Thursday, September 17, 2026

Science post -- extreme weather

Doing a science grab bag post.  Climate change is real and it is a danger that threatens us all.  REUTERS reports:


Climate change is highly likely to have contributed to the catastrophic glacier collapse that flooded parts of Nepal and Tibet in late August, killing around 1,400 people and leaving thousands still missing, scientists said on Thursday.

Rapidly warming temperatures in the region have caused glaciers to thin and have melted ice and permafrost buried deep in the bedrock of the Himalayas, according to the World Weather Attribution (WWA) group of researchers.

• While it is difficult to ascertain the precise role played by climate change in the collapse of around 2 sq km (0.8 sq miles) of rock wall and glacier ice on the Langtang Lirung mountain last month, soaring temperatures created the preconditions that made it more likely, researchers involved in the study said.

• "There's absolutely no doubt that human induced climate change played a role here in the preconditioning of the disaster through permafrost thawing, through thinning of the glaciers, through having more rainfall instead of snow," said Friederike Otto, a climatologist at Imperial College London.

Still on the flooding in Nepal, Laura Paddison (CNN) notes:

But why did the avalanche happen in the first place?

The team of glaciologists and climate scientists with World Weather Attribution, or WWA, a network which examines the role climate change plays in extreme weather events, released its analysis Wednesday in a comprehensive attempt to answer the question.

The disaster was not triggered by a single extreme weather event, but rather by a slew of processes acting together, compounded by decades of climate warming caused by fossil fuel pollution, according to the report, which used peer-reviewed methods but is not yet itself peer reviewed.

The scientists found the mountain may have been preconditioned for collapse by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake in April 2015, which triggered a rock and ice avalanche from the south side of the mountain, potentially weakening the slope. Since then, the mountain has experienced increased rates of landslides, the report found.
The scientists then looked at the role climate change could have played and found several processes acting together.

Climate change is pushing up the “zero degree” line, the point in the atmosphere where temperatures hit 0 degrees Celsius (32 Fahrenheit), by more than 320 feet a decade in the Himalayas.

Rising temperatures are weakening the permafrost in Nepal’s high mountains — the mix of ice, rock, sand and soil that can act like glue — especially around the elevation where the collapse happened, the report found.

Thawing permafrost “reduces the rock strength and allows more water to penetrate into the slope,” Immerzeel said.



Three people died after being swept away by floodwaters in the Navajo Nation community of Newcomb, New Mexico, after heavy monsoon rains inundated parts of the reservation, authorities said Sept. 16.

The Navajo Police Department said officers from its Shiprock District responded to a possible drowning at around 12:30 a.m. local time Sept. 16 after receiving reports that people had been swept away in a flooded area near Newcomb, about 40 miles east of the Arizona state line. The incident occurred as widespread thunderstorms moved through the region, bringing a significant flood threat.

Emergency crews searched the area and found two adults and a child who had drowned. All three were pronounced dead at the scene, according to tribal police.

[. . .]

Communities across the Navajo Nation have experienced significant rainfall this week, resulting in flash flooding that has damaged roads. In the community of Dennehotso, about 30 miles east of Kayenta, Arizona, the Navajo Department of Transportation reported severe damage to multiple areas along Dennehotso Loop Road.

Flooding in Chinle, Arizona, also has been extensive. Some residents along Highway 191 in Chinle, as well as those in other low-lying flood-prone areas, were encouraged to evacuate on the evening of Sept. 15, following recommendations from the Chinle Police Department. Schools were canceled for Sept. 16.



A lightning strike caused the Lucas Fire to break out in Northern California last week, Cal Fire's Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit announced Wednesday. 

The wildfire, which prompted evacuations, road closures and a red flag warning, has spanned 4,128 acres near the Lake-Medocino county line and was 46% contained as of Wednesday morning, Cal Fire said. 

Cal Fire became aware of the wildfire last Thursday at 9:18 a.m. after an AI monitor on an ALERTCalifornia camera detected the fire and alerted the department's local emergency command center, authorities said. 

Cal Fire's investigation into the cause of the Lucas Fire confirmed a "cloud-to-ground" lightning strike occurred the morning of Sept. 10, the department said. All other possible causes of ignition were ruled out, according to Cal Fire. 

Be sure to check out Ann's "A ruling against grifter Chump" from last night, by the way.

"The Snapshot" (THE COMMON ILLS): 

Thursday, September 17, 2026.  Pete Hegseth is on the prowl for a few good men, hard numbers and facts on Chump's war with Iran, Speaker of the Closet Mike Johnson sends the House into recess yesterday to avoid the House voting on impeachment, Chump's planning a huge gift of weapons to Israel, and much more. 



February 28th, Chump started the Iran War.  It has long since gone beyond -- well beyond -- the two weeks he thought it would last.  It's 11 days away from, in fact, from eight months.  Nik Popli (TIME) reports: 

The war with Iran has cost the U.S. government around $38 billion and contributed to growing inflation, according to a new analysis by the Congressional Budget Office, the nonpartisan agency that provides economic and budget estimates to Congress. 

The estimate, which covers the war’s direct costs through Aug. 1, is in line with the Pentagon’s most recent public accounting from July, when Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told Congress that the war had cost $37.5 billion. A later report from the Defense Department's inspector general determined that conflict cost an estimated $33.4 billion between February 28 and June 30.

But the new CBO analysis finds that the price of the war is continuing to rise, estimating that the government will spend another $2 billion to $3 billion each month the conflict continues. It also notes that the war has significantly depleted U.S. munitions, including air-defense interceptors, potentially reducing the military’s capacity to respond to another major conflict.






So the war's costing a fortune and "significantly depleted US munitions" and Chump's doing what?  Blaise Malley (RESPONSIBLE STATECRAFT) notes:

As government watchdogs warn about dwindling U.S. stockpiles of major weapons systems, the Trump administration is moving ahead with billions of dollars in new arms sales to Saudi Arabia and Israel, adding further demand to U.S. weapons production lines.

Earlier this month, the State Department approved a $5 billion military sale to Saudi Arabia, including five thousand 2,000-pound bombs.

Then on Tuesday, the Washington Post’s John Hudson reported that the administration was also readying a $2.8 billion package of weapons for Israel, which will also reportedly include some 40,000 2,000-pound bombs, which can spread shrapnel in an area up to 400 yards. Experts have found Israel used such weapons repeatedly during their brutal campaign in Gaza, including for some of the worst attacks on Palestinian civilians.

Chump might see it as a done deal; however THE ARKANSAS PUBLIC ADVOCATE notes objections from all over:


The proposal has drawn criticism from political figures with different party affiliations, though their objections do not establish broader opposition from either party.

Former Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene criticized the reported plan in a social media post highlighted by Raw Story. She argued that voters had not authorized the transfer and objected to U.S. weapons and tax dollars being used in Israeli military operations.

“We did not vote for this,” Greene wrote before asking, “My God, what comes next?”

Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., said she would work in Congress to block the transaction and future weapons sales while Israel continued conduct that she said violated international humanitarian law. Jayapal characterized Israel’s actions in Gaza as genocide, a description the Israeli government rejects.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., separately told The Washington Post that he intended to build support against the package. He focused his criticism on the use of American funding and Israel’s continued military operations in Gaza and Lebanon.

Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson also condemned the arrangement, calling it a taxpayer-funded gift. His objection reflects growing criticism of U.S. support for Israel among some prominent media personalities, but it should not be treated as evidence of a unified position among Republican voters, lawmakers or the party as a whole.

The reactions differ in emphasis. Greene and Carlson centered much of their criticism on U.S. spending and opposition to overseas military involvement. Jayapal and Van Hollen focused more directly on civilian casualties, international law and the use of American weapons by the Israeli military.


And REUTERS notes, "U.S. Representative Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, said on Wednesday he would not support the sale of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel over concerns the munitions would not be used in accordance with international law." Others -- on both sides of the aisle -- will likely join Meeks on this issue. 


Still on Chump's war of choice, Michael Peck (DEFENSE NEWS) reports: 

Iranian strikes have damaged hundreds of U.S. military and diplomatic buildings, according to a new report by the Department of Defense Office of the Inspector General.

U.S. Central Command told IG investigators that "Iranian strikes damaged and destroyed hundreds of buildings and structures at U.S. bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman, and Jordan during the conflict."

While the report provided no details on damaged military facilities, it did include specifics on damage to U.S. diplomatic facilities.

The State Department told investigators that "U.S. diplomatic facilities in four countries suffered physical damage from Iranian strikes, with an estimated total cost of about $184 million."

U.S. diplomatic sites in Iraq suffered more than 600 attacks, while the embassies in Kuwait City and Riyadh were also hit.

Chump is rumored to be ditching Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth after the midterms. This would take place so that Chump could blame the war on Iran on the bad advice he got from Hegseth. Such a move would negate any effort to impeach Hegseth.  Sarah Davis (THE HILL) reports:

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) said Tuesday he kept his resolution to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth a secret from Republican leaders because he did not want to "show his hand."

The Kentucky Republican, who has been a frequent critic of the Trump administration’s military operations in Iran, introduced his resolution on the House floor Tuesday afternoon. 

“I didn’t want to show it to anybody,” he said during an appearance on CNN’s “The Source” later that evening. “I was afraid that they would do something to subvert me getting on the floor for an hour and 20 minutes and reading these articles."

Massie told host Kaitlan Collins that he had "not heard" back from House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) about his resolution, noting the GOP leader has “48 hours” to call a vote. 

“This is a hot war,” he said. “This could become a nuclear war, and in the interim, even if it doesn’t, there are civilian casualties that are racking up greater than they would have otherwise because another one of my articles of impeachment shows that Peter Hegseth has degraded the ability of the DOD to minimize civilian casualties.”

But there will be no vote today.  THE HILL explained yesterday, "House Republican leaders are cutting short the final legislative week before the midterm elections, announcing Wednesday that lawmakers will leave Washington after votes." 

US House Rep Melanie Stansbury taped the video below yesterday.



Speaker of the Closet Mike Johnson is fond of pulling stunts like that when he wants to avoid doing what he's actually required to do.



  




In other news, Hegseth loves his men good looking and well suited.  That's all you have to do for him to form a man crush on you.  The press has begun to notice his adolescent crushes on other men.  Kathryn Wilkens (MEDIAITE) reports: 

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is seeking fit, well-groomed troops to attend his upcoming “State of the Force” address — and potentially join him for a workout — according to The Wall Street Journal.

The Pentagon has asked military commanders to put forward service members for the Sept. 30 event who meet specific fitness and appearance standards, the Journal reported, citing emails it reviewed.

One such email, sent to Army commanders Tuesday, said potential attendees must pass the Army fitness test and satisfy its waist-to-height ratio, while maintaining “impeccable grooming and uniform standards (no exception).” Officials told the outlet that other military commands received similar instructions.

Wow, it reads like an ad in the personals:  Flabby man child seeks satisfaction with males possessing  waist-to-height ratio and impeccable grooming -- must be dom tops, no vers needed or wanted.


Matthew Chapman (RAW STORY) adds, "The event follows Hegseth's controversial gathering of the nation's top generals and admirals last year at Marine Corps Base Quantico, where he stunned senior officers by declaring the military would no longer tolerate what he called 'beardos' or 'fat generals'."




Speaking of grooming, Hegseth's psoriasis -- the reason he needs a make up salon at the Pentagon and the reason he wears so much foundation -- is spreading.  It's showing up on his neck now which he has previously ignored but will probably now have to also cover with make up.   


The war on Iran is one of the three biggest Chump actions that have destroyed the economy.  The other two?  The war on immigrants and his tariffs.  On the last one, Sasha Rogelberg (FORTUNE) reports: 

“The whole reason the president imposed these tariffs was to try to reshore, affect our massive imbalance in trade that we’ve experienced over many years because of China, Vietnam, the EU and others,” [United States Trade Representative Jamieson] Greer said. “If the companies are going to get this windfall, they should pass it along to their workers as a bonus or a raise, because that’s the purpose of the program.”

It appears the tariffs had the opposite effect in reshoring, with manufacturing jobs in the U.S. actually shrinking by more than 100,000 during the first year of Trump’s second term. Laura Ullrich, director of economic research at the Indeed Hiring Lab, previously told Fortune tariffs and the uncertainty surrounding maintaining supply chains, could be a reason for this dip.

“Oftentimes when there is heightened uncertainty, it’s just difficult for businesses and people to make decisions in real time,” she said. “And so that slows down employment. It slows down all those processes.”

In addition to hiring constraints, tariffs may have also suppressed wage growth, according to Pantheon Macroeconomics analysts Samuel Tombs and Oliver Allen, who argued companies slashed raises in order to maintain or take back margins when the IEEPA tariffs were in place. It’s one reason why companies may feel compelled to give workers back some cash from the duties, the Tax Foundation’s Durante suggested.

Instead of lowering prices or offering refunds to consumers amid ongoing tariff uncertainty, “what are some better ways we can retain our employees and incentivize them to want to stay with us or to want to want to work for us?” he said.

Tariffs, after all, have likely had an impact on workers’ retirement plans, at least indirectly. Though markets have recovered from Trump’s previous threats to impose sweeping import taxes, economists have found evidence tariffs will have longer-term reductions in stock prices, from about 7.33% to 10.13% across indices within the next couple of years. Lower stock prices means fewer returns for employees with retirement money in the markets.

“It is the case, absolutely, that tariffs do impact capital, and thus the equity markets,” Durante said.



U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement likely violated the Constitution when agents delivered a warning notice to a man in Rochester, New York, over a caustic email he had sent the agency’s leader months earlier, a federal judge ruled late Tuesday.

David Streever sued the Department of Homeland Security in July after two federal agents came to his home seeking to have him sign an unusual warning letter saying his email could be a crime. They then tracked him to a hotel in New York City where he was staying with his 7-year-old daughter after returning from an overseas trip.

Streever accused the agency of infringing on his right to freedom of speech. U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras ruled Tuesday that Streever’s claim is likely to succeed and issued a preliminary injunction blocking DHS from making further threats to Streever.


In a 43-page opinion issued Tuesday, Judge Rudolph Contreras of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia found that plaintiff David Streever was likely to succeed on his claim that ICE officials improperly threatened him over constitutionally protected political speech. The judge concluded that a warning notice delivered to Streever’s home could reasonably be interpreted as demanding that he stop criticizing ICE leadership and warning him of potential prosecution if he continued.

“Mr. Streever has a right to express his political views through non-threatening speech, however degrading the speech might be,” Contreras wrote. The judge said the notice likely infringed on that right by threatening consequences if he did not stop criticizing government officials.


The Guardian on Tuesday published a report, citing government data, that showed ICE stopped recording data on miscarriages in October after 18 women lost their pregnancies during the first nine months of the Trump administration.

The Department of Homeland Security first told the outlet that while it wasn’t publishing data on lost pregnancies, it was tracking miscarriages in internal monthly reports, but later admitted even that data doesn’t go past October 2025.

The acknowledgement marks the first time DHS has ever admitted it lost count of miscarriages, even when U.S. senators asked the agency for the data, and comes less than a year after the American Civil Liberties Union called on the agency to address its systemic neglect of pregnant women.

In a statement to Forbes Tuesday, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said the report was “FALSE” and said the agency does track and report miscarriage data on a monthly basis, but did not respond to a request to share the information with a reporter.

[. . .]

It’s impossible to attribute a miscarriage solely to the conditions in immigration detention, but multiple reports from whistleblowers and civil rights organizations say it’s clear detained women aren’t getting the medical care they need. The ACLU said it has found widespread neglect of pregnant women, including being served “inedible” food and having no access to prenatal vitamins. One woman told the nonprofit she told agents about heavy bleeding when she was two months pregnant, and medical staff “took her to a small room and left her bleeding alone without providing her any food, water or pain medication.” She was later taken to a hospital and required a blood transfusion because she had suffered a miscarriage. Pregnant women have also disclosed that they miscarried while detained or were hospitalized for pregnancy complications but received no follow-up care while in the custody of ICE, even when they experienced ongoing pain and symptoms.


Chump no doubt misses his roll dog Jeffrey Epstein.  The two men tore up the night for decades. If Epstein hadn't been arrested for sex trafficking and died in jail, they'd probably still be roll dogs.  Daniel Villarreal (LGBTQ NATION) reports:

On Wednesday, the DOJ announced the discovery of over 1 million documents about Epstein and promised to work to redact and release the files. The DOJ violated federal law by refusing to release all of its files on Jeffrey Epstein by the required December 19 deadline. The department now says its release will take months — Congress members are considering legal consequences for the DOJ’s noncompliance.

 In an unprecedented message, the DOJ has said that its newly released files contain “untrue and sensationalist claims” against Trump.

Among the other newly released files is a letter that Epstein wrote to fellow serial child molester Larry Nassar just before his death that said that Trump “shares our love of young, nubile girls.”

“Our president shares our love of young, nubile girls,” Epstein wrote in the 2019 letter. “When a young beauty walked by he loved to ‘grab snatch,’ whereas we ended up snatching grub in the mess halls of the system.”

In other Epstein news, who prevented the files from coming out?  It was Chump and one of his former confidantes has stepped forward to say so.  Jon Michael Raasch (THE DAILY MAIL) reports: 

President Donald Trump directly ordered the cover-up of the government's Jeffrey Epstein files, ex-Fox News host Tucker Carlson claimed in a stunning interview. 

Speaking with Vanity Fair, Carlson, 57, said that he warned the president about the political ramifications of withholding the files in the summer of 2025 when Trump was facing overwhelming scrutiny for his administration's handling of the late offender's files. 

'My position from the beginning with Trump, I said it to Trump, was, 'I don't understand why you would ever keep any of this stuff secret.' And I got like a bunch of different answers,' Carlson told the outlet. 

'I don't feel any need to cover for Epstein,' the pundit and podcaster said, recounting his conversation with the president. 'So I said, 'You shouldn't either.' In the end, it came from Trump directly.'

Though a deluge of reports has detailed the West Wing's reaction to the Epstein fallout, including meetings on the topic in the Situation Room, Carlson is the first to claim the order to throttle the release of the files came from Trump.   

'The order to cover it up came from Trump,' the former Fox News host said. 'I asked him why. And he gave me this long, very emotional explanation that this was all a plot against him, like Russiagate.'

So he lied to Tucker the same way he lied to the American people by insisting he didn't know, that he barred Epstein from Mar-a-Lago, that he broke off contact with Epstein in the mid '00s, etc, etc, etc.  Alexander Willis (RAW STORY) notes:

A House-led effort to release more information about convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein is gaining traction — and spurring serious concerns within the White House, according to two GOP lawmakers.

In July, Reps. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Ro Khanna (D-CA) filed a successor to their successful Epstein Files Transparency Act (EFTA), the bill that forced the Trump administration to release millions of files.
Their new bill is designed to force the Justice Department to release additional files that it's been accused of withholding unlawfully, despite the passage of the EFTA last year.

Like the original EFTA, this new discharge petition was filed to force a vote on the new bill, which requires 218 signatures to move forward. On Saturday, 106 House members had signed the petition. By Monday night, that number had climbed to 160, with its 218th signature now within reach, Khanna said — and against a fast-approaching deadline.

As noted earlier in the snapshot, Speaker of the Closet Mike Johnson announced yesterday that the House would shut down yesterday allowing members to return to their districts and campaign while also allowing Johnson to shut down any votes on Hegseth's impeachment or on the new Epstein act.   Caitlin Yilek (CBS) reports on a vote that took place Tuesday:

The House Oversight Committee voted 41-0 to recommend holding billionaire investor Leon Black in contempt of Congress for defying subpoenas as part of its investigation into the late Jeffrey Epstein. 

Black, a former business associate of the convicted sex offender, did not comply with subpoenas to appear before the committee on Sept. 3 and produce nondisclosure agreements. Black is challenging the subpoenas in court, and his attorneys called the move to hold him in contempt "a complete abomination."

The contempt resolution now advances to the full House for a vote on whether to recommend the matter to the Justice Department for possible prosecution. Any charging decisions are up to the Justice Department.

It's unclear when the House plans to vote on the matter. It's the House's last week in session until after Election Day. 

GOP Rep. James Comer of Kentucky, the committee's chairman, issued the subpoenas after Black, the co-founder of Apollo Global Management, abruptly left a closed-door, voluntary transcribed interview with the panel in June after refusing to answer questions about nondisclosure agreements.




Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released the following statement:

Today, Rep. Robert Garcia, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, released the following statement after the House of Representatives voted to hold Leon Black, billionaire and benefactor to Jeffrey Epstein, in contempt of Congress after defying two Congressional subpoenas.

“This vote is an important step towards justice and accountability. Leon Black has continued to defy two congressional subpoenas and we need to know why he gave Jeffrey Epstein $180 million dollars. We will continue to center the survivors in our fight to hold those responsible for these horrific crimes. We are just getting started,” said Ranking Member Robert Garcia.

In September 2026, the House Oversight Committee voted unanimously to hold Leon Black in contempt of Congress after defying two Congressional subpoenas. In September 2026, Ranking Member Robert Garcia called on Leon Black to be held in contempt after defying two Congressional subpoenas. In June 2026, after Black walked out of his transcribed interview with the Committee when asked about non-disclosure agreements, Ranking Member Garcia demanded he comply with the Committee’s investigation after being subpoenaed.

 
###



That was Tuesday.  Yesterday?  Alison Durkee (FORBES) reports: 

House Oversight Chair Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., introduced legislation Wednesday that would allow victims of sexual abuse to speak out even if they signed a non-disclosure agreement, a bill borne out of the committee’s Jeffrey Epstein investigation that could be used to expose the financier’s high-profile associates—and fight billionaire Leon Black in court.
The Survivor’s Voice Protection Act, if passed, would void any NDAs that prohibit a victim or other people from disclosing incidents of sexual abuse, and would apply retroactively to NDAs signed before the legislation was passed.

It would also establish a legal definition of “grooming” for the first time, defining the practice as “a course of conduct … directed at a minor that is intended to establish an emotional connection with a minor” in order “to facilitate future acts of sexual conduct.”

Fiduciaries—meaning “a guardian, trustee, executor, administrator, receiver, conservator, or any person acting in any fiduciary capacity for any person”—would also have a legal duty to report any instances of grooming of a minor that they witness, and the victim of the grooming or the government could bring a lawsuit against the fiduciary if they do not.

Comer said Wednesday the bill was a result of the committee’s Epstein investigation, as an unknown number of Epstein associates reportedly signed NDAs with victims of the financier’s alleged abuse.


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


Murray: “We have a bill today that could actually save families thousands of dollars. All we need is for Republicans to join us, stand up to Trump, and pass this bill that will end Trump’s deranged trade wars.”

ICYMI: Murray Introduces Bill to End Trump’s Trade War with Canada & Lower Costs, Slams Trump’s Latest Tariffs as “Economic Arson”

***WATCH: Senator Murray’s full speech***

Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, spoke on the Senate floor urging Republicans to pass her End Trump’s Tariff Tax Act, legislation that would end Trump’s global tariffs and 50% tariffs on Canada, and stop him from waging his unilateral trade war.

Following Murray’s speech, Senate Republicans blocked a request by Democrats to pass the bill through unanimous consent, despite Trump’s tariffs costing the average family nearly $2,000.

Senator Murray’s remarks, as delivered, are below:

“In the face of the skyrocketing prices Trump has caused with his own policies, he has been trying to sell voters a new empty promise about $5,000 checks that everyone knows are never coming.

“But we have a bill today that could actually save families thousands of dollars. All we need is for Republicans to join us, stand up to Trump, and pass this bill that will end Trump’s deranged trade wars. It is quite literally a bill to cut taxes—so Republicans should be all for it.

“And it will save families big time. After all, we know Trump’s tariffs cost the average family nearly $2,000 last year. Two thousand dollars! Think about that. That is money families should have in their pockets. It could help with months of groceries, or cover rent. It could help fund home or car repairs in a pinch. It could be a family vacation.

“But instead—that money got burned up by Trump’s trade war.

“Now, I hear from folks back in Washington state about this about every time I’m home. They have not been shy about saying just how damaging Trump’s trade war has been. Business owners cannot build a long-term plan around a trade policy and tariff rates that change every time the President stays up too late posting online. Families cannot budget for their groceries, when prices keep rising higher every week, or when Trump is outright banning things like milk from Canada.

“Trump’s recent escalation with Canada is especially absurd. This is our ally! This is our neighbor! It is Canada for god’s sake.

“Why is Trump forcing higher costs on our families, just to stick it to Canadians? How is that worth it?

“Congress needs to put a stop to this and leave this money where it belongs—with our hard working families. So today, we are going to try and pass a bill that will revoke Trump’s latest Canada tariffs and end his ability to continue these trade wars.

“Today we are forcing the question: Do Republicans really think they need to let Trump jack up prices on their constituents just because he is mad at Canada? Do Republicans really think the average family is happy paying $2,000 in new taxes because Trump’s ego is hurt?

“Is Trump’s ego really that important to Republicans?

“Well, we are about to find out.

“And you better believe families are watching this debate today, just as they have been watching prices go up all year long, and they are keeping close track of who is putting Trump first, and who is putting our families first.”

###





The following sites updated: 


Posted by at

Wednesday, September 16, 2026

Chump's war on history leads him to continue to attack the Smithsonian

Chump's war on the Smithsonian continues. Lonnie Bunch has announced his retirement at the end of the year but that's not enough to stop crazed and rabid Chump.  Cameron Adams (DAILY BEAST) reports:

President Donald Trump’s next unhinged revenge plot is reportedly going to involve MAGA protest signs placed outside the Smithsonian.

Trump, 80, and his administration have been actively targeting the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History during his second term as president.

Last year he called the Smithsonian “WOKE” and “OUT OF CONTROL” for covering parts of American history including slavery but “Nothing about Success, nothing about Brightness, nothing about the Future.”
Now Trump wants warning signs erected outside the Smithsonian, accusing its leadership of ideological bias, according to a report in The Atlantic on Tuesday.

The publication obtained a letter sent by Trump ally, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, to Sen. Jeff Merkley, an Oregon Democrat, on Sept. 3 saying that the National Park Service would be placing around a dozen signs outside the museum, at an estimated cost of $84,000. The funds would come from taxpayers, out of the Interior Department budget.

He is such an embarrassment to the country.  An idiot in the Oval Office.  He makes Bully Boy Bush look like a genius.  Chump is a moron.  He has no knowledge of history and no appreciation for it.   Sophie Jager (THE NEW REPUBLIC) notes:

This is the Trump administration’s latest attack on the Smithsonian, a cultural institution that has stood witness to the American story for 180 years. It comes after the September 8 announcement that Lonnie G. Bunch III, the Smithsonian’s chief official and founder of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, will retire at the end of this year. Bunch has said that the repeated attacks from the Trump administration and pressure to eliminate exhibits representing “improper ideology,” such as anything to do with race, gender, or oppression, did not influence his decision.

In June, Donald Trump signed an executive order giving his administration unprecedented control over the institution, which he claimed “views American history as a ‘prime tool’ to advance ideas of social justice and the radical transformation of our society.”


"The Snapshot" (THE COMMON ILLS): 

Wednesday, September 15, 2026.  Ka$h Patel appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee, ICE attacks 2 US teenagers, does Chump still "love inflation" like he proclaimed June 10th, and  much more.




FBI Director Ka$h Patel appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday.  He came with insult lines printed for him.  Why?  Apparently he wants to be the new Pam Bondi.  Josh Fiallo (THE DAILY BEAST) notes: 


Patel, 46, printed out attack lines against Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, a ranking member on the committee—including suggestions that the senator and his wife are directly profiting from his time in Congress.
Patel’s bullet list, whose first page was titled “DURBIN INFO” and includes bolded and red text, calls out Durbin’s wealth. The list claims that it has “increased 364% since 1997.”

Though he didn't wear a blond wig, there were questions wondering if he was wearing Pam Bondi's undergarments? What is known is that he borrowed her shoulder pads. 

He tried to echo her in delivery and in poses such as during the following exchange:

Senator Peter Welch: This is existential. You told Mr. Blumenthal that you weren’t sending FBI agents to election sites. According to [Michigan gubernatorial candidate John James] you said the FBI is on the way. This is about whether the United States Citizens -- Republicans, Democrats, Independents -- are the deciders of this election. Or, there's election interference led by the FBI in the Trump Administration. That's what this is about. Do you pledge that you will not, in any way, interfere in the will of the American people when they go to the polls in November?

Director Patel: I pledge, unequivocally, that I will not participate in your charade of lies.

Senator Peter Welch: Then why are you being such a panderer to President Trump, who's still claiming that he won the 2020 election, and who has said the only way Democrats can win in 2026 is if they cheat. Do you believe that?

92 year old clod Chuck Grassley is the Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee.  If he can continue to breathe, he'll be up for re-election in 2028.  At which point, he'll be 94 years old and hopefully able to take a hint that it's time to retire.  He won't be missed.  Nor will his kiss up efforts such as today when his opening statement contained the sort of remarks Patel should have been making -- statistics and figures for the FBI.  He also declared, "You’ll hear Democrats criticizing you for dreamed up failures."  

He's got a lot of bitchy in him for 92.  

Senator Dick Durbin is the Ranking Member on the Committee.  Unlike Chuck, Durbin stuck to facts.

Ranking Member Dick Durbin:  One year ago, my home state of Illinois was experiencing the beginning of a ruthless, reckless, deadly campaign orchestrated by this Administration known as Midway Blitz. Masked federal agents armed with military grade weapons and unmarked vehicles descended on Chicago and other communities, bashing in car windows, indiscriminately rounding up people, deploying chemical agents, and shooting innocent people.  A border patrol agent shot U.S. citizen and Chicago native Marimar Martinez five times after sideswiping her vehicle. She survived. After Ms. Martinez was shot, DHS [U.S. Department of Homeland Security] branded her as a domestic terrorist. A border patrol agent bragged about shooting her. And an FBI agent falsely claimed she chased a border patrol agent before she was shot.  Director Patel, after the shooting, you took to social media, posted a video of a different collision, that you said supported DHS. You said, "Attack our law enforcement and this FBI will find you and bring you to justice." DHS and FBI have since refused to correct the record. No charges filed against Ms. Martinez, who was shot five times by these agents.  .In another event, an ICE agent shot and killed Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez shortly after he dropped his children off at school and daycare. Publicly released video footage and the ICE agent's own statement contradict DHS claims that the ICE agent who shot him was "dragged a significant distance" and "feared for his life." In the past, the FBI would have swiftly responded to these shootings, gathering evidence and working with the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division to conduct a civil rights investigation. But not now.



Ka$h insisted that the FBI had not refused to investigate and that investigations were currently ongoing.  Interesting because Marimar Martinez was shot October 4, 2025.  That's 17 days shot of exactly one year ago.  And it's still under investigation?  And Ka$h still can't correct the record about her attacking DHS?  



Two months later, the government dropped its charges against Martinez, admitting that she had not attempted to ram a DHS vehicle. The government refused to release bodycam footage of the shooting, arguing that it contains sensitive material.[2] In February 2026, a federal judge ordered the release of the bodycam footage and other evidence in the case. The footage indicated that Exum turned his vehicle toward Martinez immediately before they collided, contradicting the government narrative.

 

And yet Ka$h maintains there's an ongoing investigation -- which he can't talk about -- and he refuses to withdraw the statements he made on social media and also refuses to apologize for them.

Republican Senator John Kennedy was puzzled by some of the changes that Ka$h has made including in taking bestiality out of the objectionable list of items that prevented someone from becoming an FBI agent.  At one point, he asked, "If Joe participated in bestiality -- not as the animal, but as the human -- don't you think he ought to be disqualified if he voluntarily did it?"  Ka$h was concerned that applicant Joe might have been trafficked into it,  "They don’t just traffic you for prostitution. They traffic you for degrading acts of all kind.  And they force you into that type of conduct.  And some of these individuals have gone on to be law enforcement officers who qualified to be law enforcement officers and later applied to the FBI.”


Ranking Member Durbin also raised this issue.

Ranking Member Dick Durbin: According to a memo issued this June, the FBI has lowered its hiring standards by dropping automatic disqualification for applicants who have stolen from prior employers, paid for sex, or engaged in bestiality. In July, you claimed the FBI is "losing too many qualified candidates to the rigors and requirements from yesteryear." Director Patel, do you believe those who have previously stolen from employers, solicited sex, or engaged in bestiality are qualified candidates the FBI is losing?  [. . .] What I'm reading to you is that you dropped automatic disqualification for applicants who have been engaged in bestiality. Not victims of bestiality -- applicants who have engaged









Let's note some of Senator Mazie Hirono's remarks.


Senator Mazie Hirono:  Mr. Patel, the FBI Director should at least try to be above reproach. But there are many questions and concerns raised about your judgment and character.  For example, in August 2025, you took a VIP snorkeling tour around the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor, a sacred site. Sacred. That is why these tours are rare.  Since 2020, only senior Defense officials, members of the military, and one congressman who was a special forces veteran have participated. And then came you. When this incident came to light in May, Senators Schumer, Durbin, and I sent you a letter.  And we asked you three simple questions:  First: what personal travel have you taken as FBI Director?  Two: what non-official activities have you attended as part of official travel?  Three: what has been the cost to taxpayers of these kinds of activities?    Three months later, we have received no response.  Mr. Patel, when can we expect your response to that letter?  Is there a date anywhere when we can expect a response? I don't have a response, do you have it with you? Maybe you can hand it to me. The reason I ask that is because I had a director who said that there was a report that he had, right then and there. And then it didn’t come to me until a lot later.  If you have a response, give it to me right now please. I assume there is no response.  I'm not going to be holding my breath that you will provide that response.  If this snorkel tour were a one-off incident, that would be one thing. But it’s part of a broader pattern of using your office to benefit yourself, showing your lack of judgement and character.  You have wasted untold taxpayer dollars driving around in foreign luxury cars, partying in Italy, and flying a private jet to play golf and watch hockey.  There has been bipartisan criticism. I'm glad to know that some of my Republican colleagues actually criticized some of this activity, and they have criticized this waste and abuse. Maybe today one of my Republican colleagues will demand an explanation.  Now, Mr. Patel, you have clearly politicized the FBI. And whenever you are asked, even today, questions you don't feel like answering you respond it's "ongoing" it'’s "part of an investigation." You think that covers everything and so you don't answer.  That is what you’ve resorted to, aside from, I've just watched you today in a very combative mode with my colleague Senator Welch and you attacking him, which is also the way you approach questions that you don't want to answer.  And then I note your recent appearance before the Senate Appropriations Committee, I'll get to that in a bit.   To be clear, there are many things you should answer for. You have been at the helm of the FBI for almost two years, and the list of your failings is long and frankly growing.  You have decimated the FBI workforce. The FBI today is down thousands of dedicated professionals who worked to keep our country safe. And frankly, your answers to questions along those lines have been unbelievable.  If I thought I could get a truthful answer out of you, I’d ask you questions like what the hell you were thinking firing a dozen Iran experts on the eve of an illegal war with Iran.




Also yesterday in Congress, US House Rep Thomas Massie spoke. Sudiksha Kochi (THE HILL) reports:

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) on Tuesday launched an effort to impeach Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, citing the Pentagon’s military actions against Iran. 

Massie, a frequent critic of President Trump, accused Hegseth of launching an illegal war that was not approved by Congress. He introduced articles of impeachment on the House floor against Hegseth for “high crimes and misdemeanors.”

Massie also took the remarkable step of making his resolution privileged, meaning he’s forcing it to the floor for a vote. By House rules, that vote must come within two days. 

He argued that Hegseth violated “his oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States” and violated “his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, especially with regard to the commission of war.” He added that Hegseth has “abused the powers of the Department of Defense.”


US House Rep Ro Khanna joined Massie in calling for Hegseth's impeachment. 




Massie also criticized the U.S. military's actions in Venezuela, including the capture of the country's former president. And he accused Hegseth of undermining "effective journalist oversight" after shrinking the Pentagon press corps.
He took particular issue with a U.S. strike on an Iranian primary school that killed more than 100 children at the start of the Middle Eastern conflict. The strike "exposed systemic failures in the Department of Defense targeting process," he said.

The Pentagon has yet to release the findings of an investigation into the Feb. 28 airstrike on the Shajareh Tayyebeh school. At least 168 people died in the attack, most of them children, according to Iranian state media.


Meanwhile the Iran War has destroyed the US economy.  Why Chump chose to go to war is anyone's guess.  He said it would be two weeks and it's now closer to the eight month.  He's stuck in Iran and can't get out. Martha McHardy (DAILY BEAST) notes: 

Donald Trump’s closest White House aides are scrambling to control the fallout from his ill-advised war on Iran as fuel prices hit new highs ahead of the midterm elections.

The conflict, launched by Trump in February without congressional authorization, has disrupted the global energy market and closed the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial route for oil shipments, driving up energy prices worldwide.

Brent crude climbed to around $109 a barrel on Monday, its highest level since May, while gasoline has reached $4.32 a gallon and diesel a record $6.23, according to AAA.

According to Politico, the crisis has led to “frustration” in the White House as officials desperately seek an exit strategy before elections that could see Trump lose his grip on Congress.


The cost to American households is mounting. Brown University’s Iran War Energy Cost Tracker estimates the conflict has added more than $100 billion to U.S. gasoline and diesel costs, with the average household paying more than $750 extra.

The war has destroyed the US economy.  It's impacted the global economy.  Polly Davis Doig (NEWSER) reports: 

Oil executives have been warning this was coming, and now they say it's arrived: With the Strait of Hormuz effectively shut and a key Saudi pipeline knocked offline, industry leaders like Chevron CEO Mike Wirth contend that the global system has burned through its safety nets, reports the Wall Street Journal, pushing crude near $101 a barrel and diesel to a record $6.23 a gallon. The damaged Saudi pipeline alone, which was being used to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, took 2.5 million gallons a day off the table, and is expected to be offline for weeks, notes the AP. "All these mechanisms helped to mitigate the price and supply risk," Wirth says. "Those have largely now played out."


The average price of a gallon of diesel in the U.S. hit a fresh record high of $6.27 on Tuesday, according to the American Automobile Association.

U.S. diesel prices are soaring once again as the squeeze in the fuel market tightens, breaching $6 a gallon for the first time on Friday. Higher prices at the pump come as Brent Crude trades at around $107 a barrel, with renewed supply concerns mounting and Northern Hemisphere farmers entering the diesel-intensive harvesting season.

Prices had jumped at the start of the Iran conflict before cooling after refiners ramped up production. The average price for a gallon of diesel was $3.69 a year ago.

The higher prices are a blow to President Trump who made easing the cost of living central to his 2024 re-election campaign and has repeatedly called for lower interest rates. However, energy-cost inflation has boosted expectations that the U.S. Federal Reserve will hike interest rates Wednesday.


Gasoline prices are rising, but it will be a few months before everyday Americans and policymakers know whether or not the latest spikes will lead to higher inflation.

With the conflict in the Middle East intensifying in recent weeks, prices at the pump are on the rise again, jumping 13 cents in just a week and hitting $4.32 per gallon for regular unleaded on Monday, according to AAA. Diesel prices were surging even more, averaging $6.23 per gallon, the highest average on record.

But whether the latest price spikes will lead to higher rates of inflation in the coming months is a complicated question—and will take time to play out.

It generally takes about three months to see a 10% gas price shock show up in the core personal consumption expenditures price index measurement, which excludes energy and food prices, says Bernard Yaros, lead economist at Oxford Economics.

Thomas Kent (MONEYWISE) reminds readers that June 10th is when Chump declared, "I love the inflation."

You think Chump still loves inflation?  You think he'd make that assertion today after Americans have been hurting for so long?  


In other news, Chump calls fears about data centers "a hoax."  However, Will Neal (DAILY BEAST) reports: 

A “computer glitch” at a New Jersey data center has sent roughly 5,000 gallons of diesel pouring into the state’s wetlands. Michael Gonnelli, mayor of nearby Secaucus, has said the leak came from a storage tank at the site, run by digital infrastructure group Equinix. He blamed the glitch, though the firm said it’s still reviewing the cause. A spokesperson for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection said crews used vacuum trucks and barriers to remove the fuel from a creek before it reached the Hackensack River. 


Turning to immigration,  Hafiz Rashid (THE NEW REPUBLIC) notes: 


Two U.S. citizen teenagers who were on their way to file enlistment papers to join the Marines were violently attacked by ICE agents, who reportedly detained them for nearly eight hours before letting them go. 

Telemundo reports that agents pepper-sprayed the teenagers  because they were allegedly filming ICE arresting parents outside of Santos Livas Elementary School in Alamo, Texas.  ICE agents were caught on video pulling one teen from the car and punching him repeatedly in the face while he lay on the ground. The other teen, Luis Ochoa, said he informed the ICE agents he was a citizen, but was told, “I don’t give a damn.... Your parents can’t help you now.”  


Ochoa is reportedly rethinking his decision to enlist, with his mother telling Telemundo, “How are they supposed to serve a country that doesn’t even uphold their basic rights?” 


And we're going back to yesterday's Senate Judiciary Committee to note this exchange on immiration:

Senator Alex Padilla: Reports indicate, in July, field offices received guidance to stop investigating confrontations with immigration enforcement officials or agents involved with immigration enforcement. Yes or no, did you or your leadership team instruct field offices to stop investigating excessive use of force by ICE or CBP?

Ka$h Patel: No.

Senator Alex Padilla: Can you reiterate for me, for the community, for the public, what is the current guidance to field offices as it pertains to these types of investigations?

Ka$h Patel: Every single investigation is different, depending on the location, on who the officer is. We have to bring in the lead home agency if it's one of theirs, one of ours.

Senator Alex Padilla: But every incident is investigated?

Ka$h Patel: To my knowledge, every incident is investigated through the interagency process.

Senator Alex Padilla: With FBI participation in those investigations? 

Ka$h Patel: Yes, and we’re always called in. We’re always asked to participate because we have some technical capabilities that other agencies don’t. 



For years "The Snapshot" was the "Iraq snapshot."  So we'll note this news of Iraq from Abby Sewell and Qassim Abdul-Zahra (AP): 

Two deadlines are looming for Iraq at the end of the month: the end of a decades-long U.S. military presence and the disarmament of non-state armed groups.

The U.S. withdrawal is underway, and officials say the hundreds of troops remaining in northern Iraq will be out by the Sept. 30 deadline.

The Iraqi government has linked the U.S. withdrawal to an ultimatum for militias to lay down their weapons. But most have indicated they have no plans to do so.

That leaves major questions about what the day after will look like in Iraq.


Let's wind down with this from Senator Dick Durbin's office:

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, delivered an opening statement in today’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing conducting oversight on the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) featuring testimony from FBI Director Kash Patel. During his remarks, Durbin underscored that Americans are less safe with Kash Patel leading the FBI as he is far more concerned with weaponizing the agency against the President’s perceived political enemies while covering up the wrongdoings of President Trump’s allies. Further, Director Patel’s personal conduct—wasting and exploiting FBI resources and failing to account for when official business ends and personal recreation begins—has shown that he is a liability to national security.

Key Quotes:

“Let me say at the outset, that we just heard again, an introduction by the Chairman [Grassley] that gave reference to Crossfire Hurricane and a lot of things that are in the history of the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Over a year ago, all of the Democrats on this Committee said, ‘Stop giving these speeches, and bring the people before us to testify under oath as to what actually happened.’”

“Jack Smith, the special counsel, who is a constant reference point when it comes to this ‘Grand Conspiracy,’ has volunteered for more than a year to appear before this Committee under oath and answer the questions. What more could we ask of him?”

“Perhaps in a few weeks when we have been promised he will show up, they [Republicans] could start by explaining, why did you wait a year if we are talking about a ‘Grand Conspiracy?’ Jack Smith, the special counsel, will be under oath before this committee. Each of us will have a chance to ask pertinent questions to clear it up. For some reason, the decision was made at some level to let this controversy fester rather than bring the person in who could actually answer the questions.”

“Director Robert Mueller led the FBI at this tumultuous time [post-9/11]. He, more than any single individual, was responsible for modernizing the FBI to combat the threats we face in the 21st century. I was proud to work with him on a bipartisan basis… We didn’t always agree, but I always respected him. He was a patriot and a person of honesty and integrity.”

“Modernizing the FBI has not been an easy process. Balancing a growing focus on national security and terrorism prevention efforts with traditional work investigating white-collar crime and corruption has taken a lot of time and effort. Over the years, the FBI, as it gained more authorities, at times in history, misused it. There is still work to be done to earn public trust and ensure the most powerful federal investigative agency in the world only engages in lawful operations.”

“Continuing to meet new threats while tackling these challenges requires steady, committed leadership from someone who understands the stakes and has the humility to lead as a servant of the public, like Bob Mueller. Sadly for the American people, the current director does not meet these standards. Mr. Patel is the least qualified and most partisan FBI Director in our nation’s history. He does not have the judgment, experience, or temperament of Director Mueller.”

“Before he was confirmed, Mr. Patel falsely claimed in public that the FBI ‘was planning January 6 for a year.’ He compiled an enemies list of public servants he called ‘government gangsters’ who he promised to target if he was confirmed as head of the FBI.”

“Despite the warnings of Senate Democrats during his confirmation hearing, our Republican colleagues chose to ignore these facts to prioritize President Trump’s retribution campaign over the safety of Americans. They joined on a partisan basis, confirming Director Patel to lead the FBI.”

“Under Mr. Patel’s failed leadership, decades of efforts to modernize and reform the FBI are being undone, and the Bureau has been reshaped as a political weapon against President Trump’s political enemies and a shield to protect the President and his MAGA loyalists—not the American people. Director Patel has been the central figure pushing the so-called ‘Grand Conspiracy,’ diverting FBI resources to inane debunked conspiracy theories that the ‘deep state’ has been targeting President Trump since his first campaign.”

“Director Patel is also wasting FBI resources to relitigate the 2020 presidential election. How many times have nominees who are judges, respected professionals, professors come before this Committee and refused to acknowledge what every eighth-grader in America knows? President Trump lost the 2020 election to Joe Biden by 7 million votes. That’s simple. It’s obvious. It’s a matter of fact. Yet, these nominees refused to acknowledge that reality because this is part of the great conspiracy theory that Trump never loses anything.”

“To weaponize the FBI against the President’s opponents, Director Patel has overseen a purge of thousands of law enforcement officials. From analysts and agents to the most senior leadership, the Bureau has been deprived of tens of thousands of years of cumulative experience.”

“Director Patel has installed MAGA loyalists as political appointees in key career positions. And he even imposed loyalty tests, requiring FBI officials to undergo polygraphs to say whether they ever criticize him.”

“Thousands of agents have been reassigned from their primary criminal and national security mission to immigration enforcement, with the number of FBI personnel working on immigration matters increasing by over 2,000 percent as of last September.”

“In total, over 9,000 FBI personnel—25 percent of the Bureau—worked on immigration cases between January and September of last year. As part of this shift in resources, the Department of Justice shut down almost 23,000 criminal cases in the first six months of the Trump Administration.”

“To replace the career professionals he purged, Director Patel has gutted hiring standards. Today will be his opportunity under oath to answer some basic questions about the standards being used for new FBI agents. In an interview in July, he claimed the FBI is ‘losing too many qualified candidates to the rigors of the requirements from yesteryear.’ What are those so-called obsolete requirements? According to a memo issued in June, the FBI has removed from its list of automatic hiring disqualifications theft from an employer, sex solicitation, and bestiality.”

“To add insult to injury, Director Patel is trying to take credit for the successful efforts of state and local law enforcement to reduce violent crime. The reality is that violent crime spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic and has been steadily and consistently declining since 2022. Every member of this Committee knows that our state and local police – not the FBI – are primarily responsible for combatting violent crime. Don’t believe me? Look at the data. Cities where the National Guard or other federal forces were not deployed had a 2025 drop in violent crime similar to the cities where they were deployed.”

“It is misleading and offensive for this Administration – which has coddled January 6 rioters by giving them full, unconditional pardons from the President as one of his first acts in office. This Administration has ended the careers of thousands of professional FBI agents because they didn’t meet some political test and blocked hundreds of millions of dollars in grants to local law enforcement– to claim credit for the work of our brave frontline police officers. That is not ‘backing the blue’ by any standard.”

“In fact, the cities where federal forces were deployed experienced widespread abuses of the constitutional rights of their residents—including multiple lethal shootings of American citizens.”

“The FBI is charged with investigating deadly uses of force by federal agents, but it has turned its back on its duties under Director Patel. Instead, the Department of Homeland Security is now the primary investigator of whether its own poorly vetted and trained employees violated the law during the ill-conceived missions.”

“Director Patel has also played a key role in the Trump Administration’s cover up of the Epstein files. Director Patel diverted more than a thousand FBI agents from their critical missions to work on 24-hour shifts reviewing every page of the Epstein files. These personnel were instructed to ‘flag’ any records in which President Trump’s name was mentioned. That review ended in an unsigned memorandum from the Department of Justice and FBI simply claiming, ‘there is no incriminating client list.’ Director Patel has still not responded to our letter from more than a year ago asking about his personal role in this cover-up. But we now know that Director Patel reportedly joined a meeting in the White House Situation Room about how to protect the President from the fallout from this cover up of the Epstein files.”

“Director Patel failed to ensure the Trump Administration actually released, as they were required, everything about Epstein and his co-conspirators. This has come at the expense of the American people, who deserve transparency. And it has also been at the expense of the survivors of Epstein’s abuse, who deserve justice and accountability.”

“So today, we find ourselves in a position where the FBI is expending immense resources to protect President Trump politically and deliver retribution to his enemies—but is diverting resources away from protecting the safety, security, and rights of ordinary Americans and their families.”

“I was proud to be part of bipartisan efforts over the many years to ensure the FBI protected both the security and freedom of the American people. And I’m disappointed that this Committee has stood by since January 2025 as that work has been undone.”

“I look forward to a day – hopefully in the near future – when this Committee will fulfill its duty to hold Director Patel accountable for his leadership.”

Video of Durbin’s opening statement is available here.

Audio of Durbin’s opening statement is available here.

Footage of Durbin’s opening statement is available here for TV Stations.




The following sites updated:


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