We need to defend The Smithsonian

I cover science here and have for many years because we don't focus enough on science in this country.  Science can be history.  And I was thinking about that today when I saw an article on Chump's attacks on The Smithsonian Institution.  Steve Benen (MS NOW) notes:

For the Smithsonian Institution, Donald Trump’s second term has been challenging. Just two months after the Republican president returned to the White House, he signed an executive order that directly took aim at the Smithsonian and its museums, directing officials to eliminate “improper, divisive, or anti-American” ideology from the institution.

The same order accused the Biden administration of using the Smithsonian to advance what Trump described as a “corrosive” ideology, among other things.

All of this was ridiculous, but it was merely the first in a series of steps, culminating in an announcement last August that the White House would conduct “a far-reaching review” of Smithsonian exhibitions, materials and operations.

Polling showed that Americans, by a nearly 2-1 margin, wanted the administration to leave the Smithsonian alone, but Team Trump proceeded anyway and this week unveiled a 162-page report that accused the National Museum of American History of “extreme political activism.”

The document was plainly indefensible. A column in The Washington Post, for example, described the White House’s report as “a relentlessly tendentious piece of trash.” The New Republic published a related fact-check that characterized Team Trump’s findings as “a dud.”

MS NOW’s Hayes Brown summarized, “The conclusion I must draw is that these White House authors don’t want history on display at the American History Museum. Instead, they want a temple to an idealized, sanitized version of America. The White House has become a real-life Tumblr page devoted to a toxic fandom.”

History is what it is.  You can't be untruthful about it.  It has to be warts and all or it's just hype.  Anastasia Tsioulcas (NPR) notes:

The Trump administration has made the Smithsonian museums one of its primary targets in its efforts to reshape cultural narratives to align with its viewpoints. In August 2025, the White House requested a "comprehensive internal review" of eight Smithsonian museums, including the National Museum of American History, following an executive order issued by President Trump in March 2025 in which he called for the removal of "improper ideology" from the Smithsonian's offerings.

According to the Smithsonian's charter, all of its 21 museums, 14 education and research centers, and the National Zoo are meant to be run independently of the federal government. The Smithsonian is overseen by Bunch and a board of regents, which includes Vice President Vance, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts and other members appointed by Congress.

In an interview with NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday, Bunch spoke about the Smithsonian's 250th anniversary special exhibition at the Smithsonian Castle, which is called "American Aspirations."

He told NBC: "It's really important for people to understand that America is much an ideal as it is a place, that it's a series of aspirations that have really shaped who this country is. And so for me, what is so powerful is to say, 'Let us honor the words of Thomas Jefferson and the founders, but let us use those to challenge us to be better.'"

 Marc Stein (TIME) notes:

Instead of accurately describing the work of thousands of museum professionals, the report demands that the Smithsonian favor one form of U.S. patriotism over all others. In the process, it minimizes discussions of the political struggles and social movements that have attempted to move the United States toward “a more perfect union.” 

In passing, the report acknowledges that the goal of the museum should be to “document and share the achievements and failures of the Nation,” “tell the truth, including of the Nation’s mistakes and injustices,” and “tell the whole story of a nation, including the good and the bad.” In practice, however, it condemns work that mentions national shortcomings as anti-American. To take just one example, the report describes Native American land acknowledgments, no matter their wording, as signs of “an anti-white agenda” and “an anti-American ideology that claims our country rests on stolen land.”

More generally, the report constitutes an attack on American historians, museum professionals, and intellectual expertise, asserting at one point that “much of the museum profession” engages in “discriminatory and likely illegal behaviors and practices” and accusing “the largest funder of the humanities” (the Mellon Foundation) of advocating for “discriminatory practices.” Once again, these would do well as descriptions of the administration’s new report, but they fail to capture the democratic aspirations of most museum professionals and many humanities foundations today.

I get it.  Chump's a liar so he sees no problem with lies passed off as truth.  He doesn't give a damn.  But for those of us who do care, we need to be defending The Smithsonian.  

"The Snapshot" (THE COMMON ILLS): 

Thursday, July 9, 2026.  Chump takes to the world stage to play a blithering idiot, th 'cease-fire' is off, he's declared Spain to be persona non grata, his supporters are losing faith in him, the courts are ruling against him, ICE shot and killed another person, and much more.

Amy B Wang, Praveena Somasundaram and Amber Phillips (WASHINGTON POST) report: 

President Donald Trump’s declaration Wednesday that the U.S.-Iran ceasefire was “over” thrusts him and his administration back into a familiar corner: mired in an unpopular war that Trump cannot seem to end, with midterm elections less than four months away.

Republicans were cautiously optimistic after Trump and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding last month to end the war — the latest in a string of fragile and ultimately unsuccessful ceasefires since the war started in February. GOP leaders had warned the White House that rising gas prices exacerbated by the conflict could cost them in November’s midterms.

Now, with that deal in tatters, Republicans face those elections tied to a war most voters oppose, unable to end it but also, for the most part, unwilling to break with the president who started it.

Oil prices surged and financial markets fell Wednesday.

More war is a definite headache for Republicans on November’s ballot, said Sarah Chamberlain, president of the Republican Main Street Partnership, which supports GOP lawmakers in competitive congressional districts.

Republican voters were stomaching higher gas prices for a few months to support Trump, Chamberlain said, but now the summer driving season is here and there may not be any relief.

Robert Jimison (NEW YORK TIMES) adds:

Representative Greg Casar, Democrat of Texas, called the move “outrageous” and criticized President Trump for “extending his disastrous, illegal war with Iran.” A number of Democratic lawmakers noted recent votes to call for an end to the war unless approved by Congress.

Republican leaders of the Armed Services and Foreign Affairs committees in both chambers were silent on the latest strikes and Trump’s declaration that cease-fire talks with Tehran were a “waste of time.”

Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the minority leader, said in a social media post that his party remained united in their “efforts to end this illegal war immediately and permanently.”

Chump embarrassed himself in Turkey yesterday.  He declared, "“We had 111 missiles shot by the Islamic Republic of Japan."  Islamic Republic of Japan?  He meant Iran.  And standing next to Ukraine leader Volodymyr  Zelensky, he invited reporters to feel free to ask any question of Russia's President Vladimir Putin.  He meant Ukrainian President Zelensky.  He also got confused a lot.  Such as when "Trump praised Turkish President Recep Erdogan for running a great company, before quickly correcting himself."  And Daniel Dale (CNN) notes five false claims Chump made with Erdogen. Swati Sakshi Mishra (MEAWW) notes Chump caused confusion even by leaving, "President Donald Trump surprised reporters Wednesday, July 8, by announcing he would not return from Turkey aboard the new Qatar-donated Air Force One, instead opting to fly home on the older presidential aircraft despite repeatedly praising the new jet.  The unexpected switch came as fighting involving Iran intensified, prompting fresh questions over whether security considerations, not ceremony, were behind the decision."

And the war has already caused so many problems for Chump.  Eduardo Porter (GUARDIAN) notes:

The political consequences of Donald Trump’s policy mayhem are now coming into view: “Maga” America is getting pissed.

It has been a sight to see how every one of the president’s policy initiatives has sabotaged some core constituency or other. From farmers and rural Americans to manufacturing workers and every American struggling to make ends meet, Trump has torched pretty much his entire political base. For all his efforts to rig the midterm elections in his favor, it’s as if he is daring the Maga faithful to drop him.

And now, according to the most recent survey by Harris for the Guardian, even voters who identify as foot soldiers of the president’s political army are becoming impatient with the state of affairs, increasingly willing to blame the government for their economic troubles.

About 56% of respondents who identified as members of the Maga coalition said they were either having trouble meeting their debt payments or worried they would be struggling soon. The same share admitted similar troubles meeting housing payments. Fifty-seven per cent said the same about affording healthcare costs. Fifty-eight per cent claimed the same about their utility bills, 61% about affording groceries, 63% about paying for gas.

Many of these stressors stem from Trump’s policy preferences. Trump’s decision to end government subsidies is largely at fault for the rising cost of health insurance. The rise in energy costs and rebound of inflation since March are direct consequences of Iran’s throttling of the strait of Hormuz. Resurgent inflation interrupted the Federal Reserve’s campaign to ease monetary policy and interrupted the gradual decline in mortgage rates. Manufacturers have culled nearly 100,000 jobs since Trump took office, in part due to Trump’s tariffs. Farmers have been whacked by higher costs of energy, fertilizer and machinery.

In a blow for Chump's Dept of 'Justice,'  a judge has ruled against their demand for a lengthy prison term.  Chris Perez (LAW & CRIME) reports:

Hannah Dugan — the former Wisconsin judge who was found guilty last year of impeding ICE during a courthouse arrest — has been ordered to pay a $5,000 fine, rather than serve any prison time or probation for obstructing federal agents.

"For several reasons, prison is not necessary to satisfy the statutory purposes for sentencing," U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman said before sentencing Dugan on Wednesday, according to local ABC affiliate WISN.

"This is a defendant who made a bad decision in the moment," Adelman said. "She appreciated the wrongfulness of her conduct, but this is nevertheless a few minutes of conduct for a person that has dedicated her life in service to the needy."

Dugan, 67, was indicted last year for helping an immigrant named Eduardo Flores-Ruiz evade ICE officers shortly after he appeared in her Milwaukee County Circuit courtroom in connection with a domestic abuse case. Federal prosecutors alleged during her trial that Dugan impeded ICE agents during the attempted courthouse immigration bust by helping Flores-Ruiz, a Mexican national who was facing misdemeanor battery charges, leave through a jury door after a hearing.

Kate Brumback (INDEPENDENT) reports another ruling against the DOJ:

A federal judge has ruled that the Department of Justice cannot obtain the names and personal contact information for every individual who worked during the 2020 election in Georgia’s Fulton County. The decision, handed down on Tuesday, blocks a grand jury subpoena issued by the Justice Department in April.

The subpoena had sought the personal details of county employees and volunteer poll workers. This request came amid persistent, unsubstantiated claims by Donald Trump of widespread voter fraud in Fulton County, a Democratic stronghold, which he alleges cost him victory in the state in 2020.

Fulton County had moved to quash the subpoena, arguing it was designed to "target, harass and punish the President’s perceived political opponents" and was "grossly over broad and untethered to any reasonable need."

U.S. District Judge William Ray, who was nominated to the bench by Trump, sided with the county. In his ruling, he stated, "Given the low need for the subpoenaed information and the highly burdensome nature of the disclosure of the same, the Subpoena is unreasonable and must be quashed," describing the scope of the request as "staggering."

And Chump himself got bad news from the courts yesterday.  Dan Mangan (CNBC) explains:

A New York federal judge on Wednesday ordered that E. Jean Carroll be paid $5 million plus interest for damages from a jury verdict that held President Donald Trump civilly liable for sexually abusing and defaming the writer.

The order came a day after Trump's lawyers urged Judge Lewis Kaplan not to disburse nearly $5.8 million to Carroll from funds that president deposited three years ago with the court to satisfy the May 2023 jury award.

Kaplan, in his order Wednesday directing the money to be disbursed to Carroll, pointed to the language of an agreement between her and Trump that called for the money to be given her if the Supreme Court denied his request that it hear his appeal of the verdict in her favor.

The Supreme Court rejected Trump's request on June 29.

Kaplan's order brushed aside arguments by Trump's attorneys that Carroll cannot be paid the money unless the Supreme Court rejects the president's new, long-shot bid for reconsideration of his petition that the high court take his appeal.

Chump loves to steal money from others but he loathes having to pay his own bills.  Leigh Kimmins (DAILY BEAST) notes another personal legal defeat for Chump:

A federal judge has tossed a $3.8 billion defamation lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump’s social media company against the Washington Post, dealing a sharp defeat to Trump Media and Technology Group.

U.S. District Judge Thomas Barber, based in Tampa, ruled that Trump Media “failed to present evidence that would allow a jury to find by clear and convincing evidence” that the Post “published the allegedly defamatory statements with actual malice.” He granted the Post’s motion for summary judgment and denied Trump Media’s. A full written opinion is forthcoming.

Chump's a con artist, a grifter.  And the thing about those types is for them to steal money they need a mark.  And a lot of marks are starting to speak.  Chris Morris (MONEYWISE) reports:

Donald Trump and his family generated at least $2.2 billion in income last year (1), which is nearly four times more than he reported in 2024. Much of that money came from his supporters who invested in his businesses, such as Trump Media and Technology Group, or bought his $TRUMP meme coin.

Their fortunes, however, didn’t fare nearly as well. In fact, Trump’s supporters are reportedly down an estimated $7 billion after investing in the president’s business ventures.

Trump Media shares have lost 56% of their value in the past year (2) , while the Trump coin’s value also tumbled about 81% in that time (3). Many of the retail investors who sunk their savings into those ventures — often as a sign of loyalty to Trump — have seen the money vanish right as economic volatility began to spike. And they’re not happy with Trump, or the members of his inner circle.

“We’re just poor cattle to them,” Chad Nedohin, who was once the unofficial captain of Trump Media’s shareholders, told Forbes (4). “He doesn’t care about anyone.”

Nedohin is one of many investors who are vocally criticizing Trump and his ventures. Another, Vadim Fistikan, invested $205,000 in Trump Media in the days, weeks and months after it went public via SPAC (5). He invested the money he and his family had planned to use to buy a waterfront property in Florida.

Today, that investment is worth just $30,000. When he voiced his frustrations on Truth Social, Fistikan (a three-time Trump voter) was lambasted by Trump supporters on the social media site.

“I’m like, ‘Hey, this is a scam,’” he posted, according to Forbes. “And a lot of people were like, ‘No, you’re just a Trump hater.’ I’m like, ‘No. I was on board since day one. … I’m now broke. Pretty much my whole life savings [was] in this one stock. This is the greatest theft, con job he has ever done.”

Kristi Noem may be out as Secretary of Homeland Security but her destruction remains.  As does her attempts to cover it up.  Henry Giardina (QUEERTY) notes: 

This year, Kristi Noem went from high-level Tr*mp official to tabloid fodder in the space of about three seconds. After ICE Barbie was fired in March, she was hit with a fresh wave of scandal when news broke that her faithful Christian husband Bryon had been secretly spending thousands on his crossdressing “bimbofication” fetish. Things got even worse when the sex workers servicing Bryon’s kink started speaking to the press.

Honestly, as comeuppance goes, that’s a pretty solid dose. But this is Kristi Noem we’re talking about, so her chances of continuing to step in it even in her post-Tr*mp era are still quite high. Consider her most recent scandal, an infidelity breach that’s followed her from her ICE days to the present.

While Bryon was exploring his kinky side with several OF workers, Noem was allegedly engaged in her own pretty openly-discussed cheating scandal concerning her close relationship with fellow Tr*mp enabler Corey Lewandowski.

Rumors about an affair between Noem and Lewandowski are nothing new, but new court documents just revealed the potential extent of some juicy communication between the two.

Joseph Guy, Noem’s former DHS deputy chief of staff, apparently wiped a Signal group chat including texts from Lewandowski, Noem, and other DHS officials earlier this year. Considering that DHS contractors claimed they were coached to pay Lewandowski for his help during the Homeland Security transition that put Noem in charge of Tr*mp’s mass deportation rollout just a week before the deleted messages, the timing is a little bit suss.

This move also happened on Guy’s final day in office. As you can imagine, none of this looks great for Lewandowski, or for Noem. We don’t know the content or context of the group chat, but the fact that Guy wiped his phone weeks after a probe threatened to expose the nature of Noem and Lewandoski’s relationship (and their DHS and FEMA-related contract scandal definitely isn’t the least guilty move you could make.

The Signal wipe also happened shortly after Noem swore to Congress that Lewandowski had absolutely nothing, zero, zilch to do with contract approval. On March 18, the team was warned that if they shredded sensitive documents concerning the matter, they would be breaking the law.

Technically deleting isn’t shredding, but Guy, whose wife works for the anti-LGBTQ+ Heritage Foundation and is considered to be one of the many authors of Project 2025, went ahead and did it anyway. He came clean about deleting the group chat files during a deposition in early May.

Kristi's gone an Markwayne Mullen has taken over.  But has anything really changed?  Jack Brook and Hallie Golden (INDEPENDENT) report:

A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent fatally shot a man during an arrest operation in Houston on Tuesday after authorities said he ignored commands to stop and drove his vehicle toward federal officers.

The Department of Homeland Security said the shooting happened after the man, identified as 39-year-old Mexican national Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, allegedly tried to flee and attempted to ram an ICE agent with his vehicle.

ICE has repeatedly falsely claimed that someone tried to ram them with a vehicle.  While ICE is under new management with Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullen, it's too soon to give them the benefit of the doubt.  They're going to need to earn trust with the public and with the courts.  They're going to have to demonstrate that they can follow the law before they'll be seen as lawful. Dan Gooding (NEWSWEEK) notes, "Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia, who represents the Magnolia Park neighborhood where the incident took place, shared a statement on X calling for a full investigation."

THE NEWSHOUR (PBS) looked at the story last night.

Geoff Bennett:

Family members and local officials are calling for a full investigation into the shooting death of a man killed by ICE agents in Houston.

Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was shot yesterday as ICE agents tried to arrest him. Federal officials say he tried to flee and -- quote -- "weaponized his vehicle toward an ICE officer who opened fire in self-defense." Salgado Araujo was shot in the abdomen and taken to a hospital, where he later died.

ICE says he was a Mexican national living in the U.S. without legal status. His family and immigration advocates are questioning the official account, saying ICE has yet to provide evidence to support their claims.

One of his sons spoke at a news conference today.

Ronaldo Salgado:

I am calling for a full investigation into the events that transpired yesterday -- yesterday, July 7. He did not deserve to die. He did not deserve to be reduced to a headline of Mexican man shot and killed by ICE. He deserved to live a quiet life as Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a husband, a father, and a job creator for dozens of men who also wanted the American dream.

Geoff Bennett:

Colleen DeGuzman joins us now. She's a reporter for The Texas Tribune.

So, Colleen, thank you for being with us.

So, DHS says Salgado Araujo rammed an ICE vehicle, that he ignored repeated commands and that he tried to run over an ICE officer. What evidence, if any, have they provided to support their accounts?

Colleen DeGuzman, The Texas Tribune:

We have received very little evidence and very little explanation. What we do know is that ICE was in unmarked vehicles when they stopped Salgado Araujo.

And what we heard from -- today from the brother -- from the son, Ronaldo, is that his dad -- he believed that his dad would not have tried to flee from ICE, let alone run over an agent with his vehicle. The vehicles that ICE were using were unmarked, which is the reason why his son Ronaldo believes that his dad did not know that he was being pulled over by ICE.

His dad was a construction worker and was always worried that his tools were going to be stolen. So that's why he thinks his dad thought he was going to get robbed and why he tried to escape.

Geoff Bennett:

Were there eyewitnesses? And, if so, what are they saying about what transpired?

Colleen DeGuzman:

We have not been able to contact any eyewitnesses or receive any video footage yet.

But, today, at a press conference with a lot of Houston local leaders, they are pressing for body footage camera and any camera footage that there is out there on what happened in Houston's East End, which is a very Latino neighborhood.

Geoff Bennett:

What more have you pieced together about Salgado Araujo, his life, his life in Houston, and what brought ICE agents to arrest him?

Colleen DeGuzman:

Those are the same questions that we have right now. We are unsure of whether this was targeted, whether this was just a normal traffic stop.

I was at that intersection yesterday, and there was a lot of construction in that area. And so we're wondering if this was targeted or if this was random. But what we do know is that Salgado Araujo had three sons. And, today, we heard from Ronaldo, who is a teacher who is a proud University of Houston graduate.

His second son is 27 years old. He's also named Lorenzo, Lorenzo Lorenzo Jr., and he went to Tufts University, and is an engineer. And he has at least one grandson. He moved to Houston 35 years ago and has built a construction company here in Houston, and he's very proud of it.

He builds homes in North Houston. And he, according to his son, was a very simple man who had a routine in the morning to get up really early. He would pet the dog goodbye and kiss his wife, who was his high school sweetheart, goodbye before work. And every day, when the day ended, he would sit by his porch outside to soak up the sunset.

He was a very simple man with a very strict routine. So that's what we know about him.

Again, ICE has blown to the benefit of the doubt.  They lied repeatedly to the people and to the courts.  They have not followed the law.  Another example of their not following the law?  Nicole Charky-Chami (RAW STORY) reports:

A federal judge appointed by President Donald Trump on Tuesday ordered ICE to release the nursing mother of a 6-month-old from ICE custody, according to reports.

Judge David C. Joseph of the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana ruled that Karina Alvarez San Juan, who has three other minor children who are U.S. citizens, was detained in violation of ICE's policy against detaining most pregnant or postpartum mothers.

Thom Hartmann (RAW STORY) observes:

It’s “Constitution-free” because ICE has decided that the Fourth Amendment, which reads, “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated…” is just a suggestion, rather than one of the foundational guarantees of American liberty; just an obstacle standing between the Trump administration and the police state it’s steadily but relentlessly building.

In Washington, D.C., for example, a construction worker got waved over by the Park Police for a minor traffic matter, and within a minute ICE agents had surrounded his truck, asking where everyone was from and whether they were in the country illegally. Two of his passengers were taken away, and nobody would tell him where.

ICE is also now paying state and local police to help, and the money is staggering. One estimate says the total could hit two billion dollars this year alone. In Florida, police departments pocketed nearly forty million dollars for vehicles and gear. In the Florida Keys, agents threw up a checkpoint on the only highway in and out, a tourist route, and made more than three hundred arrests.

They’re stationed at courthouses, bus stations, train terminals, and airports too, snaring domestic travelers who never came near a border. The ACLU’s Naureen Shah put it plainly. “We’ve never seen this financial incentive scheme exist.”

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

Pentagon’s independent watchdog found that Trump administration defunded and blocked reforms to protect civilians during war, potentially violating federal law

Text of Letter (PDF)

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) led nine members of Congress in pressing Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on the Department of Defense’s (DoD) defunding and deprioritizing of programs that prevent and respond to civilian harm in war. The letter follows a new report by the DoD Inspector General (DoD IG), which found that under Hegseth’s leadership, DoD has put service members and civilians at risk and has potentially violated federal law. It also follows the recent U.S. military strikes on Iranian water treatment facilities, which damaged thousands of civilians’ access to drinking water.  

“The Trump administration’s military adventurism overseas, combined with its obvious disregard for civilians, do not make the American people or our service members safer. We () request clarification about the steps the Department is taking to address these deficiencies and to protect civilians in line with the Department’s strategic, legal, and moral obligations,” wrote the lawmakers. 

Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) joined in signing the letter. 

Representatives Jason Crow (D-Colo.) and Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.) also joined in signing the letter. 

In May, the DoD IG released a review of DoD’s implementation of its Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response (CHMR) Action Plan (CHMR-AP), which outlined critical steps to prevent, mitigate, and respond to civilian harm. The DoD IG’s report found that the Trump administration may have violated federal law by defunding and blocked civilian protection efforts. 

The DoD IG report confirms that all of the objectives of the plan – including training for assessing and investigating civilian harm – are “at risk” under Hegseth’s leadership. The report also found that the Trump administration’s failure to implement the plan means DoD is failing to comply with congressionally-mandated obligations to protect civilians during armed conflict. 

“These revelations make real the concerns that we have previously raised about your complete ‘disregard for the strategic, legal, and moral imperative to minimize civilian harm,’” the lawmakers said. 

During the DoD IG’s investigation, staff and combatant commands warned that eliminating CHMR funding and personnel “harms readiness” and “increases risk to military personnel and objectives and mission success.” 

“The Department’s failure to implement the CHMR-AP has profound consequences for civilians in conflict zones and makes service members’ jobs harder and riskier,” the lawmakers continued. 

DoD officials, veteran and family organizations, and other national security experts have repeatedly emphasized the importance of civilian protection. In their confirmation hearings, CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper said that civilian harm “risks degrading our credibility and trust and puts troops at risk,” and SOCOM Commander Frank Bradley called protecting civilians “critical to our success.” Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, has also touted the positive impacts of the DoD CHMR programs at combatant commands.

The report also revealed that DoD failed to cooperate with the office’s investigation, including by blocking investigators’ attempts to observe an implementation meeting and withholding access to DoD’s implementation tracking tools. 

The lawmakers pressed Secretary Hegseth to explain DoD’s failure to implement civilian protection policies, account for changes in resourcing and staffing for civilian protection efforts, explain what DoD is doing to comply with federal law requiring civilian protection policies and institutions, and provide any analysis DoD has done on the impact of recent strikes on civilian infrastructure in Iran by July 19, 2026. 

Senator Warren is a long-time champion of civilian harm prevention reforms for the U.S. military: 

• In April 2026, Senators Warren (D-Mass.) and Van Hollen (D-Md.) led nine senators in opening a new investigation into Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s role in weakening civilian harm prevention programs and the catastrophic civilian impacts of President Trump’s war in Iran.
• In March 2026, at a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Warren (D-Mass.) raised her concerns to the commanders of United States Northern Command (NORTHCOM) and United States Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) about the Trump administration’s sidelining of the military’s Judge Advocate General Corps (JAGs), who are responsible for providing independent legal advice to commanders. This sidelining risks increasing the chances of civilian harm as the war against Iran continues.
• In March 2026, Senator Warren (D-Mass.), a member of the Armed Services Committee, along with Senators Van Hollen (D-Md.), Kaine (D-Va.), Schatz (D-Hawaii), Senate Democratic Leader Schumer (D-N.Y.) and 41 colleagues, pressed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for a full investigation on the airstrikes on a school in Minab, Iran, and other civilian casualties in the Trump administration’s war on Iran. The senators are also calling for accountability for those responsible.
• In March 2026, Senator Warren (D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), spoke on the floor of the Senate, calling on Congress to end President Donald Trump’s reckless war in Iran and investigate civilian harm in Iran.
• In December 2025, Senators Warren (D-Mass.) and Schatz (D-Hawaii) led 10 senators in launching an investigation into the role of the U.S. military in distributing humanitarian assistance to Gaza following the October ceasefire.
• In July 2025, At a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Warren (D-Mass.), Ranking Member of the Personnel Subcommittee, secured commitments from the nominees to be Commander of U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) and Commander of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), on integrating and protecting reforms from Republican and Democratic administrations on civilian harm prevention. Senator Warren also secured support from Vice Admiral Bradley to partner with outside experts to conduct a longitudinal study of blast overpressure.
• In March 2025, at a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Warren (D-Mass.), Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel, questioned the  nominee for Under Secretary of Defense for Policy (USD(P)) about his vision to prioritize civilian harm prevention. 
• In December 2024, Senators Warren (D-Mass.), Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Representative Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.) sent a letter requesting the Department of Defense Inspector General investigate reports that the DoD mishandled a case involving  U.S. Marines killing civilians in Haditha, Iraq, and DoD’s continued efforts to cover up the alleged war crimes.
• In March 2024, at a hearing of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), Senator Warren (D-Mass.) questioned the Commander of the United States Central Command and Commander of the United States Africa Command about measures needed to prevent and respond to civilian harm caused by weapons and assistance provided by the United States to its military partners.
• In December 2023, following reports that Israel was using explosive weapons against civilian targets, Senators Warren (D-Mass.) and Kaine (D-Va.), Sanders (I-Vt.), Merkley (D-Ore.), and Heinrich (D-N.M.), wrote to President Joe Biden, pushing for closer oversight of Israel’s use of U.S. weapons to ensure the weapons will not be used to cause preventable civilian harm. 
• In September 2023, at a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Warren (D-Mass.) called on the Department of Defense to improve investigations into civilian harm by collaborating with civil society organizations on the ground.
• In July 2023, Senators Warren (D-Mass.),and Van Hollen (D-Maryland), along with Representative Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.), sent a letter to then-Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III, with concerns that a May 2023 U.S. airstrike in Syria may have killed a civilian. The lawmakers pushed the Defense Department to publicly release as much of their internal investigation into the airstrike as possible.
• In December 2022, Senator Warren (D-Mass.) and Representative Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.) sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III, raising concerns that the Department of Defense’s (DoD) September 2022 report to Congress on civilian casualties appeared to undercount civilian casualties from U.S. military operations and that DoD was not exercising its authority to make amends to civilian victims and survivors.
• In September 2022, Senator Warren (D-Mass.), Sanders (I-Vt.) and Lee (R-Utah) sent letters to the Department of Defense and the Department of State, calling on the Departments to thoroughly investigate how U.S. military support to the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen may have led to civilian harm and analyze to the effectiveness of civilian harm reduction efforts by the Saudi and Emirati governments. 
• In April 2022, Senators Warren (D-Mass.), Markey (D-Mass.), Leahy (D-Vt.), Durbin (D-Ill.), Merkley (D-Ore.), Sanders (I-Vt.), and Van Hollen (D-Md.) sent a letter to Secretary Lloyd J. Austin, III, urging the Department of Defense to brief Congress on its progress in preventing civilian harm and highlights a series of issues and priorities that the DoD should focus on in the CHMR-AP. 
• In March 2022, during a hearing of the Senate Committee on Armed Services, Senator Warren (D-Mass.) questioned the Commanders of the United States Central Command and United States Africa Command on the steps they are taking to prevent civilian harm, following the release of Defense Secretary Austin’s directive to the Department of Defense (DOD) to develop an action plan to prevent and investigate civilian harm.
• In February 2022, during a Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) hearing, Senator Warren (D-Mass.), questioned LTG Michael “Erik” Kurilla’s, then-nominee to be General and Commander of United States Central Command, about civilian casualties that have resulted from U.S. operations. 
• In November 2021, Senator Warren (D-Mass.) sent a letter to Senator Jack Reed (D-R.I.), then-Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, requesting that the Committee launch a formal inquiry to review the findings and implications of a recent New York Times report detailing how the U.S. military hid an airstrike in Baghuz, Syria that killed dozens of civilians and was flagged as a potential war crime by legal analysts.

###

The following sites -- plus Trina's "Cajun Chicken Cassoulet in the Kitchen" and Stan's "The Emmy nominations" -- updated:

• 
  NPR Topics: Home Page Top Stories

  Bonnie Tyler, singer of ballad 'Total Eclipse of the Heart,' has died at 75

  2 hours ago
• 
  Music

  redveil: Tiny Desk Concert

  3 hours ago
• 
  Mikey Likes It!

  Even Republicans opposed Chump's Save Act

  7 hours ago
• 
  Ruth's Report

  Louise Lasser

  7 hours ago
• 
  Like Maria Said Paz

  Keep Chump's filthy name off it

  7 hours ago
• 
  Sex and Politics and Screeds and Attitude

  dwindling returns for carrie underwood (and general hospital)

  7 hours ago
• 
  Thomas Friedman is a Great Man

  Science grab bag Antarctica

  7 hours ago
• 
  Kat's Korner (of The Common Ills)

  Dolly Parton, Taylor Swift, Oasis, Stevie Wonder

  7 hours ago
• 
  SICKOFITRADLZ

  They can't cover up the rot and decay

  7 hours ago
• 
  Ann's Mega Dub

  MegHAM McCain joins Chump in his grift (while her father rolls over in his grave)

  7 hours ago
• 
  PBS NewsHour - The Latest

  Graham Platner says he'll withdraw from Senate race in Maine

  11 hours ago
• 
  TPM – Talking Points Memo

  Graham Platner Drops Out of Maine Senate Race, Leaving Dems to Find Replacement

  11 hours ago
• 
  The New Republic

  Graham Platner Finally Drops Out After Campaign Filled With Red Flags

  11 hours ago
• 
  Mother Jones

  Trump Can’t Stop Talking About Communists

  14 hours ago
• 
  Paul Krugman

  The Pain in Spain is Mainly in Trump's Brain

  16 hours ago
• 
  

Science grab bag Antarctica

Science grab bag again.  Krystal Kasal (PHYS.ORG) reports disturbing news:

Microplastic contamination has been a much-discussed topic over the last several years, but contamination from even smaller plastic particles represents another pressing issue. Nanoplastics—defined as being under a micrometer in diameter—may pose an even higher ecological risk because they can travel more easily, cross cellular membranes and easily adsorb other pollutants.

Although nanoplastics have been found in environments all over the world, it was thought that soil in pristine places like Antarctica, particularly areas farther from the ocean, might be somewhat protected from contamination. However, a new study, published in Scientific Reports, reports that nanoplastics have now been found in the soils of desert valleys in the interior of Antarctica.

Both macro- and microplastics have been documented in remote areas, and past studies have found nanoplastics in other remote regions, like the Alps and Greenland, suggesting long-range atmospheric transport might be delivering tiny plastics far from their sources.

Antarctica is considered "pristine" due to its lack of human population, permanent settlements or historical industrialization, but macro- and microplastics have been documented in Antarctic marine ecosystems, including seawater, sediments, coastlines, glaciers, sea ice and snow. Yet plastic contamination of Antarctic soils, particularly submicro- and nanoplastics, remains poorly studied and had not been reported before this study. This is partially due to the technical difficulties of measuring extremely low nanoplastic levels in complex materials like soil.

Considered "pristine" and yet they have the plastic contamination.  Let's stay with Antarctica.  WHAT IF notes:

Beneath Antarctica’s endless white surface lies a world most people never think about. Under kilometers of solid ice, the continent hides a landscape shaped by fire rather than cold. Ancient volcanic systems stretch across the bedrock, quietly buried and largely forgotten.

For a long time, Antarctica was believed to be geologically dormant. That changed when scientists began detecting unusual seismic activity and used ice penetrating radar to scan what lies below the surface. The results revealed a surprising discovery: a vast network of hidden volcanoes beneath the ice sheet.

Today, researchers have identified more than a hundred volcanic structures beneath Antarctica, and there may be many more still undiscovered.

This raises an important question. What would happen if this frozen volcanic region suddenly became active again?

Volcanoes exist in many parts of our Solar System. They are found on moons like Io, as well as distant worlds such as Venus. On Earth, however, most volcanic activity happens in areas where it can be monitored. Antarctica is different. Its volcanoes are hidden beneath ice sheets that can be several kilometers thick.

Now let's come into our own country.  Dinah Voyles Pulver (USA TODAY) reports:

Early July brought historic extreme weather for the fourth year in a row, and scientists again see the "fingerprints" of climate change in a deadly Fourth of July.

In 2023, it was a record-smashing heat wave. In 2024, history-making Hurricane Beryl ripped through the Caribbean. In 2025, a shockingly deadly flood. And in 2026? Another deadly heat wave.

Days later, the heat warnings have finally faded for much of the eastern United States, but the grim number of heat-related deaths continues to rise.

At least 44 deaths have been reported as a result of the July 1 to July 4 heat wave, but it will be weeks or months before researchers finalize an estimate of the number of people who died or suffered injuries as a result of the extreme heat.

More than 1,300 heat records were matched or broken for maximum high temperatures and warm overnight lows across 40 states and territories over the four days.

Though summer heat isn't new, the heat wave of July 2026 is something different.

From June 29 to July 5, 201 million Americans experienced at least one day when climate change made high temperatures at least three times more likely, Shel Winkley, chief meteorologist at Climate Central, told USA TODAY. Temperatures on July 3 had "a very strong fingerprint of climate change," he said, affecting 136 million Americans.

And yet people try to deny climate change, try to act as though it's a joke or a myth.  We continue to pollute our planet to the point that even Antarctica is not safe and free from pollution. I don't know when we are going to learn.  It sometimes appears that we will never learn and we will just destroy our own planet.  Musk seems not to care and believes he can buy his way to Mars. 

"The Snapshot" (THE COMMON ILLS): 

Wednesday, July 8, 2026.  Chump announces the cease-fire with Iran is over, the markets react, Chump's done nothing to help with jobs and more and more employers are closing doors, he's back on his quest to steal and colonize Greenland, he's getting cozy with War Criminal Erdogan, and much more.

As Ben notes in the MEIDASTOUCH NEWS video above, the Iran War continues. Jason Karaian and Jenny Gross (NEW YORK TIMES) report:

Oil prices spiked on Wednesday to the highest level in weeks and stocks dropped after President Trump said that he thought the Iran cease-fire was “over” amid a volatile 24 hours in the Persian Gulf region.

The Trump administration launched a series of strikes on Iran and revoked a waiver that had allowed Iran to sell oil. The actions against Iran on Tuesday were in retaliation for attacks on tankers this week in the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial conduit for the world’s energy.

U.S. Central Command said that it hit over 80 targets in Iran, including dozens of small boats used by the Iranian military, “to degrade Iran’s ability to continue attacking international commerce.” Iran’s military responded by targeting 85 U.S. military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait, prolonging a retaliatory cycle that could impede the nascent recovery in shipping traffic in the region.

This morning's WAY TOO EARLY (MS NOW) noted the developments.

And today MORNING JOE (MS NOW) addressed the crumbling cease fire.

As this takes place, Convicted Felon Donald Chump continues to bleed supporters.  Nick Hilden notes:

According to a new poll, President Donald Trump is losing the support of his most essential voting bloc fast, as his net approval among men has plunged from -13 to -19 in just one month.

The six-point decline was revealed in a Focaldata/Financial Times survey, and it represents a dramatic loss of ground among the very voters who put Trump in office in 2024. According to Newsweek, “He won male voters by 12 percent over then-Vice President Kamala Harris, making them a cornerstone of his electoral coalition, data from Pew Research Center shows…It also fits into a broader pattern of slipping approval for the president.”

What’s more, the new poll “found Trump's overall approval at 34 percent versus a 57 percent disapproval rating, while recent polling has shown growing voter dissatisfaction over the economy, inflation and the cost of living, issues that consistently rank among Americans' top concerns ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.” As the survey itself notes, “President Trump's net approval rating has reached an all-time low of -23, with the share of Americans disapproving of his performance rising for the fourth consecutive month to 57 percent.”

We are now in July.  The midterms are Tuesday, November 3rd.  When does Chump plan to stop dragging his political party down? 

Harry Thompson (THE DAILY BEAST) notes:

Even more Republicans now think the economy is headed in the wrong direction.

An affordability crisis is now in effect, according to 95 percent of Americans, as high gas and grocery prices hammer people’s wallets.

The new Harris Poll revealed that just 27 percent of Republicans think the economy is traveling in a positive direction, down from 49 percent in February.

In February, just 22 percent of Republicans thought the economy was getting worse, but that number has now shot up 16 points to 38 percent in the latest poll, conducted for The Guardian.

Democrats have become further entrenched in their belief that the economy is not moving in the right direction, up to 71 percent from 62 percent in February.

Independents, meanwhile, aligned far more closely with Democrats than Republicans, swinging 10 points since February up to 63 percent.

Check my math, but I believe November 3rd is 118 days from now.  118 days.  Chump seems to be pinning a lot of hope on his party's September convention in Dallas.    

Jordan Major (FINANCEBUZZ MONEY) notes:

Affordability is back at the center of the economic debate, with Elizabeth Warren arguing that American families are still feeling squeezed by rising everyday costs.

In recent remarks, Warren said Donald Trump's policies have pushed up prices on essentials like gas, groceries, and housing, leaving many households increasingly reliant on credit cards just to keep up as they try to cope with increasing bills.

Speaking during a Senate committee hearing on affordability, Warren laid out a broad critique of the current economic landscape, focusing on how multiple cost pressures are hitting households at once.

"Our housing bill is an affordability accomplishment that everyone on this committee can all be proud of," she said. "But it is not nearly enough to offset the economic policies of President Trump—and the devastating impacts they have had on American families."

She argued that while some policy wins have helped on the margins, they are being outweighed by rising costs across key categories that matter most to consumers.

But remember that Donald Chump insists affordability is a hoax?  In fact, "a Democrat hoax."  He also declared, "The word 'affordability' is a con job by the Democrats." 

Must have been the dementia speaking, right?  December 5th, US House Rep Hillary Scholten issued a press release on Chump's lies.  She noted, "Make no mistake: the affordability crisis is real, and it is crippling the American dream. The only people who don't realize that are the out of touch billionaires that the president continues to put before American families."  US House Rep Greg Landsman was quoted in the press release stating, "The affordability crisis didn’t start 10 months ago --  families have been feeling this for years. But this administration has made it worse, from cutting healthcare to pushing sweeping tariffs that drive up prices." And US House Rep Derek Tran was quoted declaring, "President Trump’s claim that ‘affordability doesn’t mean anything to anybody’ is an insult to the millions of American families who are struggling to pay their bills and keep food on the table. Affordability means everything to the parents working multiple jobs, seniors living on fixed incomes, and young people trying to build their future."

That was December 5th.  What's Chump done in the months since?  Well, he's started the Iran War.  He's destroyed the economy further with the Iran War.  Steve Kopack (NBC NEWS) reports:

Oil prices jumped Tuesday to their highest level since late last week after reports that two tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz had been hit by unknown projectiles.

U.S. crude oil rose more than 3% to above $70 per barrel for the first time since July 1. International Brent crude oil also rose 3% to more than $74 per barrel.

And then there's the job market.  Where are the jobs, Donald?  Huh?  Where are they?  Jenni Fink (NEWSWEEK) reports:

America’s unemployment rate is holding relatively steady at 4.2 percent, but a Newsweek analysis found the number of Americans who are giving up looking for jobs because they’re discouraged about finding one is higher than it was at the beginning of the year, which economists say may be masking a looming problem in the labor market.

“The June jobs report has some eyebrow raising data, especially the big drop in the labor force,” Heather Long, chief economist at Navy Federal Credit Union, told Newsweek, adding the caveat that one month doesn’t make a trend.

A key concern is the rising number of Americans who have stopped actively searching for work and therefore are no longer counted as unemployed. Economists say an increase in discouraged and marginally attached workers often signals weakening labor demand and suggests the labor market may be softer than headline employment figures indicate.

According to recent labor force data, roughly 1.83 million workers were classified as marginally attached to the labor force in June, including about 499,000 discouraged workers who said they had stopped looking because they believed no jobs were available for them.

Glenn Taylor (SOURCING JOURNAL) reports:

More than 300 employees at Levi Strauss & Co. are expected to lose their jobs due to the closure of the denim giant's Hebron, Ky. distribution center.

Employment separations are expected to begin on Aug. 30. The company first indicated last June that it was closing the 772,150-square-foot Kentucky facility. At the time, the closure was expected to impact 346 employees, but the building was kept open for another year to fulfill high demand as it transitioned products to other warehouses slower than initially expected.

Levi's associate general counsel Emily Knoles filed the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act Notice on June 30.

Some of the 303 employees affected will be able to apply to another company location, according to the WARN notice.

And it's not just Levis.  Cat Lafuente (FINANCEBUZZ) notes: 

In July 2026, several big chains say they'll continue with downsizing plans as they adapt to changing consumer spending, increased costs, and more.

[. . .]

Kroger closing stores has become one of the most talked-about retail stories of the summer, and at least one Kroger location is closing in July in Atlanta (at 2452 Morosgo Way), though that's likely far from the only store on its way out. Kroger announced that 60 locations were on the chopping block in a June conference call with investors.

The closures will happen over an 18-month period and are being attributed to declining profits. The company says it's working to find solutions for impacted workers.

Burgers and fries are as American as apple pie, but "financial hardship" has caused Five Guys Burgers and Fries to shutter locations from Florida to California, as reported in May of 2026.

Additional locations will close on the West Coast during the summer months, including in Hanford, California, on July 2, 2026. While the restaurant appears to be decreasing its presence domestically, internationally, it appears to be growing.

Torrid has been on the decline for several years now and has announced plans to close up to 180 locations. So far, 171 stores have already turned off the lights. The plus-size retailer cites the growing use of GLP-1s like Ozempic as a reason for the drop in sales.

For now, Torrid says it will maintain its brick-and-mortar locations while expanding web sales, though you may see more store closures in July.

July of 2026 will be the last full month you can enjoy picking up all of your Ulta favorites while on your Target run, as the brands revealed their partnership is coming to a permanent close the following month.

This means that over 600 Ulta stores will close, a hefty share of the market. Target will instead sell a "curated" selection of beauty products at "affordable prices."

That's just the top four closings.  And Nina Zdinjak (THE STREET) reports:

Luxury brands are typically considered recession-resistant. Yet recent store closures suggest that luxury is not always enough to keep a business afloat amid shifting consumer habits and economic challenges. 

McKinsey & Company reveals an important shift in consumer behavior: Emotional connection is now a top driver of purchasing decisions, ahead of traditional luxury markers such as craftsmanship, heritage, and exclusivity. 

[. . .]

On May 27, Capri Holdings, the parent company behind fashion icons such as Michael Kors, Versace (recently sold), and Jimmy Choo, disclosed its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year Fiscal 2026 ended March 28, 2026.

The fashion giant reported fourth-quarter total revenue of $796 million, down from $827 million in the same period of fiscal 2025. 

The document further revealed that as of March 28, 2026, Capri Holdings owned 673 Michael Kors and 211 Jimmy Choo stores, while on March 29, 2025, there were 711 Michael Kors and 219 Jimmy Choo stores. 

The data reveals that in 12 months, Capri Holdings has closed 38 Michael Kors stores. 

And Nina Zdinjak (THE STREET) notes:

While there are occasional headlines in local outlets about sporadic Save A Lot closures, an exclusive data analysis by TheStreet comparing U.S. location datasets revealed that the discount supermarket giant has quietly shuttered roughly 100 stores.

In its official Save A Lot 2025 Business and Social Impact Report published on May 28, 2026, the company reported operating approximately 650 stores in 29 states. However, an earlier report published in January 2025, reveals the discount chain owned around 750 stores across 32 states. 

The numbers reveal that in a span of only 16 months, the discount retailer has completely transformed its retail footprint, shedding roughly 100 stores.

Meanwhile, Chump took the crazy for a walk.  Kevin Breuninger (CNBC) reports: 

President Donald Trump on Tuesday resurrected his push for the U.S. to acquire Greenland, and suggested the U.S. could pull all of its armed services members out of Europe in response to the Continent's continued pushback on the issue.

The island territory "should be controlled by the United States," Trump said shortly after he arrived in Ankara, Turkey, for a NATO summit.

The 32-member alliance — which includes Denmark, of which Greenland is a part — fell into a crisis in January, as Trump demanded that the U.S. must take control of the island territory on national security grounds.

This comes a little over a day and a half after Michael Luciano (MEDIAITE) reported:

A stunning report in The Wall Street Journal described a marathon meeting of U.S. European allies who had come to view the country as a security risk under President Donald Trump.

Citing national security, Trump has repeatedly insisted that the U.S. must acquire Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory in the North Atlantic and Arctic Circle. The U.S. already maintains one military base on the island and, under an agreement, may increase its military presence there. However, Trump has indicated he wants Greenland to become a U.S. territory.

On Jan. 3, the U.S. military raided Venezuela and abducted then-President Nicolas Maduro before bringing him to the U.S. to face drug trafficking charges. Shortly after the raid, Trump reiterated his desire for Greenland. So concerned were U.S. allies in Europe, they met to discuss how to approach the president, according to a report published by the Journal on Sunday.

The leaders met at the European Council headquarters in Brussels. Cameras and phones were not allowed, and each head of government had been told to come alone. French President Emmanuel Macron was blunt in his assessment. He had just deployed French soldiers to Greenland to participate in Denmark’s Operation Arctic Endurance, in which Canada, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, and Sweden also participated. The Journal reported that the forces there – or at least the French and Danish ones – were prepared for a hot war with the U.S. Around the five-hour mark of the meeting, Macron addressed his counterparts:

“We are drawing a line here,” began Emmanuel Macron, president of France, according to several leaders present and their most senior aides. For a year, America’s closest allies had tried to placate Trump with a mix of flattery and concessions on mutual-defense and trade issues, hoping to buy time. Now, French soldiers were in Greenland, alongside Danish special forces equipped for a shooting war with America. The French president repeated an argument he’d been pressing for years, with mounting urgency: that Europe’s overreliance on America was a security risk. “There is no going back,” he said.

The report highlighted that European nations are accelerating their divestment from U.S. technology.

Donald Chump is a deranged and demented threat to the world.  The United States and France should never be on the verge of war.  They are one of this country's strongest allies 

And that bond didn't start yesterday.  As America celebrates its 250th year, it worth noting that France was a critical ally during the Revolutionary War.

You don't try to shake a mutual bond like that.  Unless  you're suffering from dementia like Donald Chump is.

Chump went to Turkey yesterday.  From ALL THINGS CONSIDERED (NPR):

SCOTT DETROW, HOST:

NATO leaders, including President Trump, arrived in Turkey's capital, Ankara, today. Most European and other allies are spending more on defense and expanding their military capabilities, but President Trump's increasingly confrontational approach toward many NATO countries has forced a debate into the open - how NATO projects unity despite uncertainty about the U.S.'s commitment to the alliance. NPR's Hadeel Al-Shalchi reports from Ankara.

HADEEL AL-SHALCHI, BYLINE: At this year's summit in Ankara, there was one arrival everyone was bracing for.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: (Speaking Turkish).

UNIDENTIFIED PEOPLE: (Yelling, inaudible).

(SOUNDBITE OF MILITARY BAND MUSIC)

AL-SHALCHI: President Trump opened his visit with a few words of Turkish.

(SOUNDBITE OF FIGHTER JETS PASSING OVERHEAD)

AL-SHALCHI: He's the only leader who got the full ceremonial welcome, a flyover, a military band and a personal greeting from host President Erdogan. And as anticipated, it didn't take long before he showed his disquiet to his NATO alliance partners.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

TRUMP: I was very disappointed with NATO. And frankly, if it weren't held in Turkey, where my friend happens to be a very strong leader, a very strong person, it's possible that I wouldn't have attended.

AL-SHALCHI: Trump has long argued that NATO allies rely too heavily on the U.S. He says Europe isn't doing enough to help in his war in Iran. Allies have been reluctant to take part in efforts to secure shipping through the Strait of Hormuz or provide military support to the U.S.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

TRUMP: Italy turned us down. And Germany turned us down, and France turned us down. And it's OK. But, you know, why are we spending hundreds of billions of dollars and they're not there for us? We've always been there for them.

Jared Malsin and Robbie Gramer (WALL STREET JOURNAL) report:

President Trump said Tuesday that he would consider selling the F-35 jet fighter to Turkey, signaling his embrace of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and setting up a potential showdown with U.S. lawmakers who have long opposed such a deal.

Trump spoke alongside Erdogan at the presidential complex in the Turkish capital, where he landed on Tuesday for a summit of the leaders of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

“We have a better relationship with Turkey, and Turkey has been in many ways much more loyal than other countries that we think would be loyal,” Trump said when asked about the program by reporters.

“So yeah, it’s something certainly we’d consider. It’s a great plane. It’s the best, currently the best plane by far, and certainly something we will consider,” he said.

The U.S. and Turkey have been stuck in a yearslong diplomatic impasse over weapons sales since Erdogan in 2017 approved Turkey’s import of a Russian air-defense system called the S-400. The move triggered American sanctions, and the first Trump administration removed Turkey from the F-35 fighter program in response.

Really?  That's what we say?  About 2017?  It was in May 16, 2017, when Chump was in the White House, that Erdogan's security thugs attacked peaceful protesters outside the Turkish embassy in D.C.  Did we all forget that?

Ishan Jain (MEAWW) notes, "President Donald Trump said that he would not have attended the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara for most world leaders, but that a personal appeal from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan changed his mind, offering one of his warmest recent endorsements of any foreign leader as he heads into a summit where he has clashed with several European allies."

Let's go to WIKIPEDIA for what happened May 16, 2017

The clashes were decried as a Turkish attack on American protesters exercising their First Amendment rights, which guarantees freedom of speech and assembly.^[5][6] Turkey declined to apologize for the incident, blaming the protestors for provoking the response.

Of the 24 men who were filmed attacking protesters, nearly a month passed before any were charged with a crime.^[7] However, on June 6, a U.S. House resolution unanimously passed calling for all Turkish security guards involved to be charged and prosecuted under United States law.^[8] On June 14, two men were arrested for assault in connection to the attacks, while arrest warrants were issued for the bodyguards.^[9] The charges were dropped in March 2018, days before high level meetings between US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Erdoğan.^[10]

[. . .]

United States

Immediately following the events, U.S. lawmakers condemned Turkey's actions during the clashes. Republican Senator John McCain called for the expulsion of the Turkish ambassador.^[20] Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill agreed, saying "They were assaulting these people on US soil. Turkish Ambassador should be kicked out of country."^[20] A group of nearly 30 Democratic lawmakers, led by Representative Carolyn Maloney, wrote a letter to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson demanding that the Turkish guards be "arrested, prosecuted and jailed."^[21] Tillerson said that he was going to wait for the findings from a State Department investigation before taking any action.^[22] Peter Newsham, the Chief of the Metropolitan police announced that nine people had to be taken to hospital due to the clashes.^[12]

On May 18, Under Secretary of State Tom Shannon summoned Turkish Ambassador Serdar Kılıç after the events.

Washington, D.C.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser called the clashes a "violent attack on a peaceful demonstration," and said it "is an affront to DC values and our rights as Americans."^[23]

On May 17, the D.C. Police Department announced that two individuals had been arrested in connection with the clashes,^[12] and stated "The actions seen outside the Turkish Embassy yesterday in Washington, D.C. stand in contrast to the First Amendment rights and principles we work tirelessly to protect each and every day." The department announced further cooperation with the United States State Department and United States Secret Service "to identify and hold all subjects accountable for their involvement in the altercation."^[23]

[. . .]

On June 6, 2017, the U.S. House of Representatives called for the members of the security detail who were involved in the melee to be brought to justice.^[27] The resolution, which passed in a unanimous 397–0 vote, called for "any Turkish security official who directed or participated in efforts by Turkish security forces to suppress peaceful protests outside of the Turkish ambassador's residence" to be charged and prosecuted under U.S. law.^[8] The measure was similar to a Senate demand to waive diplomatic immunity for security forces involved in the assault.^[27]

Congressman Steny Hoyer called the incident an outrage that the U.S. cannot tolerate.^[27] Congressman Ed Royce called the violence an "act of suppression on American soil".^[27] Speaker of the House Paul Ryan called for the Turkish government to "finally accept responsibility for this egregious incident and apologise to those who were harmed".^[8]

The day following the vote, Turkey dismissed the resolution saying that it would "distort and politicize" matters and that the measure was "against the spirit of alliance and partnership" between the two countries.^[28]

[. . .]

Arrests and warrants

On June 14, 2017, two men, Sinan Narin of Virginia and Eyup Yildirim of New Jersey, were arrested for aggravated assault in connection to the clashes.^[9]

On June 15, the United States issued 16 arrest warrants, 12 of which were for presidential security guards involved in the clashes. President Erdoğan criticized the United States for issuing the arrest warrants, saying "They have issued arrest warrants for 12 of my bodyguards. What kind of law is this? If my bodyguards cannot protect me then why am I bringing them to America with me?". Erdoğan also claimed that D.C. police failed to intervene during the clashes.^[30] Turkey summoned Ambassador John R. Bass and stated that Turkish citizens cannot be held responsible for the clashes since U.S. and local security authorities failed to take the proper measures during Erdoğan's state visit.^[31]

In August 2017, a grand jury indicted 19 defendants in connection with the clashes. The 19 defendants included the 16 individuals criminally charged in June. Fifteen of the defendants are Turkish security officials. All the defendants were indicted on a charge of conspiracy to commit a crime of violence. Additionally, many of the defendants were indicted on charges such as assault with a dangerous weapon and aggravated assault.^[32]

September phone call between Erdoğan and Trump

In a PBS NewsHour interview with Judy Woodruff on September 19, 2017, Erdoğan said that Trump had called him the previous week to apologize for the incident, and promised to follow up on it during future talks with the Turkish government.^[33] A spokesperson for the White House said that while many issues were discussed during the call, Trump had not offered an apology.^[34][33] 

That's who Chump is making nice with now.  Who he's calling a friend.  Erodgan. The man who has been either the prime minister of Turkey or the country's president for the last 23 years.  He's not a leader, he's a dictator and Chump loves him for it. 

He is in Turkey, cozying up to Erdogan while threatening to take Greenland.  

Equally as disgusting as Chump is Graham Platner -- the hopefully soon to be former US senate candidate out of Maine.

But Potts is wrong to state it was just men.  Michelle Goldberg was right there with the bros pimping Platner -- October 31st and May 8th being only two examples.  She was not the only female fanboy of Platner. 

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

Washington, D.C. — Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, and Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (D-OH-09), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, sent a letter to White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russ Vought calling on him to rescind OMB’s proposed rule governing all federal grants and financial assistance.

In the letter, the top Democratic energy appropriators underscore how OMB’s proposed rule would politicize grants and loans made by the Department of Energy (DOE) and enable political appointees to terminate grants for virtually any reason they please, which will put critical energy projects on the chopping block and scare private investment away from projects that lower Americans’ costs. Moody’s recently warned that the proposed rule would be “credit negative for entities with high dependence on competitive federal funding because it would materially weaken the reliability of multi-year discretionary funding commitments.”

“We write to express our unequivocal and strong opposition to the Office of Management and Budget’s proposed changes to the rules governing the Federal grants system,” write Murray and Kaptur. “We urge immediate withdrawal of this proposed rule. This proposal represents dangerous executive overreach designed to usurp Congress’s constitutional power of the purse and replace objective, merit-based grantmaking with a system highly vulnerable to government corruption and political cronyism.”

“By allowing an Administration to arbitrarily terminate or withhold awarded grant funds based on shifting political whims, this proposed rule would freeze critical energy and water investments needed to lower everyday costs for Americans and improve affordability for working families,” they continue. “Furthermore, turning grant funding meant to support reliable Federal partnerships into a political ‘slush fund’ will drive away private capital, stifle domestic innovation, and severely undermine America’s global competitiveness—ceding our Nation’s technological leadership to foreign adversaries at the worst possible time.”

Murray and Kaptur underscore that the proposed changes will significantly impact DOE programs and undermine congressional intent.

“These concerns are particularly acute at the Department of Energy, which administers billions of dollars in grants, cooperative agreements, and formula funding enacted through annual appropriations acts and major energy-related statutes,” they write. “DOE award recipients often make long-term hiring, contracting, and investment decisions based on Federal awards. If recipients cannot rely on those awards being administered according to congressional intent, participation in DOE programs will decline and Congress’s objectives will be frustrated.”

The full letter is available HERE and below:

Dear Director Vought:

We write to express our unequivocal and strong opposition to the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) proposed changes to the rules governing the Federal grants system as printed in the Federal Register on May 29, 2026 (91 FR 32198; “Regulation for Federal Financial Assistance”). We urge immediate withdrawal of this proposed rule. This proposal represents dangerous executive overreach designed to usurp Congress’s constitutional power of the purse and replace objective, merit-based grantmaking with a system highly vulnerable to government corruption and political cronyism.

By allowing an Administration to arbitrarily terminate or withhold awarded grant funds based on shifting political whims, this proposed rule would freeze critical energy and water investments needed to lower everyday costs for Americans and improve affordability for working families. Furthermore, turning grant funding meant to support reliable Federal partnerships into a political “slush fund” will drive away private capital, stifle domestic innovation, and severely undermine America’s global competitiveness – ceding our Nation’s technological leadership to foreign adversaries at the worst possible time.

Under our constitutional system of government, Congress appropriates funds for specific purposes and directs agencies to carry out those programs consistent with statute. Appropriations laws are deliberately written to provide clear direction regarding how taxpayer funds are to be used and are intended to be administered according to law, not according to the political preferences of any particular Administration. The Federal grant process works because applicants can rely on the expectation that once Congress has enacted funding and established eligibility requirements, awards will be made and administered by the Executive Branch based on those statutory criteria as a matter of public law rather than shifting political considerations. For the system to work well and Federal grants to have the maximum impact possible, recipients must be able to trust that they will receive funds based on fair and transparent criteria and that their grants will not be ripped up suddenly because an Administration has a political disagreement.

The proposed rule would dismantle this system and breaks faith with the American people. It would provide agencies broad discretion to terminate, condition, or otherwise withhold grants and cooperative agreements based on ever-changing Executive Branch priorities rather than Congressional direction. The practical effect of this change would be to create uncertainty for States, local governments, universities, nonprofits, utilities, and private-sector entities considering whether to apply for Federal assistance. Organizations are far less likely to invest the time and resources required to pursue Federal funding if they believe an award can be terminated at any time for reasons unrelated to organizational integrity, program performance, or statutory requirements, and without required justification.

These concerns are particularly acute at the Department of Energy (DOE), which administers billions of dollars in grants, cooperative agreements, and formula funding enacted through annual appropriations acts and major energy-related statutes. DOE award recipients often make long-term hiring, contracting, and investment decisions based on Federal awards. If recipients cannot rely on those awards being administered according to congressional intent, participation in DOE programs will decline and Congress’s objectives will be frustrated.

The proposal raises serious concerns that agencies would violate the Impoundment Control Act (ICA). Congress enacted the ICA to prevent the Executive Branch from unilaterally withholding appropriated funds. Yet OMB’s proposal appears designed to expand agencies’ ability to accomplish indirectly what they cannot do directly: prevent congressionally appropriated funds from reaching recipients through broad termination authorities and subjective policy-based conditions. Agencies should not be given tools that effectively allow them to substitute presidential priorities for enacted spending laws. DOE has previously been found to have withheld congressionally appropriated funds in violation of the ICA, as determined by a US Government Accountability Office legal decision issued in July 2025.

We are particularly concerned by OMB’s proposed revisions to Federal regulations codified in Section 200.340 of Title 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations (2 C.F.R. §200.340), which significantly expand agencies’ ability to terminate Federal awards for just about any reason they like. OMB, under the current Administration, has repeatedly pointed to this provision to justify widespread politically motivated grant cancellations and funding freezes across the Federal Government. The proposed changes would further broaden this authority and make it easier for agencies to terminate awards based on vague and subjective policy considerations rather than clear statutory requirements. Such an approach undermines funding certainty, discourages participation in Federal programs, and weakens Congress’s constitutional power of the purse. Several courts have ruled DOE’s prior attempt to terminate projects on political grounds by targeting “blue” States, Cities, and Congressional Districts to be illegal and ordered Federal funding to be reinstated.

The proposed rule raises additional concerns about due process and fair competition in Federal funding allocation. Under current rules, DOE discretionary grants must be awarded through a merit-based competitive selection process unless a formal Determination for Noncompetitive Financial Assistance (DNFA) is provided. The proposed 2 C.F.R. §200.204 revision would carve out a “national interest” exception to public posting of funding opportunities on Grants.gov, effectively removing the requirement of formal justification for non-competitive award selections. Additionally, OMB’s proposed revisions to 2 C.F.R. §200.205 would require pre-issuance review of all discretionary awards by senior political appointees to ensure that awards advance the President’s policy priorities in line with Executive Order 14332. The insertion of such a political filter compromises the merit-based foundation of award selection.

The proposed rule would also drive-up costs for the businesses, investors, and startups that help build America’s energy future. These companies rely on Federal awards to secure financing, bring in private investment, and commit to projects that take years to complete. When the government can pull an award at any moment for political reasons, lenders and investors have no choice but to treat every dollar as if it could disappear. That makes capital more expensive, discourages private partners, and can leave high-quality, strategic energy projects unbuilt. The Federal award recipients that do move forward will have to track and comply with vague, shifting conditions – a burden that lands hardest on the small firms and new companies least able to afford it. The result is less private money behind every Federal dollar and fewer energy projects coming online, which ultimately means higher energy costs for American families.

Federal grants should not be transformed from effective vehicles for implementing laws enacted by Congress into mechanisms for advancing or withholding funding based on political preferences and priorities. The certainty, predictability, and technical, merit-based governance of Federal assistance programs is essential to ensuring that qualified applicants continue to seek Federal funding and carry out activities consistent with the laws enacted by Congress.

For these reasons, we urge OMB to withdraw the proposal.

Sincerely,

###

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