he's asking for more. And maybe it's past time that Congress stops
these last month of the fiscal year splurges on lobsters and other
items. If you haven't spent it -- on DoD -- then you didn't need it and
needs to go back into the general fund. This is amazing that this
spending splurge took place at a time when Chump was trumpeting his
ridiculous and corrupt DOGE as a way to stop unnecessary spending by the
government.
During a segment on Monday’s CNN News Central,
Enten highlighted the fact that Hegseth has become the least popular
member of President Donald Trump’s cabinet. According to polling data
from Quinnipiac and Fox News, Hegseth’s net approval rating was a
staggering -22. Trailing behind Hegseth were Vice President JD Vance
(-17), Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (-9),
and Secretary of State Marco Rubio (-8).
“Pete
Hegseth, as I said, the lowest of the low,” Enten said. “Twenty-two
points underwater, and this has been something that’s been going on
throughout the entire administration. He has been underwater in every
single poll that I could find. That is his job disapproval rating being
above his job approval rating, and Iran has not helped.”
Turning to Chump's roll dog from the 80s, 90s, 00s and 10s Jeffrey Epstein.
Chump thought he could escape his ties to Epstein. He can't anymore than he can end the Iran War quickly. John F. Harris (POLITICO) observes:
Seven
years ago today, Jeffrey Epstein was found hanging in a Manhattan jail,
and the usual reactions to a sudden, violent death were reversed.
It
was the people who abhorred the convicted sex offender — his victims
and all who sympathized with them — who were stricken with sadness and
anger. Now, they feared, the full truth about this man and his odious
life would never come out.
It
was Epstein’s friends and far-reaching galaxy of influential associates
who surely allowed themselves a quiet moment of relief back in 2019.
Now, they had reason to hope, the full truth about this man and his
odious life would never come out.
The
anniversary of Epstein’s demise is occasion to note two paradoxes that
have emerged over those seven years — and most vividly in recent months,
as it has become clear Epstein was a more consequential figure, and
more emblematic of a sordid age, even than we knew at the time. Both
paradoxes come courtesy, however grudgingly or unintentionally, of
Epstein’s one-time friend, President Donald Trump.
The
first is the surprising degree to which the truth did indeed come out,
and answers were not left hanging with Epstein in Cell 220 on the ninth
floor of the Metropolitan Correctional Center.
Yes,
there are important matters of detail that remain clouded by mystery.
These include the precise details of how Epstein killed himself, in a
supposedly secure facility, according to the official medical examiner’s
conclusion (which some still doubt), as well as a full illumination of
his relationship with Trump and why it apparently dissolved early in the
2000s. Many of the survivors of Epstein’s crimes also remain distraught
and hungry for more answers.
But the
nature of Epstein’s monstrously manipulative character, and the ease
with which he ensnared some of the planet’s wealthiest and in many cases
most accomplished people is now commonly understood — in a way that it
almost certainly would not be if he had lived. Perhaps he would have
reached a settlement with prosecutors, or gone to trial under rules of
evidence focused narrowly on a few crimes rather than receiving scrutiny
over the broad contours of his life. Any Epstein associates who exhaled
in gratitude at his passing in 2019 had it exactly wrong — the ruin of
reputations caused by this scandal was only beginning.
Meanwhile, an investigation into Epstein's crimes is taking place in New Mexico.
The report states that five women and girls were
abused at Zorro Ranch between 1996 and 2012, but the commission believes
the number is higher.
"The commission has
counted at least 30 other individuals who potentially were abused in New
Mexico, people we cannot yet confirm in most cases because their names
are blacked out of the federal record," the commission said.
Between 1992 and 2019, Epstein's aircraft made 227 flights into New Mexico, with Epstein himself on 140 of those flights.
"But
the most important numbers on this slide are the ones that might be
missing. Eighty of those flights that we have obtained on the lists
contain no passenger information at all, and roughly 26 passengers
appear as female first names or initials," the commission said.
Ethan Manera (NEWSTALK ZB) notes New Zealand nationals Brice and Karen Gordon being noted in the interim report out of New Mexico:
Now, an investigatory committee led by New Mexico lawmakers into
Epstein’s crimes in the state has shed fresh light on the Gordons’
involvement in Epstein’s affairs.
An interim report, released by the New Mexico Truth Commission,
describes the Gordons as being in Epstein’s “inner circle” as employees
at the ranch property, and details Brice Gordon’s involvement in
supplying masseuses for Epstein.
Epstein’s longtime pilot, Larry Visoski, testified at Ghislaine
Maxwell’s sex trafficking trial in 2021 that Gordon told him he had
“arranged for masseuses from a Santa Fe spa, Ten Thousand Waves, to
visit Zorro Ranch to perform massages on Epstein,” the report said.
It also references a 2007 FBI interview with Gordon, in which the New
Zealander said he typically arranged Epstein’s masseuses whenever the
financier stayed at the ranch.
Newly confirmed Attorney General Blanche will no doubt continue attempting not to
cooperate with New Mexico and their inquiry into Epstein and Zorro
Ranch. Jason Miciak (RAW STORY) reports:
Short and sweet, New Mexico — as is its duty and right — intends to
investigate the crimes that may or may not have occurred at "Zorro
Ranch," a sprawling estate 30 miles south of Santa Fe. But its
investigation continues to stall due to roadblocks and uncooperative
behavior by Blanche's DOJ, to the point that New Mexico feels it has
little choice but to ask a judge to order the Justice Department to
deliver some justice.
In response, according
to MS Now, DOJ says any reluctance is due to its deeply sincere intent
to preserve the victims' anonymity: "The Justice Department said it was
not releasing some information the state requested because federal court
orders ban disclosing “victim-identifying information carte blanche,
and New Mexico has provided no lawful basis to justify such sweeping
disclosures.”
Hang on.
"Carte
blanche"? This is not the University of New Mexico's library seeking
access to the information. It's the state cops. Federal court orders
banning dissemination of victims' names surely don't encompass "all
other American law enforcement."
Were that the only problem. See, New Mexico isn't even suing "just to get the names of the victims."
"Torrez
said his office has made 10 separate requests for key information and
has been ignored or denied. "We have heard repeatedly they will
cooperate and what our team has experienced is anything but
cooperation," he said.
Right.
And
that's a much bigger problem for Blanche than may appear at first
blush. Because it's one thing to go in front of a federal judge and say,
"But we cannot give this stuff out to them, and we've told them that
repeatedly for 18 months now," versus that same federal judge reading an
email or hearing DOJ say, "Yes, we will be getting that to you
shortly," and never coming around.
Torrez
says it's the second, and judges are busy enough without having the
hassle of ordering you to do what you promised. Especially when it
appears you might have an especially nefarious reason for holding back.
Occam grabs the gavel.
Morning
Joe co-host Mika Brzezinski said the nomination “essentially came down
to one vote: Republican Senator Bill Cassidy,” which provoked a huge
laugh from Scarborough.
“So he’ll be
responsible in history for RFK Jr. and the lunacy there and the attorney
general that will conduct more retribution campaigns than anyone else
in American history as well,” Scarborough added.
The
MS NOW anchor was referring to the February 2025 nomination for the
U.S. Health Secretary, where Cassidy was the deciding vote in confirming
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in the position.
“Good on ya, Bill,” Scarborough sarcastically quipped.
Brzezinski continued her report, saying that Cassidy was “defending his tearful vote,” but Scarborough interrupted.
“No,
there’s no defense of it, Bill!” he stated. “There’s no defense of RFK
Jr. I really… seriously, what was it worth for you? We’ll find out.”
