5 stories credited to Digby's Hullabaloo
Latest story Apr 16, 2026 · on ChamberLight since Apr 2026
A story can appear as several articles (copies of the same piece), so counts of stories and of articles differ.
Scores for Digby's Hullabaloo
Writing quality not enough rated stories yet: 3 of 10. How it is measured
Scores last checked Sep 25, 2026.
Stories ChamberLight collected, by month
Stories credited to Digby's Hullabaloo, by publication date. ChamberLight collects articles that mention the officials it tracks, so this shows its own coverage of this source, not how much the source publishes.
- Stories from Digby's Hullabaloo
- Shaded: ChamberLight collected no stories, or almost none, from any outlet (a gap in its collection, not in the outlet’s publishing)
Show as a table
| Month | Stories | All outlets |
|---|---|---|
| September 2025 | 1 | 42 |
| October 2025 | 0 | 50 |
| November 2025 | 0 | 79 |
| December 2025 | 0 | 27 |
| January 2026 | 0 | 87 |
| February 2026 | 0 | 180 |
| March 2026 | 1 | 1,094 |
| April 2026 | 3 | 4,537 |
| May 2026 | 0 | none collected |
| June 2026 | 0 | none collected |
| July 2026 | 0 | none collected |
| August 2026 | 0 | 1 (collection gap) |
| September 2026 | 0 | 598 |
Top topics
Share of this source’s stories tagged with each topic. A story can carry several topics, so the shares do not add up to 100%.
- Ethics/Corruption5
100% of 5 stories · 56% across all outlets
- Criminal Justice4
80% of 5 stories · 18% across all outlets
- Defense/Military2
40% of 5 stories · 24% across all outlets
- Budget/Spending1
20% of 5 stories · 30% across all outlets
- Foreign Policy1
20% of 5 stories · 28% across all outlets
- Immigration1
20% of 5 stories · 12% across all outlets
- Voting Rights1
20% of 5 stories · 18% across all outlets
The thin mark on each bar is the topic’s share across all outlets.
Who they cover
Party of the officials these stories are mainly about, across all 10 officials named. A story counts once for each official it is mainly about, so the split is over 12 story–official pairs, from 5 stories.
- Democrat50% · 6 pairs
- Republican50% · 6 pairs
Most covered
Stories mainly about each official, and their share of the source’s 5 stories.
Article tone
ChamberLight’s article analysis assigns each story a tone toward the official it covers. It describes the coverage of that official, not Digby's Hullabaloo’s stance, and reader votes do not change it. 5 stories.
- Good Look
- 0 (0%)
- Mixed
- 2 (40%)
- Informational
- 0 (0%)
- Bad Look
- 3 (60%)
Challenges to these scores
No one has challenged a score on this page yet. Anyone can; editors publish every outcome here.
Articles served from digbysblog.net
13
Scattershot On Legal Consequences
Random thoughts on accountability Image: NY ACLU. Over at Slate this morning, Mark Joseph Stern examines a lawsuit brough by lawful Maine resident, Juan Sebastián Carvajal-Muñoz, against masked immigration agents who brutalized him in January and violated his constitutional rights. Stephen Miller may claim that they have absolute immunity from legal liability, Stern writes, based on the Bivens case we discussed here in February (Sue The Hell Out Of Them) about a way victims might get around such prohibitions (and threatened Trump blanket pardons). Stern writes: Carvajal-Muñoz is now putting this theory to the test. It turns out that Maine already has a law on the books that authorizes damages against federal officials who deprive people of their constitutional rights. (So do several other states, including California.) Carvajal-Muñoz sued his kidnappers under this statute, alleging that they stopped, arrested, and imprisoned him on the basis of race in violation of the Fourth and Fifth amendments. (He is Latino.) He sued one ICE officer, Jack Cory Ravencamp—who can be seen on video pointing a Taser at Carvajal-Muñoz—by name. If his suit moves forward, he will likely uncover the identities of the many masked agents who participated in his abduction. He has demanded both compensatory damages to redress his own harms as well as punitive damages “to deter future unconstitutional conduct.” Legal accountability seems to be on the minds of a lot of Trump officials just now. Zeto’s First Draft touches on it this morning. Seeing a strong possibility that Democrats take control of the House in January 2027, Trumpers are doing some preemptive ass-covering: Last year, various Trump administration officials made sure to purchase new legal insurance and professional-liability plans, sources familiar with the matter tell me, in anticipation of future investigations or subpoenas from prosecutors and Democrats. (It’s a smart move: Staffers on the House committee investigating Jan. 6 did the same thing before the 2022 elections, anticipating a Republican-run Congress around the corner.) But in the past few months (including during Trump’s disastrous war in Iran, which has turbo-charged the levels of leaking, backbiting, blame-shifting, and paranoia within Team Trump’s own ranks), I’ve noticed something. In my conversations with several senior administration officials, as well as other Trump advisers and elite Republicans close to the White House, their anxiety – over what Democrats might do to them after the midterms, or once Trump is out of power – has kicked up a conspicuous notch. Some of them have told me they’ve noticed a growing trend of Democratic politicians making public calls for aggressive prosecutions of Trumplanders in the future – a trend one Trump aide privately lamented as “kind of worrisome.” Whether Democrats will follow through is something I find kind of worrisome. God help us that they don’t look forward not backward and let the criminals walk. Brian Beutler is worried about that too: Pardons don’t cover state offenses, and many federal corruption offenses violate sister statutes at the state level. Pardons can’t stop Congress or inspectors general or a post-Trump truth commission from investigating, and airing their findings. Pardons can’t stop disbarment proceedings. And Democrats should absolutely put Republicans on notice that all of it is coming for them. One way to keep Dems accountable for holding Trumpers accountable, Beutler suggests, is primaries: Primaries (next cycle) Brian Schatz and Chuck Schumer will both be up for re-election starting next year. Schumer may step down from leadership and/or retire, but Schatz won’t. Both of them should draw primary challenges if they establish anything resembling a “look forward, not backward” policy for the caucus. Same with Hakeem Jeffries. “[U]ntil there’s a major shakeup in Democratic leadership, we’re going to have to watch like hawks,” Beutler believes. Yup. Email Twitter Facebook
Scattershot On Legal Consequences
Random thoughts on accountability Image: NY ACLU. Over at Slate this morning, Mark Joseph Stern examines a lawsuit brough by lawful Maine resident, Juan Sebastián Carvajal-Muñoz, against masked immigration agents who brutalized him in January and violated his constitutional rights. Stephen Miller may claim that they have absolute immunity from legal liability, Stern writes, based on the Bivens case we discussed here in February (Sue The Hell Out Of Them) about a way victims might get around such prohibitions (and threatened Trump blanket pardons). Stern writes: Carvajal-Muñoz is now putting this theory to the test. It turns out that Maine already has a law on the books that authorizes damages against federal officials who deprive people of their constitutional rights. (So do several other states, including California.) Carvajal-Muñoz sued his kidnappers under this statute, alleging that they stopped, arrested, and imprisoned him on the basis of race in violation of the Fourth and Fifth amendments. (He is Latino.) He sued one ICE officer, Jack Cory Ravencamp—who can be seen on video pointing a Taser at Carvajal-Muñoz—by name. If his suit moves forward, he will likely uncover the identities of the many masked agents who participated in his abduction. He has demanded both compensatory damages to redress his own harms as well as punitive damages “to deter future unconstitutional conduct.” Legal accountability seems to be on the minds of a lot of Trump officials just now. Zeto’s First Draft touches on it this morning. Seeing a strong possibility that Democrats take control of the House in January 2027, Trumpers are doing some preemptive ass-covering: Last year, various Trump administration officials made sure to purchase new legal insurance and professional-liability plans, sources familiar with the matter tell me, in anticipation of future investigations or subpoenas from prosecutors and Democrats. (It’s a smart move: Staffers on the House committee investigating Jan. 6 did the same thing before the 2022 elections, anticipating a Republican-run Congress around the corner.) But in the past few months (including during Trump’s disastrous war in Iran, which has turbo-charged the levels of leaking, backbiting, blame-shifting, and paranoia within Team Trump’s own ranks), I’ve noticed something. In my conversations with several senior administration officials, as well as other Trump advisers and elite Republicans close to the White House, their anxiety – over what Democrats might do to them after the midterms, or once Trump is out of power – has kicked up a conspicuous notch. Some of them have told me they’ve noticed a growing trend of Democratic politicians making public calls for aggressive prosecutions of Trumplanders in the future – a trend one Trump aide privately lamented as “kind of worrisome.” Whether Democrats will follow through is something I find kind of worrisome. God help us that they don’t look forward not backward and let the criminals walk. Brian Beutler is worried about that too: Pardons don’t cover state offenses, and many federal corruption offenses violate sister statutes at the state level. Pardons can’t stop Congress or inspectors general or a post-Trump truth commission from investigating, and airing their findings. Pardons can’t stop disbarment proceedings. And Democrats should absolutely put Republicans on notice that all of it is coming for them. One way to keep Dems accountable for holding Trumpers accountable, Beutler suggests, is primaries: Primaries (next cycle) Brian Schatz and Chuck Schumer will both be up for re-election starting next year. Schumer may step down from leadership and/or retire, but Schatz won’t. Both of them should draw primary challenges if they establish anything resembling a “look forward, not backward” policy for the caucus. Same with Hakeem Jeffries. “[U]ntil there’s a major shakeup in Democratic leadership, we’re going to have to watch like hawks,” Beutler believes. Yup. Email Twitter Facebook
Scattershot On Legal Consequences
Random thoughts on accountability Image: NY ACLU. Over at Slate this morning, Mark Joseph Stern examines a lawsuit brough by lawful Maine resident, Juan Sebastián Carvajal-Muñoz, against masked immigration agents who brutalized him in January and violated his constitutional rights. Stephen Miller may claim that they have absolute immunity from legal liability, Stern writes, based on the Bivens case we discussed here in February (Sue The Hell Out Of Them) about a way victims might get around such prohibitions (and threatened Trump blanket pardons). Stern writes: Carvajal-Muñoz is now putting this theory to the test. It turns out that Maine already has a law on the books that authorizes damages against federal officials who deprive people of their constitutional rights. (So do several other states, including California.) Carvajal-Muñoz sued his kidnappers under this statute, alleging that they stopped, arrested, and imprisoned him on the basis of race in violation of the Fourth and Fifth amendments. (He is Latino.) He sued one ICE officer, Jack Cory Ravencamp—who can be seen on video pointing a Taser at Carvajal-Muñoz—by name. If his suit moves forward, he will likely uncover the identities of the many masked agents who participated in his abduction. He has demanded both compensatory damages to redress his own harms as well as punitive damages “to deter future unconstitutional conduct.” Legal accountability seems to be on the minds of a lot of Trump officials just now. Zeto’s First Draft touches on it this morning. Seeing a strong possibility that Democrats take control of the House in January 2027, Trumpers are doing some preemptive ass-covering: Last year, various Trump administration officials made sure to purchase new legal insurance and professional-liability plans, sources familiar with the matter tell me, in anticipation of future investigations or subpoenas from prosecutors and Democrats. (It’s a smart move: Staffers on the House committee investigating Jan. 6 did the same thing before the 2022 elections, anticipating a Republican-run Congress around the corner.) But in the past few months (including during Trump’s disastrous war in Iran, which has turbo-charged the levels of leaking, backbiting, blame-shifting, and paranoia within Team Trump’s own ranks), I’ve noticed something. In my conversations with several senior administration officials, as well as other Trump advisers and elite Republicans close to the White House, their anxiety – over what Democrats might do to them after the midterms, or once Trump is out of power – has kicked up a conspicuous notch. Some of them have told me they’ve noticed a growing trend of Democratic politicians making public calls for aggressive prosecutions of Trumplanders in the future – a trend one Trump aide privately lamented as “kind of worrisome.” Whether Democrats will follow through is something I find kind of worrisome. God help us that they don’t look forward not backward and let the criminals walk. Brian Beutler is worried about that too: Pardons don’t cover state offenses, and many federal corruption offenses violate sister statutes at the state level. Pardons can’t stop Congress or inspectors general or a post-Trump truth commission from investigating, and airing their findings. Pardons can’t stop disbarment proceedings. And Democrats should absolutely put Republicans on notice that all of it is coming for them. One way to keep Dems accountable for holding Trumpers accountable, Beutler suggests, is primaries: Primaries (next cycle) Brian Schatz and Chuck Schumer will both be up for re-election starting next year. Schumer may step down from leadership and/or retire, but Schatz won’t. Both of them should draw primary challenges if they establish anything resembling a “look forward, not backward” policy for the caucus. Same with Hakeem Jeffries. “[U]ntil there’s a major shakeup in Democratic leadership, we’re going to have to watch like hawks,” Beutler believes. Yup. Email Twitter Facebook
“As Congress May By Law Provide”
Raskin submits bill for a commission It’s been clear for months that Donald Trump is unfit for office. I declared him mentally unbalanced in late 2015 or early 2016 over dinner with my parents, fergawdsakes. Democrats on Tuesday finally decided to get the net. Or at least create a process for building one. Heather Cox Richardson writes: With the House back in session today, Representative Jamie Raskin (D-MD), the top-ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, introduced a bill to establish an independent commission to evaluate the president’s mental state. The Twenty-fifth Amendment to the Constitution establishes a process by which either a majority of the Cabinet or a majority of a body created by Congress to evaluate the president’s fitness can declare that a president is “unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.” In a press release, Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee expressed concern about “Trump’s escalating erratic conduct.” The bill has fifty Democratic co-sponsors. Rasking is leaning on this wording from Section 4 of the 25th Amendment (emphasis mine): Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President. Raskin’s press release elaborates: “The Constitution explicitly vests Congress with the authority to create a body that will guarantee the successful continuity of government by responding to presidential incapacity to discharge the powers and duties of office. We have a solemn duty to play our defined role under the 25th Amendment by setting up this body to act alongside the Vice President and the Cabinet. This body should have been set up [by] Congress when the 25th Amendment was added to the Constitution in 1967. We have 535 Members of Congress but just one President and this body is a necessary element of successful continuity of government. Congress should act now to establish a permanent and standing Commission on Presidential Capacity to Discharge the Powers and Duties of Office.“ You know why we need one and why now: “Public trust in Donald Trump’s ability to meet the duties of his office has dropped to unprecedented lows as he threatens to destroy entire civilizations, unleashes chaos in the Middle East while violating Congressional war powers, aggressively insults the Pope of the Catholic Church and sends out artistic renderings online likening himself to Jesus Christ. We are at a dangerous precipice, and it is now a matter of national security for Congress to fulfill its responsibilities under the 25th Amendment to protect the American people from an increasingly volatile and unstable situation,” said Ranking Member Raskin. Richardson adds: Trump’s deteriorating mental state has become impossible to overlook, but Republicans are making excuses for it. Cabinet members, who owe their positions to Trump and who likely recognize they will never rise to such power again in a merit-based system, will probably not question Trump’s mental acuity. But Raskin’s measure will force Republicans in Congress either to vote for an independent commission to evaluate Trump or to own his increasingly erratic behavior themselves. Not exactly. Republicans having to vote assumes this bill ever sees the light of day in a Trump presidency. This isn’t the first time Raskin has filed such a bill. He filed one on May 1, 2017 and again on October 9, 2020. Both died in committee. House Republicans will again kill this bill in the cradle. Even if by extraordinary circumstances House Republicans don’t, Senate Republicans will. Even if by extraordinary circumstances Senate Republicans don’t, it would have to survive a Trump veto in both chambers. Even if by even more extraordinary circumstances the bill becomes law, a concurrent resolution of Congress is required to activate the Commission, the president must agree to submit to the examination, etc. Then there is this last paragraph of the 25th Amendment: Thereafter, when the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that no inability exists, he shall resume the powers and duties of his office unless the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive department or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit within four days to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office. Thereupon Congress shall decide the issue, assembling within forty-eight hours for that purpose if not in session. If the Congress, within twenty-one days after receipt of the latter written declaration, or, if Congress is not in session, within twenty-one days after Congress is required to assemble, determines by two-thirds vote of both Houses that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall continue to discharge the same as Acting President; otherwise, the President shall resume the powers and duties of his office. Don’t hold your breath. Raskin will get one day’s worth of press from this move. The country won’t get one nanosecond of relief from the lunatic in the Oval Office. Email Twitter Facebook
“As Congress May By Law Provide”
Raskin submits bill for a commission It’s been clear for months that Donald Trump is unfit for office. I declared him mentally unbalanced in late 2015 or early 2016 over dinner with my parents, fergawdsakes. Democrats on Tuesday finally decided to get the net. Or at least create a process for building one. Heather Cox Richardson writes: With the House back in session today, Representative Jamie Raskin (D-MD), the top-ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, introduced a bill to establish an independent commission to evaluate the president’s mental state. The Twenty-fifth Amendment to the Constitution establishes a process by which either a majority of the Cabinet or a majority of a body created by Congress to evaluate the president’s fitness can declare that a president is “unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.” In a press release, Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee expressed concern about “Trump’s escalating erratic conduct.” The bill has fifty Democratic co-sponsors. Rasking is leaning on this wording from Section 4 of the 25th Amendment (emphasis mine): Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President. Raskin’s press release elaborates: “The Constitution explicitly vests Congress with the authority to create a body that will guarantee the successful continuity of government by responding to presidential incapacity to discharge the powers and duties of office. We have a solemn duty to play our defined role under the 25th Amendment by setting up this body to act alongside the Vice President and the Cabinet. This body should have been set up [by] Congress when the 25th Amendment was added to the Constitution in 1967. We have 535 Members of Congress but just one President and this body is a necessary element of successful continuity of government. Congress should act now to establish a permanent and standing Commission on Presidential Capacity to Discharge the Powers and Duties of Office.“ You know why we need one and why now: “Public trust in Donald Trump’s ability to meet the duties of his office has dropped to unprecedented lows as he threatens to destroy entire civilizations, unleashes chaos in the Middle East while violating Congressional war powers, aggressively insults the Pope of the Catholic Church and sends out artistic renderings online likening himself to Jesus Christ. We are at a dangerous precipice, and it is now a matter of national security for Congress to fulfill its responsibilities under the 25th Amendment to protect the American people from an increasingly volatile and unstable situation,” said Ranking Member Raskin. Richardson adds: Trump’s deteriorating mental state has become impossible to overlook, but Republicans are making excuses for it. Cabinet members, who owe their positions to Trump and who likely recognize they will never rise to such power again in a merit-based system, will probably not question Trump’s mental acuity. But Raskin’s measure will force Republicans in Congress either to vote for an independent commission to evaluate Trump or to own his increasingly erratic behavior themselves. Not exactly. Republicans having to vote assumes this bill ever sees the light of day in a Trump presidency. This isn’t the first time Raskin has filed such a bill. He filed one on May 1, 2017 and again on October 9, 2020. Both died in committee. House Republicans will again kill this bill in the cradle. Even if by extraordinary circumstances House Republicans don’t, Senate Republicans will. Even if by extraordinary circumstances Senate Republicans don’t, it would have to survive a Trump veto in both chambers. Even if by even more extraordinary circumstances the bill becomes law, a concurrent resolution of Congress is required to activate the Commission, the president must agree to submit to the examination, etc. Then there is this last paragraph of the 25th Amendment: Thereafter, when the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that no inability exists, he shall resume the powers and duties of his office unless the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive department or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit within four days to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office. Thereupon Congress shall decide the issue, assembling within forty-eight hours for that purpose if not in session. If the Congress, within twenty-one days after receipt of the latter written declaration, or, if Congress is not in session, within twenty-one days after Congress is required to assemble, determines by two-thirds vote of both Houses that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall continue to discharge the same as Acting President; otherwise, the President shall resume the powers and duties of his office. Don’t hold your breath. Raskin will get one day’s worth of press from this move. The country won’t get one nanosecond of relief from the lunatic in the Oval Office. Email Twitter Facebook
Of “Crazy Bastards”
Easter greetings from our very stable genius Captain Hook (Dustin Hoffman) in Hook (1991). The Guardian reports this morning: In a follow-up post on Truth Social, Trump has used abusive language to call on Iran to let ships through the Strait of Hormuz, and threatened to further attack Iranian energy and transport infrastructure. He said: Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the Fuckin’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah. President DONALD J. TRUMP Who exactly is the crazy bastard? Paul Krugman posted an unusual Saturday video comment about a Saturday Truth Social post (below). Trump in his Wednesday address may have sounded like his usual disconnected-from-reality self, albeit lower-energy. But Krugman found the “Glory be to GOD!” signoff in the post unnerving. Trump sounds even less like his usually unstable self. Donald J. Trump Truth Social 04:04.26 10:05 AM EST Remember when I gave Iran ten days to MAKE A DEAL or OPEN UP THE HORMUZ STRAIT. Time is running out – 48 hours before all Hell will reign down on them. Glory be to GOD! President DONALD J. TRUMP — Commentary Donald J. Trump Posts From Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) April 4, 2026 Krugman said: Today Trump put up a Truth Social post, which said that if Iran doesn’t open up the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours, “all hell will reign down on them.” That was how he put it. All hell will rain down. Misspelled rain, but OK. And then finished it up with glory be to God. GOD in caps. Wow. So first of all, this is a completely different picture suddenly. Aside from the Strait of Hormuz not being our problem to we will commit massive war crimes, presumably. That’s the only thing that makes sense here, unless they open it up, which is pretty bad. And also… I don’t think Trump has ever said “glory be to God.” That doesn’t sound like him. That sounds almost as if Pete Hegseth wrote this post, which maybe in some sense he did. The misspellings and all do look like Trump in his own hand, but it feels like this is the influence of our religious fanatic Secretary of War, or as people in the Pentagon apparently call him the Secretary of War Crimes. This is really bad. It’s hard to see what happens in 48 hours. It’s clear that Trump, for all his pretense of, “I’m always winning,” is aware of how completely he screwed things up, that he’s aware that he has basically led America into an epic strategic defeat. I don’t think he cares about that from the point of view of America, but he is realizing what this has done to him — that he will probably quite rapidly lose his grip on U.S., politics, and certainly to the extent that he cares about his legacy, it’s not going to be his wonderful ballroom. It’s going to be that he’s the man who single-handedly led America to one of its greatest defeats ever. But now what? QUADRUPLE DOWN! What else? Which is what Trump did this morning. “If we had a functioning democracy, this would be 25th Amendment time,” Krugman said. But we don’t. If we had a functioning Republican Party, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-La.), Senate Majority John Thune (R-S.D.), and perhaps Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) would trek down to the White House (a la Sen. Barry Goldwater, et al. to Richard Nixon in 1974) and tell Trump that’s it’s time to retire to Mar-a-Lago. Because there is no chance that Vice President JD Vance and a majority of Trump’s Cabinet of sychpohants will sign onto a 25th Amendment letter “to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives” stating that Trump is unfit. They’d be taking out death warrants on themselves, warrants to be eagerly carried out by MAGA cultists. They’d be looking over their shoulders for the rest of their short lives. But the trio of sitting GOP officials won’t challenge Trump either. Johnson is a true believer. Cornyn is in a runoff with Ken Paxton for the GOP nomination for Texas governor. Thune may be a pragmatist, but is he that much of a pragmatist? Krugman finishes his thought: Anyway, I’m scared. I wonder very much what the next few days will bring because this is looking like basically a president who is losing it and unfortunately losing it in a way that can really make the world a much worse place very fast. Trump made that clear this morning. UPDATE: Krugman just posted an update in reaction to Trump’s Sunday post, leading off with “America as we knew it may end Tuesday.” … my God, if Trump gets his way, and if he doesn’t chicken out —and I think TACO is greatly overrated, I think all too often Trump actually does follow through on his insane stuff. It’s entirely possible that basically by this time Tuesday, America will have established itself as one of the world’s great villains. I don’t want to be here, but, you know, be warned. This is happening. This is real. It’s the most astonishing, awful thing that I’ve ever seen, and we’ve all seen a lot of awful things. Take care, I guess. View on Threads Email Twitter Facebook
Of “Crazy Bastards”
Easter greetings from our very stable genius Captain Hook (Dustin Hoffman) in Hook (1991). The Guardian reports this morning: In a follow-up post on Truth Social, Trump has used abusive language to call on Iran to let ships through the Strait of Hormuz, and threatened to further attack Iranian energy and transport infrastructure. He said: Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the Fuckin’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah. President DONALD J. TRUMP Who exactly is the crazy bastard? Paul Krugman posted an unusual Saturday video comment about a Saturday Truth Social post (below). Trump in his Wednesday address may have sounded like his usual disconnected-from-reality self, albeit lower-energy. But Krugman found the “Glory be to GOD!” signoff in the post unnerving. Trump sounds even less like his usually unstable self. Donald J. Trump Truth Social 04:04.26 10:05 AM EST Remember when I gave Iran ten days to MAKE A DEAL or OPEN UP THE HORMUZ STRAIT. Time is running out – 48 hours before all Hell will reign down on them. Glory be to GOD! President DONALD J. TRUMP — Commentary Donald J. Trump Posts From Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) April 4, 2026 Krugman said: Today Trump put up a Truth Social post, which said that if Iran doesn’t open up the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours, “all hell will reign down on them.” That was how he put it. All hell will rain down. Misspelled rain, but OK. And then finished it up with glory be to God. GOD in caps. Wow. So first of all, this is a completely different picture suddenly. Aside from the Strait of Hormuz not being our problem to we will commit massive war crimes, presumably. That’s the only thing that makes sense here, unless they open it up, which is pretty bad. And also… I don’t think Trump has ever said “glory be to God.” That doesn’t sound like him. That sounds almost as if Pete Hegseth wrote this post, which maybe in some sense he did. The misspellings and all do look like Trump in his own hand, but it feels like this is the influence of our religious fanatic Secretary of War, or as people in the Pentagon apparently call him the Secretary of War Crimes. This is really bad. It’s hard to see what happens in 48 hours. It’s clear that Trump, for all his pretense of, “I’m always winning,” is aware of how completely he screwed things up, that he’s aware that he has basically led America into an epic strategic defeat. I don’t think he cares about that from the point of view of America, but he is realizing what this has done to him — that he will probably quite rapidly lose his grip on U.S., politics, and certainly to the extent that he cares about his legacy, it’s not going to be his wonderful ballroom. It’s going to be that he’s the man who single-handedly led America to one of its greatest defeats ever. But now what? QUADRUPLE DOWN! What else? Which is what Trump did this morning. “If we had a functioning democracy, this would be 25th Amendment time,” Krugman said. But we don’t. If we had a functioning Republican Party, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-La.), Senate Majority John Thune (R-S.D.), and perhaps Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) would trek down to the White House (a la Sen. Barry Goldwater, et al. to Richard Nixon in 1974) and tell Trump that’s it’s time to retire to Mar-a-Lago. Because there is no chance that Vice President JD Vance and a majority of Trump’s Cabinet of sychpohants will sign onto a 25th Amendment letter “to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives” stating that Trump is unfit. They’d be taking out death warrants on themselves, warrants to be eagerly carried out by MAGA cultists. They’d be looking over their shoulders for the rest of their short lives. But the trio of sitting GOP officials won’t challenge Trump either. Johnson is a true believer. Cornyn is in a runoff with Ken Paxton for the GOP nomination for Texas governor. Thune may be a pragmatist, but is he that much of a pragmatist? Krugman finishes his thought: Anyway, I’m scared. I wonder very much what the next few days will bring because this is looking like basically a president who is losing it and unfortunately losing it in a way that can really make the world a much worse place very fast. Trump made that clear this morning. UPDATE: Krugman just posted an update in reaction to Trump’s Sunday post, leading off with “America as we knew it may end Tuesday.” … my God, if Trump gets his way, and if he doesn’t chicken out —and I think TACO is greatly overrated, I think all too often Trump actually does follow through on his insane stuff. It’s entirely possible that basically by this time Tuesday, America will have established itself as one of the world’s great villains. I don’t want to be here, but, you know, be warned. This is happening. This is real. It’s the most astonishing, awful thing that I’ve ever seen, and we’ve all seen a lot of awful things. Take care, I guess. View on Threads Email Twitter Facebook
So Much Criming
Wyden accuses Trump DOJ of ongoing Epstein coverup Jason Leopold at Bloomberg reports on the ongoing Department of Justice coverup of a DEA investigation into Jeffrey Epstein and others involving drug trafficking, money laundering, and prostitution: Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche is blocking the Drug Enforcement Administration from releasing an unredacted document from the Jeffrey Epstein files about an investigation involving drug trafficking and money laundering, according to a letter Democratic Senator Ron Wyden sent to Blanche on Tuesday. The document, a 69-page target profile prepared for the DEA by the Department of Justice’s now-defunct Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, was released in January along with millions of pages of other documents from the Epstein files. Although heavily redacted, it showed that the DEA and the Task Forces, known as OCDETF, investigated Epstein, 12 other people and two businesses in 2015. The DEA-OCDETF defunded and shuttered last year, Bloomberg News reports “centered on the procurement of Eastern European prostitutes for high-profile clients and the illicit funding and distribution of so-called club drugs, including ecstasy, methamphetamines and ketamine, a drug known to facilitate date rape.” The redacted targets include “Epstein’s brother, accountants, attorneys and European women who worked as his assistants or fashion models, according to the people familiar with the case.” The redacted Epstein files document is here. Blanche pushed back on FKA Twitter (of course) that an unredacted copy is available to members of Congress, but only “in our reading room.” That’s not what Wyden demanded. Sex, Drugs, And No Rock And Roll? “It appears Epstein was involved in criminal activity that went way beyond pedophilia and sex trafficking, which makes it even more outrageous that Pam Bondi is sitting on several million unreleased files.” Wyden told CBS News in February. Wyden’s review of the documents suggets “Epstein was likely pumping his victims, including underage girls, with incapacitating drugs to facilitate abuse.” His letter in full reads (emphasis added): Dear Deputy Attorney General Blanche: It has come to my attention that you are preventing the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) from producing an unredacted copy of a report I requested regarding drug trafficking and money laundering by Jeffrey Epstein and several associates. By withholding this unclassified document from the U.S. Congress, you are covering up for pedophiles and obstructing my investigation into the financing of Epstein’s criminal sex trafficking organization. For years now, I have been conducting an investigation into the so-called “tax planning” conducted by Epstein to finance his criminal sex trafficking organization. As part of this investigation, I am following the money and examining the extent to which Epstein was able to utilize the U.S. financial system to make thousands of suspicious wire transfers and cash withdrawals for the apparent purpose of trafficking women and girls. As you are aware, on February 25th I requested an unredacted copy of a memorandum prepared in 2015 by the Director of the DEA’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) related to Operation “Chain Reaction.” Operation “Chain Reaction” was a major investigation by the DEA’s elite OCDETF task force into drug trafficking, prostitution, and money laundering by Epstein’s criminal organization. As you are also aware, the fact that Epstein was under investigation by OCDETF is a serious matter. OCDETF, which the Trump Administration recently dismantled, was a premier task force set up to identify, disrupt and dismantle major organized crime and drug trafficking operations. OCDETF worked with partners across federal agencies to conduct sophisticated investigations into transnational organized crime and money laundering. OCDETF frequently targeted dangerous drug cartels, the Russian mafia and violent gangs moving fentanyl and weapons across international borders. According to the heavily redacted version of this 69 page memorandum, which was recently unsealed by the U.S. Department of Justice (the “DOJ”) in response to the passage of Epstein Files Transparency Act (“EFTA”), Epstein and 14 other individuals and entities were being investigated for their involvement in “illegitimate wire transfers” which were “tied to illicit drug and/or prostitution activities occurring in the U.S. Virgin Islands and New York City.” Public reports also indicate that Operation “Chain Reaction” found reason to believe that Epstein was involved in illicit funding and distribution of so-called club drugs, including ecstasy, ketamine and methamphetamines. Ketamine is often used to facilitate date rape by being slipped into beverages unbeknownst to victims of sexual assault. It is my understanding that shortly after I requested an unredacted copy of this OCDETF memorandum, DOJ stepped in to prevent DEA from complying with my request. According to a confidential tip received by my staff, DEA Administrator Terry Cole was ready to provide an unredacted copy of the memorandum, but you stepped in to prevent him from doing so. My staff inquired with the DEA about the status of the production of this document and the DEA responded by directing questions to your office. Your alleged interference in this matter is highly disturbing, not just because it continues the DOJ’s long-running obstruction of my investigation, but also because of your bizarrely favorable treatment of Ghislaine Maxwell, one of Epstein’s closest criminal associates. I should not have to explain the significance of the fact that Epstein was a target of an OCDETF task force investigation. It suggests the government had ample evidence indicating he was engaged in large scale drug trafficking and prostitution as part of cross-border criminal conspiracy and that Epstein was likely pumping his victims, including underage girls, with incapacitating drugs to facilitate abuse. I am at a loss to understand why you are blocking further investigation of this matter. The excessive redactions of this memorandum related to “Chain Reaction” go well beyond the intent of the EFTA, which allows for redactions to protect the identity of victims, not members of a criminal sex trafficking organization. Additionally, the document is clearly marked as “unclassified” at the top of every single page. There is absolutely no reason to withhold an unredacted version of this document from the U.S. Congress. In order to assist my investigation into this matter, I demand that you immediately authorize the release of this document. Now is not the time to cover up for Epstein and his network of criminal pedophiles and enablers. Accordingly, please provide a fully unredacted copy of the May 18, 2015 memorandum prepared by the Director of the OCDETF Fusion center (OFC-TP-15-12392, SODOFC-15-12392, identified as EFTA00173953 in the DOJ’s digital Epstein files library). Sincerely, Ron Wyden U.S. Senator So much criming you’ll get tired of criming Wyden’s colleague, Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, is having similar issues with DOJ stonewallling, Leopold reports: Separately on Monday, Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, the ranking member of a Senate Judiciary subcommittee, sent a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi, Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel and Cole, the DEA administrator. In the letter, Whitehouse requested records and details about another OCDETF operation that surfaced in the Epstein files that was also cited in Bloomberg’s reporting. That operation, known as Trip Knot, was launched by OCDETF and the FBI a few months before Epstein was arrested and charged with sex trafficking, according to the people familiar with the case. It was a money laundering and human and drug trafficking investigation tied to Russian organized crime that was linked back to FBI and DEA probes in 2017 and 2018. Epstein’s name surfaced repeatedly in that case as well, the people said. Heather Cox Richardson stayed up late to write about the DOJ coverup. She notes that it echoes a September 2019 letter from then-Rep. Adam Schiff of California to Trump’s acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire. It involved the coverup of the whistleblower complaint about the Trump’s “perfect” call with newly elected Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky that led to his first impeachment for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Schiff was the impeachmwent manager for Trump’s Senate trial. Richardson concludes: But Republican senators stood behind Trump. They acquitted him of abuse of power, by a vote of 48 for conviction to 52 for acquittal. Senator Mitt Romney of Utah crossed the aisle to vote with the Democratic minority. Senate Republicans were unanimous in their vote to acquit Trump of obstruction of Congress. And here we are. Richardson means here we are again. Email Twitter Facebook
So Much Criming
Wyden accuses Trump DOJ of ongoing Epstein coverup Jason Leopold at Bloomberg reports on the ongoing Department of Justice coverup of a DEA investigation into Jeffrey Epstein and others involving drug trafficking, money laundering, and prostitution: Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche is blocking the Drug Enforcement Administration from releasing an unredacted document from the Jeffrey Epstein files about an investigation involving drug trafficking and money laundering, according to a letter Democratic Senator Ron Wyden sent to Blanche on Tuesday. The document, a 69-page target profile prepared for the DEA by the Department of Justice’s now-defunct Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, was released in January along with millions of pages of other documents from the Epstein files. Although heavily redacted, it showed that the DEA and the Task Forces, known as OCDETF, investigated Epstein, 12 other people and two businesses in 2015. The DEA-OCDETF defunded and shuttered last year, Bloomberg News reports “centered on the procurement of Eastern European prostitutes for high-profile clients and the illicit funding and distribution of so-called club drugs, including ecstasy, methamphetamines and ketamine, a drug known to facilitate date rape.” The redacted targets include “Epstein’s brother, accountants, attorneys and European women who worked as his assistants or fashion models, according to the people familiar with the case.” The redacted Epstein files document is here. Blanche pushed back on FKA Twitter (of course) that an unredacted copy is available to members of Congress, but only “in our reading room.” That’s not what Wyden demanded. Sex, Drugs, And No Rock And Roll? “It appears Epstein was involved in criminal activity that went way beyond pedophilia and sex trafficking, which makes it even more outrageous that Pam Bondi is sitting on several million unreleased files.” Wyden told CBS News in February. Wyden’s review of the documents suggets “Epstein was likely pumping his victims, including underage girls, with incapacitating drugs to facilitate abuse.” His letter in full reads (emphasis added): Dear Deputy Attorney General Blanche: It has come to my attention that you are preventing the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) from producing an unredacted copy of a report I requested regarding drug trafficking and money laundering by Jeffrey Epstein and several associates. By withholding this unclassified document from the U.S. Congress, you are covering up for pedophiles and obstructing my investigation into the financing of Epstein’s criminal sex trafficking organization. For years now, I have been conducting an investigation into the so-called “tax planning” conducted by Epstein to finance his criminal sex trafficking organization. As part of this investigation, I am following the money and examining the extent to which Epstein was able to utilize the U.S. financial system to make thousands of suspicious wire transfers and cash withdrawals for the apparent purpose of trafficking women and girls. As you are aware, on February 25th I requested an unredacted copy of a memorandum prepared in 2015 by the Director of the DEA’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) related to Operation “Chain Reaction.” Operation “Chain Reaction” was a major investigation by the DEA’s elite OCDETF task force into drug trafficking, prostitution, and money laundering by Epstein’s criminal organization. As you are also aware, the fact that Epstein was under investigation by OCDETF is a serious matter. OCDETF, which the Trump Administration recently dismantled, was a premier task force set up to identify, disrupt and dismantle major organized crime and drug trafficking operations. OCDETF worked with partners across federal agencies to conduct sophisticated investigations into transnational organized crime and money laundering. OCDETF frequently targeted dangerous drug cartels, the Russian mafia and violent gangs moving fentanyl and weapons across international borders. According to the heavily redacted version of this 69 page memorandum, which was recently unsealed by the U.S. Department of Justice (the “DOJ”) in response to the passage of Epstein Files Transparency Act (“EFTA”), Epstein and 14 other individuals and entities were being investigated for their involvement in “illegitimate wire transfers” which were “tied to illicit drug and/or prostitution activities occurring in the U.S. Virgin Islands and New York City.” Public reports also indicate that Operation “Chain Reaction” found reason to believe that Epstein was involved in illicit funding and distribution of so-called club drugs, including ecstasy, ketamine and methamphetamines. Ketamine is often used to facilitate date rape by being slipped into beverages unbeknownst to victims of sexual assault. It is my understanding that shortly after I requested an unredacted copy of this OCDETF memorandum, DOJ stepped in to prevent DEA from complying with my request. According to a confidential tip received by my staff, DEA Administrator Terry Cole was ready to provide an unredacted copy of the memorandum, but you stepped in to prevent him from doing so. My staff inquired with the DEA about the status of the production of this document and the DEA responded by directing questions to your office. Your alleged interference in this matter is highly disturbing, not just because it continues the DOJ’s long-running obstruction of my investigation, but also because of your bizarrely favorable treatment of Ghislaine Maxwell, one of Epstein’s closest criminal associates. I should not have to explain the significance of the fact that Epstein was a target of an OCDETF task force investigation. It suggests the government had ample evidence indicating he was engaged in large scale drug trafficking and prostitution as part of cross-border criminal conspiracy and that Epstein was likely pumping his victims, including underage girls, with incapacitating drugs to facilitate abuse. I am at a loss to understand why you are blocking further investigation of this matter. The excessive redactions of this memorandum related to “Chain Reaction” go well beyond the intent of the EFTA, which allows for redactions to protect the identity of victims, not members of a criminal sex trafficking organization. Additionally, the document is clearly marked as “unclassified” at the top of every single page. There is absolutely no reason to withhold an unredacted version of this document from the U.S. Congress. In order to assist my investigation into this matter, I demand that you immediately authorize the release of this document. Now is not the time to cover up for Epstein and his network of criminal pedophiles and enablers. Accordingly, please provide a fully unredacted copy of the May 18, 2015 memorandum prepared by the Director of the OCDETF Fusion center (OFC-TP-15-12392, SODOFC-15-12392, identified as EFTA00173953 in the DOJ’s digital Epstein files library). Sincerely, Ron Wyden U.S. Senator So much criming you’ll get tired of criming Wyden’s colleague, Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, is having similar issues with DOJ stonewallling, Leopold reports: Separately on Monday, Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, the ranking member of a Senate Judiciary subcommittee, sent a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi, Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel and Cole, the DEA administrator. In the letter, Whitehouse requested records and details about another OCDETF operation that surfaced in the Epstein files that was also cited in Bloomberg’s reporting. That operation, known as Trip Knot, was launched by OCDETF and the FBI a few months before Epstein was arrested and charged with sex trafficking, according to the people familiar with the case. It was a money laundering and human and drug trafficking investigation tied to Russian organized crime that was linked back to FBI and DEA probes in 2017 and 2018. Epstein’s name surfaced repeatedly in that case as well, the people said. Heather Cox Richardson stayed up late to write about the DOJ coverup. She notes that it echoes a September 2019 letter from then-Rep. Adam Schiff of California to Trump’s acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire. It involved the coverup of the whistleblower complaint about the Trump’s “perfect” call with newly elected Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky that led to his first impeachment for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Schiff was the impeachmwent manager for Trump’s Senate trial. Richardson concludes: But Republican senators stood behind Trump. They acquitted him of abuse of power, by a vote of 48 for conviction to 52 for acquittal. Senator Mitt Romney of Utah crossed the aisle to vote with the Democratic minority. Senate Republicans were unanimous in their vote to acquit Trump of obstruction of Congress. And here we are. Richardson means here we are again. Email Twitter Facebook
So Much Criming
Wyden accuses Trump DOJ of ongoing Epstein coverup Jason Leopold at Bloomberg reports on the ongoing Department of Justice coverup of a DEA investigation into Jeffrey Epstein and others involving drug trafficking, money laundering, and prostitution: Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche is blocking the Drug Enforcement Administration from releasing an unredacted document from the Jeffrey Epstein files about an investigation involving drug trafficking and money laundering, according to a letter Democratic Senator Ron Wyden sent to Blanche on Tuesday. The document, a 69-page target profile prepared for the DEA by the Department of Justice’s now-defunct Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, was released in January along with millions of pages of other documents from the Epstein files. Although heavily redacted, it showed that the DEA and the Task Forces, known as OCDETF, investigated Epstein, 12 other people and two businesses in 2015. The DEA-OCDETF defunded and shuttered last year, Bloomberg News reports “centered on the procurement of Eastern European prostitutes for high-profile clients and the illicit funding and distribution of so-called club drugs, including ecstasy, methamphetamines and ketamine, a drug known to facilitate date rape.” The redacted targets include “Epstein’s brother, accountants, attorneys and European women who worked as his assistants or fashion models, according to the people familiar with the case.” The redacted Epstein files document is here. Blanche pushed back on FKA Twitter (of course) that an unredacted copy is available to members of Congress, but only “in our reading room.” That’s not what Wyden demanded. Sex, Drugs, And No Rock And Roll? “It appears Epstein was involved in criminal activity that went way beyond pedophilia and sex trafficking, which makes it even more outrageous that Pam Bondi is sitting on several million unreleased files.” Wyden told CBS News in February. Wyden’s review of the documents suggets “Epstein was likely pumping his victims, including underage girls, with incapacitating drugs to facilitate abuse.” His letter in full reads (emphasis added): Dear Deputy Attorney General Blanche: It has come to my attention that you are preventing the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) from producing an unredacted copy of a report I requested regarding drug trafficking and money laundering by Jeffrey Epstein and several associates. By withholding this unclassified document from the U.S. Congress, you are covering up for pedophiles and obstructing my investigation into the financing of Epstein’s criminal sex trafficking organization. For years now, I have been conducting an investigation into the so-called “tax planning” conducted by Epstein to finance his criminal sex trafficking organization. As part of this investigation, I am following the money and examining the extent to which Epstein was able to utilize the U.S. financial system to make thousands of suspicious wire transfers and cash withdrawals for the apparent purpose of trafficking women and girls. As you are aware, on February 25th I requested an unredacted copy of a memorandum prepared in 2015 by the Director of the DEA’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) related to Operation “Chain Reaction.” Operation “Chain Reaction” was a major investigation by the DEA’s elite OCDETF task force into drug trafficking, prostitution, and money laundering by Epstein’s criminal organization. As you are also aware, the fact that Epstein was under investigation by OCDETF is a serious matter. OCDETF, which the Trump Administration recently dismantled, was a premier task force set up to identify, disrupt and dismantle major organized crime and drug trafficking operations. OCDETF worked with partners across federal agencies to conduct sophisticated investigations into transnational organized crime and money laundering. OCDETF frequently targeted dangerous drug cartels, the Russian mafia and violent gangs moving fentanyl and weapons across international borders. According to the heavily redacted version of this 69 page memorandum, which was recently unsealed by the U.S. Department of Justice (the “DOJ”) in response to the passage of Epstein Files Transparency Act (“EFTA”), Epstein and 14 other individuals and entities were being investigated for their involvement in “illegitimate wire transfers” which were “tied to illicit drug and/or prostitution activities occurring in the U.S. Virgin Islands and New York City.” Public reports also indicate that Operation “Chain Reaction” found reason to believe that Epstein was involved in illicit funding and distribution of so-called club drugs, including ecstasy, ketamine and methamphetamines. Ketamine is often used to facilitate date rape by being slipped into beverages unbeknownst to victims of sexual assault. It is my understanding that shortly after I requested an unredacted copy of this OCDETF memorandum, DOJ stepped in to prevent DEA from complying with my request. According to a confidential tip received by my staff, DEA Administrator Terry Cole was ready to provide an unredacted copy of the memorandum, but you stepped in to prevent him from doing so. My staff inquired with the DEA about the status of the production of this document and the DEA responded by directing questions to your office. Your alleged interference in this matter is highly disturbing, not just because it continues the DOJ’s long-running obstruction of my investigation, but also because of your bizarrely favorable treatment of Ghislaine Maxwell, one of Epstein’s closest criminal associates. I should not have to explain the significance of the fact that Epstein was a target of an OCDETF task force investigation. It suggests the government had ample evidence indicating he was engaged in large scale drug trafficking and prostitution as part of cross-border criminal conspiracy and that Epstein was likely pumping his victims, including underage girls, with incapacitating drugs to facilitate abuse. I am at a loss to understand why you are blocking further investigation of this matter. The excessive redactions of this memorandum related to “Chain Reaction” go well beyond the intent of the EFTA, which allows for redactions to protect the identity of victims, not members of a criminal sex trafficking organization. Additionally, the document is clearly marked as “unclassified” at the top of every single page. There is absolutely no reason to withhold an unredacted version of this document from the U.S. Congress. In order to assist my investigation into this matter, I demand that you immediately authorize the release of this document. Now is not the time to cover up for Epstein and his network of criminal pedophiles and enablers. Accordingly, please provide a fully unredacted copy of the May 18, 2015 memorandum prepared by the Director of the OCDETF Fusion center (OFC-TP-15-12392, SODOFC-15-12392, identified as EFTA00173953 in the DOJ’s digital Epstein files library). Sincerely, Ron Wyden U.S. Senator So much criming you’ll get tired of criming Wyden’s colleague, Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, is having similar issues with DOJ stonewallling, Leopold reports: Separately on Monday, Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, the ranking member of a Senate Judiciary subcommittee, sent a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi, Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel and Cole, the DEA administrator. In the letter, Whitehouse requested records and details about another OCDETF operation that surfaced in the Epstein files that was also cited in Bloomberg’s reporting. That operation, known as Trip Knot, was launched by OCDETF and the FBI a few months before Epstein was arrested and charged with sex trafficking, according to the people familiar with the case. It was a money laundering and human and drug trafficking investigation tied to Russian organized crime that was linked back to FBI and DEA probes in 2017 and 2018. Epstein’s name surfaced repeatedly in that case as well, the people said. Heather Cox Richardson stayed up late to write about the DOJ coverup. She notes that it echoes a September 2019 letter from then-Rep. Adam Schiff of California to Trump’s acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire. It involved the coverup of the whistleblower complaint about the Trump’s “perfect” call with newly elected Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky that led to his first impeachment for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Schiff was the impeachmwent manager for Trump’s Senate trial. Richardson concludes: But Republican senators stood behind Trump. They acquitted him of abuse of power, by a vote of 48 for conviction to 52 for acquittal. Senator Mitt Romney of Utah crossed the aisle to vote with the Democratic minority. Senate Republicans were unanimous in their vote to acquit Trump of obstruction of Congress. And here we are. Richardson means here we are again. Email Twitter Facebook
January 6 Is The New Lost Cause
The showman will mount show trials Last October, someone beat the UDC to erecting a monument to January 6 insurrectionists. The plaque reads: “This memorial honors the brave men and women who broke into the United States Capitol on January 6th, 2021, to loot, urinate, and defecate throughout those hallowed halls in order to overturn an election. President Trump celebrates these heroes of January 6th as ‘unbelievable patriots’ and ‘warriors.’ This monument stands as a testament to their daring sacrifice and last legacy.” There is a “The South will rise again” vibe to all things MAGA. Donald Trump means to have his revenge on all (in his mind) “what done him wrong.” Anyone and everyone associated with the Russia investigation and Trump’s impeachments must pay, starting with former FBI director James Comey. Vindictive prosecution, you say? You damn betcha. The January 6 insurrection sparked by Trump himself that we all watched live on television must be recast as the War of Deep State Aggression. The United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC) will start erecting a new set of monuments to the valorous MAGA combatants. But first, MAGA Republicans on a new House panel will rewrite the history of the day (Politico): It’s the latest sign that the deadly riot remains a wound on Congress that might never fully heal amid ferocious partisan sparring. Retribution, not reconciliation, appears to be the prime motivation behind the new probe, with the Republicans behind it still bitter over the work of the panel’s previous iteration, which was largely led by Democrats and concluded President Donald Trump was singularly to blame for the violence inflicted by his supporters. One GOP member of the new panel, Louisiana Rep. Clay Higgins, did not rule out questioning members of the prior committee. “They were not invested in actual investigative work anyway,” said Higgins, who has pushed an unfounded theory that FBI agents helped coordinate the events at the Capitol. “That thing was never legitimate. It was always biased. And therefore, if we question them, it may be with the angle of having them implicate themselves in lies that they presented as truth.” “The past was alterable. The past never had been altered. Oceania was at war with Eastasia. Oceania had always been at war with Eastasia.” ― George Orwell, 1984 Georgia Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R) is “talking to different entities” and reviewing documents for potential targets of the new investigation. “We need to look at it from a factual standpoint,” he told Politico. The history of the day must be deodorized to remove the stink from Trump and the roughly 1,500 convicted participants he pardoned and characterized as “political prisoners.” That previous select committee concluded that Trump’s incendiary rhetoric, and months of false claims to sow doubt about his defeat in the 2020 election, inflamed his supporters shortly before he directed them to march on the Capitol. But the review also acknowledged that Capitol security officials were underprepared for the onslaught, leading to the breach of the building and several near-confrontations between rioters and lawmakers. “They can’t even seem to settle on which conspiracy theory they want to advance,” said Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, who served on the previous Jan. 6 panel and serves on the new one. “Was it Antifa? Did it not happen at all? Did Donald Trump really win the election? They can’t figure out what it is they want to say, and it’s because it’s just a tissue of lies and conspiracy theories.” Raskin is on Trump’s list. As is New York Attorney General Letitia James and Sen. Adam Schiff. The showman will have his show trials. Convictions are a bonus for Trump. It is enough that he will drag his enemies through the mud and damage their reputations and family finances. He wants them to hurt. Trump’s list of targets is growing: The White House released a list of nearly 30 elected officials — all of them Democrats — who the Trump administration said incited violence against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents throughout the U.S. […] The White House named the following elected officials on the list, as well as quoted each of them: Gov. Tim Walz smeared ICE as the “modern-day Gestapo.” Gov. Gavin Newsom likened ICE to “secret police,” calling them “authoritarian” and proclaiming a “right to push back.” Gov. JB Pritzker claimed the country is becoming “Nazi Germany” because ICE is “grabbing people off the street and disappearing them.” Rep. Robin Kelly smeared ICE as the “Gestapo” and a “betrayal.” Rep. Jasmine Crockett compared ICE to “slave patrols.” Rep. Sylvia Garcia referred to ICE agents as “thugs.” Rep. Delia Ramirez attacked ICE as “a terror force.” Rep. Pramila Jayapal called ICE agents “deranged,” accused them of “kidnapping,” and said “resistance” to ICE is “inspiring.” Rep. Rashida Tlaib said ICE is “terrorizing our communities” and “turning our country into a fascist police state,” and called it a “rogue agency.” Rep. Ayanna Pressley said ICE is “terrorizing our communities.” Rep. Max Frost compared ICE operations to “some of the worst horrors and crimes against humanity” in history. Rep. John Larson said ICE is “the SS” and “the Gestapo.” Rep. LaMonica McIver incited people to “shut down the city” because “we are at war.” Rep. Stephen Lynch smeared ICE agents as “the Gestapo” and “nondescript thugs.” Rep. Dan Goldman compared federal agents to “secret police” who must be unmasked. Rep. Becca Balint called ICE agents “vigilantes” who can’t be trusted. Rep. Ilhan Omar said ICE agents are “vile and beyond cruel,” and that the agency should be abolished. Rep. Nikki Budzinski called ICE agents “dangerous and reckless.” Sen. Bernie Sanders asked people to “figure out a way to stop ICE from what they are doing as soon as possible.” Sen. Elizabeth Warren claimed ICE is “intentionally stok[ing] fear” and “tear[ing] communities apart.” Rep. Hakeem Jeffries implored people to “fight” the Trump Administration “in the streets” and declared ICE agents “will be unsuccessful” in protecting their identities “no matter what it takes.” Boston Mayor Michelle Wu compared ICE agents to the neo-Nazi group NSC-131. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson accused ICE of being “secret police” who are “terrorizing our communities.” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass spread a disgusting, fabricated hoax that ICE “kidnapped” a woman on her way to work. Rep. Gil Cisneros claimed ICE has “terrorized” people through “racial profiling.” Rep. Eric Swalwell said it was his “priority” to ensure ICE agents “are no longer faceless,” comparing them to “some 1800s bank robber or some KGB officer in Russia.” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said ICE “should not exist.” Rep. Kweisi Mfume challenged the Trump Administration to “a street fight.” Rep. Jerry Nadler accused ICE agents of “hiding misbehavior because otherwise why would they be wearing masks?” California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Bluesky account issued a statement: The White House knows exactly what it was doing when they published a list of Democrats who have used their voice to call out Trump & Miller’s ICE abuses. The list is now being used by the far right as an enemies list. It’s reckless. It’s dangerous. And it puts lives at risk. Again: MAGA disciples who once raged at Hillary Clinton over her deplorables comment bristle today at comparisons to 1930s Germany. Just not enough to reconsider behaviors that evoke them. * * * * * Have you fought dicktatorship today? 50501 May Day Strong No King’s One Million Rising movement – Next national day of protest Oct. 18 The Resistance Lab Choose Democracy Indivisible: A Guide to Democracy on the Brink You Have Power Chop Wood, Carry Water Thirty lonely but beautiful actions Attending a Protest Surveillance Self-Defense Email Twitter Facebook
January 6 Is The New Lost Cause
The showman will mount show trials Last October, someone beat the UDC to erecting a monument to January 6 insurrectionists. The plaque reads: “This memorial honors the brave men and women who broke into the United States Capitol on January 6th, 2021, to loot, urinate, and defecate throughout those hallowed halls in order to overturn an election. President Trump celebrates these heroes of January 6th as ‘unbelievable patriots’ and ‘warriors.’ This monument stands as a testament to their daring sacrifice and last legacy.” There is a “The South will rise again” vibe to all things MAGA. Donald Trump means to have his revenge on all (in his mind) “what done him wrong.” Anyone and everyone associated with the Russia investigation and Trump’s impeachments must pay, starting with former FBI director James Comey. Vindictive prosecution, you say? You damn betcha. The January 6 insurrection sparked by Trump himself that we all watched live on television must be recast as the War of Deep State Aggression. The United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC) will start erecting a new set of monuments to the valorous MAGA combatants. But first, MAGA Republicans on a new House panel will rewrite the history of the day (Politico): It’s the latest sign that the deadly riot remains a wound on Congress that might never fully heal amid ferocious partisan sparring. Retribution, not reconciliation, appears to be the prime motivation behind the new probe, with the Republicans behind it still bitter over the work of the panel’s previous iteration, which was largely led by Democrats and concluded President Donald Trump was singularly to blame for the violence inflicted by his supporters. One GOP member of the new panel, Louisiana Rep. Clay Higgins, did not rule out questioning members of the prior committee. “They were not invested in actual investigative work anyway,” said Higgins, who has pushed an unfounded theory that FBI agents helped coordinate the events at the Capitol. “That thing was never legitimate. It was always biased. And therefore, if we question them, it may be with the angle of having them implicate themselves in lies that they presented as truth.” “The past was alterable. The past never had been altered. Oceania was at war with Eastasia. Oceania had always been at war with Eastasia.” ― George Orwell, 1984 Georgia Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R) is “talking to different entities” and reviewing documents for potential targets of the new investigation. “We need to look at it from a factual standpoint,” he told Politico. The history of the day must be deodorized to remove the stink from Trump and the roughly 1,500 convicted participants he pardoned and characterized as “political prisoners.” That previous select committee concluded that Trump’s incendiary rhetoric, and months of false claims to sow doubt about his defeat in the 2020 election, inflamed his supporters shortly before he directed them to march on the Capitol. But the review also acknowledged that Capitol security officials were underprepared for the onslaught, leading to the breach of the building and several near-confrontations between rioters and lawmakers. “They can’t even seem to settle on which conspiracy theory they want to advance,” said Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, who served on the previous Jan. 6 panel and serves on the new one. “Was it Antifa? Did it not happen at all? Did Donald Trump really win the election? They can’t figure out what it is they want to say, and it’s because it’s just a tissue of lies and conspiracy theories.” Raskin is on Trump’s list. As is New York Attorney General Letitia James and Sen. Adam Schiff. The showman will have his show trials. Convictions are a bonus for Trump. It is enough that he will drag his enemies through the mud and damage their reputations and family finances. He wants them to hurt. Trump’s list of targets is growing: The White House released a list of nearly 30 elected officials — all of them Democrats — who the Trump administration said incited violence against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents throughout the U.S. […] The White House named the following elected officials on the list, as well as quoted each of them: Gov. Tim Walz smeared ICE as the “modern-day Gestapo.” Gov. Gavin Newsom likened ICE to “secret police,” calling them “authoritarian” and proclaiming a “right to push back.” Gov. JB Pritzker claimed the country is becoming “Nazi Germany” because ICE is “grabbing people off the street and disappearing them.” Rep. Robin Kelly smeared ICE as the “Gestapo” and a “betrayal.” Rep. Jasmine Crockett compared ICE to “slave patrols.” Rep. Sylvia Garcia referred to ICE agents as “thugs.” Rep. Delia Ramirez attacked ICE as “a terror force.” Rep. Pramila Jayapal called ICE agents “deranged,” accused them of “kidnapping,” and said “resistance” to ICE is “inspiring.” Rep. Rashida Tlaib said ICE is “terrorizing our communities” and “turning our country into a fascist police state,” and called it a “rogue agency.” Rep. Ayanna Pressley said ICE is “terrorizing our communities.” Rep. Max Frost compared ICE operations to “some of the worst horrors and crimes against humanity” in history. Rep. John Larson said ICE is “the SS” and “the Gestapo.” Rep. LaMonica McIver incited people to “shut down the city” because “we are at war.” Rep. Stephen Lynch smeared ICE agents as “the Gestapo” and “nondescript thugs.” Rep. Dan Goldman compared federal agents to “secret police” who must be unmasked. Rep. Becca Balint called ICE agents “vigilantes” who can’t be trusted. Rep. Ilhan Omar said ICE agents are “vile and beyond cruel,” and that the agency should be abolished. Rep. Nikki Budzinski called ICE agents “dangerous and reckless.” Sen. Bernie Sanders asked people to “figure out a way to stop ICE from what they are doing as soon as possible.” Sen. Elizabeth Warren claimed ICE is “intentionally stok[ing] fear” and “tear[ing] communities apart.” Rep. Hakeem Jeffries implored people to “fight” the Trump Administration “in the streets” and declared ICE agents “will be unsuccessful” in protecting their identities “no matter what it takes.” Boston Mayor Michelle Wu compared ICE agents to the neo-Nazi group NSC-131. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson accused ICE of being “secret police” who are “terrorizing our communities.” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass spread a disgusting, fabricated hoax that ICE “kidnapped” a woman on her way to work. Rep. Gil Cisneros claimed ICE has “terrorized” people through “racial profiling.” Rep. Eric Swalwell said it was his “priority” to ensure ICE agents “are no longer faceless,” comparing them to “some 1800s bank robber or some KGB officer in Russia.” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said ICE “should not exist.” Rep. Kweisi Mfume challenged the Trump Administration to “a street fight.” Rep. Jerry Nadler accused ICE agents of “hiding misbehavior because otherwise why would they be wearing masks?” California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Bluesky account issued a statement: The White House knows exactly what it was doing when they published a list of Democrats who have used their voice to call out Trump & Miller’s ICE abuses. The list is now being used by the far right as an enemies list. It’s reckless. It’s dangerous. And it puts lives at risk. Again: MAGA disciples who once raged at Hillary Clinton over her deplorables comment bristle today at comparisons to 1930s Germany. Just not enough to reconsider behaviors that evoke them. * * * * * Have you fought dicktatorship today? 50501 May Day Strong No King’s One Million Rising movement – Next national day of protest Oct. 18 The Resistance Lab Choose Democracy Indivisible: A Guide to Democracy on the Brink You Have Power Chop Wood, Carry Water Thirty lonely but beautiful actions Attending a Protest Surveillance Self-Defense Email Twitter Facebook
January 6 Is The New Lost Cause
The showman will mount show trials Last October, someone beat the UDC to erecting a monument to January 6 insurrectionists. The plaque reads: “This memorial honors the brave men and women who broke into the United States Capitol on January 6th, 2021, to loot, urinate, and defecate throughout those hallowed halls in order to overturn an election. President Trump celebrates these heroes of January 6th as ‘unbelievable patriots’ and ‘warriors.’ This monument stands as a testament to their daring sacrifice and last legacy.” There is a “The South will rise again” vibe to all things MAGA. Donald Trump means to have his revenge on all (in his mind) “what done him wrong.” Anyone and everyone associated with the Russia investigation and Trump’s impeachments must pay, starting with former FBI director James Comey. Vindictive prosecution, you say? You damn betcha. The January 6 insurrection sparked by Trump himself that we all watched live on television must be recast as the War of Deep State Aggression. The United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC) will start erecting a new set of monuments to the valorous MAGA combatants. But first, MAGA Republicans on a new House panel will rewrite the history of the day (Politico): It’s the latest sign that the deadly riot remains a wound on Congress that might never fully heal amid ferocious partisan sparring. Retribution, not reconciliation, appears to be the prime motivation behind the new probe, with the Republicans behind it still bitter over the work of the panel’s previous iteration, which was largely led by Democrats and concluded President Donald Trump was singularly to blame for the violence inflicted by his supporters. One GOP member of the new panel, Louisiana Rep. Clay Higgins, did not rule out questioning members of the prior committee. “They were not invested in actual investigative work anyway,” said Higgins, who has pushed an unfounded theory that FBI agents helped coordinate the events at the Capitol. “That thing was never legitimate. It was always biased. And therefore, if we question them, it may be with the angle of having them implicate themselves in lies that they presented as truth.” “The past was alterable. The past never had been altered. Oceania was at war with Eastasia. Oceania had always been at war with Eastasia.” ― George Orwell, 1984 Georgia Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R) is “talking to different entities” and reviewing documents for potential targets of the new investigation. “We need to look at it from a factual standpoint,” he told Politico. The history of the day must be deodorized to remove the stink from Trump and the roughly 1,500 convicted participants he pardoned and characterized as “political prisoners.” That previous select committee concluded that Trump’s incendiary rhetoric, and months of false claims to sow doubt about his defeat in the 2020 election, inflamed his supporters shortly before he directed them to march on the Capitol. But the review also acknowledged that Capitol security officials were underprepared for the onslaught, leading to the breach of the building and several near-confrontations between rioters and lawmakers. “They can’t even seem to settle on which conspiracy theory they want to advance,” said Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, who served on the previous Jan. 6 panel and serves on the new one. “Was it Antifa? Did it not happen at all? Did Donald Trump really win the election? They can’t figure out what it is they want to say, and it’s because it’s just a tissue of lies and conspiracy theories.” Raskin is on Trump’s list. As is New York Attorney General Letitia James and Sen. Adam Schiff. The showman will have his show trials. Convictions are a bonus for Trump. It is enough that he will drag his enemies through the mud and damage their reputations and family finances. He wants them to hurt. Trump’s list of targets is growing: The White House released a list of nearly 30 elected officials — all of them Democrats — who the Trump administration said incited violence against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents throughout the U.S. […] The White House named the following elected officials on the list, as well as quoted each of them: Gov. Tim Walz smeared ICE as the “modern-day Gestapo.” Gov. Gavin Newsom likened ICE to “secret police,” calling them “authoritarian” and proclaiming a “right to push back.” Gov. JB Pritzker claimed the country is becoming “Nazi Germany” because ICE is “grabbing people off the street and disappearing them.” Rep. Robin Kelly smeared ICE as the “Gestapo” and a “betrayal.” Rep. Jasmine Crockett compared ICE to “slave patrols.” Rep. Sylvia Garcia referred to ICE agents as “thugs.” Rep. Delia Ramirez attacked ICE as “a terror force.” Rep. Pramila Jayapal called ICE agents “deranged,” accused them of “kidnapping,” and said “resistance” to ICE is “inspiring.” Rep. Rashida Tlaib said ICE is “terrorizing our communities” and “turning our country into a fascist police state,” and called it a “rogue agency.” Rep. Ayanna Pressley said ICE is “terrorizing our communities.” Rep. Max Frost compared ICE operations to “some of the worst horrors and crimes against humanity” in history. Rep. John Larson said ICE is “the SS” and “the Gestapo.” Rep. LaMonica McIver incited people to “shut down the city” because “we are at war.” Rep. Stephen Lynch smeared ICE agents as “the Gestapo” and “nondescript thugs.” Rep. Dan Goldman compared federal agents to “secret police” who must be unmasked. Rep. Becca Balint called ICE agents “vigilantes” who can’t be trusted. Rep. Ilhan Omar said ICE agents are “vile and beyond cruel,” and that the agency should be abolished. Rep. Nikki Budzinski called ICE agents “dangerous and reckless.” Sen. Bernie Sanders asked people to “figure out a way to stop ICE from what they are doing as soon as possible.” Sen. Elizabeth Warren claimed ICE is “intentionally stok[ing] fear” and “tear[ing] communities apart.” Rep. Hakeem Jeffries implored people to “fight” the Trump Administration “in the streets” and declared ICE agents “will be unsuccessful” in protecting their identities “no matter what it takes.” Boston Mayor Michelle Wu compared ICE agents to the neo-Nazi group NSC-131. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson accused ICE of being “secret police” who are “terrorizing our communities.” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass spread a disgusting, fabricated hoax that ICE “kidnapped” a woman on her way to work. Rep. Gil Cisneros claimed ICE has “terrorized” people through “racial profiling.” Rep. Eric Swalwell said it was his “priority” to ensure ICE agents “are no longer faceless,” comparing them to “some 1800s bank robber or some KGB officer in Russia.” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said ICE “should not exist.” Rep. Kweisi Mfume challenged the Trump Administration to “a street fight.” Rep. Jerry Nadler accused ICE agents of “hiding misbehavior because otherwise why would they be wearing masks?” California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Bluesky account issued a statement: The White House knows exactly what it was doing when they published a list of Democrats who have used their voice to call out Trump & Miller’s ICE abuses. The list is now being used by the far right as an enemies list. It’s reckless. It’s dangerous. And it puts lives at risk. Again: MAGA disciples who once raged at Hillary Clinton over her deplorables comment bristle today at comparisons to 1930s Germany. Just not enough to reconsider behaviors that evoke them. * * * * * Have you fought dicktatorship today? 50501 May Day Strong No King’s One Million Rising movement – Next national day of protest Oct. 18 The Resistance Lab Choose Democracy Indivisible: A Guide to Democracy on the Brink You Have Power Chop Wood, Carry Water Thirty lonely but beautiful actions Attending a Protest Surveillance Self-Defense Email Twitter Facebook