Daily Kos

Daily Kos https://www.dailykos.com News Community Action Copyright - Kos Media, LLC Mon, 09 Mar 2026 16:43:05 +0000 Mon, 09 Mar 2026 16:43:05 +0000 rsshelp@dailykos.helpscoutapp.com rsshelp@dailykos.helpscoutapp.com A draft for Trump's Iran war? White House says it's 'on the table.' https://www.dailykos.com/story/2026/3/9/2372357/-A-draft-for-Trump-s-Iran-war-White-House-says-it-s-on-the-table?pm_campaign=blog&pm_medium=rss&pm_source= A ground invasion of Iran and a possible military draft are controversial issues that remain “on the table” according to an interview with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt that aired on Sunday. <div class="dk-editor-embed embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9 center-block"> <div class="remove-embed-content">x</div> <div class="dk-editor-embed embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9 center-block"> <div class="remove-embed-content"><a class="new_iframe_placeholder" href="#">x</a></div> <a class="iframe_placeholder youtube dk-embed" href="//youtube.com/watch?v=Pynejsmj3Og" title="" data-frameborder="0" data-height="281" data-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Pynejsmj3Og" data-width="500">YouTube Video</a></div> </div> Leavitt made the remarks while speaking to Fox Business<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/11/10/2353128/-Fox-News-host-can-t-stop-telling-800-million-election-lie" title="" target="_blank"> host and election conspiracy theorist</a> Maria Bartiromo. Bartiromo asked Leavitt about Trump’s possible plans for “troops on the ground” as well as a military draft. “President Trump wisely does not remove options off of the table. I know a lot of politicians like to do that quickly, but the president as commander in chief wants to continue to assess the success of this military operation,” Leavitt said. “It’s not part of the current plan right now but the president again wisely keeps his options on the table,” she added. NBC News<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/trump-privately-shown-serious-interest-us-ground-troops-iran-rcna262176" target="_blank"> has previously reported</a> that according to at least two U.S. officials Trump has expressed “serious interest” in a ground deployment of troops in Iran. The White House was asked about those discussions, and the possibility was not ruled out. The war against Iran<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/8/2371462/-Trump-s-uniquely-unpopular-war-on-Iran" target="_blank"> has been unpopular</a> from the beginning. Instead of rallying to support the presidency, as has occurred during other past military engagements <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/7/2371851/-How-Republicans-keep-screwing-up-their-wars" title="" target="_blank">like the Iraq War</a>, the public has rejected it. <figure class="image-captioned width-xl align-right"><img alt="Cartoon by Clay Jones" class="width-xl" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1532734/large/CjonesRGB03062026.jpg?1772737385" title="Cartoon by Clay Jones"> <figcaption>“Trump’s embarrassment” by Clay Jones</figcaption> </figure> For instance,<a href="https://www.npr.org/2026/03/06/nx-s1-5737627/iran-us-military-poll-trump-approval" target="_blank"> a recent poll</a> from NPR/PBS/Marist showed that 56% of respondents opposed the war, with a paltry 36% who approve how Trump has handled the situation. The administration<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/3/2371436/-Here-s-how-Trump-wants-the-GOP-to-spin-his-war-on-Iran" title="" target="_blank"> has struggled to explain</a> why America attacked Iran, with a host of reasons—regime change, an imminent threat, purported threats against Trump—offered up. Figures like Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/4/2371618/-Hegseth-cares-more-about-fake-media-coverage-than-dead-troops" title="" target="_blank"> have complained</a>, just days after combat began, that the media is reporting on the Americans who have been killed as a result of Trump’s actions. Further complicating matters for the unpopular policy decision,<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/world/iran/iran-supreme-leader-mojtaba-khamenei-rcna261645" target="_blank"> Iran announced</a> on Sunday that Mojtaba Khamenei, son of slain Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, would become leader of the Islamic republic. Khamenei is seen as a hard-liner, and the choice is a rejection of Trump’s demands for “unconditional surrender” by the Iranian leadership. Efforts by the U.S. to win the “hearts and minds” of the Iranian people are also being weakened by Trump’s actions. An air strike that killed 175 people, mostly children attending a school,<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/08/world/middleeast/iran-minab-school-strike.html" title="" target="_blank"> now appears to be</a> the direct result of a U.S. Tomahawk missile being fired at an Iranian naval base. Images of the children’s bodies have now been seen worldwide by millions of people. Domestically, the war has caused an<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/09/economy/oil-price-shock" target="_blank"> almost unprecedented</a> increase in fuel prices as supply lines have been disrupted by combat. It is against this backdrop of global chaos, death, and financial instability that the administration appears to be considering a ground attack on a Middle Eastern nation. rss@dailykos.com (Oliver Willis) DonaldTrump Iran KarolineLeavitt Military peteHegseth _2372357 Mon, 09 Mar 2026 16:30:02 +0000 Cartoon: Big, beautiful war https://www.dailykos.com/story/2026/3/9/2371532/-Cartoon-Big-beautiful-war?pm_campaign=blog&pm_medium=rss&pm_source= A cartoon by Drew Sheneman. <hr> Related | <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/3/2371465/-Iran-war-proves-Trump-is-still-at-the-concept-of-a-plan-stage" title="" target="_blank">Iran war proves Trump is still at the ‘concept of a plan’ stage</a> <hr> rss@dailykos.com (Drew Sheneman) Cartoon DonaldTrump DrewSheneman FakeNews Iran War _2371532 Mon, 09 Mar 2026 15:59:06 +0000 Trump's war spikes gas prices—and gets Iran a worse leader https://www.dailykos.com/story/2026/3/9/2372351/-Trump-s-war-spikes-gas-prices-and-gets-Iran-a-worse-leader?pm_campaign=blog&pm_medium=rss&pm_source= <a href="https://x.com/CENTCOM/status/2030727586226360485" target="_blank">Seven</a> American service members are dead, dozens of Iranian children were <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/08/world/middleeast/iran-minab-school-strike.html" target="_blank">murdered by a U.S. missile strike</a>, oil is <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/08/dark-like-our-future-iranians-describe-scenes-of-catastrophe-after-tehrans-oil-depots-bombed" target="_blank">raining from the skies</a> to poison the air for thousands of people living in Iran following an Israeli missile strike, and oil and gas prices worldwide are <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/08/crude-oil-prices-today-iran-war.html" target="_blank">surging</a> as the war has led to the blockade of a critical waterway used to transport oil. But hey, at least we have a new Iranian leader who is in some ways worse than the murderous oppressor whom the United States <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/2/28/2370959/-Trump-says-Iran-s-supreme-leader-is-dead" target="_blank">killed</a> a little over a <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/5/2371687/-The-peace-president-can-t-stop-starting-wars" target="_blank">week ago</a>! Indeed, Iran announced on Sunday that it replaced Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei with his son Mojtaba Khamenei. The 56-year-old religious cleric <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/08/world/middleeast/mojtaba-khamenei-iran-leader.html" target="_blank">lost</a> his mother, wife, and a son, as well as his father, to U.S. strikes. Given his relative youth, Iran’s new supreme leader could have many years left to rein over the nation with an iron fist. That means we spent billions, lost American lives, and potentially decimated the global economy only to put in someone who may in fact be more extreme than the previous guy who brutally oppressed both dissenters and women. <figure class="image-captioned align-right"><img alt="This image taken from video provided by Iran state TV shows Mojtaba Khamenei, a son of Iran's slain supreme leader, who has been named as the Islamic Republic's next ruler, authorities announced Monday, March 9, 2026. (Iran state TV via AP)" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1533781/large/AP26068074705055.jpg?1773068723" title="This image taken from video provided by Iran state TV shows Mojtaba Khamenei, a son of Iran's slain supreme leader, who has been named as the Islamic Republic's next ruler, authorities announced Monday, March 9, 2026. (Iran state TV via AP)"> <figcaption>Mojtaba Khamenei, a son of Iran's slain supreme leader, who has been named as the Islamic Republic's next ruler, is shown in this image from Iran state TV.</figcaption> </figure> Axios <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/08/mojtaba-khamenei-iran-supreme-leader" target="_blank">reported</a> that "Mojtaba is expected to be more hardline than his father, and his ascent means the Iranian regime may get more repressive." Apparently, regime change in Iran isn't as easy for President Donald Trump as firing people in an episode of "The Apprentice." Of course, that was obvious if you weren't a half-witted reality TV host who is surrounded by both stupid and evil aides who are egging on your thirst for world domination. But it was apparently not obvious for Trump, who <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWPCNiZDri0" target="_blank">reportedly thought war with Iran would be easy</a>, consisting of brief strikes to take out the old regime and then an acquiescence from the remaining government figures to choose a new leader more acceptable to Trump—similar to what transpired in Trump's<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/1/6/2361745/--Bluster-and-bravado-Democratic-senator-slams-Trump-s-Venezuela-invasion" target="_blank"> Venezuela invasion</a>. "Khamenei's son is a lightweight. I have to be involved in the appointment, like with Delcy [Rodriguez] in Venezuela," Trump <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/05/iran-leader-trump-khamenei" target="_blank">told</a> Axios on March 5, days before the very “lightweight” Trump spoke of was appointed without Trump’s input.  Ultimately, instead of rolling over as Trump thought Iran would do, it fought back. The country's military launched <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/09/world/video/aftermath-of-iranian-drone-strikes-in-bahrain-digvid" target="_blank">drone strikes</a> that are dangerous, <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/defense/5772379-iran-drone-threat-us-allies/" target="_blank">expensive to thwart</a>, and could<a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/saudi-arabia-has-told-iran-to-stop-attacks-warned-of-possible-retaliation-sources-say/" target="_blank"> expand the war into other Middle Eastern countries</a>. World War III, anyone? Iran also choked off the Strait of Hormuz—a critical waterway that oil-rich Middle Eastern nations use to transport the commodity around the world. It's led oil prices to surge and in turn caused gas prices to skyrocket, leading Americans to pay much more to fill up their tanks. <hr> <div class="dk-editor-embed dk-datawrapper-embed center-block"> <div class="remove-embed-content">x</div> <a class="iframe_placeholder datawrapper dk-embed" href="//datawrapper.dwcdn.net/I6MaJ/1/" data-frameborder="0" data-height="422" data-src="//datawrapper.dwcdn.net/I6MaJ/1/" data-width="757">Datawrapper Content</a></div> <hr> “In just a week, consumers have seen gasoline prices surge at one of the fastest rates in years after oil prices spiked following U.S. strikes on Iran and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz,” Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy,<a href="https://x.com/GasBuddyGuy/status/2030994428605640833" target="_blank"> wrote</a> in a post on X. “With additional attacks across the Middle East over the weekend pushing oil above $100 per barrel for the first time in years, fuel markets are now rapidly recalibrating to the risk of prolonged disruption to global supply flows. As a result, gasoline prices in many states could climb another 20 to 50 cents per gallon this week, with price-cycling markets potentially seeing increases as early as today." This is the opposite of what Americans wanted when they wrongly voted Trump back into office in 2024 under his promise to lower prices and bring peace. So much for that! It's no wonder that the war—or “<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/atrupar.com/post/3mgmty6szpy2u" target="_blank">short-term experience</a>,” as one House Republican leader ridiculously called it—is so <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/8/2371462/-Trump-s-uniquely-unpopular-war-on-Iran" target="_blank">unpopular</a>. Majorities of Americans disapprove of the conflict, with even Trump's <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/2/2371262/-Even-far-right-fanboys-are-turning-on-Trump-over-Iran-war" target="_blank">own MAGA base</a> angry about their Dear Leader’s decision to launch another Middle East conflict. <div class="dk-editor-embed center-block" data-bluesky-content="&lt;blockquote class="bluesky-embed" data-bluesky-uri="at://did:plc:4llrhdclvdlmmynkwsmg5tdc/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgmty6szpy2u" data-bluesky-cid="bafyreia3srqjslehajqzvxtjvi3nwalgy4rst3i7hphnfu4fdsmvtoki4e"&gt;&lt;p lang="en"&gt;Tom Emmer still won&amp;#39;t call Trump&amp;#39;s war a war, but instead says &amp;#34;this is a short-term experience&amp;#34;&lt;/p&gt;&amp;mdash; &lt;a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:4llrhdclvdlmmynkwsmg5tdc?ref_src=embed"&gt;Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com)&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:4llrhdclvdlmmynkwsmg5tdc/post/3mgmty6szpy2u?ref_src=embed"&gt;2026-03-09T12:24:34.439Z&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;script async src="https://embed.bsky.app/static/embed.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;"><div class="remove-embed-content">x</div><blockquote class="bluesky-embed" data-bluesky-uri="at://did:plc:4llrhdclvdlmmynkwsmg5tdc/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgmty6szpy2u" data-bluesky-cid="bafyreia3srqjslehajqzvxtjvi3nwalgy4rst3i7hphnfu4fdsmvtoki4e">Tom Emmer still won't call Trump's war a war, but instead says "this is a short-term experience"— <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:4llrhdclvdlmmynkwsmg5tdc?ref_src=embed" target="_blank">Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com)</a> <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:4llrhdclvdlmmynkwsmg5tdc/post/3mgmty6szpy2u?ref_src=embed" target="_blank">2026-03-09T12:24:34.439Z</a></blockquote></div> The unpopular war threatens to <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/2/2371207/-Trump-s-Iran-conflict-could-sink-the-GOP-in-November" target="_blank">sink</a> the GOP in the November midterms, with voter backlash possibly costing Republicans their majorities in the House and Senate. Even worse for Republicans—who are <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/8/2371966/-Why-spineless-Republicans-refuse-to-call-Trump-s-war-in-Iran-a-war" target="_blank">spineless cowards</a> refusing to use their power to rein Trump in—is that Trump is dismissing Americans' fears of rising gas prices that will almost <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/china/global-markets-global-markets-2026-03-08/" target="_blank">certainly lead to another spike in inflation</a>. "Short term oil prices, which will drop rapidly when the destruction of the Iran nuclear threat is over, is a very small price to pay for U.S.A., and World, Safety and Peace," Trump<a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116196014942465383" target="_blank"> wrote</a> in a post on Truth Social on Sunday. "ONLY FOOLS WOULD THINK DIFFERENTLY!" Hear that, voters? Trump says if you think it's bad that you are paying more at the pump you're a fool. Please use that message in the midterms, Republicans. It’ll go great for you. rss@dailykos.com (Emily Singer) 2026election 2026midterms DonaldTrump GasPrices Inflation Iran War _2372351 Mon, 09 Mar 2026 15:30:17 +0000 Former DOGE bro is now running the Pentagon's AI. What could go wrong? https://www.dailykos.com/story/2026/3/9/2372029/-Former-DOGE-bro-is-now-running-the-Pentagon-s-AI-What-could-go-wrong?pm_campaign=blog&pm_medium=rss&pm_source= In the middle of a war where Anthropic’s “Claude” AI is playing a central role in<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2026/03/04/anthropic-ai-iran-campaign/" title="" target="_blank"> attacking</a> Iran while also simultaneously being branded a<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/05/technology/anthropic-supply-chain-risk-defense-department.html" title="" target="_blank"> supply chain risk</a> that the Trump administration will remove within six months, Defense Secretary Whiskey Pete Hegseth has decided that it would be a<a href="https://newrepublic.com/post/207470/pentagon-hires-doge-stooge-ai" title="" target="_blank"> great idea</a> to have a 26-year-old DOGE bro run AI for the Pentagon.  <figure class="image-captioned width-xl align-right"><img alt="Cartoon by Clay Bennett" class="width-xl" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1438102/large/cbe250530c.jpg?1748557498" title="Cartoon by Clay Bennett"> <figcaption></figcaption> </figure> Meet Gavin Kliger. Or, rather, let us reintroduce you to Gavin Kliger, who was one of the<a href="https://www.wired.com/story/elon-musk-government-young-engineers/" title="" target="_blank"> very first</a> racist tweens hired to work for multibillionaire Elon Musk’s made-up Department of Government Efficiency. Kliger did spend a few years at an AI company, Databricks, but it might have been his Substack posts that really clinched the deal.  Young Gavin wrote such timeless odes as “The Curious Case of Matt Gaetz: How the Deep State Destroys Its Enemies,” and “Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense: The Warrior Washington Fears.” To be fair to Kliger, Washington did indeed fear Hegseth—but probably not for the reasons Kliger meant.  Though he’s just a young’un, Kliger has already mastered the Trump administration’s<a href="https://defensescoop.com/2026/03/06/doge-dod-gavin-kliger-new-pentagon-chief-data-officer/" title="" target="_blank"> communication style,</a> a unique mixture of bellicosity and boasting that ultimately conveys nothing. “My mission is to integrate the unparalleled innovation of America’s private sector with the Department’s operational expertise to rapidly deliver advanced AI capabilities to our warfighters,” he claimed in a statement announcing his hiring. “By driving pace-setting projects with wartime urgency, we will ensure cutting-edge technology translates into decisive battlefield advantages for the United States.” Dude, no one talks like this.  Kliger also already has the white supremacist vibe that seems to be a requirement for a high-level position in the administration. As recently as January 2025, right before he came aboard with DOGE, Kliger was still<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/story/2025/2/10/2302801/-Elon-Musk-s-DOGE-dorks-hit-with-more-heinous-revelations" title="" target="_blank"> sharing posts</a> from extreme right-wing influencers Nick Fuentes and Andrew Tate.  <hr> Related | <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/2/10/2302801/-Elon-Musk-s-DOGE-dorks-hit-with-more-heinous-revelations" title="" target="_blank">Elon Musk's DOGE dorks hit with more heinous revelations</a> <hr> Ever the overachiever, Kliger already developed the flexible morality that working in this administration requires, and a complete disregard for rules that don’t suit him. While Kliger oversaw the destruction of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, he<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/story/2025/2/10/2302801/-Elon-Musk-s-DOGE-dorks-hit-with-more-heinous-revelations" title="" target="_blank"> also held</a> $365,000 in shares of companies regulated by the CFPB, which is a no-no. His holdings included two companies, Apple and Tesla, that CFPB explicitly bars its employees from having.  This is a guy who loved overseeing the firing of 1,400 CFPB employees so much that he made the employees handling the firings stay up for 36 hours straight and screamed at them to go faster. Sounds like a terrific guy to work for.  Kliger was also the DOGE bro who<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/2/3/2301055/-Elon-Musk-announces-destruction-of-US-foreign-aid-agency" title="" target="_blank"> sent an email</a> to every employee of the United States Agency for International Development on a Sunday night telling them their building would be closed, and no one should report to work as part of Elon Musk’s wholesale destruction of USAID.  <hr> Related | <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/2/3/2301055/-Elon-Musk-announces-destruction-of-US-foreign-aid-agency" title="" target="_blank">Elon Musk announces destruction of US foreign aid agency</a> <hr> If screwing with those agencies wasn’t enough, Kliger was also<a href="https://abcnews.com/US/doge-broad-access-irs-personal-taxpayer-info-agreement/story?id=119060653" title="" target="_blank"> at the IRS</a> as part of DOGE’s efforts to get their mitts on taxpayer data.  So, Kliger is sort of a jackass-of-all-trades, to be dropped in wherever he is needed. However,  no one can get around the fact that it’s ridiculous to have a 26-year-old dude with some vague software engineering background run the whole of AI for the Pentagon—in a time of war, no less.  But let’s face it: No one who is actually qualified for the job is evil or foolish enough to sign on under the Trump administration. So Gavin it is.  rss@dailykos.com (Lisa Needham) AI DepartmentofDefense doge GavinKliger Pentagon peteHegseth _2372029 Mon, 09 Mar 2026 14:30:21 +0000 Trump’s plan to turn DC into Mar-a-Lago 2.0 hits a snag https://www.dailykos.com/story/2026/3/9/2372011/-Trump-s-plan-to-turn-DC-into-Mar-a-Lago-2-0-hits-a-snag?pm_campaign=blog&pm_medium=rss&pm_source= So it turns out that even <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/10/28/2350884/-The-East-Wing-never-had-a-chance" target="_blank">packing</a> the National Capital Planning Commission with cronies wasn’t enough to get President Donald Trump’s big, dumb ballroom approved.  The NCPC was <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/03/05/trump-ballroom-federal-review-panel/" target="_blank">planning</a> to vote on the monstrosity on Thursday, and it seemed like a foregone conclusion that it would sail through just as it did for the Commission of Fine Arts—which Trump also <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/2/20/2369579/-Lackey-packed-committee-approves-Trump-s-hideous-ballroom" target="_blank">stuffed with</a> sycophants.  <figure class="image-captioned width-xl align-right"><img alt="Debris is seen at a largely demolished part of the East Wing of the White House, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025, in Washington, before construction of a new ballroom. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)" class="width-xl" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1493217/large/AP25296621899587.jpg?1761600002" title="Debris is seen at a largely demolished part of the East Wing of the White House, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025, in Washington, before construction of a new ballroom. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)"> <figcaption>The East Wing is demolished to make room for President Donald Trump’s ballroom on Oct. 23, 2025.</figcaption> </figure> But the NCPC apparently didn’t count on the fact that normal people really, really hate this thing. In fact, the commission <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/03/05/white-house-ballroom-public-comments/" target="_blank">received</a> more than 35,000 comments about the hideous ballroom, with 97% of them opposing it. Would you like some examples?  How about one that <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz6eeq81z1go" target="_blank">called</a> the ballroom a "gaudy, personalized palace” and "a complete razing of American history.” Or perhaps the one that <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/trump-allies-planning-commission-white-house-ballrooom-approval-rcna261884" target="_blank">said</a> it’s “absolutely shameful" and "hideous.” And one comment that called it a “soulless hotel conference space” was so good that CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/05/politics/trump-east-wing-ballroom-commission-vote" target="_blank">made it a headline</a>. This absolute public thrashing stands in stark contrast to the NCPC’s executive director’s<a href="https://www.ncpc.gov/docs/actions/2026March/8733_East_Wing_Modernization_Project_Staff_Report_Mar2026.pdf" title="" target="_blank"> recommendation</a>, which echoes all of the Trump talking points about how the East Wing has evolved over time, so tearing it down and putting up a monstrous ballroom is just terrific.  The recommendation does include some vague sketches and aerial views of the ever-evolving ballroom. The worst part is probably the fact that Trump’s <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/2/27/2370602/-Trump-gets-to-keep-building-his-big-dumb-bribe-funded-ballroom" target="_blank">bribe palace</a> is now going to be so enormous that it will wrap around the East Garden, destroying its symmetry. <div class="align-center"> <figure class="image-captioned width-xl"><img alt="Xnip2026-03-06_15-39-40.jpg" class="width-xl" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1533022/large/Xnip2026-03-06_15-39-40.jpg?1772833707" title="Xnip2026-03-06_15-39-40.jpg"> <figcaption>A National Capital Planning Commission rendering of President Donald Trump’s atrocious ballroom.</figcaption> </figure> </div> The NCPC didn’t vote the ballroom down, of course. It understood the assignment, which was to approve this unthinkingly. But the deluge of comments would have made for a very bad look, so NCPC Chair Will Scharf moved the vote to next month to “take some time to deliberate.” What Scharf really means is that he wants a cooling-down period where he hopes that people will stop paying so much attention before he forces a vote to approve it—because that’s all he’s there for. There’s not even any pretense that Scharf is independent of Trump, since he’s <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2024/11/16/trump-personal-lawyer-white-house-staff-secretary-00190026" target="_blank">currently</a> the White House staff secretary and—you guessed it—was one of Trump’s personal attorneys. Trump seems to have an infinite supply of former criminal and civil lawyers who now all seem to have jobs they’re in no way qualified for.  If you’re wondering how the White House is handling this setback, here’s press secretary Karoline Leavitt being very cool and normal and professional in a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/05/us/politics/trump-ballroom-criticism.html" target="_blank">statement</a> to The New York Times:  <blockquote>These nasty comments are clearly stemming from an organized campaign of Trump-deranged liberals who clearly have no style or taste. It’s a shame that some people in this country are so debilitated with Trump derangement syndrome, they can’t even recognize or respect beauty when they see it. President Trump’s ballroom will be extraordinary, at no expense to taxpayers, for generations to come.</blockquote> Whew. Things also aren’t going so great with Trump’s plan to turn the Kennedy Center the World’s Tackiest Fascist Performing Arts Center either. Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty of Ohio <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/style/2026/03/06/lawsuit-trump-kennedycenter/" target="_blank">filed</a> a lawsuit Friday to try to block the center’s closure and possible demolition.  <figure class="image-captioned width-xl align-left"><img alt="FILE New signage, The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center For The Performing Arts, is unveiled on the Kennedy Center, Dec. 19, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, file)" class="width-xl" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1526731/large/AP26015826500569.jpg?1771007063" title="FILE New signage, The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center For The Performing Arts, is unveiled on the Kennedy Center, Dec. 19, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, file)"> <figcaption>New signage for the The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center For The Performing Arts is unveiled on Dec. 19, 2025.</figcaption> </figure> Beatty is a board member of the Kennedy Center, but the White House refuses to invite her to any of the planning meetings. She was also <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/story/2025/12/18/2359047/-Seriously-The-Trump-Kennedy-Center" target="_blank">muted</a> during a board meeting so she couldn’t object to tacking Trump’s name onto the Kennedy Center, allowing Trump to claim that the board’s vote was unanimous.  Also on Friday, the National Symphony Orchestra’s executive director <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/06/arts/music/kennedy-center-national-symphony-orchestra-leader-quits.html" target="_blank">stepped down</a>, leaving one of the Kennedy Center’s last remaining acts without leadership. That follows several other performers <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/2/2/2366797/-Kennedy-Center-crumbles-under-Trump" target="_blank">fleeing in droves</a>.  No one wants what Trump is selling, save for his sycophants. The people don’t want the ballroom, and they don’t want the Kennedy Center to be gutted.  But all we can do is keep trying to gum up the works. rss@dailykos.com (Lisa Needham) ballroom DonaldTrump KennedyCenter NationalCapitalPlanningCommission WhiteHouse _2372011 Mon, 09 Mar 2026 13:30:05 +0000 How will the war in Iran affect your utility bills? https://www.dailykos.com/story/2026/3/9/2371958/-How-will-the-war-in-Iran-affect-your-utility-bills?pm_campaign=blog&pm_medium=rss&pm_source= Conflict in the Middle East could have major repercussions for U.S. electricity and natural gas prices. Some states, like Pennsylvania, are particularly vulnerable. By <a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/profile/kiley-bense/" target="_blank" title="">Kiley Bense</a> for <a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/news/05032026/iran-war-lng-utility-bills/" target="_blank">Inside Climate News</a> <hr> Russia’s invasion of Ukraine set off a global energy crisis in 2022, sending prices for oil and gas skyrocketing in Europe and the U.S. for months on end. Many Americans struggled to keep up with their bills, and <a href="https://utilitydisconnections.org/dashboard/index.html" target="_blank">disconnections</a>—when utility companies shut off power or heat because of nonpayment—spiked. Now, energy experts fear the Trump administration’s decision to attack Iran could trigger a similar sequence of events. Qatar has shut down production at the world’s <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/qatarenergy-declares-force-majeure-lng-shipments-2026-03-04/" target="_blank" title="">largest liquefied natural gas facility</a>. Liquefying natural gas allows it to be stored and moved over longer distances than pipelines can accommodate. Shipments through a critical trade route, the Strait of Hormuz, have been cut off. Fifteen percent of the global oil supply and <a href="https://www.woodmac.com/press-releases/oil-prices-could-hit-$100bbl-as-strait-of-hormuz-traffic-halts/" target="_blank">20 percent of global LNG</a> normally pass through this waterway. In response, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/04/business/gas-prices-iran-conflict.html" target="_blank">oil, gasoline and diesel</a> prices are up, and <a href="https://tradingeconomics.com/commodity/eu-natural-gas" target="_blank">natural gas prices</a> in Europe are surging. The conflict is <a href="https://www.woodmac.com/blogs/the-edge/war-is-once-again-reshaping-gas-and-lng/" target="_blank">“wreaking havoc with global gas and LNG markets</a>, even more so than oil,” according to analysts at Wood Mackenzie, the global energy and natural resources consulting firm. Asian markets “are the most exposed,” but “Europe is also in panic mode,” the analysts said. The world hasn’t yet seen disruption on the scale of what happened at the start of Russia’s years-long attack on Ukraine, but that’s where we could be headed. “If this continues for a full week, that’s the kind of trajectory that we might be on,” said Clark Williams-Derry, energy finance analyst for the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis. “The longer this conflict lasts, the more likely we are to see higher prices that people are paying for natural gas.” The Ukraine war, he warned, led to “a massive transfer of wealth from ordinary households, people who are paying utility bills, to the people who are providing them with fossil fuels.” <hr> Related | <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/6/2371932/-Yes-Trump-s-economy-really-is-as-bad-as-it-seems" title="" target="_blank">Yes, Trump’s economy really is as bad as it seems</a> <hr> The immediate fallout from the war with Iran illustrates the problems with ramping up U.S. exports of liquefied natural gas without any policy guardrails, he said. The more LNG that America exports, the more domestic natural gas prices are tied to swings in the global market. “It’s U.S. consumers who are bidding against global consumers for the same gas,” he said. LNG proponents say that exports help keep American allies abroad from having to rely on countries like <a href="https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=66044" target="_blank">Russia</a> for energy. “U.S. LNG exports strengthen energy security for allies amid growing geopolitical uncertainty,” said Rob Jennings, vice president of natural gas markets at the American Petroleum Institute. “Over the past decade, growth in America’s LNG exports has been outpaced by growth in domestic production, enabling the United States to meet rising demand at home and abroad without meaningfully impacting domestic natural gas prices.” But even before the attack on Iran, U.S. natural gas prices were <a href="https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=64344&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter_axiosgenerate&stream=top" target="_blank" title="">expected</a> to rise, “driven mainly by more demand” from LNG export facilities, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Since more than <a href="https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=427&t=3" target="_blank" title="">40 percent of American electricity</a> is generated from natural gas, that means electric bills are also affected by these fluctuations. This is especially true in states that rely more on this fuel for power, like Pennsylvania, Delaware, Mississippi, Florida and Louisiana.   <hr> Related | <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/4/2371446/-Trump-s-economic-lies-are-catching-up-to-him" target="_blank">Trump’s economic lies are catching up to him</a> <hr> U.S. LNG exports have increased enormously since 2016, with the growth fueled primarily by the fracking boom. The U.S. is now the <a href="https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=67224" target="_blank" title="">world’s largest LNG exporter</a>, ahead of Australia and Qatar. The second Trump administration has made increasing LNG exports a priority: One of President Donald Trump’s first acts of his second term was to reverse the Biden administration’s pause on permitting new LNG export projects. Several new <a href="https://www.iea.org/data-and-statistics/data-tools/global-lng-capacity-tracker" target="_blank" title="">LNG export facilities</a> are scheduled to come online in the next few years, with more planned for the future. “Last year, for the first time in history, the eight LNG export terminals consumed more gas than all 74 million households that have natural gas utility service,” said Tyson Slocum, director of the energy program at Public Citizen, a nonprofit consumer advocacy organization. Public Citizen calculated that Americans paid <a href="https://www.citizen.org/article/exported-energy-affordability-how-trumps-failed-energy-policy-is-driving-americas-energy-affordability-crisis/" target="_blank">$12 billion</a> more for natural gas in the first nine months of 2025 than in the same period in 2024. In late February, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the first LNG export from the contiguous U.S., the <a href="https://www.energy.gov/hgeo/articles/decade-us-lng-leadership-powering-prosperity-security-and-human-flourishing" target="_blank" title="">Department of Energy</a> praised Trump’s leadership to “accelerate export capacity” during his first and second terms. LNG exports “support tens of thousands of high-quality, generational jobs while strengthening prosperity at home and for our allies and trading partners abroad,” the department said. Last week, Energy Secretary Chris Wright approved <a href="https://www.energy.gov/articles/energy-department-approves-export-expansion-corpus-christi-lng" target="_blank">an export expansion</a> at an LNG facility in Texas. A group of senators, including <a href="https://www.warren.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/letter_to_doe_re_lng_exports_impact_on_utility_prices.pdf" target="_blank">Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders</a>, criticized the administration’s LNG policy a day before Wright’s approval, arguing that it was “contributing to rapidly rising utility prices for American consumers.” The senators’ letter to Wright noted that some LNG companies have increased their earnings by millions of dollars in the last year. The uncertainty caused by war with Iran comes at a time when many Americans are already struggling to pay their utility bills. An unusually cold winter in some parts of the country and the projected demand from data center projects have strained the system. Electricity rates increased by <a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/news/02032026/whats-driving-higher-electricity-rates/" target="_blank">5 percent</a> nationwide in 2025, and in some states, the increase was much higher. In Pennsylvania, for example, rates rose almost 9 percent. <figure class="image-captioned width-xl align-right"><img alt="Cartoon by David Horsey" class="width-xl" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1532205/large/20260303edhoc-a.jpg?1772574158" title="Cartoon by David Horsey"> <figcaption></figcaption> </figure> All told, Pennsylvanians were paying 46 percent more last year compared to 2018. “We have seen a substantial increase in energy prices that are really squeezing Pennsylvanians across the board,” said Elizabeth Marx, the executive director at the Pennsylvania Utility Law Project, an advocacy group that helps people with their bills. “Families are really hurting.” For the last three years, Pennsylvania has seen “record” numbers of utility disconnections, she said. “The last time we saw numbers anywhere in that neighborhood was during the Great Recession.” Marx has long been concerned about the “explosion” of LNG export capacity since 2016 and the role that exports play in higher costs for Pennsylvania households. “LNG is one of the biggest drivers,” she said. “The more we export LNG, the higher our prices here in Pennsylvania go.” This is despite the fact that Pennsylvania is the second-largest producer of natural gas in the country and one of the largest <a href="https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=51179" target="_blank" title="">exporters</a> of electricity. While it’s too soon to know what the long-term impacts of war with Iran will be on U.S. consumers, one winner has already emerged. “It’s clear that the oil and gas sector in the U.S. is one of the main beneficiaries of the chaos we’re seeing in global energy markets,” Williams-Derry said. Some LNG facilities are poised to make more money than others; it depends on how their pricing is structured. But for the companies well-positioned to make the most of suddenly rising natural gas prices, “it’s a gold rush,” Williams-Derry said. “I’ve often described the oil and gas industry’s financial strategy as ‘pray for war,’” he said. “That is how they make money.” rss@dailykos.com (Inside Climate News) Economy Energy Iran Oil _2371958 Mon, 09 Mar 2026 13:00:07 +0000 Cartoon: Victory posters https://www.dailykos.com/story/2026/3/9/2372164/-Cartoon-Victory-posters?pm_campaign=blog&pm_medium=rss&pm_source= As always, if you find value in this work I do, please consider helping me keep it sustainable by joining my weekly newsletter, <a href="https://thismodernworld.com/subscriptions" target="_blank">Sparky’s List!</a> You can get it in your inbox or read it on Patreon, the content is the same. Also, if you missed the big Kickstarter, there are still some copies of the latest book, Our Long National Nightmare, available on the <a href="https://www.tomtomorrowstore.com/" target="_blank">Tom Tomorrow popup store</a>! (Don’t delay, because when these are gone, that’s it!) rss@dailykos.com (Tom Tomorrow) Cartoon DonaldTrump Iran KarolineLeavitt peteHegseth TomCotton _2372164 Mon, 09 Mar 2026 12:30:03 +0000 Trump’s uniquely unpopular war on Iran https://www.dailykos.com/story/2026/3/8/2371462/-Trump-s-uniquely-unpopular-war-on-Iran?pm_campaign=blog&pm_medium=rss&pm_source= <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/tags/SurveySays" target="_blank">Survey Says</a> is a weekly series rounding up the most important polling trends or data points you need to know about, plus a vibe check on a trend that’s driving politics or culture. <hr> You almost couldn’t design a more unpopular war. Not only do very few Americans support President Donald Trump’s attacks on Iran last weekend, but our chief ally in the ongoing conflict, Israel, also faces its lowest favorability in the U.S. in decades. Just 39% of Americans support Trump’s latest attacks on Iran, according to an average of 12 nonpartisan polls that Daily Kos collected as of Thursday. An average of 50% oppose the attacks, and 16% are unsure. (Those do not total 100% due to not all polls containing all response options.) And there is reason to believe that support for the war is closer to its ceiling than its floor. A <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/27693899-rel3a-iran/" target="_blank">CNN/SSRS</a> survey did not allow respondents to choose “unsure” as an option, and when forced to pick a side, 41% of Americans support the strikes, making for only a 1-percentage-point improvement from the average. Meanwhile, 59% oppose them—a 9-point jump over the average. <hr> <div class="dk-editor-embed dk-datawrapper-embed center-block"> <div class="remove-embed-content">x</div> <a class="iframe_placeholder datawrapper dk-embed" href="//datawrapper.dwcdn.net/uHuUg/1/" data-frameborder="0" data-height="495" data-src="//datawrapper.dwcdn.net/uHuUg/1/" data-width="757">Datawrapper Content</a></div> <hr> Historically, wars tend to begin with much higher levels of support. Just days after the U.S. invaded Iraq in March 2003, Gallup found that <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/1633/iraq.aspx" target="_blank">75% of Americans supported</a> sending in troops. The same was true of the Afghanistan War (<a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/352793/americans-split-whether-afghanistan-war-mistake.aspx" target="_blank">89% support</a> in November 2001) and the Vietnam War (<a href="https://news.gallup.com/vault/191828/gallup-vault-hawks-doves-vietnam.aspx" target="_blank">61% support</a> in September 1965).  But as those wars dragged on and their financial burdens mounted alongside their casualties, domestic support dropped away. Just five years after the invasion of Iraq, Gallup recorded that 63% of Americans thought sending troops was a mistake. Even the Afghanistan War, started in response to the nation’s worst terrorist attack, hit net-negative support shortly before its end in 2021, after nearly 20 years of fighting. <hr> <div class="dk-editor-embed dk-datawrapper-embed center-block"> <div class="remove-embed-content">x</div> <a class="iframe_placeholder datawrapper dk-embed" href="//datawrapper.dwcdn.net/ufYXY/1/" data-frameborder="0" data-height="497" data-src="//datawrapper.dwcdn.net/ufYXY/1/" data-width="757">Datawrapper Content</a></div> <hr> Fear of starting a “forever war,” like the ones Trump campaigned against in 2024, has driven his administration to downplay how long the war on Iran might last.  “Four to five weeks,” Trump <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/01/us/politics/trump-iran-war-interview.html" target="_blank">told</a> The New York Times on Monday.  But most of the public isn’t buying that timetable. Just 25% of Americans think the war will be over in a matter of days or weeks, according to <a href="https://d3nkl3psvxxpe9.cloudfront.net/documents/cbsnews_20260303.pdf" target="_blank" title="">a CBS News/YouGov poll</a>. That’s roughly the same share that thinks the U.S. will be embroiled in Trump’s Iran war for years (22%). Even the fact that 1 in 4 Americans say they’re “not sure” how long it will go on expresses pessimism about the campaign. <hr> <div class="dk-editor-embed dk-datawrapper-embed center-block"> <div class="remove-embed-content">x</div> <a class="iframe_placeholder datawrapper dk-embed" href="false" title="" data-frameborder="0" data-height="284" data-src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/2NXxp/4/" data-width="757">Datawrapper Content</a></div> <hr> “We are just getting started,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth <a href="https://x.com/atrupar/status/2029185387222970708" target="_blank" title="">said</a> on Wednesday, as if that was what the American public wanted to hear.  Trump has <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/trump-leaves-door-open-to-sending-ground-troops-to-iran" target="_blank">refused to rule out</a> deploying ground troops to Iran, but if he did that, public opinion would likely sour even further. Just 24% of Americans support a hypothetical troop deployment, while 58% oppose it, a <a href="https://angusreid.org/iran-us-polling-war-invasion-israel-trump/" target="_blank">survey</a> from the Angus Reid Institute found. At the same time, it is easy to imagine Trump claiming premature victory in the near future, only for the conflict to carry on or metastasize, much like former President George W. Bush’s boast of “Mission Accomplished” just six weeks after the U.S. invaded Iraq. The war lasted for another 450. <div class="dk-editor-embed dk-datawrapper-embed center-block"> <div class="remove-embed-content">x</div> </div> For his part, Trump does appear concerned with the public’s dour view of his new war.  <figure class="image-captioned align-right"><img alt="President Donald Trump departs at the end of a news conference on the North Portico of the White House, Monday, Sept. 7, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1533006/large/AP20251692530504.jpg?1772825212" title="President Donald Trump departs at the end of a news conference on the North Portico of the White House, Monday, Sept. 7, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)"> <figcaption>President Donald Trump, shown in 2020.</figcaption> </figure> “I think that the polling is very good, but I don’t care about polling. … I don’t think the polling is low,” he <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/03/02/us-news/trump-wont-rule-out-sending-us-troops-into-iran-if-necessary-tells-the-post-i-dont-care-about-polling/" target="_blank">told</a> the New York Post on Monday. “Look, whether polling is low or not, I think the polling is probably fine. But it’s not a question of polling. You cannot let Iran, who’s a nation that has been run by crazy people, have a nuclear weapon.” There are numerous reasons for the public’s skeptical view of the war. Beyond Trump’s lies and exaggerations, there was no inciting attack on American soil, unlike with Afghanistan and 9/11. The deceptive claims of Iran’s nuclear capabilities are reminiscent of the false claims that Bush made about Iraq’s capabilities before invading. Even major media outlets, often hungry for war, met Trump’s claims with <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/26/us/politics/trump-iran-claims-nuclear-weapons.html" target="_blank">immediate skepticism</a>. After all, Trump himself <a href="https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-iran-nuclear-deal/" target="_blank">tore up the Iran nuclear deal</a> in May 2018, allowing the nation to seek development of a weapon. Furthermore, the Trump administration’s logic behind the initial attacks is, at best, incoherent.  On Monday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/03/rubio-trump-iran-israel-attacks" target="_blank">said</a> that Israel had been planning to attack Iran and that the U.S. hadn’t been able to talk them out of it, despite the fact that we fund, arm, and help defend the nation. If the U.S. didn’t aid Israel’s attack, we would “suffer higher casualties” than if we hadn’t joined in, Rubio claimed.  <figure class="image-captioned align-right"><img alt="Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu listens during a news conference with President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago, Monday, Dec. 29, 2025, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1519865/large/AP25363760499538.jpg?1769030606" title="Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu listens during a news conference with President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago, Monday, Dec. 29, 2025, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)"> <figcaption>Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, shown in 2025.</figcaption> </figure> However, according to The New York Times, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/02/us/politics/trump-war-iran-israel.html" target="_blank">Trump was actually dissuaded from diplomacy</a> and persuaded toward war by far-right Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has long sought to topple the Iranian regime. (Another echo of Iraq: In 2002, Netanyahu <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/sahilkapur.bsky.social/post/3mg4pq27x2c2g" target="_blank">told</a> Congress, “If you take out Saddam, Saddam's regime, I guarantee you that it will have enormous positive reverberations on the region.”) And yet Trump clearly felt belittled by that reporting. On Tuesday, the day after Rubio’s remarks, the president told the media that the war was all his idea, <a href="https://forward.com/fast-forward/809704/trump-rejects-idea-that-israel-drew-us-into-war-with-iran-if-anything-i-might-have-forced-israels-hand/" target="_blank">saying</a>, “If anything, I might have forced Israel’s hand, but Israel was ready and we were ready.” Whoever’s idea it was to attack Iran, and whatever Trump’s motive behind it, the fact of Israel’s major involvement is likely another drag on the administration’s ability to sell the war to the American public.  Americans’ views of Israel have fallen sharply since its war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, where the nation has <a href="https://app.powerbi.com/view?r=eyJrIjoiODAxNTYzMDYtMjQ3YS00OTMzLTkxMWQtOTU1NWEwMzE5NTMwIiwidCI6ImY2MTBjMGI3LWJkMjQtNGIzOS04MTBiLTNkYzI4MGFmYjU5MCIsImMiOjh9" target="_blank">killed more than 72,000 people</a>, including over 21,000 children, according to local health authorities. As a result, a <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/702440/israelis-no-longer-ahead-americans-middle-east-sympathies.aspx" target="_blank">new Gallup poll</a> finds that only 46% of Americans have a favorable view of Israel—its worst rating since 1989. In fact, for the first time in the firm’s polling, Americans’ sympathies are more with the Palestinians than the Israelis in that conflict. <hr> <div class="dk-editor-embed dk-datawrapper-embed center-block"> <div class="remove-embed-content">x</div> <a class="iframe_placeholder datawrapper dk-embed" href="//datawrapper.dwcdn.net/ENTos/1/" data-frameborder="0" data-height="423" data-src="//datawrapper.dwcdn.net/ENTos/1/" data-width="757">Datawrapper Content</a></div> <hr> The Iran war has already presented brutalities familiar to Israel’s siege of Gaza—except this time with more direct U.S. involvement. Already, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/iran-us-israel-conflict-2026/card/civilian-death-toll-in-iran-passes-1-000-says-rights-group-iS0Ib2zJ0ICDHuyoa36y" target="_blank">more than 1,000 civilians</a> are estimated to have died in Iran, according to the U.S.-based group Human Rights Activists in Iran.  And a great many of those deaths are especially tragic, like the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2026/mar/03/minab-school-bombing-how-the-worst-mass-casualty-event-of-the-iran-war-unfolded-a-visual-guide" target="_blank">dozens of 7- to 12-year-old girls killed</a> at a school in Minab, Iran. Israeli bombs also reportedly <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-strikes-hit-hospital-tehran-witnesses-tell-reuters-2026-03-01/" target="_blank">struck a hospital</a> in Tehran. Either of those strikes, if proven to be intentional, would <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/nov/17/can-hospitals-be-military-targets-international-law-israel-gaza-al-shifa" target="_blank">constitute a war crime</a> under the Geneva Conventions. There are obvious and legitimate reasons to want new leadership in Iran, whose dictatorship has <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgp70ynx1po" target="_blank">viciously repressed its people</a> and fueled proxy wars and terror campaigns throughout the Middle East. But such wanton destruction and civilian slaughter from the U.S. and Israel will not persuade the American public that this is a moral mission with a cost worth paying for—either with dollars or <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/pentagon-identifies-first-us-soldiers-killed-iran-war-2026-03-03/" target="_blank">human lives</a>.  <h3>Any updates?</h3> <ul> <li> Americans are <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/11/9/2351260/-Where-do-people-fit-into-an-AI-future" target="_blank">broadly skeptical of artificial intelligence</a>, but only 28% of likely voters think it will help the U.S. economy, according to <a href="https://www.dataforprogress.org/blog/2026/3/4/voters-increasingly-think-artificial-intelligence-will-hurt-the-economy" target="_blank">a new poll</a> from Data for Progress. The plurality (46%) think it will hurt the economy. Only 38% say they aren’t at all concerned that AI will be reduced or fully displaced by AI. Seems bad! </li> <li> “Abolish ICE” may seem like old news now, what with a new Middle East war going on, but support for eliminating Immigration and Customs Enforcement <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/1/18/2363282/-Abolish-ICE-hits-record-high-support" target="_blank">continues to climb</a>. The latest YouGov/Economist <a href="https://d3nkl3psvxxpe9.cloudfront.net/documents/econTabReport_ubu5DXD.pdf" target="_blank">poll</a> finds that 50% of Americans—including 23% of Republicans—support abolishing ICE. Maybe selling “Abolish ICE” dad hats won’t hurt New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/12/28/2354469/-Who-s-the-top-2028-Democratic-contender" target="_blank">if she runs for president in 2028</a>, after all. </li> <li> The <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2024/12/1/2285696/-How-Democrats-can-win-back-the-Senate" target="_blank">most vulnerable Democrat in the Senate</a> this year is Georgia’s Jon Ossoff, but a new <a href="https://emersoncollegepolling.com/georgia-2026-poll-senator-ossoff-starts-re-election-near-50-and-outpaces-gop-field/" target="_blank">poll</a> from Emerson College shows him in good shape. Ossoff polls ahead of each of his potential Republican rivals, by between 3 to 8 points. Better yet, Ossoff is close to 50% support regardless of the challenger. Plus, his campaign has more money than god, sitting at <a href="https://www.fec.gov/data/candidate/S8GA00180/?cycle=2026&election_full=true" target="_blank">nearly $64 million</a> as of December. </li> </ul> <h3>Vibe check</h3> In the U.S., there is infinite money for war and none for our schools. It’s no wonder that only 28% of K-12 teachers report living comfortably on their current household income, according to <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/702599/one-five-teachers-struggle-financially.aspx" target="_blank">a new Gallup poll</a>. Meanwhile, the majority (52%) say they’re just getting by, and 21% are outright struggling. <hr> <div class="dk-editor-embed dk-datawrapper-embed center-block"> <div class="remove-embed-content">x</div> <a class="iframe_placeholder datawrapper dk-embed" href="//datawrapper.dwcdn.net/djvXr/1/" data-frameborder="0" data-height="169" data-src="//datawrapper.dwcdn.net/djvXr/1/" data-width="757">Datawrapper Content</a></div> <hr> However, whatever comfort they may have is unlikely to come from their teaching salaries alone. One in three teachers also works a non-teaching-related job. Another 62% work an additional teaching-related job, such as coaching sports or leading afterschool activities. And 85% of teachers with a second gig work that job at least partially during the school year. Anyway, on an unrelated note, did you know a single Tomahawk cruise missile <a href="https://www.csis.org/analysis/will-tomahawks-save-ukraine" target="_blank">costs roughly $2.2 million</a>? The U.S. appears to have already fired off <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-burned-through-more-tomahawks-iran-may-need-for-china-2026-3" target="_blank">a few dozen</a> at Iran. rss@dailykos.com (Andrew Mangan) AbolishICE AI DonaldTrump Education Georgia Iran JonOssoff SurveySays _2371462 Sun, 08 Mar 2026 23:00:06 +0000 Cartoon: Kristi Noem and her blankie https://www.dailykos.com/story/2026/3/8/2371842/-Cartoon-Kristi-Noem-and-her-blankie?pm_campaign=blog&pm_medium=rss&pm_source= <div> Consider supporting my work so I can continue creating it: Substack: <a href="https://nickanderson.substack.com/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR1ASCzmncqLcsb43rp30uhwTGbmxWWtSLNypA2-4QklrKitQlpXTfOgUsg_aem_3NSZZ4Wc5GSegoZ_-bnUnA" target="_blank" title="">https://nickanderson.substack.com/</a> Patreon: <a href="https://www.patreon.com/c/editorialcartoons?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR2NHXIIRUW3TBTPXvTXa7Kv4vpBmhmZO7jICFAiQ5TgKNsywALtwFRepo8_aem_5ye0OR3TGbicoKorigXyxw" target="_blank" title="">https://www.patreon.com/c/editorialcartoons</a> </div> <div>Ko-Fi: <a href="https://www.patreon.com/c/editorialcartoons?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR2LbcLmJOb6SvwZfUCz8R1LbsUqkbx7Urn_j5MmBZNlwU-heuB6bcdVCoA_aem_SUdm1_RV72Y-uTf7YYUipg" target="_blank" title="">https://www.patreon.com/c/editorialcartoonsCartoon: </a> <hr>Related | <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/6/2371989/-After-Noem-which-Trump-crony-should-be-thrown-out-next" title="" target="_blank">After Noem, which Trump crony should be thrown out next?</a> <hr></div> rss@dailykos.com (Nick Anderson) Cartoon DonaldTrump KRISTINOEM _2371842 Sun, 08 Mar 2026 22:55:14 +0000 Documents reveal web of financial ties between Trump officials and industries they help regulate https://www.dailykos.com/story/2026/3/8/2371952/-Documents-reveal-web-of-financial-ties-between-Trump-officials-and-industries-they-help-regulate?pm_campaign=blog&pm_medium=rss&pm_source= ProPublica is releasing a trove of disclosure records that detail the finances of more than 1,500 Trump appointees, including former lobbyists, industry executives and at least a dozen officials who declined to identify former clients. <div>By <a href="https://www.propublica.org/people/corey-johnson" target="_blank">Corey G. Johnson</a>, <a href="https://www.propublica.org/people/brandon-roberts" target="_blank">Brandon Roberts</a> and <a href="https://www.propublica.org/people/al-shaw" target="_blank">Al Shaw</a> for <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-administration-financial-disclosures-steve-feinberg" target="_blank">ProPublica</a> <hr></div> Thousands of companies are jockeying for billions of dollars in Defense Department contracts to build a shield designed to intercept and destroy missiles launched against the United States. But amid the intense competition, a handful of firms have an important inside connection. At least four of the companies awarded contracts so far are owned by Cerberus Capital Management, a private equity firm founded by billionaire Steve Feinberg, who until last year ran the company and is now the deputy secretary of defense — the second-highest-ranking official in the Pentagon. Feinberg oversees the office in charge of the Golden Dome for America project, which is modeled on Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system. <figure class="image-captioned width-xl align-right"><img alt="Posters for the proposed Golden Dome for America missile defense shield are displayed before an event with President Donald Trump in the Roosevelt Room at the White House, Monday, May 12, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)" class="width-xl" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1500965/large/AP25132564068676.jpg?1763770768" title="Posters for the proposed Golden Dome for America missile defense shield are displayed before an event with President Donald Trump in the Roosevelt Room at the White House, Monday, May 12, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)"> <figcaption>Posters for the proposed Golden Dome for America missile defense shield are displayed in the Roosevelt Room at the White House in May 2025.</figcaption> </figure> Feinberg filed paperwork saying he divested from Cerberus and its related businesses. But his government ethics records contain an unusual clause: He is allowed to continue contracting with the company for tax compliance and accounting services as well as health care coverage, a financial relationship that documents show could continue indefinitely. Feinberg’s financial statements and ethics agreement are part of <a href="https://projects.propublica.org/trump-team-financial-disclosures/" target="_blank">a trove of nearly 3,200 disclosure records</a> that ProPublica is making public today. The disclosures, which can be viewed in a searchable online tool, detail the finances of more than 1,500 federal officials appointed by President Donald Trump. Records for Trump and Vice President JD Vance are also included. The documents reveal a web of financial ties between senior government officials and the industries they help regulate — relationships that have drawn scrutiny as Trump has dismantled ethics safeguards designed to prevent conflicts of interest. On his first day back in office, Trump rescinded <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/01/25/2021-01762/ethics-commitments-by-executive-branch-personnel" title="" target="_blank">an executive order</a> signed by President Joe Biden that required his appointees to comply with an ethics pledge. The pledge barred them from working on issues related to their former lobbying topics or clients for two years. Weeks later, Trump fired 17 inspectors general charged with investigating fraud, corruption and conflicts of interest across the federal government. Around the same time, he removed the head of the Office of Government Ethics, the agency that oversees ethics compliance throughout the executive branch. The office is currently without a head or a chief of staff. Against that backdrop, ProPublica has, over the past year, used the disclosure records to investigate how personal financial interests have intersected with government decision-making inside the Trump administration. The documents helped show that senior executive branch officials, <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/pam-bondi-trump-media-stock-tariffs" target="_blank">including Attorney General Pam Bondi</a>, made well-timed securities trades, at times <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/us-officials-stock-sales-trump-tariffs" target="_blank">selling stocks just before markets plunged</a> because Trump announced new tariffs. (The officials either did not respond to requests for comment or said they had no insider information before they made their trades.) <figure class="image-captioned align-left"><img alt="Attorney General Pam Bondi testifies before a House Judiciary Committee oversight hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1526736/large/AP26042750382489.jpg?1771007354" title="Attorney General Pam Bondi testifies before a House Judiciary Committee oversight hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)"> <figcaption>Pam Bondi testifies before a House Judiciary Committee oversight hearing on Capitol Hill on Feb. 11.</figcaption> </figure> Other disclosures revealed that two high-ranking scientists at the Environmental Protection Agency who recently helped downgrade the agency’s assessment of <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/epa-formaldehyde-risk-assessment" title="" target="_blank">the health risks of formaldehyde</a> had previously held senior positions at the chemical industry’s leading trade group. (The EPA said the scientists had obtained ethics advice approving their work on the project.) In December, ProPublica reported that Trump has appointed more than 200 people who collectively owned — either by themselves or with their spouses — between $175 million and $340 million in cryptocurrency investments at the time they filed their disclosures. Some of those appointees now hold <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/todd-blanche-crypto-doj-trump" target="_blank">positions overseeing or influencing regulation of the crypto industry</a>. Among them are Todd Blanche, Trump’s former criminal defense attorney and now the second-highest-ranking official in the Justice Department. <a href="https://projects.propublica.org/trump-team-financial-disclosures/appointees/blanche-todd/" target="_blank">Blanche’s disclosure records</a> show that he <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/todd-blanche-crypto-doj-trump" title="" target="_blank">owned at least $159,000</a> in crypto-related assets last year when <a href="https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1395781/dl?inline" target="_blank">he shut down</a> investigations into crypto companies, dealers and exchanges. After ProPublica reported on Blanche’s actions, six Democratic senators <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/todd-blanche-crypto-conflict-senator-letter" target="_blank">accused him of a “glaring” conflict of interest</a>, and a watchdog group <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/todd-blanche-complaint-conflict-of-interest" title="" target="_blank">asked the Justice Department’s inspector general to investigate</a>. A Justice Department spokesperson has said Blanche upholds the highest ethical standards and that his crypto orders were “appropriately flagged, addressed and cleared in advance,” but she did not respond to questions asking who had cleared his actions. Conflicts of interest have long plagued both Democratic and Republican administrations. But ethics experts say Trump’s second term marks a sharp break from modern norms. Trump has openly defended his family’s financial enrichment while he is in office, including <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/29/us/politics/trump-crypto-world-liberty-financial.html" target="_blank">through cryptocurrency deals</a> that critics say allow investors, including foreign entities, to curry favor by boosting the president’s personal wealth. “I found out nobody cared, and I’m allowed to,” <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/08/us/politics/trump-family-foreign-business-deals.html" title="" target="_blank">Trump told The New York Times</a>, referring to his family’s business dealings. <figure class="image-captioned align-right"><img alt="Cartoon by Mike Luckovich" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1504633/large/lk120425dAPR.jpg?1764807909" title="Cartoon by Mike Luckovich"> <figcaption></figcaption> </figure> Trump also remains unapologetic about accepting a Boeing 747 worth about $400 million from the Qatari government and transferring nearly $1 billion from a nuclear weapons program to retrofit it. Virginia Canter, chief counsel for ethics and corruption at Democracy Defenders Fund, a nonprofit governmental watchdog group, cited Trump’s new plane as a brazen example of self-dealing. “Ethics is in the toilet,” said Canter, who served as an ethics lawyer at the White House, Treasury Department and Securities and Exchange Commission during the presidencies of George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama. White House spokesperson Anna Kelly defended the president and his appointees. “President Trump is leading the most transparent administration in history,” Kelly said. “He has also nominated highly-qualified individuals across the Executive Branch who have a wide range of public and private sector backgrounds.” <h3 class="AlignCenter">* * *</h3> The idea of a space-based missile defense shield has persisted ever since President Ronald Reagan proposed his own version nicknamed “Star Wars.” Trump rekindled the idea on the campaign trail. His Golden Dome for America imagines a battery of weapons, deployed from land, sea and space, able to destroy missiles launched at the U.S. In December, the Defense Department started selecting companies for the project, for which it has allocated as much as $151 billion. So far, the agency has granted awards to more than 2,000 firms. Cerberus owns or is a majority investor in at least four of them: North Wind, Stratolaunch, Red River Technology and NetCentrics Corp. Citing national security concerns, defense officials have not publicized the amounts of each contract or the products or services the companies are providing. (The Defense Department is required by law to publicly announce only contracts worth more than $9 million.) Feinberg, who co-founded Cerberus in 1992, <a href="https://projects.propublica.org/trump-team-financial-disclosures/appointees/feinberg-stephen-andrew/" title="" target="_blank">listed assets worth at least $2 billion</a> when he was nominated by Trump last year. In his ethics agreement, Feinberg said he would divest his stake in the firm, potentially giving assets to irrevocable trusts benefiting his adult children — a maneuver that is legal under federal conflict-of-interest law but one that ethics experts say undermines its intent. Feinberg also told ethics officials that he needed to contract with Cerberus for accounting, tax and health care services in the short term but would find other providers by April 2026. However, at Feinberg’s request, Defense Department officials approved an extension earlier this year, allowing the financial relationship to continue without an end date. In an amendment to his ethics agreement, he said he would “pay customary and reasonable fees” for Cerberus’ services but did not say how much those would be. <div class="align-center"> <figure class="image-captioned"><img alt="A photographer makes an image of department leadership portraits at the Pentagon, after President Donald Trump signed an executive order aiming to rename the Department of Defense the Department of War in Washington, Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1533004/large/AP25252733200380.jpg?1772823763" title="A photographer makes an image of department leadership portraits at the Pentagon, after President Donald Trump signed an executive order aiming to rename the Department of Defense the Department of War in Washington, Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)"> <figcaption>A photographer snaps a picture of the Pentagon leadership display, including Deputy Secretary of Defense Steve Feinberg, at the Defense Department in Sept. 2025. </figcaption> </figure> </div> It’s unclear what role Feinberg has played — or will play — in deciding which firms receive Golden Dome contracts. In response to questions from ProPublica, the Defense Department said Feinberg does not “have direct responsibility for any Golden Dome acquisitions” but did not elaborate. The department would not comment on whether Feinberg or anyone in his office had met with any contractor representatives. What is not disputed is Feinberg’s oversight of the Golden Dome initiative. Space Force Gen. Michael Guetlein, who heads the project, <a href="https://www.war.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/4251596/general-guetlein-to-lead-the-office-of-golden-dome-for-america/" title="" target="_blank">reports directly to him</a>. Richard Painter, a former White House ethics lawyer under President George W. Bush, said Feinberg’s ongoing relationship with Cerberus creates at least a perception of a conflict of interest that could undermine confidence in the fairness of the contracting process. “This is what President Eisenhower worried about in the 1960s” when he railed against the military-industrial complex, Painter said of Eisenhower’s farewell address warning of the risks of a too-close relationship between the military and private defense businesses. In response to questions from ProPublica, a Cerberus spokesperson said in an email: “Mr. Feinberg divested his stake in Cerberus and any funds that it manages, and is not involved with the operations of Cerberus or any of its portfolio companies in any way.” The spokesperson added that the administrative services provided to Feinberg “are unrelated to any investment activities or operations of Cerberus or its funds and were pre-approved by the Department of War’s Ethics Office and the Office of Government Ethics.” <hr> Related | <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/1/29/2366191/-Would-you-trust-the-Trump-family-with-all-your-money" title="" target="_blank">Would you trust the Trump family with all your money?</a> <hr> Another top official in the department is <a href="https://projects.propublica.org/trump-team-financial-disclosures/appointees/berkowitz-marc/" title="" target="_blank">Marc Berkowitz</a>, who was confirmed in December as assistant secretary of defense for space policy. During his confirmation, Berkowitz described the Golden Dome project <a href="https://www.armed-services.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/berkowitz_apq_responses1.pdf" title="" target="_blank">as one of his top priorities</a>. Berkowitz previously worked as a space industry consultant and vice president for strategic planning at Lockheed Martin. The giant defense and aerospace company was among the firms awarded Golden Dome contracts days before Berkowitz’s confirmation. Lockheed is likely to compete for a large role in the project. The company has set up <a href="https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-us/capabilities/missile-defense/golden-dome-missile-defense.html" title="" target="_blank">a webpage dedicated to the Golden Dome</a>, and <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/trumps-golden-dome-missile-shield-marks-one-year-with-little-progress-2026-01-27/" title="" target="_blank">Reuters reported that Lockheed</a> is one of several firms that received contracts to build competing prototypes of the missile defense system. In his financial disclosure documents, Berkowitz reported receiving two monthly pensions from Lockheed and owning between $1 million and $5 million worth of stock in the firm. Berkowitz agreed to divest by March 18, documents show. During his confirmation hearing, he <a href="https://meritalk.com/articles/trump-nominee-emphasizes-golden-dome-as-cornerstone-of-missile-defense-policy/" target="_blank">downplayed any potential role he would have in Golden Dome contract decisions</a>, noting that his position was more about policy. A senior Defense Department official told ProPublica that Berkowitz is recusing himself from matters involving Lockheed until his remaining shares are sold. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said the department’s ethics framework is “rigorous” and that Feinberg and Berkowitz are in full compliance with the law. “Any claims to the contrary are fake news,” Parnell said. <h3 class="AlignCenter">* * *</h3> Other agencies have similar industry links. Across the administration, former lobbyists and corporate executives now occupy influential positions, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/08/us/politics/pam-bondi-trump-attorney-general-lobbyist.html" title="" target="_blank">including Bondi</a>, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/21/us/politics/susie-wiles-trump-lobbying.html" title="" target="_blank">White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles</a> and Transportation Secretary <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/21/lobbying-connections-duffy-wiles-00574382" target="_blank">Sean Duffy</a>. Their ties to former clients have made national headlines, but ProPublica’s searchable online tool provides <a href="https://projects.propublica.org/trump-team-financial-disclosures/" target="_blank">the public an important glimpse</a> into the financial relationships of a powerful and often hidden cadre of presidential appointees within the federal bureaucracy. Reports show that after being nominated to head the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, <a href="https://projects.propublica.org/trump-team-financial-disclosures/appointees/morrison-jonathan/" target="_blank">Jonathan Morrison</a> revealed he served for two years as a director of the Autonomous Vehicle Industry Association, the trade group that represents companies that make and use self-driving cars. He left the position in February 2024. <figure class="image-captioned align-right"><img alt="Mike Stoker regional administrator of the US EPA directs speakers as Jonathan Morrison of NHTSA looks on during the first of three public hearings on the Trump administration’s proposal to roll back car-mileage standards in a region with some of the nation's worst air pollution Monday, Sept. 24, 2018 in Fresno, Calif. The day-long session by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is a means to gather public comment concerning the mileage plan, which would freeze U.S. mileage standards at levels mandated by the Obama administration for 2020, instead of letting them rise to 36 miles per gallon by 2025. (AP Photo/Gary Kazanjian)" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1533005/large/AP18267679727147.jpg?1772824399" title="Mike Stoker regional administrator of the US EPA directs speakers as Jonathan Morrison of NHTSA looks on during the first of three public hearings on the Trump administration’s proposal to roll back car-mileage standards in a region with some of the nation's worst air pollution Monday, Sept. 24, 2018 in Fresno, Calif. The day-long session by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is a means to gather public comment concerning the mileage plan, which would freeze U.S. mileage standards at levels mandated by the Obama administration for 2020, instead of letting them rise to 36 miles per gallon by 2025. (AP Photo/Gary Kazanjian)"> <figcaption>Jonathan Morrison of NHTSA attends a public hearing in Sept. 2018 in Fresno, Calif.</figcaption> </figure> At <a href="https://www.ttnews.com/articles/trump-nhtsa-pick-autonomous" target="_blank">his confirmation hearing last year</a>, Morrison said he wanted the NHTSA to set national standards and play a leading role in the industry’s development of self-driving vehicles. Sean Rushton, an NHTSA spokesperson, said Morrison doesn’t have to recuse himself from matters involving the autonomous vehicle group because he left the organization long before the presidential election and his nomination as highway traffic safety administrator. Most political appointees and senior officials in the executive branch are required by law to file public financial disclosure reports. These documents detail their financial assets, the positions they hold outside government, their spouse’s holdings, their liabilities and their recent financial transactions (such as buying or selling stock) during a defined reporting period. For the most part, the law does not require appointees to provide exact financial values but instead a range. At least a dozen appointees withheld the identities of previous clients, ProPublica found. Appointees are allowed to keep the name of former clients confidential under exceptional circumstances, such as when the identity is protected by a court order or revealing the name would violate the rules of a professional licensing organization. In <a href="https://nysba.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/NYSBA-NY-Rules-of-Professional-Conduct-2025-web-1.pdf?srsltid=AfmBOooEqEEA9QXyRL8x7stPRxJwpOqJemeFZp-46jpEoxFgm6j65ozz" title="" target="_blank">New York</a> and Washington, D.C., for example, the organizations that license attorneys prohibit them from <a href="https://www.dcbar.org/for-lawyers/legal-ethics/rules-of-professional-conduct/client-lawyer-relationship/confidentiality-of-information" target="_blank">revealing confidential information</a> about a client in most situations, including if doing so would be embarrassing or is likely to be detrimental to the client. While the relationship between a client and an attorney is often made public, in some cases — if, for instance, an appointee had conducted legal defense work for a client during a nonpublic criminal investigation — the client’s identity could be withheld from the financial disclosure. <a href="https://www.oge.gov/web/278eGuide.nsf/Definitions#Confidential_Clients" title="" target="_blank">Guidelines issued by the Office of Government Ethics</a> say that such situations are unusual and “it is extremely rare for a filer to rely on this exception for more than a few clients.” But at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, which is responsible for tariff policy, the head of the agency, Jamieson Greer, <a href="https://projects.propublica.org/trump-team-financial-disclosures/appointees/greer-jamieson/#4_1435_1" title="" target="_blank">withheld the names of more than 50 former clients from his time at King & Spalding</a>, one of the nation’s most influential law firms. In his disclosure, Greer cited the New York and D.C. bar rules for not identifying the clients. Greer’s senior adviser in the federal agency, Kwan Kim, previously worked as an international trade lawyer for Covington & Burling. From October 2020 to February 2025, Kim helped businesses win federal exemptions from steel and aluminum tariffs and defended companies accused by investigators of import-related crimes, according to a Covington biography that has since been taken down. <a href="https://projects.propublica.org/trump-team-financial-appointees/appointees/kim-kwan-w/#4_1968_1" title="" target="_blank">Kim kept the names of 52 companies he represented secret</a>, citing the D.C. Bar rules, the disclosure documents show. The U.S. Trade Representative office did not respond to ProPublica’s request for comment. When the names of former clients are withheld, it becomes virtually impossible for the public to know if an official’s actions in government benefit a former client. Kedric Payne, ethics director at the nonpartisan watchdog group Campaign Legal Center, said the lack of disclosure is concerning. “When you see these types of close connections between the regulated community and the new regulators, it raises a yellow flag,” Payne said. “Because these officials are walking an ethical tightrope where any meeting or communication with their former employer and client could become a serious conflict of interest.” <hr> <div> Related | <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/8/28/2340531/-Trump-launches-a-new-grift-Another-new-one-Yes-another" title="" target="_blank">Trump launches a new grift. Another new one. Yes, another.</a> <hr> ProPublica’s journalists have been gathering these records for more than a year. We obtained all of the disclosures that were available from the Office of Government Ethics. Those consist of the top appointees who require Senate confirmation. To get records for people working in lower-level positions, we made requests to individual federal agencies. Some didn’t respond or responded partially; records we requested for about 1,200 people weren’t provided. Still, ProPublica’s online tool is the most comprehensive public source of financial disclosures from across the executive branch. <div> <div> <div> <a href="https://www.propublica.org/people/doris-burke" target="_blank">Doris Burke</a> contributed research. </div> </div> </div> </div> rss@dailykos.com (ProPublica) DefenseDepartment Ethics TrumpAdministration _2371952 Sun, 08 Mar 2026 21:00:04 +0000 Why spineless Republicans refuse to call Trump’s war in Iran a war https://www.dailykos.com/story/2026/3/8/2371966/-Why-spineless-Republicans-refuse-to-call-Trump-s-war-in-Iran-a-war?pm_campaign=blog&pm_medium=rss&pm_source= <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/tags/congressionalcowards" title="" target="_blank">Congressional Cowards</a> is a weekly series highlighting the worst Donald Trump defenders on Capitol Hill, who refuse to criticize him—no matter how disgraceful or lawless his actions. <hr> Republican lawmakers spent the past week trying to defend their refusal to give congressional approval for President Donald Trump's <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/3/2371473/-Trump-started-a-war-without-a-plan?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=top_news_slot_4&pm_medium=web" title="" target="_blank">poorly planned</a> and ill-conceived <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/5/2371687/-The-peace-president-can-t-stop-starting-wars" target="_blank">war in Iran</a>, insisting that it’s merely a "conflict" that doesn't require a vote—or a spine. It is painfully obvious that the Trump administration's extended bombing campaign—which may even <a href="https://time.com/7382186/iran-ground-troops-trump/" title="" target="_blank">lead to boots on the ground</a>—to effect regime change in an adversarial country is a war.  <figure class="image-captioned width-xl align-right"><img alt="A plume of smoke rises after a strike in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, March 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)" class="width-xl" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1531948/large/AP26060652729743.jpg?1772483356" title="A plume of smoke rises after a strike in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, March 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)"> <figcaption>A plume of smoke rises after a strike in Tehran, Iran, on March 1.</figcaption> </figure> Hell, Trump himself even called it a war when he <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/read-trumps-full-statement-on-iran-attack" target="_blank">brushed off</a> the deaths of U.S. soldiers as something "that often happens in war." But because a war would require congressional authorization, GOP lawmakers have <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/3/2371436/-Here-s-how-Trump-wants-the-GOP-to-spin-his-war-on-Iran" title="" target="_blank">twisted themselves into knots</a> to explain why Trump can do whatever he wants in the Middle East—even though the public <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/2/2371207/-Trump-s-Iran-conflict-could-sink-the-GOP-in-November?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=top_news_slot_1&pm_medium=web#comments" title="" target="_blank">doesn't support it</a> and it is already <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/6/2371932/-Yes-Trump-s-economy-really-is-as-bad-as-it-seems?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=top_news_slot_1&pm_medium=web" title="" target="_blank">destroying the economy</a>.  Indeed, both House and Senate Republicans <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/senate-blocks-restrictions-trump-using-military-iran-war-rcna261680" title="" target="_blank">blocked</a><a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/republican-led-house-declines-constrain-trumps-war-iran-just-senate-rcna261909" target="_blank"> bills</a> that would have curtailed Trump's war powers this week. Take a gander at what the likely <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/5/2371788/-Kristi-Noem-commits-Trump-s-one-unforgivable-sin" title="" target="_blank">future Homeland Security secretary</a> and current <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/3/2371422/-Republicans-duke-it-out-for-title-of-dumbest-US-senator?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=top_news_slot_1&pm_medium=web" title="" target="_blank">contender for dumbest U.S. senator</a> Markwayne Mullin <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/atrupar.com/post/3mg6vitp4rc2v" target="_blank">said</a> on Tuesday: <blockquote>Reporter: You'll concede this is war? Mullin: We haven't declared war. They declared war on us Reporter: The president called it war and Secretary Hegseth called it war Another reporter: When you walked up just now, you called it war Mullin: Okay. That was a misspoke. </blockquote> <div class="dk-editor-embed center-block" data-bluesky-content="&lt;blockquote class="bluesky-embed" data-bluesky-uri="at://did:plc:4llrhdclvdlmmynkwsmg5tdc/app.bsky.feed.post/3mg6vitp4rc2v" data-bluesky-cid="bafyreiftik7hj2rlbg7ort3rfgvjq7ne326r6niypmketbl2fw6qmeigf4"&gt;&lt;p lang="en"&gt;RAJU: You&amp;#39;ll concede this is war? MARKWAYNE MULLIN: We haven&amp;#39;t declared war. They declared war on us RAJU: The president called it war and Secretary Hegseth called it war REPORTER: When you walked up just now, you called it war MULLIN: Okay. That was a misspoke.&lt;/p&gt;&amp;mdash; &lt;a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:4llrhdclvdlmmynkwsmg5tdc?ref_src=embed"&gt;Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com)&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:4llrhdclvdlmmynkwsmg5tdc/post/3mg6vitp4rc2v?ref_src=embed"&gt;2026-03-03T23:14:30.626Z&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;script async src="https://embed.bsky.app/static/embed.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;"><div class="remove-embed-content">x</div><blockquote class="bluesky-embed" data-bluesky-uri="at://did:plc:4llrhdclvdlmmynkwsmg5tdc/app.bsky.feed.post/3mg6vitp4rc2v" data-bluesky-cid="bafyreiftik7hj2rlbg7ort3rfgvjq7ne326r6niypmketbl2fw6qmeigf4">RAJU: You'll concede this is war? MARKWAYNE MULLIN: We haven't declared war. They declared war on us RAJU: The president called it war and Secretary Hegseth called it war REPORTER: When you walked up just now, you called it war MULLIN: Okay. That was a misspoke.— <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:4llrhdclvdlmmynkwsmg5tdc?ref_src=embed" target="_blank">Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com)</a> <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:4llrhdclvdlmmynkwsmg5tdc/post/3mg6vitp4rc2v?ref_src=embed" target="_blank">2026-03-03T23:14:30.626Z</a></blockquote></div> Fellow moronic Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama also walked into the same trap. “This is not your Democrat war. This is President Trump’s war, and he’s not going in to be politically correct. He’s going in to protect, first of all, Americans first and then our allies and the people around the world,” he <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/atrupar.com/post/3mg4tbwbxv222" target="_blank">told</a> NewsNation Monday. <div class="dk-editor-embed center-block" data-bluesky-content="&lt;blockquote class="bluesky-embed" data-bluesky-uri="at://did:plc:4llrhdclvdlmmynkwsmg5tdc/app.bsky.feed.post/3mg4tbwbxv222" data-bluesky-cid="bafyreidp52kxwl5sigsni755euejopu3hbzpr3yw6xfecsufj7rmotw4ry"&gt;&lt;p lang="en"&gt;Tuberville: &amp;#34;This is not your Democrat war. This is President Trump&amp;#39;s war. And he&amp;#39;s not going in to be politically correct.&amp;#34;&lt;/p&gt;&amp;mdash; &lt;a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:4llrhdclvdlmmynkwsmg5tdc?ref_src=embed"&gt;Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com)&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:4llrhdclvdlmmynkwsmg5tdc/post/3mg4tbwbxv222?ref_src=embed"&gt;2026-03-03T03:29:31.463Z&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;script async src="https://embed.bsky.app/static/embed.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;"><div class="remove-embed-content">x</div><blockquote class="bluesky-embed" data-bluesky-uri="at://did:plc:4llrhdclvdlmmynkwsmg5tdc/app.bsky.feed.post/3mg4tbwbxv222" data-bluesky-cid="bafyreidp52kxwl5sigsni755euejopu3hbzpr3yw6xfecsufj7rmotw4ry">Tuberville: "This is not your Democrat war. This is President Trump's war. And he's not going in to be politically correct."— <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:4llrhdclvdlmmynkwsmg5tdc?ref_src=embed" target="_blank">Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com)</a> <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:4llrhdclvdlmmynkwsmg5tdc/post/3mg4tbwbxv222?ref_src=embed" target="_blank">2026-03-03T03:29:31.463Z</a></blockquote></div> But when CNN later asked why such a war wouldn't need congressional authorization, Tuberville tried to backtrack. “I wouldn’t call this a war as much as I’d call it conflict that should be very short and sweet, if you can put it that way," he <a href="https://x.com/mkraju/status/2029172970707386462" target="_blank">told</a> CNN’s Manu Raju Wednesday. Similarly, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida also performed some mental gymnastics to defend Trump’s war, saying that it's not a war because there are no "boots on the ground." "Strategic strikes are not war," she <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/thebulwark.com/post/3mg24n6kdv62k" target="_blank">said</a> on MS NOW. <div class="dk-editor-embed center-block" data-bluesky-content="&lt;blockquote class="bluesky-embed" data-bluesky-uri="at://did:plc:aunpu65mdrhwfie7ynymlzeh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mg24n6kdv62k" data-bluesky-cid="bafyreibfkrjbww3lecxtuajfkyqbjitqnuizvysvotzeomdngqqrbm2pzm"&gt;&lt;p lang="en"&gt;Anna Paulina Luna: “It is not the intention of the U.S. Government to invade…Targeted strategic military strikes and invasions are two totally different things.” @crampell.bsky.social: “They’re calling it a war. The President called it a war.” Luna: “Strategic strikes are not war.”&lt;/p&gt;&amp;mdash; &lt;a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:aunpu65mdrhwfie7ynymlzeh?ref_src=embed"&gt;The Bulwark (@thebulwark.com)&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:aunpu65mdrhwfie7ynymlzeh/post/3mg24n6kdv62k?ref_src=embed"&gt;2026-03-02T01:38:53.466Z&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;script async src="https://embed.bsky.app/static/embed.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;"><div class="remove-embed-content">x</div><blockquote class="bluesky-embed" data-bluesky-uri="at://did:plc:aunpu65mdrhwfie7ynymlzeh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mg24n6kdv62k" data-bluesky-cid="bafyreibfkrjbww3lecxtuajfkyqbjitqnuizvysvotzeomdngqqrbm2pzm">Anna Paulina Luna: “It is not the intention of the U.S. Government to invade…Targeted strategic military strikes and invasions are two totally different things.” @crampell.bsky.social: “They’re calling it a war. The President called it a war.” Luna: “Strategic strikes are not war.”— <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:aunpu65mdrhwfie7ynymlzeh?ref_src=embed" target="_blank">The Bulwark (@thebulwark.com)</a> <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:aunpu65mdrhwfie7ynymlzeh/post/3mg24n6kdv62k?ref_src=embed" target="_blank">2026-03-02T01:38:53.466Z</a></blockquote></div> And the virulently racist Rep. Randy Fine of Florida had the excellent argument that Trump’s war isn’t a war because Congress didn’t say so.  “It’s not a war,” he <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/05/us/politics/iran-war-republicans.html" title="" target="_blank">told</a> The New York Times. “The way you are officially at war is Congress declares war, and we haven’t declared war.” <figure class="image-captioned width-xl align-left"><img alt="Cartoon by Pedro Molina" class="width-xl" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1531950/large/20260302edpmc-a.jpg?1772484309" title="Cartoon by Pedro Molina"> <figcaption>A cartoon by Pedro Molina.</figcaption> </figure> That’s not how definitions work, Randy. Meanwhile, Rep. Ken Calvert of California said that the war in Iran couldn’t possibly be a war because it hasn’t gone on long enough.  “This has been about 72 hours,” he told the Times. “I would call it an operation at this point.” Of course, length of time is not what defines a war either. House Speaker Mike Johnson also tried to thread the same needle, saying that whether it's a war or a conflict is "semantics." “We’re not at war right now,” Johnson <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/thebulwark.com/post/3mgammx2xo62l" target="_blank">said</a> during a news conference, describing the actions as defensive.  “We’re four days into a very specific, clear mission—Operation Epic Fury,” he added. <div class="dk-editor-embed center-block" data-bluesky-content="&lt;blockquote class="bluesky-embed" data-bluesky-uri="at://did:plc:aunpu65mdrhwfie7ynymlzeh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgammx2xo62l" data-bluesky-cid="bafyreihhptiyetookpq5zlz27eno2tdzfi5n2kphm7t4zlblcowefyj3dm"&gt;&lt;p lang="en"&gt;Johnson: “We&amp;#39;re not at war right now.”&lt;/p&gt;&amp;mdash; &lt;a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:aunpu65mdrhwfie7ynymlzeh?ref_src=embed"&gt;The Bulwark (@thebulwark.com)&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:aunpu65mdrhwfie7ynymlzeh/post/3mgammx2xo62l?ref_src=embed"&gt;2026-03-04T15:41:03.904Z&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;script async src="https://embed.bsky.app/static/embed.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;"><div class="remove-embed-content">x</div><blockquote class="bluesky-embed" data-bluesky-uri="at://did:plc:aunpu65mdrhwfie7ynymlzeh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgammx2xo62l" data-bluesky-cid="bafyreihhptiyetookpq5zlz27eno2tdzfi5n2kphm7t4zlblcowefyj3dm">Johnson: “We're not at war right now.”— <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:aunpu65mdrhwfie7ynymlzeh?ref_src=embed" target="_blank">The Bulwark (@thebulwark.com)</a> <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:aunpu65mdrhwfie7ynymlzeh/post/3mgammx2xo62l?ref_src=embed" target="_blank">2026-03-04T15:41:03.904Z</a></blockquote></div> If by “clear” he means <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/2/2371218/-Trump-can-t-explain-why-he-attacked-Iran" title="" target="_blank">not at all clear</a> and by “mission” he means <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/live/ceqvwrydzpqt" title="" target="_blank">totally conflicting objectives</a>, then sure. Even MAGA loyalists have slammed GOP leaders for their spinelessness. “It’s not a war unless it comes from the war region of France, otherwise’s [sic] it’s just sparkling combat,” The Federalist co-founder and CEO Sean Davis <a href="https://x.com/seanmdav/status/2029352540064592067" target="_blank">wrote on X</a>, mocking Johnson’s sorry attempt to explain away the war. Ultimately, Republicans will do anything to let their Dear Leader get his way—even light the Constitution on fire to let Trump wage a war they didn't authorize. When the country is a <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/6/2371932/-Yes-Trump-s-economy-really-is-as-bad-as-it-seems?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=top_news_slot_1&pm_medium=web" title="" target="_blank">smoldering heap of ashes</a> by November as gas prices surge, inflation spikes, and the economy craters, good luck defending this “conflict” to voters.  rss@dailykos.com (Emily Singer) congressionalcowards DonaldTrump Economy Iran MikeJohnson War _2371966 Sun, 08 Mar 2026 19:00:03 +0000 Cartoon: Trump's embarrassment https://www.dailykos.com/story/2026/3/8/2371817/-Cartoon-Trump-s-embarrassment?pm_campaign=blog&pm_medium=rss&pm_source= A cartoon by Clay Jones. <hr> Related | <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/4/2371618/-Hegseth-cares-more-about-fake-media-coverage-than-dead-troops" title="" target="_blank">Hegseth cares more about 'fake' media coverage than dead troops</a> <hr> rss@dailykos.com (Clay Jones) Cartoon ClayJones DonaldTrump Iran Military peteHegseth War _2371817 Sun, 08 Mar 2026 18:55:02 +0000 Families defend disability services amid Medicaid cuts https://www.dailykos.com/story/2026/3/8/2371953/-Families-defend-disability-services-amid-Medicaid-cuts?pm_campaign=blog&pm_medium=rss&pm_source= By <a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/author/bram-sable-smith/" target="_blank">Bram Sable-Smith</a> for <a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/medicaid-cuts-disabled-in-home-care-idaho-one-big-beautiful-bill/" target="_blank" title="">KFF</a> <hr> Families of Idahoans with disabilities say their lives could be upended as lawmakers in the state’s Republican-dominated legislature mull sweeping cuts. <div> Services at risk include the 24/7 care that allows a 39-year-old with cerebral palsy to live independently; the in-home caregiving that lets a 26-year-old with brain damage from a hemorrhage at birth stay in his family home; and private duty nursing for a 19-year-old with cerebral palsy who has qualified for hospice care for complications including pulmonary decline from a spinal cord injury. Concerns for such care arose when Idaho Gov. Brad Little, a Republican, proposed cutting $22 million from Medicaid — the joint state-federal health insurance program for people with low incomes or disabilities — to balance the state budget. Home- and community-based services such as caregiving, nursing, and residential rehabilitation are optional under Medicaid, and Little <a href="https://idahocapitalsun.com/2026/01/22/records-detail-idaho-medicaid-services-that-could-be-cut-but-not-potential-new-costs/" target="_blank">listed them as possible targets</a> for the cuts. Across the country, people with disabilities and their families are confronting similar plans to cut Medicaid as states grapple with budget challenges compounded by congressional Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which is expected to reduce federal spending on Medicaid by nearly $1 trillion over the next decade. <figure class="image-captioned width-xl align-right"><img alt="Alice Whitford reads to her daughter, Eva Fowkes, at the supported living home in Boise, Idaho, where the 39-year-old lives. Fowkes began living independently 18 years ago, and her parents visit her at least three times a week. (Kyle Green for KFF Health News)" class="width-xl" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1533065/large/Medicaid-caregiver-cuts-08.JPG?1772838635" title="Alice Whitford reads to her daughter, Eva Fowkes, at the supported living home in Boise, Idaho, where the 39-year-old lives. Fowkes began living independently 18 years ago, and her parents visit her at least three times a week. (Kyle Green for KFF Health News)"> <figcaption>Alice Whitford reads to her daughter, Eva Fowkes, at the supported living home in Boise, Idaho, where the 39-year-old lives. Fowkes began living independently 18 years ago, and her parents visit her at least three times a week.</figcaption> </figure> A four-hour town hall on the proposal in Idaho drew <a href="https://www.boisestatepublicradio.org/health/2026-02-05/medicaid-cut-democrat-town-hall-disability-rights" title="" target="_blank">more than 500 people</a> to the state capitol. Colorado lawmakers heard <a href="https://coloradosun.com/2026/02/09/medicaid-cuts-disabilities/" title="" target="_blank">hours of testimony</a> from concerned residents before pausing a pay cut for family caregivers. In Missouri, families raised alarms about a <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2026/02/09/missouri-families-worry-proposed-80-7-million-cut-will-hobble-disability-care-programs/" target="_blank">proposed $80.7 million cut</a> to services for people with disabilities. “We saw this coming. We’ve tried to educate members of Congress,” said Kim Musheno, the senior director of Medicaid policy at The Arc, a national disability rights organization. “Whenever there’s pressure on state budgets like those that are caused by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, they go after Medicaid, and then they go after optional services,” Musheno said. Many cuts included in the GOP bill, which President Donald Trump signed into law in July, haven’t yet taken effect, but the law is already impacting state budgets, particularly in states that align their tax rules with federal regulations. Conforming to the federal law is expected to cost Idaho <a href="https://gov.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/fy27-budget-highlights.pdf?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery" title="" target="_blank">$155 million in revenue</a> this year. Colorado lawmakers were called into a special session last year to address a <a href="https://coloradosun.com/2025/08/14/colorado-special-session-explained-budget-obbba/" title="" target="_blank">nearly $1 billion hole</a> created by the law. Those shortfalls — combined with national trends of increased Medicaid costs, <a href="https://www.ncsl.org/state-legislatures-news/details/state-budgets-in-transition-as-revenue-slows-and-surpluses-shrink" target="_blank">flattening tax revenue</a>, and further tax cuts passed by some state legislatures — are putting pressure on Medicaid programs. <figure class="image-captioned width-xl align-left"><img alt="Eva Fowkes’ parents read to her from an assortment of books when they visit her in the supported living home she shares with another person with disabilities. (Kyle Green for KFF Health News)" class="width-xl" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1533064/large/Medicaid-caregiver-cuts-09.JPG?1772838633" title="Eva Fowkes’ parents read to her from an assortment of books when they visit her in the supported living home she shares with another person with disabilities. (Kyle Green for KFF Health News)"> <figcaption>Eva Fowkes’ parents read to her from an assortment of books when they visit her in the supported living home she shares with another person with disabilities.</figcaption> </figure> Still, Musheno said she was surprised by how quickly Idaho targeted services for people with disabilities. “I couldn’t believe it.” Little had already ordered Medicaid cuts last year as part of an effort to address a budget shortfall after years of <a href="https://idahocapitalsun.com/2025/08/26/idahos-projected-budget-deficit-does-not-include-impact-of-one-big-beautiful-bill-act/" title="" target="_blank">state tax cuts</a> and increasing program costs. That led to a <a href="https://idahocapitalsun.com/2025/08/26/idaho-cuts-doctor-pay-rates-for-medicaid-more-cuts-could-come-health-and-welfare-says/" title="" target="_blank">4% across-the-board reimbursement cut</a> in September for medical providers’ work with Medicaid patients. Little’s new proposed <a href="https://idahocapitalsun.com/2026/01/12/idaho-gov-brad-little-wants-more-medicaid-cuts-but-not-to-repeal-expansion/" title="" target="_blank">cuts to optional services</a> would be on top of those previous rate cuts. “We were told by the legislature that they want to save some money in Medicaid, and so what we put together was a list of seven different options that were there,” Little said at a Feb. 17 press event. “There’s only so many levers we can pull in the Medicaid area that doesn’t jeopardize our funding.” <h3>‘We Just Hold Our Breath’</h3> Amber Grant said any further cuts for the nursing agency that provides care for her 19-year-old son, Matty, could be catastrophic. He was born with brain damage and cerebral palsy before suffering a spinal cord injury when he was 10. In 2024, he briefly received hospice care before the family decided to work with a palliative care team to help him live out his life. Through Medicaid, Matty qualifies for 120 hours of in-home private duty nursing care per week. But because of a nursing shortage, he typically receives only about half of that care, and Grant said it would get worse if the nursing agency is subjected to any more reductions. “The reality is that any of us at any point in time could become disabled,” Grant said. “What kind of quality of care would we want?” <figure class="image-captioned width-xl align-right"><img alt="Jason (from left), Matty, Amber, and Luke Grant. Matty and Luke both receive in-home services paid for by Medicaid. Funding for those services is at risk as Idaho considers $22 million in cuts to balance the state budget. (Jessica Guadalupe)" class="width-xl" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1533066/large/Medicaid-caregiver-cuts-Grant.jpg?1772838651" title="Jason (from left), Matty, Amber, and Luke Grant. Matty and Luke both receive in-home services paid for by Medicaid. Funding for those services is at risk as Idaho considers $22 million in cuts to balance the state budget. (Jessica Guadalupe)"> <figcaption>Jason (from left), Matty, Amber, and Luke Grant. Matty and Luke both receive in-home services paid for by Medicaid. Funding for those services is at risk as Idaho considers $22 million in cuts to balance the state budget.</figcaption> </figure> The potential cuts run even deeper for Grant’s family. Through another optional in-home Medicaid program, she and her husband, Jason, are both eligible to be paid for caring for their older son, Luke. The 24-year-old has autism, epilepsy, and an autoimmune condition and requires supervision 24 hours a day. Jason primarily works as a self-employed remodeler, but Grant’s only income is the $21 an hour she gets to care for Luke. But she can be compensated only for the time she has him one-on-one, meaning when someone else is taking care of Matty, such as Jason or his nurses. Grant said keeping up with the family’s house payments will be nearly impossible if they lose that income, and she said it seems like only a matter of time before some or all of her sons’ in-home care is disrupted. Idaho is <a href="https://www.kff.org/medicaid/allocating-cbos-estimates-of-federal-medicaid-spending-reductions-across-the-states-enacted-reconciliation-package/" target="_blank">projected to lose $3 billion</a> in federal Medicaid funding over the next decade as a result of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, according to KFF, a national health information nonprofit that includes KFF Health News. “We just hold our breath every legislative session,” Grant said. “I feel like I’m always trying to prove their worth, to prove their value, and it’s exhausting.” State Rep. Josh Tanner, a Republican who co-chairs the legislature’s powerful budget committee, said he opposed cutting home- and community-based services, but it was up to a separate committee and workgroup to finalize cuts to the Medicaid program. Medicaid covers <a href="https://www.medicaid.gov/state-overviews/stateprofile.html?state=Idaho" target="_blank">over 300,000 people in Idaho</a>. <a href="https://files.kff.org/attachment/fact-sheet-medicaid-state-ID" title="" target="_blank">According to KFF</a>, the federal government picked up 80% of the state program’s $3.6 billion tab in 2023. Tanner said tapping the state’s $1.3 billion in reserves to fill the $22 million gap was a nonstarter. “We don’t really have an overall revenue problem in the state right now,” Tanner said, “but we do have a spending problem, and part of that has been Medicaid in general.” <hr> Related | <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/12/4/2356727/-Medicaid-work-rules-exempt-the-medically-frail-Deciding-who-qualifies-is-tricky" title="" target="_blank">Medicaid work rules exempt the 'medically frail.' Deciding who qualifies is tricky.</a> <hr> Senate Minority Leader Melissa Wintrow, a Democrat on the budget committee, disagreed, pointing instead to five years of tax cuts passed by the Republican supermajority that have <a href="https://idahocapitalsun.com/2025/11/24/new-report-shows-5-years-of-idaho-income-tax-cuts-have-reduced-state-revenue-by-4-billion/" title="" target="_blank">cost the state $4 billion</a> in lost revenue, including <a href="https://idahocapitalsun.com/2025/04/04/dominated-by-a-series-of-tax-cuts-idaho-legislature-adjourns-2025-legislative-session/" target="_blank">$453 million</a> last year. “What we need to do is restore the revenue that we cut and put it back and admit the mistake and stop harming people and the very services that Idahoans depend on,” Wintrow said. <h3>‘It Keeps Me Awake at Night’</h3> It’s also unclear whether cuts to community-based care would save Idaho money, something Tanner acknowledged. For optional Medicaid programs to be approved by the federal government, states must demonstrate that they are cheaper than existing alternatives, such as being cared for in a nursing home. Cutting community-based care would probably push many people with disabilities into more costly institutional care. That’s what Toni Belknap-Brinegar fears for her son Antahn Brinegar. <figure class="image-captioned width-xl align-right"><img alt="Antahn Brinegar poses with his mother, Toni Belknap-Brinegar, at the wedding of one of Antahn’s friends. (Toni Belknap-Brinegar)" class="width-xl" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1533067/large/Medicaid-caregiver-cuts-Antahn.jpg?1772838653" title="Antahn Brinegar poses with his mother, Toni Belknap-Brinegar, at the wedding of one of Antahn’s friends. (Toni Belknap-Brinegar)"> <figcaption>Antahn Brinegar poses with his mother, Toni Belknap-Brinegar, at the wedding of one of Antahn’s friends.</figcaption> </figure> A brain hemorrhage at birth left Antahn, now 26, with severe brain damage, physical and developmental issues, and a seizure disorder. Belknap-Brinegar is his primary caregiver, but she realized when Antahn was 8 or 9 that she wasn’t physically capable of caring for her growing son. Now 200 pounds, he has two paid in-home caregivers, Belknap-Brinegar said, both single mothers whose own livelihoods may be in the balance amid talks of cuts. Nursing homes aren’t equipped to properly care for Antahn, Belknap-Brinegar said. He needs to be constantly monitored for seizures. He can’t communicate his needs well, for example when he has to go to the bathroom. “Without the services that he has and the care that he gets now, he would end up in a care center, and frankly, he would die,” Belknap-Brinegar said. While home and community-based services are technically optional parts of Medicaid, a <a href="https://archive.ada.gov/olmstead/olmstead_about.htm" title="" target="_blank">1999 Supreme Court decision</a> required states to provide them to people with disabilities when appropriate. A Justice Department investigation in the waning days of the Biden administration found that Idaho was <a href="https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/justice-department-finds-idaho-violates-federal-civil-rights-law-unnecessarily-segregating" title="" target="_blank">unnecessarily segregating disabled adults</a> into nursing homes, in violation of that ruling. The Trump administration is <a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/disability-lawyers-doj-civil-rights-division-protection-advocacy-organizations-iowa/" title="" target="_blank">attempting to slash access</a> to the lawyers who help ensure those rules are followed. Documents <a href="https://idahocapitalsun.com/2026/01/22/records-detail-idaho-medicaid-services-that-could-be-cut-but-not-potential-new-costs/" title="" target="_blank">obtained by the Idaho Capital Sun</a> also show the state agency that oversees Medicaid does not think the state has enough space in its residential facilities to care for all the people whose home- and community-based services could be cut under the governor’s plan. That’s Ned Fowkes’ worry for his 39-year-old daughter, Eva. <figure class="image-captioned width-xl align-right"><img alt="A photograph of Eva Fowkes taken by her father, Ned, is displayed in the supported living home in Boise, Idaho, where Eva lives. (Kyle Green for KFF Health News)" class="width-xl" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1533068/large/Medicaid-caregiver-cuts-011.JPG?1772838652" title="A photograph of Eva Fowkes taken by her father, Ned, is displayed in the supported living home in Boise, Idaho, where Eva lives. (Kyle Green for KFF Health News)"> <figcaption>A photograph of Fowkes taken by her father, Ned, is displayed at her supported living home.</figcaption> </figure> A brain bleed when she was an infant left Eva with severe cerebral palsy and significant developmental disabilities. Although Eva is unable to speak, she has a “wonderful awareness,” Fowkes said, and is able to communicate through her expressions and convey her preferences. After being cared for by her parents for 21 years, Eva was eager for the chance to move into a supported living home, where she could get round-the-clock care while living with another person with disabilities. “Like most 21-year-olds, she probably wanted to hit the road and not be under the roof of her parents anymore,” Fowkes recalled. “She’s always been courageous in that sense.” Fowkes and his wife visit at least three times a week, but at 79 and 76, they are no longer able to provide their daughter’s direct care. The staff at Eva’s home already barely make a living wage, Fowkes said. Cuts to the program that pays for her care would trigger more turnover — or, worse, shutter the agency that staffs the home. “I don’t know what we would do,” Fowkes said. “Eventually we’d lose our home. We would be bankrupt. Where would Eva go? Where would her roommate go? Who would care for them?” “It keeps me awake at night,” he said. “Believe me.” KFF Health News’ Hayat Norimine contributed to this report. </div> rss@dailykos.com (KFF) Disabilities HealthCare Medicaid _2371953 Sun, 08 Mar 2026 18:00:11 +0000 Best cartoons from the worst timeline: Iran war edition https://www.dailykos.com/story/2026/3/8/2371852/-Best-cartoons-from-the-worst-timeline-Iran-war-edition?pm_campaign=blog&pm_medium=rss&pm_source= Well, it finally happened. President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/3/2371473/-Trump-started-a-war-without-a-plan" target="_blank">launched</a> the war against Iran that Republicans long warned would only happen if Kamala Harris were elected president. Now, as <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/2/2371218/-Trump-can-t-explain-why-he-attacked-Iran" target="_blank">Iranian residents</a> and <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/4/2371618/-Hegseth-cares-more-about-fake-media-coverage-than-dead-troops" target="_blank">U.S. soldiers</a> are needlessly killed, Americans in the Middle East have <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/4/2371672/-Are-you-an-American-stuck-in-a-war-zone-Suck-it-says-Pentagon" target="_blank">found themselves stranded</a>, with no sign of help from the government. So while we watch the Trump administration senselessly attack countries <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/5/2371687/-The-peace-president-can-t-stop-starting-wars" target="_blank">left and right</a>, let’s take a look at some cartoons highlighting the atrocities. Feel free to share more of your favorites in the comments.  <hr> <h3>Cartoon: Pedophile warmonger, by Clay Jones</h3> <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/2/2371281/-Cartoon-Pedophile-warmonger" target="_blank">Originally published</a> March 2. <div class="align-center"> <figure class="image-captioned"><img alt="Cartoon by Clay Jones" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1531920/large/CjonesRGB03032026.jpg?1772480834" title="Cartoon by Clay Jones"> <figcaption></figcaption> </figure> </div> <hr> <h3>Cartoon: Bombing, by Nick Anderson</h3> <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/3/2370968/-Cartoon-Bombing" target="_blank">Originally published</a> March 3. <div class="align-center"> <figure class="image-captioned"><img alt="022826.Iran_Bombing_Affordability_.jpg" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1531337/large/022826.Iran_Bombing_Affordability_.jpg?1772319224" title="022826.Iran_Bombing_Affordability_.jpg"> <figcaption></figcaption> </figure> </div> <hr> <h3>Cartoon: Deadly distractions, by Pedro Molina</h3> <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/3/2371296/-Cartoon-Deadly-distractions" target="_blank">Originally published</a> March 3. <div class="align-center"> <figure class="image-captioned"><img alt="Cartoon by Pedro Molina" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1531950/large/20260302edpmc-a.jpg?1772484309" title="Cartoon by Pedro Molina"> <figcaption></figcaption> </figure> </div> <hr> <h3>Cartoon: The big dumb war cycle, by Jen Sorensen</h3> <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/4/2371369/-Cartoon-The-big-dumb-war-cycle" target="_blank">Originally published</a> March 4. <div class="align-center"> <figure class="image-captioned"><img alt="cartoon depicting a series of predictable events that occur whenever the US starts a war in the Middle East" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1532065/large/bigdumbwarcycle915.png?1772530870" title="cartoon depicting a series of predictable events that occur whenever the US starts a war in the Middle East"> <figcaption></figcaption> </figure> </div> <hr> <h3>Cartoon: Bomb bomb Iran, by Clay Jones</h3> <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/4/2371251/-Cartoon-Bomb-bomb-Iran" target="_blank">Originally published</a> March 4. <div class="align-center"> <figure class="image-captioned"><img alt="Cartoon by Clay Jones" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1531884/large/CjonesRGB03012026.jpg?1772474115" title="Cartoon by Clay Jones"> <figcaption></figcaption> </figure> </div> <hr> <h3>Cartoon: The actual regime Trump wants changed, by Tim Campbell</h3> <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/4/2371464/-Cartoon-The-actual-regime-Trump-wants-changed" target="_blank">Originally published</a> March 4. <div class="align-center"> <figure class="image-captioned"><img alt="Cartoon by Tim Campbell" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1532161/large/20260303edtcc-a.jpg?1772562858" title="Cartoon by Tim Campbell"> <figcaption></figcaption> </figure> </div> <hr> <h3>Cartoon: Epic fury indeed, by Clay Bennett</h3> <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/4/2371533/-Cartoon-Epic-fury-indeed" target="_blank">Originally published</a> March 4. <div class="align-center"> <figure class="image-captioned"><img alt="Cartoon by Clay Bennett" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1532249/large/20260304edcbc-a.jpg?1772583125" title="Cartoon by Clay Bennett"> <figcaption></figcaption> </figure> </div> <hr> <h3>Cartoon: Plan? What plan?, by David Horsey</h3> <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/5/2371498/-Cartoon-Plan-What-plan" target="_blank">Originally published</a> March 5. <div class="align-center"> <figure class="image-captioned"><img alt="Cartoon by David Horsey" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1532205/large/20260303edhoc-a.jpg?1772574158" title="Cartoon by David Horsey"> <figcaption></figcaption> </figure> </div> <hr> <h3>Cartoon: Who wants it?, by Pedro Molina</h3> <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/5/2371499/-Cartoon-Who-wants-it" target="_blank">Originally published</a> March 5. <div class="align-center"> <figure class="image-captioned"><img alt="Cartoon by Pedro Molina" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1532206/large/20260303edpmc-a.jpg?1772574288" title="Cartoon by Pedro Molina"> <figcaption></figcaption> </figure> </div> <hr> <h3>Cartoon: They’re genetic, by Mike Luckovich</h3> <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/story/2026/03/04/2371692/-cartoon-they-re-genetic" target="_blank">Originally published</a> March 5. <div class="align-center"> <figure class="image-captioned"><img alt="Cartoon by Mike Luckovich" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1532508/large/lk030526dAPR.jpg?1772662494" title="Cartoon by Mike Luckovich"> <figcaption></figcaption> </figure> </div> <hr> <h3>Cartoon: America, er … last?, by Pedro Molina</h3> <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/6/2371703/-Cartoon-America-er-last" target="_blank" title="">Originally published</a> March 6. <div class="align-center"> <figure class="image-captioned width-xl"><img alt="Cartoon by Pedro Molina" class="width-xl" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1532519/large/20260304edpmc-a.jpg?1772665731" title="Cartoon by Pedro Molina"> <figcaption></figcaption> </figure> </div> <hr> <h3>Cartoon: Dumb war weapons, by Brian McFadden</h3> <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/story/2026/03/06/2371926/-cartoon-dumb-war-weapons" target="_blank" title="">Originally published</a> March 6. <div class="align-center"> <figure class="image-captioned"><img alt="Cartoon by BrianMcFadden" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1532974/large/03-05-2026-mcfadden-915px.png?1772815959" title="Cartoon by BrianMcFadden"> <figcaption></figcaption> </figure> </div> <hr> <h3></h3> Related | <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/5/2371687/-The-peace-president-can-t-stop-starting-wars" target="_blank" title="">The ‘peace’ president can’t stop starting wars</a> <hr> rss@dailykos.com (Daily Kos Staff) Cartoons DonaldTrump Iran MiddleEast Military War _2371852 Sun, 08 Mar 2026 17:00:08 +0000 As Kristi Noem exits post, her 'ICE Barbie' shadow remains https://www.dailykos.com/story/2026/3/8/2371959/-As-Kristi-Noem-exits-post-her-ICE-Barbie-shadow-remains?pm_campaign=blog&pm_medium=rss&pm_source= The former Homeland Security chief made her steely-eyed and polished image synonymous with deportation and the department. By <a href="https://19thnews.org/author/marissa-martinez" target="_blank" title="">Marissa Martinez</a> for <a href="https://19thnews.org/2026/03/kristi-noem-dhs-secretary-ice-barbie/" target="_blank" title="">The 19th</a> <hr> Few, if any, of Donald Trump’s Cabinet members have featured themselves so prominently as a figurehead within their agencies as former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. The South Dakota Republican centralized herself at many turns throughout her tenure. She posed with loaded guns next to immigration enforcement officers. She appeared at briefings decked out in tactical gear. She visited active operations, with constant in-house promotional footage produced along the way. Unlike most agency heads, Noem made herself and her image — steely-eyed and polished — synonymous with both deportation and the department. And those in the president’s inner circle noticed. Despite Trump himself punting on calls to replace her, those close to him privately expressed frustration with her handling of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in Minnesota, where agents fatally shot two U.S. citizens in January. Other factors mounted with time: her <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/kristi-noem-dhs-misled-senate-judiciary-corey-lewandowski-contracts" target="_blank" title="">personal relationship</a> with DHS “special government employee” Corey Lewandowski, reports of staff mistreatment and a general eschewing of other priorities like dispensing Federal Emergency Management Agency payments or signing off on large contracts. <hr> Related | <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/5/2371788/-Kristi-Noem-commits-Trump-s-one-unforgivable-sin" target="_blank">Kristi Noem fired</a> <hr> Republican womanhood has now come to embrace <a href="https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/conservatives-republican-party-women-rebecca-traister.html" target="_blank" title="">contradictory visual and political demands</a>, and Noem’s leaning into her femininity — including her pivot from a short pixie cut to long, flowing hair and an <a href="https://x.com/KristiNoem/status/1767392635944059202" target="_blank">infamous teeth adjustment</a> — served as a counter to her inhabiting a <a href="https://www.vox.com/culture/410239/kristi-noem-karoline-leavitt-maga-womanhood-femininity?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank">masculine sheriff persona</a>. “It’s all about her appeal to an audience of one,” Republican strategist Ron Bonjean <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/20/style/kristi-noem-teeth-trump-vice-president.html" target="_blank">told the New York Times</a> in March 2024, as Noem was under consideration to become Trump’s running mate. “The whole teeth thing almost looks like it was done for Trump to see. She is showing him she works well in front of the camera, that she has that star power he wants onstage with him, while fitting into the mode of women in the Trump universe.” While she didn’t secure the second spot on the ticket, the appearance overhaul did seem to appeal to Trump, who tapped her to lead one of his most consequential agencies shortly after winning re-election. “You’re not allowed to say she’s beautiful, so I’m not going to say it,” Trump said, praising Noem last year. <figure class="image-captioned width-xl align-right"><img alt="Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is recognized as President Donald Trump speaks during an event to announce new tariffs in the Rose Garden at the White House, Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)" class="width-xl" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1418661/large/AP25092755268038.jpg?1744061444" title="Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is recognized as President Donald Trump speaks during an event to announce new tariffs in the Rose Garden at the White House, Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)"> <figcaption>Kristi Noem is recognized as President Donald Trump speaks in the Rose Garden at the White House in April 2025.</figcaption> </figure> Outside of impressing the president, Noem’s performance was designed to be an assuaging yet authoritative presence in an immigration-fueled storm to the Republican base that craved order from Trump’s inauguration onward. In an unusual move for an agency head, Noem frequently appeared in heavily produced ride-along videos with law enforcement officers. These encounters, which would often appear on official DHS social media channels, showcased the secretary <a href="https://x.com/MAGAVoice/status/1975692490960478216?s=20" target="_blank">interacting directly</a> with people being forcibly arrested — calmly explaining to one detainee in <a href="https://x.com/MAGAVoice/status/1975692490960478216?s=20" target="_blank">the back of a van</a>, “You will be removed from this country and never get the chance to come back.” But Noem’s aesthetic approach to the position also made her stand out as a target for ridicule and criticism, including the nickname “ICE Barbie.” The satirical show “South Park” poked fun at her facial work and heavy makeup, while right-wing commentators <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DIQHnfORKa-/?hl=en" target="_blank" title="">like Megyn Kelly</a> said she should “stop trying to glamorize the mission … as you cosplay ICE agent, which you’re not” last April.“Conservatives need a distinct aesthetic, but this one isn’t it,” conservative commentator Christopher Rufo <a href="https://x.com/christopherrufo/status/1909659359178789295?s=20" target="_blank">said last April</a>, criticizing her “girlboss tacticool” visuals. <hr> Related | <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/5/2371832/-Cosplay-queen-Noem-s-reign-is-over-and-everyone-s-rejoicing" title="" target="_blank">Cosplay queen Noem’s reign is over—and everyone’s rejoicing</a> <hr> Members of Congress also noted Noem’s use of her own image as a campaign tactic in several congressional hearings. Rep. Bennie Thompson, a Mississippi Democrat, confronted her about her taped appearances at ICE raids during a Homeland Security Committee hearing last May. “Whatever got you here, Secretary Noem, I’m glad you found time among your many photo ops and costume changes to testify about why President Trump is seeking more taxpayer dollars, and what do you plan to do with that money if you get it,” Thompson said. One of Noem’s most egregious judgment calls was a $220 million ad campaign, <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/kristi-noem-dhs-ad-campaign-strategy-group" target="_blank" title="">awarded to a then-days-old company</a> with personal and business ties to the secretary. The campaign <a href="https://www.dhs.gov/medialibrary/assets/video/58918" target="_blank">focused</a> on Noem and featured clips of Trump and the border wall. In the videos, the immigration chief discourages immigrants from entering the country illegally — reminiscent of political campaign videos rather than the usual stylings of public service announcements. <figure class="image-captioned width-xl align-right"><img alt="010826.NOEM_Life_Of_A_Showgirl2.jpg" class="width-xl" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1515406/large/010826.NOEM_Life_Of_A_Showgirl2.jpg?1767902531" title="010826.NOEM_Life_Of_A_Showgirl2.jpg"> <figcaption></figcaption> </figure> During her appearance on Tuesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Republican Sen. John Kennedy pressed her on the ads’ primary purpose as “effective in your name recognition.” Specifically, he asked if the president had approved ahead of time the multimillion dollar campaign, which he suggested had put Trump in “a terribly awkward spot.” Noem testified that Trump had indeed signed off, and asked her to craft it to thank him for his border policies — a statement that deeply frustrated the president later and which he <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-says-he-didnt-sign-off-200-million-border-security-ad-campaign-2026-03-05/" target="_blank" title="">categorized as untrue</a>. Kennedy further blasted the decision to award the ad contract as something the Office of Management and Budget or congressional appropriations committees would never have approved — particularly as DHS avoided a competitive bidding process while under national emergency at the time. Trump said in a Truth Social post following her firing that Noem “has served us well, and has had numerous and spectacular results.” Noem attempted to readjust her profile to fit her vision for the department. The president’s pick to replace her with Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin — a former mixed martial arts fighter who <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/05/markwayne-mullin-kristi-noem-dhs" target="_blank">Trump described on Thursday</a> as a “MAGA warrior” — will make over DHS’ image once again. <div style="text-align:start"> <div> <ul> </ul> </div> </div> rss@dailykos.com (The19th) HomelandSecurity ICE KRISTINOEM _2371959 Sun, 08 Mar 2026 15:00:05 +0000 Black Music Sunday: Celebrating International Women's Day https://www.dailykos.com/story/2026/3/8/2368396/-Black-Music-Sunday-Celebrating-International-Women-s-Day?pm_campaign=blog&pm_medium=rss&pm_source= <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/tags/BlackMusicSunday" target="_blank">Black Music Sunday</a> is a weekly series highlighting all things Black music, with over<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/tags/BlackMusicSunday?filter=stories" target="_blank" title=""> 300 stories</a> covering performers, genres, history, and more, each featuring its own vibrant soundtrack. I hope you’ll find some familiar tunes and perhaps an introduction to something new. <hr> Happy<a href="https://www.internationalwomensday.com/" title="" target="_blank"> International Women’s Day</a>! In honor of the day and<a href="https://nationalwomenshistoryalliance.org/womens-history-theme-2026/" target="_blank"> the month</a>, which I’ve done<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2022/3/6/2081372/-Let-s-kick-off-Women-s-History-Month-with-early-Black-queens-of-stage-and-screen" target="_blank"> here</a>, and<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/3/12/2156319/-Black-Music-Sunday-A-Women-s-History-Month-salute-to-three-remarkable-jazz-vocalists" target="_blank"> here</a> in the past, I want to salute sisters whose voices have been key in the global struggle for women. I have far too many singers and songs to fit into one story, so will be posting many to the comments section below.  When I was teaching Women’s Studies, I introduced my students to Nina Simone. A key song in my syllabus was her “Four Women.” None of my students at the time, in the ‘90s, knew who she was, or had ever heard her music. I vowed to change that. <div class="dk-editor-embed embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9 center-block"> <div class="remove-embed-content">x</div> <a class="iframe_placeholder youtube dk-embed" href="//youtube.com/watch?v=kKkVkQCna9g" data-frameborder="0" data-height="315" data-src="//www.youtube.com/embed/kKkVkQCna9g?si=iBGcax2m8KiRgpZ4" data-width="560">YouTube Video</a></div> The  feminist reproductive rights Uterish blog described her this way: <blockquote> Nina Simone (born in 1933 as Eunice Kathleen Waymon), was a prolific songwriter, singer, pianist, and civil rights activist. As a musician, she was known for her distinctive, remarkable voice and immense prowess as a pianist. Her renowned oeuvre spanned genres from R&B to classical to folk. Raised in the Jim Crow South, Simone developed an early political consciousness that only grew as she rose to notoriety. She was an outspoken part activist both in her music and personal life, at significant risk to her person and career.  </blockquote> At<a href="https://sheshouldrun.org/blog/nina-simone/" target="_blank"> She Should Run,</a> Neisa Brito Barbosa wrote: <blockquote> After the tragic 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham, Alabama, 1963, her protest anthem “Mississippi Goddamn” galvanized the movement for racial equality. It was a bold and unflinching response to the horrors of racism and injustice. However, the song’s impact came at a cost: it was one of the first to face heavy censorship during the 1960s. Simone’s identity as a Black woman and her unapologetic lyrics made her a target, putting her career at risk (Symposium, 2021). In contrast, songs like Lesley Gore’s “You Don’t Own Me,” released in 1963–debuting in the same era– were celebrated as feminist anthems and have been widely promoted in media, featured in films like Suicide Squad and Dirty Dancing. The disparity in reception reflects a persistent pattern: Black women’s art is more likely to be censored, undervalued, or misattributed. </blockquote> Zachary Hoskins, wrote for his <a href="https://andresmusictalk.wordpress.com/2017/03/25/womens-history-month-nina-simones-four-women/" title="" target="_blank">Andresmusictalk blog</a> about the significance of “Four Women”: <blockquote> Her 1966 song “Four Women,” an emotional portrait of the manifold ways African American women have been oppressed throughout history. Over an ominous blues piano line, Simone lends subjectivity to four archetypal figures: the dark-skinned slave “Aunt Sarah,” the mulatto “Safronia,” the Jezebel/prostitute “Sweet Thing,” and finally the embittered militant “Peaches.” With her last verse, she declares that the rage at the heart of the Black Civil Rights movement is both inevitable and justified by the indignities of the past; “I’m awfully bitter these days,” she admits, “because my parents were slaves.” And in inhabiting these figures–widely perceived as negative, racist stereotypes–she gives them a sense of humanity and empathy that could not be found in the women’s movement of the time. The place of Black women in feminism has of course been contested since the days of <a href="http://www.feminist.com/resources/artspeech/genwom/sojour.htm" target="_blank">Sojourner Truth</a>; it remains, unfortunately, an ongoing struggle, seen most recently in debates leading up to this January’s <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/09/us/womens-march-on-washington-opens-contentious-dialogues-about-race.html" target="_blank">Women’s March on Washington</a>. But with songs like “Four Women,” Nina Simone ensured that the uniqueness of Black women’s experiences were expressed, whether “mainstream” feminism chose to acknowledge them or not. And her music continues to resonate–as evidenced by the above cover version, performed by the Berklee College of Music chapter of Black Lives Matter. It is, as ever, sad that a song written about the plight of Black women in 1966 could remain so necessary over 50 years later; things being as they are, however, at least now we can be glad it exists. </blockquote> Too soon departed from us in 2012 was pop, R&B, soul, gospel, and jazz vocalist Whitney Houston, who reprised Chaka Khan’s “I’m Every Woman” 1978 hit in 1993. <div class="dk-editor-embed embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9 center-block"> <div class="remove-embed-content">x</div> <a class="iframe_placeholder youtube dk-embed" href="//youtube.com/watch?v=H7_sqdkaAfo" data-frameborder="0" data-height="315" data-src="//www.youtube.com/embed/H7_sqdkaAfo?si=oeVYv6vcAAAfkSJM" data-width="560">YouTube Video</a></div> Emily Lordi wrote for <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/08/t-magazine/whitney-houston-black-women.html?unlocked_article_code=1.QVA.mZOA.L9FVG-oQ8Cag&smid=url-share" target="_blank">The New York Times</a> about Houston’s legacy: <blockquote> There are, strangely, a lot of other women in Whitney Houston’s 1993 video for the song “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7_sqdkaAfo" target="_blank">I’m Every Woman</a>,” that can-do anthem powered by Houston’s unparalleled midrange pipes. “It’s all in me,” she sings of a spellbinding force that would seem to make others unnecessary. Yet there alongside her we find the funk powerhouse<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/20/arts/music/chaka-khan-hello-happiness.html" title="" target="_blank"> Chaka Khan</a>, who<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVDCNmdi7QI" title="" target="_blank"> first recorded the song</a> in 1978; the song’s co-composer Valerie Simpson; Houston’s mother and mentor, Cissy Houston; a dance team of young Black girls; and the trio TLC. Houston recorded “I’m Every Woman” for the soundtrack of “<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1992/11/25/movies/review-film-bodyguard-tragic-flaw-meets-pampered-pop-star-over-multiple-risks.html" target="_blank">The Bodyguard</a>” (1992), which she co-executive produced, and which secured her megastardom such that “the wonderment of her talent and her career impacted everyone,” as her sister-in-law and estate executor, Pat Houston, puts it. The open secret of this video is that Houston had a hand in that influence: She deliberately used her status as an icon to light up a whole network of Black female forebears and creative descendants. [...] In a shift signaled by the “I’m Every Woman” video, she began trading in her America’s sweetheart card in the mid-90s for that of Black culture worker, emerging not only as the Voice but as a multimedia strategist with a discerning ear for new talent. In 1994, she performed a series of concerts in Nelson Mandela’s South Africa. In 1995, she co-executive produced and appeared on an all-Black-female soundtrack for the film adaptation of Terry McMillan’s 1992 novel, “<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1995/12/22/movies/film-review-4-divas-have-lots-of-fun-telling-off-mr-wrong.html" target="_blank">Waiting to Exhale</a>,” in which she co-starred; the album featured everyone from Aretha Franklin to the R&B vocalist Faith Evans to the wunderkind Brandy — who later starred in the 1997 multicultural version of “<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1997/10/31/movies/tv-weekend-the-glass-slipper-fits-with-a-90-s-conscience.html" target="_blank">Cinderella</a>” that Houston co-produced (she herself played the Fairy Godmother). </blockquote> Folks who know me are aware I’m a super fan of “<a href="https://sweethoneyintherock.org/" title="" target="_blank">Sweet Honey in the Rock</a>” and their founder<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2024/7/28/2255473/-Black-Music-Sunday-Bernice-Johnson-Reagon-used-music-to-mobilize" target="_blank"> Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagon</a>, who joined the ancestors July 16, 2024. My email signature for years has been a quote from her: “If you're in a coalition and you're comfortable, you know it's not a broad enough coalition” from her<a href="https://www.rootsofjusticetraining.org/uploads/1/3/9/1/139148852/coalition-politics.pdf" title="" target="_blank"> address to the West Coast Women's Music Festival in 1981</a>. Give a listen to “Every Woman”: <div class="dk-editor-embed embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9 center-block"> <div class="remove-embed-content">x</div> <a class="iframe_placeholder youtube dk-embed" href="//youtube.com/watch?v=fmyHeOr00to" data-frameborder="0" data-height="315" data-src="//www.youtube.com/embed/fmyHeOr00to?si=GPpjJ4IiwWeDKyyH" data-width="560">YouTube Video</a></div> Moving into the international realm, a must feature is Miriam Makeba, known as “Mama Africa.” <a href="https://capiremov.org/en/culture/miriam-makeba-a-voice-for-african-womens-struggles/" title="" target="_blank">Capire’s blog </a>posted: <blockquote> We look back on the work of women artists engaged in the struggle for emancipation on the continent. Through <a href="https://capiremov.org/en/culture/hera-by-lydiah-dola-a-song-for-peace-and-harmony-between-the-peoples/" target="_blank" title="">Lydia Dola’s music</a>, we learn the language of women from Kenya, Sudan, and Tanzania; in <a href="https://capiremov.org/en/multimedia/video-en/exhausted-woman-by-lencre-des-etoiles/" target="_blank" title="">Linda Kouamé’s spoken word poetry</a>, we denounce the violence and marginalization women from Ivory Coast are subjected to; in <a href="https://capiremov.org/en/culture/noemia-de-sousa-let-my-people-go/" target="_blank" title="">Noémia de Souza’s written words</a>, we learn about the resistance and Black sisterhood between women from Mozambique and Black peoples around the world. These women are part of the history and culture of their countries and territories, and they join the voices of so many other women who struggle. An artist who inspired many others on the continent and marked the struggle for women’s rights in several African countries was Zenzi Miriam Makeba. [...] About the ways Miriam Makeba inspires African militants, Sefu says, “when it comes to the issues of land ownership, women in political leadership, sexual and reproductive rights of women, and, of course, women as artists, she represented these voices. For the African women, she represents freedom, emancipation, the rights of women to own land, to be part of decision making, to get a seat at the table, to be leaders, to take care of their children, for domestic work to be part of the economic system. She represents the totality of the liberation.” </blockquote> <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2024/3/3/2226353/-Black-Music-Sunday-Remembering-Mama-Africa-Miriam-Makeba" title="" target="_blank">I wrote an obituary for her when she passed in 2024</a>. Watch the BBC documentary “Queen of Africa: The Miriam Makeba Story”: <div class="dk-editor-embed embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9 center-block"> <div class="remove-embed-content">x</div> <a class="iframe_placeholder youtube dk-embed" href="//youtube.com/watch?v=cxAdQm6EtqA" data-frameborder="0" data-height="315" data-src="//www.youtube.com/embed/cxAdQm6EtqA?si=f5ddh-IpEg_hvA-2" data-width="560">YouTube Video</a></div> Also from the African continent is <a href="https://www.kidjo.com/career" title="" target="_blank">Angélique Kidjo</a>, whose four-decade career spans continents, musical styles, and languages, making her one of Africa’s most recognizable and beloved artists working today: <div class="dk-editor-embed embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9 center-block"> <div class="remove-embed-content">x</div> <a class="iframe_placeholder youtube dk-embed" href="//youtube.com/watch?v=hxCPJ_52mrM" data-frameborder="0" data-height="315" data-src="//www.youtube.com/embed/hxCPJ_52mrM?si=hMsUjdwOjz7NggwV" data-width="560">YouTube Video</a></div> Kidjo is the founder of the <a href="https://www.batongafoundation.org/whoweare" target="_blank">Batonga</a> Foundation: <blockquote> Batonga was founded by Angélique Kidjo in 2006 with the purpose of transforming the most vulnerable adolescent girls in Africa into powerful women. Angélique’s message is unique – she celebrates Africa as a land of hope and talent and sees its youth, particularly its young women, as an investment for the future. Determined that all girls and young women must choose their own destiny, Angélique works tirelessly with the Batonga team to develop best practices. The girls she meets see that she is a force for good; that she leads by example – dignified, ambitious, and fearless. </blockquote> Please join me in the comments section below for lots more music and post your favorites. Happy International Women’s Day! rss@dailykos.com (Denise Oliver Velez) AngeliqueKidjo BerniceReagon BlackMusicSunday FeministSingers InternationalWomensDay MiriamMakeba Music NinaSimone SweetHoneyintheRock WhitneyHouston womenshistorymonth _2368396 Sun, 08 Mar 2026 13:00:05 +0000 Cartoon: Bombs not food https://www.dailykos.com/story/2026/3/8/2371638/-Cartoon-Bombs-not-food?pm_campaign=blog&pm_medium=rss&pm_source= A cartoon by Drew Sheneman. <hr> Related | <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/3/2371465/-Iran-war-proves-Trump-is-still-at-the-concept-of-a-plan-stage" target="_blank">Iran war proves Trump is still at the ‘concept of a plan’ stage</a> <hr> rss@dailykos.com (Drew Sheneman) Cartoon DonaldTrump DrewSheneman Education Food Iran War _2371638 Sun, 08 Mar 2026 12:30:10 +0000 How Republicans keep screwing up their wars https://www.dailykos.com/story/2026/3/7/2371851/-How-Republicans-keep-screwing-up-their-wars?pm_campaign=blog&pm_medium=rss&pm_source= <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/tags/ExplainingTheRight" target="_blank">Explaining the Right</a> is a weekly series that looks at what the right wing is currently obsessing over, how it influences politics—and why you need to know. <hr> The Trump administration’s war on Iran <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/3/2371473/-Trump-started-a-war-without-a-plan" target="_blank">has been a mess</a>.  Even before bombs started to fall, President Donald Trump treated it more like a teaser for a season finale of “The Apprentice” than a major military operation that would cost lives and set off a wave of global chaos. Things devolved quickly once the war began.  In his first address to the nation, Trump failed to answer the question on the minds of hundreds of millions of people domestically and abroad: Why is this happening? <figure class="image-captioned width-xl align-right"><img alt="Plumes of smoke rise as strikes hit the city during the U.S.–Israeli military campaign in Tehran, Iran, Thursday, March 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)" class="width-xl" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1532828/large/AP26064280229998.jpg?1772748902" title="Plumes of smoke rise as strikes hit the city during the U.S.–Israeli military campaign in Tehran, Iran, Thursday, March 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)"> <figcaption>Plumes of smoke rise as strikes hit Tehran, Iran, on March 5.</figcaption> </figure> The situation <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/5/2371687/-The-peace-president-can-t-stop-starting-wars" title="" target="_blank">got worse</a> in the next few days.  The administration<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/3/2371436/-Here-s-how-Trump-wants-the-GOP-to-spin-his-war-on-Iran" target="_blank"> offered up a shifting series</a> of justifications as Trump called reporter after reporter from outlets he’s routinely called “fake news” in an attempt to promote his propaganda. Things were soon compounded by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth,<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/4/2371618/-Hegseth-cares-more-about-fake-media-coverage-than-dead-troops" target="_blank"> </a>who <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/4/2371618/-Hegseth-cares-more-about-fake-media-coverage-than-dead-troops" target="_blank">whined to the media</a> for publishing reports of dead U.S. soldiers instead of touting how great Trump is doing. This is no way to go about what is arguably the most serious enterprise a government can engage in: war. And it’s certainly a far cry from the GOP under former President George W. Bush and his launch of the Iraq War in March 2003. To be sure, the underlying reasons offered up for that war<a href="https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2023/03/the-iraq-invasion-20-years-later-it-was-indeed-a-big-lie-that-launched-the-catastrophic-war/" target="_blank"> were 100% false</a>. There were no connections between the Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein and 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden. There were also no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq either. It was all a lie. But the Bush team oriented its propaganda around the systemic repetition of some sort of argument for war. Bush didn’t just wake up one day and launch the war; his administration instead used the 9/11 attack to lay the groundwork. In 2005, Bush<a href="https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2005/08/catapulting-propaganda/" title="" target="_blank"> inadvertently explained</a> this process during a discussion about Social Security. “See, in my line of work you got to keep repeating things over and over and over again for the truth to sink in, to kind of catapult the propaganda,” he said. That led to events like then-Vice President Dick Cheney<a href="https://publicintegrity.org/politics/key-false-statements/" title="" target="_blank"> discussing</a> on “Meet the Press” the purported use of aluminum tubes by Iraq to “enrich uranium,”<a href="https://www.armscontrol.org/act/2004-09/news-briefs/iraq-intelligence-failures-serious-flaws-found-british-dossier" target="_blank"> enlisting the aid</a> of the British government to hype an intelligence dossier,<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2004/may/29/iraq.usa1" target="_blank"> giving access</a> to The New York Times so reporter Judith Miller would write<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/08/world/threats-responses-iraqis-us-says-hussein-intensifies-quest-for-bomb-parts.html" target="_blank"> a front page story</a> falsely alleging that Hussein “sought a-bomb parts.” <figure class="image-captioned width-xl align-left"><img alt="FILE - President George W. Bush signs a resolution authorizing the use of force against Iraq, Oct. 16, 2002, in the East Room of the White House. Left to right, Sen. Jesse Helms, R-N.C., Sen. John Warner, R-Va., Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., Rep. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., Sen. Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., Speaker the House Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., Rep. Tom Lantos, D-Calif., Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del. (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds, File)" class="width-xl" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1532967/large/AP23084684392155.jpg?1772813725" title="FILE - President George W. Bush signs a resolution authorizing the use of force against Iraq, Oct. 16, 2002, in the East Room of the White House. Left to right, Sen. Jesse Helms, R-N.C., Sen. John Warner, R-Va., Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., Rep. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., Sen. Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., Speaker the House Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., Rep. Tom Lantos, D-Calif., Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del. (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds, File)"> <figcaption>Former President George W. Bush signs a resolution authorizing the use of force against Iraq on Oct. 16, 2002.</figcaption> </figure> The Bush administration even sought cover from the United Nations for the war it started regardless of the facts, resulting in Secretary of State Colin Powell<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/2/5/2366887/-23-years-ago-Colin-Powell-lied-to-launch-a-bogus-war" title="" target="_blank"> dramatically testifying </a>that the United States had reached “conclusions based on solid intelligence.” But it was all a lie.  The war killed thousands of Americans and Iraqis, destabilized the Middle East, and created a global fallout that is still being felt today. But unlike Trump, Bush felt compelled to try to get Americans to support his war. Trump became the leader of the GOP under far different circumstances. He transitioned from serial failed business owner and reality TV host by becoming a<a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/fox-news/how-fox-powered-trumps-first-term-and-what-means-his-second" target="_blank"> pundit on Fox News</a>, spreading racist birther conspiracy theories about former President Barack Obama. Existing in a right-wing ecosphere that sustains itself, Trump has had enormous political success without having to develop the need to speak to a mass audience. Instead, he has<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/12/5/2357010/-Trump-releases-racist-blueprint-for-the-world" title="" target="_blank"> risen to power</a> on a wave of bigotry. And his MAGA supporters treat him like a deity, so he doesn’t have Bush’s need to sell. Even worse, Trump faces an even more hospitable media environment in his second term than he did a decade ago. While the mainstream media was never openly hostile toward or critical of Trump, it is now firmly in his corner—from figures like Washington Post<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/3/17/2310760/-Trump-praises-Jeff-Bezos-for-turning-Washington-Post-into-MAGA-media" target="_blank"> </a>owner <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/3/17/2310760/-Trump-praises-Jeff-Bezos-for-turning-Washington-Post-into-MAGA-media" target="_blank">Jeff Bezos</a> to the Ellison family’s<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/1/14/2363384/-Trump-loves-the-new-direction-at-CBS-but-nobody-else-does" target="_blank"> growing media empire</a>, which includes CBS News and soon CNN. <figure class="image-captioned width-xl align-right"><img alt="Cartoon by David Horsey" class="width-xl" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1532205/large/20260303edhoc-a.jpg?1772574158" title="Cartoon by David Horsey"> <figcaption>A cartoon by David Horsey.</figcaption> </figure> You don’t have to sell war if the press is already in your pocket. The only upside is that, despite all of these factors in Trump’s favor, his war spin isn’t working. In<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/poll-majority-voters-disapproves-trump-handled-iran-rcna261564" target="_blank"> poll after poll</a>, the<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/2/2371207/-Trump-s-Iran-conflict-could-sink-the-GOP-in-November" title="" target="_blank"> public has opposed</a> bombing Iran. Even some Republicans have voiced objections, going along with most Democratic and independent voters. Wars like Iraq have historically had a rallying effect on the public, as Americans naturally seek unity when lives are on the line. But Trump has built a cohort of followers that is closed off from the rest of the nation, which—combined with his massive ego—is a toxic brew. Trump has had political victories, but they’ve reinforced his worst impulses as a leader. Instead of the competent malfeasance under Bush, Trump is nothing more than a sloppy mess. And the world will suffer because of it. rss@dailykos.com (Oliver Willis) DonaldTrump ExplainingTheRight GeorgeWBush Iran Iraq Media War _2371851 Sun, 08 Mar 2026 00:00:04 +0000 Cartoon: Coolest veep evah! https://www.dailykos.com/story/2026/3/7/2371641/-Cartoon-Coolest-veep-evah?pm_campaign=blog&pm_medium=rss&pm_source= A cartoon by Jack Ohman. <hr> Related | <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/1/23/2365023/-JD-Vance-just-got-even-creepier" title="" target="_blank">JD Vance just got even creepier</a> <hr> rss@dailykos.com (Jack Ohman) Cartoon Data DonaldTrump JackOhman JDVance MAGA _2371641 Sat, 07 Mar 2026 23:55:08 +0000 Six federal scientists run out by Trump talk about the work left undone https://www.dailykos.com/story/2026/3/7/2371954/-Six-federal-scientists-run-out-by-Trump-talk-about-the-work-left-undone?pm_campaign=blog&pm_medium=rss&pm_source= “There’s been a fundamental destruction,” one researcher said. It’s going to “take a very, very long time to rebuild.” By <a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/author/rachana-pradhan/" target="_blank">Rachana Pradhan</a> and <a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/author/katheryn-houghton/" target="_blank">Katheryn Houghton</a>, photos by <a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/author/eric-harkleroad/" target="_blank">Eric Harkleroad</a>, for <a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/nih-national-institutes-of-health-scientist-exodus-disease-treatments/" target="_blank">KFF</a> <hr> Marc Ernstoff, a physician who has pioneered immunotherapy research and treatments for cancer patients, said his work as a federal scientist proved untenable under the Trump administration. <div> Philip Stewart, a Rocky Mountain Laboratories researcher focused on tick-borne diseases, said he retired two years earlier than planned because of hurdles that made it too challenging to do his job well. Alexa Romberg, an addiction prevention scientist focused on tobacco, said she “lost a great deal” of the research she oversaw when federal grants vanished. “If one is thinking about the ‘Make America Healthy Again’ agenda and the prevention of chronic disease,” Romberg said, “tobacco use is the No. 1 contributor to early morbidity and mortality that we can prevent.” <hr> Related | <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/9/6/2341696/-Changes-at-NIH-give-political-appointees-greater-power-to-fund-or-block-research" target="_blank">Changes at NIH give political appointees greater power to fund or block research</a> <hr> The National Institutes of Health is the largest public funder of biomedical research in the world, with a <a href="https://www.nih.gov/about-nih/mission-goals" target="_blank">mission statement</a> to “enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce illness.” Over decades, the value of the NIH may be the one thing everyone in Washington has agreed on. Lawmakers have routinely boosted its funding. “I’m so pleased to be associated with NIH,” former Sen. Roy Blunt, a Missouri Republican and one of the NIH’s biggest champions in Congress, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20260204070146/https://nihrecord.nih.gov/2022/10/14/nih-dedicates-alzheimer-s-research-facility-blunt" target="_blank">said in 2022</a> shortly before he retired. But in President Donald Trump’s second term, the NIH has seen an exodus of scientists like Ernstoff, Stewart, and Romberg. Federal data shows the NIH lost about 4,400 people — more than 20% of its workforce. Scientists say the departures harm the U.S.’ ability to respond to disease outbreaks, develop treatments for chronic illnesses, and confront the nation’s most pressing public health problems. “People are going to get hurt,” said Sylvia Chou, a scientist who worked at the National Cancer Institute in Rockville, Maryland, for over 15 years before she left in January. “There’s going to be a lot more health challenges and even deaths, because we need science in order to help people get healthy.” <div> <h3>Why They’re Leaving</h3> KFF Health News interviewed a half dozen scientists who said they quit their jobs years before they’d planned to because of the tumult of 2025. Only a few years ago, the NIH workforce was steadily growing, from roughly 17,700 employees in fiscal year 2019 to around 21,100 in fiscal 2024, federal data shows. Under Trump, those gains have been slashed. The Trump administration enacted a campaign to purge government workers perceived as disloyal to the president. People were fired or encouraged to leave. Officials instituted a months-long freeze on hiring. The NIH workforce has plummeted to about 17,100 people — its lowest level in at least two decades. Most who left weren’t fired. Roughly 4 in 5 either retired, quit, had appointments that expired, or transferred to a different job, according to federal data. <div class="align-center"> <figure class="image-captioned"><img alt="Physician Marc Ernstoff joined the National Cancer Institute in 2020 to shepherd research on how the immune system responds to cancer, to advance the development of drugs that help patients live longer. Ernstoff said he left his job in October because, under President Donald Trump, the National Institutes of Health had turned into a “hostile work environment” and he was denied permission to work remotely. “I was not ready at all to retire,” Ernstoff says. (Rob Strong for KFF Health News)" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1533051/large/Ernstoff_08.jpeg?1772837391" title="Physician Marc Ernstoff joined the National Cancer Institute in 2020 to shepherd research on how the immune system responds to cancer, to advance the development of drugs that help patients live longer. Ernstoff said he left his job in October because, under President Donald Trump, the National Institutes of Health had turned into a “hostile work environment” and he was denied permission to work remotely. “I was not ready at all to retire,” Ernstoff says. (Rob Strong for KFF Health News)"> <figcaption>Physician Marc Ernstoff joined the National Cancer Institute in 2020 to shepherd research on how the immune system responds to cancer, to advance the development of drugs that help patients live longer. Ernstoff said he left his job in October because, under President Donald Trump, the National Institutes of Health had turned into a “hostile work environment” and he was denied permission to work remotely. “I was not ready at all to retire,” Ernstoff says.</figcaption> </figure> </div> Scientists watched with dread as their colleagues were forced to terminate research funds for topics the Trump administration deemed off-limits. Across NIH labs, routine work stalled. They said they faced major delays in accessing equipment and supplies. Travel authorizations were slowed or denied. Agency staff were instructed not to communicate with anyone outside the agency. When they could talk again, they were subject to greater constraints on what they could present to the public. And under the administration’s agenda to eliminate “diversity, equity, and inclusion,” references to minorities or health equity were purged from NIH-funded research. Initiatives to protect Americans’ health were gutted. Among them: support for early-career scientists, ways to prevent harm from HIV or substance use, and efforts to study how different populations’ immune systems respond to disease. <a href="https://www.statnews.com/2026/01/10/nih-resign-protest-four-leaders-cite-interference-censorship/" target="_blank">In a January op-ed</a>, Chou and Romberg were among a group of NIH scientists who said they resigned in protest of an administration “that treats science not as a process for building knowledge, but as a means to advance its political agenda.” <div class="align-center"> <figure class="image-captioned"><img alt="Alexa Romberg says she thought she would spend the rest of her career at the National Institutes of Health before the Trump administration made it untenable. “It took a long time to really decide to give up on that, and that that wouldn’t be the future for me,” she says. (Eric Harkleroad/KFF Health News)" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1533054/large/Romberg_16.jpeg?1772837717" title="Alexa Romberg says she thought she would spend the rest of her career at the National Institutes of Health before the Trump administration made it untenable. “It took a long time to really decide to give up on that, and that that wouldn’t be the future for me,” she says. (Eric Harkleroad/KFF Health News)"> <figcaption>Alexa Romberg says she thought she would spend the rest of her career at the NIH before the Trump administration made it untenable. “It took a long time to really decide to give up on that, and that that wouldn’t be the future for me,” she says.</figcaption> </figure> </div> <h3>A ‘Fundamental Destruction’</h3> Health and Human Services spokesperson Emily Hilliard said in a statement that the agency had shifted to focus on evidence-based research over “ideological agendas.” She said the NIH is still recruiting “the best and brightest” and advancing high-quality science to “deliver breakthroughs for the American people.” The federal health department oversees NIH. “A major reset was overdue. HHS has taken action to streamline operations, reduce redundancies, and return to pre-pandemic employment levels,” Hilliard said. Many scientists, however, question whether the NIH can still fulfill its public mission. “There’s been a fundamental destruction,” said Daniel Dulebohn, a researcher who spent nearly two decades at Rocky Mountain Laboratories in Hamilton, Montana. It’s going to “take a very, very long time to rebuild.” <figure class="image-captioned align-right"><img alt="Daniel Dulebohn researched how molecules interact to inform infectious disease prevention and treatment for the federal government for nearly two decades. Now he’s considering a career in real estate. (Angela Saporita)" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1533057/large/Dulebohn_01.jpg?1772837930" title="Daniel Dulebohn researched how molecules interact to inform infectious disease prevention and treatment for the federal government for nearly two decades. Now he’s considering a career in real estate. (Angela Saporita)"> <figcaption>Daniel Dulebohn researched how molecules interact to inform infectious disease prevention and treatment for the federal government for nearly two decades. Now he’s considering a career in real estate.</figcaption> </figure> Dulebohn left the NIH’s infectious disease and allergy institute in September. He analyzed how molecules and proteins interact in diseases, such as Lyme disease, HIV, and Alzheimer’s — information that’s key for new treatments. Dulebohn was a resource for scientists when they hit walls trying to understand, for example, if molecules could prevent infection or react to a treatment. Now he and his wife are living off savings in Mexico with their three young kids. Dulebohn’s thinking about what’s next. One option: real estate. The expert in biochemical analysis operated equipment few others know how to use. His exit further depletes resources in the specialty. “It’s clear when someone comes out with a drug and now you’ve just cured a disease. But you never know which ones could have been cured,” Dulebohn said. “We don’t know what we’ve lost.” <hr> Related | <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/2/4/2367042/-NIH-grant-disruptions-slow-down-breast-cancer-research" target="_blank">NIH grant disruptions slow down breast cancer research</a> <hr> Laura Stark, a Vanderbilt University associate professor who specializes in the history of medicine and science, said wiping out NIH staff will propel a shift toward private-industry research, with its profit motives, “as opposed to actually helping American health.” “We just don’t have people who are now able to pursue research for the public good,” Stark said. <h3>From Support to Scrutiny</h3> Stark said the seeds of the present-day NIH were planted during World War II when the U.S. government spearheaded an effort to mass-produce the antibiotic penicillin to save soldiers from infections. The agency has played a central role in lifesaving discoveries and treatments — including for heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and genetic diseases such as cystic fibrosis. With bipartisan backing from Congress, the NIH budget has grown significantly over time, sitting at $48.7 billion for fiscal 2026. The NIH allocates roughly 11% of its budget for agency scientists. About 80% is awarded to universities and other institutions. <hr> Related | <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/7/11/2332701/-World-s-premier-cancer-institute-faces-crippling-cuts-and-chaos" target="_blank">World’s premier cancer institute faces crippling cuts and chaos</a> <hr> The money may be there, but the people who get it out the door are not, scientists said. Jennifer Troyer left the National Human Genome Research Institute in Bethesda, Maryland, on Dec. 31, after working in various positions at the NIH for about 25 years. The division she led reviews research and oversees grants to organizations studying the human genome — or a person’s complete set of genes — and how it can be used to benefit health. Last year, she said, her division lost about two-thirds of its staff. “There really are not enough people there right now to actually get the work done,” Troyer said. “It’s extreme harm.” She decided to quit the day Trump issued an <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/08/improving-oversight-of-federal-grantmaking/" target="_blank">executive order</a> in August that prohibited the use of grants to “fund, promote, encourage, subsidize, or facilitate” what it described as “anti-American values.” It also allowed political appointees to review all funding decisions. “I wasn’t going to operate a division under those orders,” Troyer said. She hasn’t figured out her next career steps. <div class="align-center"> <figure class="image-captioned"><img alt="Jennifer Troyer left her job at the National Human Genome Research Institute in December 2025, after working at the National Institutes of Health as a contractor or civil servant for more than two decades. “The way that the NIH is making the agreement to fund science is now susceptible to political decision-making in a way that it was not before,” Troyer says. (Eric Harkleroad/KFF Health News)" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1533055/large/Troyer_12.jpg?1772837798" title="Jennifer Troyer left her job at the National Human Genome Research Institute in December 2025, after working at the National Institutes of Health as a contractor or civil servant for more than two decades. “The way that the NIH is making the agreement to fund science is now susceptible to political decision-making in a way that it was not before,” Troyer says. (Eric Harkleroad/KFF Health News)"> <figcaption>Jennifer Troyer left her job at the National Human Genome Research Institute in December, after working at the NIH as a contractor or civil servant for more than two decades.</figcaption> </figure> </div> <h3>‘Enough Is Enough’</h3> Research aligned with the administration’s stated priorities has suffered. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has called the diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease — a tick-borne infection that can cause debilitating lifelong symptoms — <a href="https://www.hhs.gov/press-room/secretary-kennedy-convenes-lyme-disease-patients-providers-announce-new-diagnostic-efforts.html" target="_blank">a priority</a>. In December, Kennedy said the government had long dismissed patients burdened with a disease that <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/data-research/facts-stats/index.html" target="_blank">nearly 500,000 people</a> in the U.S. are diagnosed with annually. That same month, Stewart, who had dedicated his career to ticks and Lyme disease as a federal scientist, retired early. He’d worked for the government for 27 years. Stewart said workforce cuts and travel delays stalled his efforts to confirm how far Lyme-carrying ticks had spread — information that could help doctors recognize symptoms sooner. <div class="align-center"> <figure class="image-captioned"><img alt="Philip Stewart studied ticks and the diseases they transmit for the federal government for 27 years before retiring early in December. (Katheryn Houghton/KFF Health News)" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1533056/large/Stewart_02.JPG?1772837859" title="Philip Stewart studied ticks and the diseases they transmit for the federal government for 27 years before retiring early in December. (Katheryn Houghton/KFF Health News)"> <figcaption>Philip Stewart says the Trump administration had created too many hurdles over the past year for him to do his job well.</figcaption> </figure> </div> Stewart was a lead scientist on research published last year <a href="https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/31/2/24-1308_article" target="_blank">identifying a black-legged tick</a>, or deer tick, in Montana. It was the first time the tick best known for transmitting Lyme disease had been confirmed in the state. He wanted to determine if the discovery was a fluke or an indicator that the species was gaining ground. “The advice we’ve been getting is, ‘Put your head down below the trench line. Don’t look. Don’t peek over and risk getting shot,’” Stewart said. “At what point do you finally say, ‘Enough is enough’ and ‘We’re not being effective anymore’?” Scientists said those early in their careers are looking abroad for jobs and training. People who want to stay in the U.S. are running into problems getting hired because of cuts to research grants and uncertainty about funding. <figure class="image-captioned align-right"><img alt="Cartoon by Mike Luckovich" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1474668/large/lk090525dAPR.jpg?1757016219" title="Cartoon by Mike Luckovich"> <figcaption></figcaption> </figure> Collectively, people studying diseases warn the U.S. could lose its long-held position as the global leader in biomedical research, with devastating impact. Stanley Perlman, a University of Iowa virologist who studies pediatric infectious diseases, said that title earned the nation more than prestige; it drew top scientists from the world over to the U.S. to study diseases that particularly affect people here. There’s no guarantee halted research will be picked up elsewhere, whether by private industry or other countries. If others are doing that work, Americans could face delays in seeing benefits, he said. “If you don’t have access to how the work was done,” Perlman said, “it’s harder to reproduce and adapt it for your country.” KFF Health News data editor Holly K. Hacker contributed to this report. </div> </div> rss@dailykos.com (KFF) Medicine NationalInstitutesofHealth PublicHealth Science _2371954 Sat, 07 Mar 2026 22:00:05 +0000 Bad times make for busy judges https://www.dailykos.com/story/2026/3/7/2371846/-Bad-times-make-for-busy-judges?pm_campaign=blog&pm_medium=rss&pm_source= <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/tags/InjusticeforAll" title="" target="_blank">Injustice for All</a> is a weekly series about how the Trump administration is trying to weaponize the justice system—and the people who are fighting back. <hr> It’s another week of U.S. courts groaning under the weight of all the stupidity spawned by President Donald Trump’s administration. Some federal judges are receiving hundreds of threats for daring to rule against Dear Leader. Some federal judges are having to untangle Trump’s tariff mess. And one federal judge is stuck dealing with Patrick Byrne, the ex-Overstock CEO who has genuinely lost the plot. <h3>Is it good when federal judges have to fear for their lives?</h3> Because that’s what is happening to<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/federal-judges-whove-ruled-against-trump-administration-denounce-threats-60-minutes-transcript/" title="" target="_blank"> judges</a> who rule against the Trump administration.  Sure, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts has tried to spin this as a both-sides sort of problem, issuing a toothless, vague<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/5/5/2320533/-Supreme-Court-justices-sure-are-quiet-about-attacks-on-their-power" title="" target="_blank"> statement</a> about how “impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision. The normal appellate review process exists for that purpose.”  But simply put, judges did not spend the Biden administration’s duration fearing for their lives if they ruled against one of President Joe Biden’s initiatives. Biden did not threaten the judges and whip up his supporters to do the same. That one is all Trump. <hr> Related | <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/5/5/2320533/-Supreme-Court-justices-sure-are-quiet-about-attacks-on-their-power" title="" target="_blank">Supreme Court justices sure are quiet about attacks on their power</a> <hr> Judge John Coughenour, a Ronald Reagan appointee who has been on the bench for 45 years, told CBS News he was<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/federal-judges-whove-ruled-against-trump-administration-denounce-threats-60-minutes-transcript/" target="_blank"> swatted</a> after blocking Trump’s birthright citizenship executive order. Someone called the police to tell them Coughenour murdered his wife, leading to five armed deputies coming to his door. The next day, Coughenour got a bomb threat.   Judge Esther Salas, a Barack Obama appointee whose son was murdered by an angry litigant, said she is more concerned now with the threats whipped up by Trump. “I think that the attacks against the judiciary are only--getting worse,” Salas said. “What I am seeing now is far different than what I have seen in the past. This is coming from our national leader on down.” Indeed it is, and it isn’t like John Roberts is going to do anything to stop Trump. <h3>Florida’s attorney general sure knows how to grift</h3> Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier is trying<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/8/6/2336959/-Top-Florida-official-is-on-a-pathetic-quest-to-win-Trump-s-affection" title="" target="_blank"> so very hard</a> to turn the Sunshine State into a mini-MAGA—so why shouldn’t he figure out how to grift tax dollars just like Trump does?  Uthmeier, who makes $140,000 per year in his role as state attorney general, just landed an incredibly sweet side gig as an adjunct professor at the University of Florida Law School. For his efforts—totalling two hours of classes per week—he will receive<a href="https://www.tampabay.com/viewpoints/2026/03/04/what-hiring-floridas-attorney-general-says-about-uf-column/" title="" target="_blank"> $100,000 per year</a>.  Yes, you read that right. And lest you think that every adjunct at UFLS is showered with six-figure deals, Uthmeier’s salary is eight times the regular salary for adjunct professors at the school.  Uthmeier<a href="https://www.wcjb.com/2026/02/20/attorney-general-defends-100k-university-florida-part-time-professor-salary/" target="_blank"> defended</a> this in the worst possible way, whining that he just can’t make ends meet without it.  “When you have a growing family with three kids, you’ve gotta look for other ways to keep the lights on, and put food on the table,” he claimed. Hopefully Uthmeier can make it on a mere $240,000 a year going forward.  <h3>Patrick Byrne suddenly remembers he was sued by Hunter Biden</h3> Patrick Byrne, the Overstock CEO-turned-election conspiracy theorist, seemed to think it was a good idea to basically blow off the defamation case filed against him by Hunter Biden. Byrne said the former president’s son had committed treason, taken bribes, helped Iran—honestly, you know the drill. It’s the same stuff that was always trotted out about Hunter Biden, but seems instead to be true of several members of the Trump administration. <figure class="image-captioned width-xl align-right"><img alt="Patrick Byrne speaks during a panel discussion at the Nebraska Election Integrity Forum on Saturday, Aug. 27, 2022, in Omaha, Neb. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz)" class="width-xl" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1533060/large/AP22244575382626.jpg?1772838329" title="Patrick Byrne speaks during a panel discussion at the Nebraska Election Integrity Forum on Saturday, Aug. 27, 2022, in Omaha, Neb. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz)"> <figcaption>Patrick Byrne speaks during a panel discussion at the Nebraska Election Integrity Forum on Aug. 27, 2022, in Omaha, Nebraska.</figcaption> </figure> Byrne had been playing games for months, which is not the savviest move in front of a federal judge. He<a href="https://www.courthousenews.com/patrick-byrne-faces-5-million-penalty-for-ignoring-hunter-biden-defamation-case/" title="" target="_blank"> failed</a> to show up for the start of the trial when it was first scheduled last July, instead sending a brand new legal team in his stead. This is, of course, not a thing you can do in court. Byrne wanted U.S. District Judge Stephen Wilson to allow him to be represented by Stefanie Lambert, and just no other lawyer would do. Wilson declined, because Lambert was disqualified last year from representing Byrne in a different case after violating federal court orders.  Oh, and she also faces<a href="https://bridgemi.com/michigan-government/stefanie-lambert-ex-clerk-to-stand-trial-in-michigan-election-tampering-case/" target="_blank"> criminal charges</a> in Michigan for election tampering.  Byrne got a second bite at the apple when the judge rescheduled the trial for October, but then Byrne refused to show up for a hearing, and the judge decided he’d had enough and issued a default judgment of $33 million against Byrne.  But wait! Byrne has a plan to somehow restart everything! Calling himself a<a href="https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/in-major-twist-ex-overstock-ceo-tells-judge-hes-a-whistleblower-with-audio-tapes-that-can-defeat-hunter-bidens-defamation-lawsuit-in-front-of-jury/" target="_blank"> whistleblower</a>, he trotted out new versions of the same methods he has been using to defame Hunter Biden for years. Now, however, he’s saying that this “implicates serious national security concerns” and that Hunter Biden attempted to negotiate a deal with Iran that would have netted him millions from Iranian agents. So now, according to Byrne, the court should erase the default judgment and basically let Byrne start over. That’s kinda not how it works, buddy.  <h3>What if the DOJ could be more partisan?</h3> Things are obviously already pretty partisan at the Department of Justice since it basically exists now just to do Trump’s bidding, but Attorney General Pam Bondi feels like her people are still too shackled by petty little ethical rules.  So, she’s<a href="https://www.notus.org/courts/pam-bondi-political-activity-memo-revoke" target="_blank"> rescinding</a> a Biden-era memo that barred political appointees from things like using their official authority to influence elections. Sure, yeah, what could go wrong with having high-level DOJ attorneys out there making official statements about, say, how a candidate is corrupt or election machines are broken or whatever else their spider brains come up with? <hr> Related | <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/1/17/2363652/-Trump-s-Justice-Department-is-more-lawless-than-ever" title="" target="_blank">Trump’s Justice Department is more lawless than ever</a> <hr> It also reverses the prohibition on having DOJ attorneys “solicit or discourage the political activity of any person who is a participant in any matter before the department.” That is a very long way of saying that DOJ attorneys used to be barred from using the threat of prosecution to achieve a political outcome, but now that’s totally cool. Well, the DOJ is already pretty much doing that, but Bondi apparently wanted to make it official. <h3>Administration’s attempt to stall tariff refunds lands with a big thud</h3> Even though the Supreme Court ruled that yes, some tariffs were illegal and yes, the government has to give the money back, the administration doesn’t want to do that any time soon. In a pathetic attempt at delay, the DOJ filed an absolutely unhinged<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cafc.23105/gov.uscourts.cafc.23105.171.0_4.pdf" title="" target="_blank"> request</a> to delay the refund process for four months, or 90 days after the Supreme Court issues its official mandate.  <figure class="image-captioned width-xl align-left"><img alt="A digital bill board flashes a tariffs message in Kennedy Township, Pa., Tuesday, March 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)" class="width-xl" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1413545/large/AP25084638370392.jpg?1743092497" title="A digital bill board flashes a tariffs message in Kennedy Township, Pa., Tuesday, March 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)"> <figcaption>A digital bill board flashes a message in Kennedy Township, Pennsylvania on March 25, 2025</figcaption> </figure> Why? To be cautious! Totally not because the administration is still trying to<a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/26/trumps-next-tariff-fight-keeping-the-money-00799774" target="_blank"> figure</a> out a way to keep all the money, couldn’t be. But the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals was not at all<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cafc.23105/gov.uscourts.cafc.23105.173.0_2.pdf" target="_blank"> interested</a> in this nonsense and took only two days to tell them no. Things aren’t going any better for the administration at the U.S. Court of International Trade, which is the specialized court that has jurisdiction over the tariffs. On Wednesday, Judge Richard Eaton<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cit.19346/gov.uscourts.cit.19346.21.0_3.pdf" target="_blank"> ruled</a> on a case involving one company, Atmus Filtration, which had sued in the CIT for a refund of tariffs plus interest.  But Eaton dropped an absolute banger and told the administration that his order applies to all companies, whether they have brought lawsuits or not. How can Eaton do that, since it looks an awful lot like a nationwide injunction, which the Supreme Court said was a no-no? <blockquote>The Chief Judge has indicated that I am the only judge who will hear cases pertaining to the refund of IEEPA duties. So there is no danger that another Judge, even one in this Court, will reach any contrary conclusions. To find otherwise would be to thwart the efficient administration of justice and to deny those importers who have filed suit the efficient resolution of their claims, and to deny entirely importers who have not filed suit the benefit of the Learning Resources decision.</blockquote> Get ‘em. rss@dailykos.com (Lisa Needham) DOJ HunterBiden InjusticeforAll Tariffs _2371846 Sat, 07 Mar 2026 20:00:20 +0000 Cartoon: Back on her broom https://www.dailykos.com/story/2026/3/7/2371936/-Cartoon-Back-on-her-broom?pm_campaign=blog&pm_medium=rss&pm_source= A cartoon by Clay Bennett. <hr> Related | <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/5/2371788/-Kristi-Noem-commits-Trump-s-one-unforgivable-sin?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=top_news_slot_4&pm_medium=web#comment_92815903" target="_blank">Kristi Noem fired</a> <hr> rss@dailykos.com (Clay Bennett) Cartoon ClayBennett DepartmentofHomelandSecurity DonaldTrump ICE Immigration KRISTINOEM _2371936 Sat, 07 Mar 2026 19:55:07 +0000 Who is Steve Toth, the outspoken state House hardliner who wiped out incumbent Dan Crenshaw? https://www.dailykos.com/story/2026/3/7/2371956/-Who-is-Steve-Toth-the-outspoken-state-House-hardliner-who-wiped-out-incumbent-Dan-Crenshaw?pm_campaign=blog&pm_medium=rss&pm_source= The Texas state representative is part of a band of conservatives known for antagonizing Republican leadership and working to push the state further right. By <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/author/eleanor-klibanoff/" target="_blank">Eleanor Klibanoff</a> for <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2026/03/05/texas-steve-toth-defeated-dan-crenshaw-texas-legislature-congress/" target="_blank" title="">The Texas Tribune</a> <hr> In May 2020, as a deadly pandemic raged across the world, Steve Toth decided he needed a haircut — and he was willing to go to jail over it. The state representative from The Woodlands, a conservative Houston suburb, went to Tune Up: The Manly Salon, donned a barber cape and called the press. The state had forced all non-essential businesses to shut their doors to stem the spread of COVID-19, prompting outrage <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2020/05/15/texas-reopening-shelley-luther-dallas-salon-owner/" target="_blank">and legal battles</a> from small business owners, and Toth had had enough. The haircut, he said at the time, was less about split ends and more about sending a message to Gov. Greg Abbott. “A little less on the sides,” Toth told the hairstylist <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2020/05/05/texas-salons-not-open-illegal-haricuts/" title="" target="_blank">while on the phone with a Texas Tribune reporter</a>, before noting that “there’s absolutely no reason” why businesses couldn’t reopen their doors under proper health guidelines. Hours later, Abbott bowed to the pressure, from Toth and others, to allow hair salons, barber shops and a range of other businesses to reopen several days earlier than he’d previously signaled. <hr> Related | <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/4/2371604/-5-things-Democrats-can-learn-from-the-Texas-and-North-Carolina-primaries" title="" target="_blank">5 things Democrats can learn from the Texas and North Carolina primaries</a> <hr> It was a classic clash between Toth, an outspoken and unrelentingly conservative lawmaker, and leaders of his own party who he has no problem assailing for falling short of his ideals. Since he first joined the Legislature in 2012, Toth and his band of fellow hardliners in the Freedom Caucus have helped shift the Texas GOP to the right, as much through attention-grabbing spectacles and bitter in-fighting as through traditional legislating. On Tuesday night, Toth clocked a major victory, marking a high water mark for himself and his cause, when he walloped incumbent U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw in the GOP primary. Crenshaw had represented the 2nd Congressional District, which covers increasingly conservative parts of Harris and Montgomery counties, since 2018. Toth attacked Crenshaw’s conservative credentials, accusing the fourth-term congressman of being soft on immigration, overly focused on foreign aid and a shill for lobbyists, rather than his constituents. <figure class="image-captioned width-xl align-right"><img alt="FILE - Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, attends a news conference with Republicans, Jan. 4, 2023, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)" class="width-xl" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1532987/large/AP26058492491325.jpg?1772818810" title="FILE - Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, attends a news conference with Republicans, Jan. 4, 2023, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)"> <figcaption>Dan Crenshaw attends a news conference in Jan. 4 on Capitol Hill.</figcaption> </figure> Toth said initial polling indicated Crenshaw was unpopular in the district and vulnerable to a challenge, so he decided to take a run at the Harvard-educated, former Navy SEAL. On Wednesday, he chalked his victory up to macro trends, like a rightward shift in the largest deep red county in the country, but said a lot of this race was about the micro work of building relationships in the district. “I think my greatest asset in this campaign was Dan Crenshaw,” Toth said Wednesday. “He’s a nasty, unhappy person, and he treats people poorly in the district, and people are tired of it.” Kenneth Depew, Crenshaw’s chief of staff, rejected Toth’s criticisms as a “lack of grace and truth.” “I pray that Steve finds the Christian sense of grace that he so often claims to have,” Depew said. “Dan has nothing to defend, except a lifetime of service, sacrifice and truth.” <h3>Ambitious climber</h3> Toth was first elected to the Legislature in 2012, <a href="https://www.chron.com/neighborhood/woodlands/news/article/Toth-unseats-Eissler-in-District-15-Bell-secures-9403509.php" target="_blank">unseating a longtime incumbent</a> as the Tea Party wave swept through Texas. A small business owner who runs a pool maintenance company with his wife, Toth promised to cut taxes and reduce government spending. He is also an ordained minister, who brought his conservative Christian values to bear on the Legislature, especially on anti-abortion legislation. Toth quickly joined newly empowered conservative hardliners in obstructing the careful work of legislating, delaying and derailing priorities from both sides of the aisle. He joined other freshman members in 2013 in filing dozens of budget amendments, proposing defunding what they saw as superfluous state programs and allocating the money towards the Teacher Retirement System as a stunt to raise awareness about the state’s growing unfunded pension obligations. “The purpose is to put a spotlight on it so that next budget session we spend a little more time seeing what we can do to fix it,” Toth said <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2013/04/01/house-freshmen-launch-coordinated-strike-budget/" target="_blank">at the time</a>. “We know this is not a panacea.” <figure class="image-captioned width-xl align-left"><img alt="Texas House incumbent Rep. Steve Toth, R-The Woodlands, gives a brief statement before the start of a gubernatorial debate held at Grace Woodlands Church and put on by the True Texas Project, Monday, Jan. 10, 2022, in Spring, Texas. (Michael Wyke/Houston Chronicle via AP)" class="width-xl" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1532988/large/AP26061672202073.jpg?1772819156" title="Texas House incumbent Rep. Steve Toth, R-The Woodlands, gives a brief statement before the start of a gubernatorial debate held at Grace Woodlands Church and put on by the True Texas Project, Monday, Jan. 10, 2022, in Spring, Texas. (Michael Wyke/Houston Chronicle via AP)"> <figcaption>Steve Toth speaks in Jan. 2022 in Spring, Texas.</figcaption> </figure> An ambitious political climber, Toth left his House seat to higher office after one session, running to replace state Sen. Tommy Williams in the Legislature’s upper chamber in 2014. It was a four-way race that saw Toth far out-fundraised, but he racked up significant endorsements and <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2014/05/10/special-election-fill-empty-senate-seat/" target="_blank">eked into the runoff</a>. “There are four nice guys running — four conservatives — but in the Senate, it’s not enough to just be a conservative voice. You’ll get pushed out,” <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2014/04/29/conservative-battle-marches-onward-sd-4/" target="_blank">Toth said at the time</a>. “You need a conservative record and fight to get things done.” He lost to Conroe Rep. Brandon Creighton in the runoff. Two years later, Toth launched a longshot bid to unseat U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady, a fellow Republican, accusing him of cooperating with the Obama administration by voting for a bipartisan spending bill. Toth lost in the primary. Sick of being in the political wilderness, Toth returned to the state House in 2018. It was around that time that he encountered a young, up-and-coming political star named Dan Crenshaw. Toth admits he developed a bit of a “man crush” on the ex-Navy SEAL. “This guy comes along that says, ‘Look, I’m going to upend the apple cart, I’m going to be a disruptive influence, I am going to absolutely stand against the swamp,’” <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3z_pAFSRjEc" title="" target="_blank">Toth recounted on Tucker Carlson’s show in October,</a> explaining how he worked to get Crenshaw elected. “So I feel a sense of responsibility for this major screw up, because no sooner did he get there than he became part of the problem.” Toth wasn’t the only one enamored with Crenshaw. As President Donald Trump roiled the Republican party, Crenshaw preached a style of low-outrage, traditional conservatism that gained him national traction. The 34-year-old combat veteran became a media darling after he appeared on Saturday Night Live the weekend before the 2018 election to reconcile with Pete Davidson over jokes the comedian made about the eyepatch Crenshaw wears due to an IED explosion in Afghanistan. <div class="dk-editor-embed embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9 center-block"> <div class="remove-embed-content">x</div> <div class="dk-editor-embed embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9 center-block"> <div class="remove-embed-content"><a class="new_iframe_placeholder" href="#">x</a></div> <a class="iframe_placeholder youtube dk-embed" href="//youtube.com/watch?v=HjXb9ltPf-Q" title="" data-frameborder="0" data-height="281" data-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HjXb9ltPf-Q" data-width="500">YouTube Video</a></div> </div> Crenshaw was feted in the style of many young, bright-burning political newcomers, touted by national news outlets as a “<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/04/us/politics/primary-election-takeaways-tx-nc-ar.html" target="_blank">charismatic, Harvard-educated</a>” Republican, a conservative version of Democrat’s Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez who could be the <a href="https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/03/02/is-dan-crenshaw-the-future-of-the-gop-225257/" title="" target="_blank">“future of the GOP.”</a> He took hawkish stands on foreign affairs, calling on his military background to encourage further involvement in overseas conflicts, and was praised for his willingness to stand up to party leadership. But he quickly made some enemies, as when he was caught on tape in 2019 railing against “grifters,” liars and “performance artists” inside his own party. Crenshaw took particular aim at members of the congressional Freedom Caucus, accusing them of fomenting outrage with misinformation and fear-mongering, although he later clarified he wasn’t criticizing the group as a whole. He sailed to reelection in 2020, but when Trump began promoting unproven allegations that the presidential election had been stolen from him, fissures between Crenshaw and the GOP base began to widen. Crenshaw initially joined a lawsuit to overturn the 2020 election results, but later admitted that Biden won and voted to certify the results. In the eyes of some, in D.C. and back home, that made Crenshaw no better than a Democrat. “When Dan Crenshaw was elected, he was considered one of the next true conservative fighters alongside Ted Cruz,” Corbin Casteel, a political consultant who worked on Trump’s 2016 campaign, <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2022/02/14/dan-crenshaw-2022-reelection/" target="_blank">said at the time</a>. “Now, somehow, Dan Crenshaw is considered not conservative enough. And it’s nuts.” Crenshaw withstood reelection in 2022 and 2024, though his share of votes in the primary dropped each round. As the Texas GOP base became more MAGA-fied, Crenshaw’s attempts to navigate around a tenuous relationship with Trump became more difficult. Toth remembers attending a town hall with Crenshaw in the district in early 2024, where Crenshaw touted <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4443032-crenshaw-hits-gop-colleagues-opposed-to-border-deal-the-height-of-stupidity/" title="" target="_blank">his support for a deal </a>that would have paired bipartisan immigration legislation with aid for Ukraine, a priority for the congressman. Toth said the local elected officials at the meeting wanted Crenshaw to eschew an immigration compromise in favor of shutting down the border entirely. Toth left that meeting frustrated with Crenshaw, and, for the first time, considered challenging him for the seat. “Frankly, it was an easy decision,” Toth said, citing polling he did that showed Crenshaw had low approval ratings in the district. “People don’t win elections like that.” <h3>GOP Antagonizer</h3> In the years since returning to the House, Toth had regained his reputation as a far-right member of an extremely conservative state Legislature. He was heavily involved in <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2020/09/23/steve-toth-greg-abbott-coronavirus/" target="_blank">pushing Abbott</a> to undo COVID restrictions and took up the “medical freedom” cause pushed by anti-vaccine groups. In the 2025 regular session, he filed 79 bills, focusing on election integrity, despite no evidence of widespread fraud; abortion, even after the state banned the procedure outright; and restricting what schools can teach about race, gender and sexuality. Just two were voted out of committee. None ultimately passed the House. But despite this light list of legislative victories, Toth has continued to make a name for himself as a bulldog fighter, within the party and across the aisle. He’s part of a small group of House Republicans known for antagonizing their own leadership, often critiquing Republican-backed proposals to make them less palatable to Democrats or moderates. He’s gotten into arguments on the House floor with Democrats over religion, and <a href="https://x.com/AndrewKolvet/status/2029274964847935635?s=20" title="" target="_blank">said Wednesday</a> that Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico has a “wickedness and evil and a demonic presence in the world.” <figure class="image-captioned width-xl align-right"><img alt="James Talarico, a Texas Democratic primary candidate for U.S. Senate, speaks during an event at the University of Houston Monday, March 2, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)" class="width-xl" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1532286/large/AP26061731723554.jpg?1772593143" title="James Talarico, a Texas Democratic primary candidate for U.S. Senate, speaks during an event at the University of Houston Monday, March 2, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)"> <figcaption>James Talarico speaks during an event at the University of Houston on March 2.</figcaption> </figure> But he also has gotten crossways with Republicans, like when he reportedly criticized the Senate in 2023 for sending a ban on gender-transition medical care for children over to the House “ridiculously late,” contributing to its failure that year. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a powerful force among hardline conservatives, slammed Toth in response, calling him a “fraud” who had a “reputation for blaming others to cover up his own shortcomings.” Toth <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2023/01/27/texas-dan-patrick-senate-legislature-steve-toth-chris-paddie/" title="" target="_blank">insisted it was a misunderstanding</a>, saying Patrick was a “freaking rockstar.” In the race against Crenshaw, Toth hammered him for insufficient allegiance to MAGA ideology, bashing his support for foreign aid, among other issues. He spotlighted Crenshaw’s support for resettling Afghans who assisted U.S. forces, <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2026/01/26/texas-republicans-sharia-law-anti-muslim-rhetoric/" target="_blank">although in Toth’s retelling</a>, Crenshaw was “demanding we allow more Muslim immigrants” and voting to “bring thousands more from Afghanistan to our neighborhoods.” After Tuesday’s election results became clear, Crenshaw said in a statement that he was proud of what he accomplished in service of the 2nd Congressional District. “My life has been about service to this great country, and that will not change,” he said. Toth will now face Democrat Shaun Finnie, a businessman, in November, in a district that’s projected to strongly favor Republicans. If he wins the general, Toth says he plans to join the Congressional Freedom Caucus, and get to work pushing the conservative agenda his constituents endorsed on election night. His top priority will be helping Trump codify his executive orders, Toth said, and fighting hard on border issues. “There’s wisdom in knowing when to compromise, but there’s wisdom in knowing when to stand and fight, too,” Toth said. rss@dailykos.com (Texas Tribune) Congress DanCrenshaw Republicans SteveToth Texas _2371956 Sat, 07 Mar 2026 19:00:08 +0000 Clips of the week: Trump bombs Iran and boots Kristi Noem https://www.dailykos.com/story/2026/3/7/2371694/-Clips-of-the-week-Trump-bombs-Iran-and-boots-Kristi-Noem?pm_campaign=blog&pm_medium=rss&pm_source= It’s been quite the week. President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/3/2371473/-Trump-started-a-war-without-a-plan" title="" target="_blank">started a war</a> with Iran, the GOP <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/3/2371322/-How-releasing-Clinton-depositions-backfired-on-Republicans" target="_blank">proved</a> it sucks at investigating anything, and Kristi Noem finally <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/5/2371788/-Kristi-Noem-commits-Trump-s-one-unforgivable-sin?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=top_news_slot_4&pm_medium=web#comment_92815903" target="_blank">got the boot</a>. And it was all on video. <hr> <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/3/2371322/-How-releasing-Clinton-depositions-backfired-on-Republicans" title="" target="_blank">How releasing Clinton depositions backfired on Republicans</a> <div class="dk-editor-embed embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9 center-block"> <div class="remove-embed-content">x</div> <div class="dk-editor-embed embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9 center-block"> <div class="remove-embed-content"><a class="new_iframe_placeholder" href="#">x</a></div> <a class="iframe_placeholder youtube dk-embed" href="//youtube.com/watch?v=viWEgVwpsqs" title="" data-frameborder="0" data-height="281" data-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/viWEgVwpsqs" data-width="500">YouTube Video</a></div> </div> The House Oversight Committee<a href="https://oversight.house.gov/release/oversight-committee-releases-bill-and-hillary-clinton-deposition-videos/" target="_blank"> released</a> nearly nine hours of video<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/story/2026/2/26/2370614/-Hillary-Clinton-keeps-her-cool-during-bogus-Epstein-hearing" title="" target="_blank"> depositions</a> of former President<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgJrYKAl6T0&t=1s" title="" target="_blank"> Bill Clinton</a> and former Secretary of State<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siiAk6WXc0M&t=1s" target="_blank"> Hillary Clinton</a>. But it wasn’t the coup the GOP was hoping for. <hr> <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/2/2371217/-No-stupid-rules-of-engagement-Hegseth-is-high-on-Iran-bloodshed" title="" target="_blank">'No stupid rules of engagement': Hegseth is high on Iran bloodshed</a> <div class="dk-editor-embed embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9 center-block"> <div class="remove-embed-content">x</div> <div class="dk-editor-embed embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9 center-block"> <div class="remove-embed-content"><a class="new_iframe_placeholder" href="#">x</a></div> <a class="iframe_placeholder youtube dk-embed" href="//youtube.com/watch?v=DhogGtPE4QA" title="" data-frameborder="0" data-height="281" data-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DhogGtPE4QA" data-width="500">YouTube Video</a></div> </div> Whether it was due to the early hour of the day or just to the blood-thirsty nature of the moment, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth appeared particularly unhinged during the first official news briefing about Trump’s war on Iran. <hr> <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/4/2371634/-Watch-Tim-Walz-school-the-worst-of-the-worst-GOP-bigots" title="" target="_blank">Watch Tim Walz school the worst of the worst GOP bigots</a> <div class="dk-editor-embed embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9 center-block"> <div class="remove-embed-content">x</div> <div class="dk-editor-embed embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9 center-block"> <div class="remove-embed-content"><a class="new_iframe_placeholder" href="#">x</a></div> <a class="iframe_placeholder youtube dk-embed" href="//youtube.com/watch?v=7VeBkbFNt4M" title="" data-frameborder="0" data-height="281" data-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7VeBkbFNt4M" data-width="500">YouTube Video</a></div> </div> Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison testified before the House Oversight Committee, where GOP Reps. James Comer of Kentucky and Nancy Mace of South Carolina failed to cast them as soft on fraud. <hr> <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/3/2371433/-Everyone-s-pissed-at-Kristi-Noem" title="" target="_blank">Everyone’s pissed at Kristi Noem</a> <div class="dk-editor-embed embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9 center-block"> <div class="remove-embed-content">x</div> <div class="dk-editor-embed embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9 center-block"> <div class="remove-embed-content"><a class="new_iframe_placeholder" href="#">x</a></div> <a class="iframe_placeholder youtube dk-embed" href="//youtube.com/watch?v=5mXey_H2zhs" title="" data-frameborder="0" data-height="281" data-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5mXey_H2zhs" data-width="500">YouTube Video</a></div> </div> Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem<a href="https://x.com/Acyn/status/2028853138665635938" target="_blank"> testified</a> before the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday, and patience<a href="https://x.com/atrupar/status/2028855955396481047" target="_blank"> seemed</a> to have worn thin for the serial cosplayer as lawmakers from both parties<a href="https://x.com/atrupar/status/2028858107393089634" target="_blank"> grilled</a> Noem on her public conduct and suspicious spending decisions. <hr> <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/4/2371663/-Noem-torn-apart-at-hearing-Your-ICE-agents-shot-them-in-the-face" title="" target="_blank">Noem torn apart at hearing: 'Your ICE agents shot them in the face'</a> <div class="dk-editor-embed embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9 center-block"> <div class="remove-embed-content">x</div> <div class="dk-editor-embed embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9 center-block"> <div class="remove-embed-content"><a class="new_iframe_placeholder" href="#">x</a></div> <a class="iframe_placeholder youtube dk-embed" href="//youtube.com/watch?v=NKvVM5z0GY4" title="" data-frameborder="0" data-height="281" data-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NKvVM5z0GY4" data-width="500">YouTube Video</a></div> </div> Noem followed that up with an even rougher appearance before the House Judiciary Committee the following day. <hr> <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/2/2371250/-Trump-interrupts-Iran-war-update-to-boast-about-his-ballroom" title="" target="_blank">Trump interrupts Iran war update to boast about his ballroom</a> <div class="dk-editor-embed embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9 center-block"> <div class="remove-embed-content">x</div> <div class="dk-editor-embed embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9 center-block"> <div class="remove-embed-content"><a class="new_iframe_placeholder" href="#">x</a></div> <a class="iframe_placeholder youtube dk-embed" href="//youtube.com/watch?v=ZFk5gfkFTfo" title="" data-frameborder="0" data-height="281" data-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZFk5gfkFTfo" data-width="500">YouTube Video</a></div> </div> Trump<a href="https://x.com/cspan/status/2028516902339789259" target="_blank"> held</a> a Medal of Honor ceremony at the White House, where he opened with a speech about “Operation Epic Fury,” the war on Iran that<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/2/2371218/-Trump-can-t-explain-why-he-attacked-Iran?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=top_news_slot_2&pm_medium=web" target="_blank"> he launched</a> over the weekend, before turning to his<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/2/27/2370602/-Trump-gets-to-keep-building-his-big-dumb-bribe-funded-ballroom" title="" target="_blank"> bribe-funded ballroom project</a>. <hr> <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/4/2371672/-Are-you-an-American-stuck-in-a-war-zone-Suck-it-says-Pentagon" title="" target="_blank">Are you an American stuck in a war zone? Suck it, says Pentagon.</a> <div class="dk-editor-embed embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9 center-block"> <div class="remove-embed-content">x</div> <div class="dk-editor-embed embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9 center-block"> <div class="remove-embed-content"><a class="new_iframe_placeholder" href="#">x</a></div> <a class="iframe_placeholder youtube dk-embed" href="//youtube.com/watch?v=WinSf2FQLmY" title="" data-frameborder="0" data-height="281" data-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WinSf2FQLmY" data-width="500">YouTube Video</a></div> </div> Americans seeking help from the government to get out of countries affected by Trump’s<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/3/2371473/-Trump-started-a-war-without-a-plan?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=top_news_slot_4&pm_medium=web" target="_blank"> Iran war</a> were told by the Pentagon to just add themselves to a list, a limp recommendation that’s unlikely to reassure those in the potential line of fire. <hr> <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/3/2371422/-Republicans-duke-it-out-for-title-of-dumbest-US-senator" title="" target="_blank">Republicans duke it out for title of dumbest US senator</a> <div class="dk-editor-embed center-block" data-bluesky-content="&lt;blockquote class="bluesky-embed" data-bluesky-uri="at://did:plc:4llrhdclvdlmmynkwsmg5tdc/app.bsky.feed.post/3mg3uh45psi25" data-bluesky-cid="bafyreigeh5oldvqxaa2cjog3wolpka5u4c2ajsswkcnajna6fowglzwgfa"&gt;&lt;p lang="en"&gt;Markwayne Mullin: &amp;#34;War is ugly. It smells bad. If anybody has ever been there and been able to smell the war and taste it, and feel it in your nostrils, it&amp;#39;s something you&amp;#39;ll never forget. And fortunately you have President Hegseth -- or Secretary Hegseth ... President Hegseth has been there&amp;#34;&lt;/p&gt;&amp;mdash; &lt;a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:4llrhdclvdlmmynkwsmg5tdc?ref_src=embed"&gt;Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com)&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:4llrhdclvdlmmynkwsmg5tdc/post/3mg3uh45psi25?ref_src=embed"&gt;2026-03-02T18:17:39.396Z&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;script async src="https://embed.bsky.app/static/embed.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;"><div class="remove-embed-content">x</div><blockquote class="bluesky-embed" data-bluesky-uri="at://did:plc:4llrhdclvdlmmynkwsmg5tdc/app.bsky.feed.post/3mg3uh45psi25" data-bluesky-cid="bafyreigeh5oldvqxaa2cjog3wolpka5u4c2ajsswkcnajna6fowglzwgfa">Markwayne Mullin: "War is ugly. It smells bad. If anybody has ever been there and been able to smell the war and taste it, and feel it in your nostrils, it's something you'll never forget. And fortunately you have President Hegseth -- or Secretary Hegseth ... President Hegseth has been there"— <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:4llrhdclvdlmmynkwsmg5tdc?ref_src=embed" target="_blank">Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com)</a> <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:4llrhdclvdlmmynkwsmg5tdc/post/3mg3uh45psi25?ref_src=embed" target="_blank">2026-03-02T18:17:39.396Z</a></blockquote></div> Prior to Trump's<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/2/28/2370859/-US-and-Israel-launch-an-attack-on-Iran-with-tensions-high-over-nuclear-talks" target="_blank"> deadly</a>,<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/02/iran-oil-gas-prices-strait-hormuz.html" target="_blank"> economically damaging</a>, and<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/2/2371207/-Trump-s-Iran-conflict-could-sink-the-GOP-in-November?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=top_news_slot_1&pm_medium=web#comments" target="_blank"> unpopular</a> war in Iran, GOP Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama was<a href="https://newrepublic.com/article/177658/dumbest-senator-2023-tommy-tuberville" target="_blank"> squarely in the lead</a> for the title of<a href="https://americanjournalnews.com/republican-elected-to-senate-doesnt-know-the-3-branches-of-government/" target="_blank"> dumbest U.S. senator</a>. But now he has some stiff competition. <hr> For more video content, check out <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@DailyKos" title="" target="_blank">Daily Kos on YouTube</a>.  rss@dailykos.com (Walter Einenkel) ClipsOfTheWeek DonaldTrump EpsteinFiles Iran KRISTINOEM War _2371694 Sat, 07 Mar 2026 18:00:02 +0000 Trump's dumb war and his dysfunctional Cabinet secretaries https://www.dailykos.com/story/2026/3/7/2371801/-Trump-s-dumb-war-and-his-dysfunctional-Cabinet-secretaries?pm_campaign=blog&pm_medium=rss&pm_source= Every week on Daily Kos, certain stories rise above the rest. Not just because they’re outrageous or entertaining, but because together they tell a bigger story about the political moment we’re living through. This week, the conversation revolved around two very different stories unfolding at the same time. On one side, we have President Donald Trump and his Republican Party running the country like a chaotic talk show—the really trashy ones from the old days hosted by the likes of Jerry Springer, Geraldo Rivera, and Phil Donahue—lurching from scandal to scandal, recklessly launching a new war with Iran, and waging civil war on itself. <figure class="image-captioned align-right"><img alt="Cartoon by Clay Bennett" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1532249/large/20260304edcbc-a.jpg?1772583125" title="Cartoon by Clay Bennett"> <figcaption></figcaption> </figure> On the other side, the Democratic Party is quietly putting together the pieces for a return to power this November. Republicans are certainly doing their darndest to make Democratic victories possible, starting with Trump himself. What better way to sell an unpopular, unnecessary, and stupid war with Iran than to, well, brag about his unpopular, unnecessary, and stupid ballroom? Trump is literally condemning people to death, and he can’t even pretend to appreciate the gravity of the moment. Yes, six American servicemembers died, but hey, let’s talk about my ballroom! Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wasn’t much better, gleefully boasting about the bloodshed in Iran, bragging that “it’s not a fair fight,” and offering little clarity about the administration’s actual strategy. The result is a conflict that even Trump’s usual cheerleaders on the right are struggling to defend. <h3><a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/2/2371250/-Trump-interrupts-Iran-war-update-to-boast-about-his-ballroom" target="_blank" title="">Trump interrupts Iran war update to boast about his ballroom</a> <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/2/2371217/-No-stupid-rules-of-engagement-Hegseth-is-high-on-Iran-bloodshed" target="_blank" title="">'No stupid rules of engagement': Hegseth is high on Iran bloodshed</a> <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/3/2371422/-Republicans-duke-it-out-for-title-of-dumbest-US-senator" target="_blank" title="">Republicans duke it out for title of dumbest US senator</a></h3> Remember, don’t call it a “war,” even though Trump, Hegseth, and every other Republican are calling it a “war,” and Hegseth has renamed himself the “Secretary of War,” and Trump rebranded the Defense Department the “Department of War,” and, well, it’s a freakin’ war. But sure, it’s a “Special Combat Operation,” because why not borrow a page from Vladimir Putin’s very successful “Special Military Operation” in Ukraine? Trump is so evil that his soul rot is now spreading outward. <h3><a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/2/2371288/-WTF-is-wrong-with-Trump-s-neck" target="_blank">WTF is wrong with Trump's neck?</a></h3> Of course, the theme of reckless leadership permeated the entire week. The other non-war headliner this week was former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, way out of her depth and barely lasting a year on the job before getting fired. As consolation, Trump gave her the role of “Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas,” whatever the heck that made-up thing is supposed to be. <h3><a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/5/2371788/-Kristi-Noem-commits-Trump-s-one-unforgivable-sin" target="_blank">Kristi Noem fired</a> <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/3/2371433/-Everyone-s-pissed-at-Kristi-Noem" target="_blank">Everyone’s pissed at Kristi Noem</a></h3> <div class="align-center"> <figure class="image-captioned"><img alt="Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem appears for an oversight hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1532131/large/AP26062508492933.jpg?1772556561" title="Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem appears for an oversight hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)"> <figcaption>Kristi Noem appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee for an oversight hearing on March 3.</figcaption> </figure> </div> Meanwhile, the administration’s immigration apparatus may finally be facing consequences. Trump’s top deportation enforcer, Border Patrol’s big tough guy Gregory Bovino, suddenly finds himself under scrutiny that could threaten his position. <h3><a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/4/2371515/-Trump-s-top-deportation-thug-could-finally-face-consequences" target="_blank" title="">Trump’s top deportation thug could finally face consequences</a></h3> Of course, none of this dysfunction has stopped Republicans from returning to one of their favorite hobbies: obsessing over Hillary Clinton. You have to distract the rubes from the Epstein files, the unpopular war, higher inflation, failed tariffs, and other broken promises somehow, right? Republicans thought they had uncovered a political bombshell when they pushed to release old Clinton deposition material. Instead, it mostly reminded everyone how empty the GOP’s decade-long crusade against Clinton has always been. <h3><a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/3/2371322/-How-releasing-Clinton-depositions-backfired-on-Republicans" target="_blank" title="">How releasing Clinton depositions backfired on Republicans</a></h3> And while Republicans dominate the chaos cycle, Democrats are competently assembling the pieces for a very different story heading into November. The biggest sign of that came out of Texas this week. State Rep. James Talarico won his Democratic primary, setting up a Senate race that suddenly looks far more competitive than anyone expected. The victory comes as Republicans prepare for a brutal internal fight of their own, one that could leave the GOP nominee damaged heading into the general election. <h3><a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/3/2371549/-Talarico-s-primary-win-sets-up-a-real-Senate-race-in-Texas" target="_blank">Talarico's primary win sets up a real Senate race in Texas</a> <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/5/2371655/-Daily-Kos-endorses-James-Talarico-for-US-Senate-in-Texas" target="_blank">Daily Kos endorses James Talarico for US Senate in Texas</a></h3> <div class="align-center"> <figure class="image-captioned"><img alt="Texas state Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, speaks at a primary election watch party Tuesday, March 3, 2026, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1532387/large/AP26063223982282.jpg?1772640019" title="Texas state Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, speaks at a primary election watch party Tuesday, March 3, 2026, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)"> <figcaption>James Talarico speaks at a primary election watch party on March 3 in Austin, Texas.</figcaption> </figure> </div> Texas hasn’t elected a Democrat statewide in decades, but Republicans seem hell-bent on serving it up. And Democrats are taking full advantage of the opportunity. And that was the conversation this week. <div id="message-list_1772813005.552429"> <div> <div> <div> <div> <div> <div> <div> <div> <div> <div> <h3><a href="https://secure.actblue.com/donate/dkendorses2026talarico?refcode=20260307MM" target="_blank">Donate now to elect James Talarico to the Senate in Texas!</a></h3> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> rss@dailykos.com (kos) BorderPatrol DailyKos DonaldTrump GregoryBovino ICE Iran JamesTalarico KRISTINOEM peteHegseth Texas theconversation War _2371801 Sat, 07 Mar 2026 16:00:01 +0000 Caribbean Matters: Celebrating women leaders https://www.dailykos.com/story/2026/3/7/2368397/-Caribbean-Matters-Celebrating-women-leaders?pm_campaign=blog&pm_medium=rss&pm_source= <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/tags/CaribbeanMatters" target="_blank">Caribbean Matters</a> is a weekly series from Daily Kos. Hope you’ll join us here every Saturday. If you are unfamiliar with the region, check out<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/9/28/2052768/-Caribbean-Matters-Getting-to-know-the-countries-of-the-Caribbean" target="_blank" title=""> Caribbean Matters: Getting to know the countries of the Caribbean</a>. <hr> It never fails to amaze me that the United States has failed to elect a female president. The current<a href="https://www.councilwomenworldleaders.org/current-women-head-of-state-and-government#:~:text=As%20of%20January%202026%2C%20the%20following%20women,**Tunisia**%20Sara%20Zaafarani%20*%20**Ukraine**%20Yulia%20Svyrydenko" title="" target="_blank"> global list of female heads of government </a>should embarrass every U.S. resident, especially considering that three of the women on that list are from neighboring Caribbean countries.  Of course, there is no guarantee that just being female will make a leader progressive, and women in leadership are still underrepresented globally. The United Nations raised that issue in “<a href="https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/explainer/2024/09/five-actions-to-boost-womens-political-participation" title="" target="_blank">Why so few women are in political leadership, and five actions to boost women’s political participation</a>.”  Time Magazine weighed in on the U.S.’s shortcomings in “<a href="https://time.com/5798122/elizabeth-warren-woman-president-america/" title="" target="_blank">Other Countries Have Elected Women Leaders for Decades. Why Can’t America?</a>”  Since March 8 is<a href="https://www.internationalwomensday.com/" title="" target="_blank"> International Women’s Day, </a>I’d like to introduce—or reintroduce—you to some of those female leaders of the Caribbean, past and present. The most well-known globally is Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley. I have covered her here frequently—in  <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/10/7/2054682/-Caribbean-Matters-Prime-Minister-Mia-Mottley-of-Barbados-is-a-force-to-be-reckoned-with" target="_blank">October</a> 2021 and<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/11/4/2061536/-Caribbean-Matters-Barbados-Mia-Mottley-stuns-the-world-again-this-time-at-COP26" target="_blank"> November</a> 2021, in<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2022/11/17/2134235/-Caribbean-Matters-At-COP27-Barbados-PM-Mia-Mottley-is-a-powerful-voice-addressing-climate-change" title="" target="_blank"> November 2022</a>, and in 2023<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/7/6/2178222/-Caribbean-Matters-Listen-to-Mia-highlights-a-message-to-the-world-from-Barbados-PM-Mia-Mottley" title="" target="_blank"> here</a>,<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2024/11/30/2287743/-Caribbean-Matters-Caribbean-nations-have-embraced-women-leaders-We-should-too" target="_blank"> here</a>, and<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/3/2/2155424/-Caribbean-Matters-The-world-celebrates-Barbados-PM-Mia-Mottley-s-response-to-reporter-s-question" target="_blank"> here</a>, so I won’t post a bio. However, congratulations are in order, because The Guardian reported in February that ”<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/feb/12/barbados-mia-mottley-power-third-election-victory?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=bluesky&CMP=bsky_gu" title="" target="_blank">Barbados PM Mia Mottley sweeps back into power in third election victory</a>”: <blockquote> <figure class="image-captioned width-xl align-right"><img alt="Barbados' Prime Minister Mia Mottley attends the second annual CARICOM-India Summit, in Georgetown, Guyana, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)" class="width-xl" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1424847/large/AP24325657652866.jpg?1745450526" title="Barbados' Prime Minister Mia Mottley attends the second annual CARICOM-India Summit, in Georgetown, Guyana, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)"> <figcaption>Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley attends the second annual CARICOM-India Summit, in Georgetown, Guyana, on Nov. 20, 2024.</figcaption> </figure> The prime minister of Barbados, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/mia-mottley" target="_blank">Mia Mottley</a>, has won her third election victory, with her Barbados Labour party sweeping all seats in the House of Assembly, state TV reported. Mottley’s BLP won all 30 seats available in the lower house of parliament, unseating the opposition leader, Ralph Thorne, after the prime minister – who has built one of the strongest global profiles of any <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/caribbean" target="_blank">Caribbean</a> leader – won the support of voters across the island country, CBC Barbados reported early on Thursday. “Our mission first and foremost is to stop poor people from being poor and to remove injustice wherever it exists to create opportunities for people,” Mottley, 60, said in a victory speech. Surrounded by supporters dressed in red, she announced that Friday would be a public bank holiday in <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/barbados" target="_blank" title="">Barbados</a>. </blockquote> <div> Next up is tiny <a href="https://thecommonwealth.org/our-member-countries/dominica" target="_blank">Dominica’</a>s President <a href="https://www.dom767.com/dompedia/sylvanie-burton/" target="_blank">Sylvanie Burton</a>. Dom267 <a href="https://www.dom767.com/dompedia/sylvanie-burton/" target="_blank">has her bio</a>: <blockquote> Sylvanie Burton was born in the <a href="https://www.dom767.com/dompedia/dominican-adjective/" target="_blank">Dominican</a> <a href="https://www.dom767.com/dompedia_categories/villages/" target="_blank">village</a> of <a href="https://www.dom767.com/dompedia/salybia/" target="_blank">Salybia</a> in the <a href="https://www.dom767.com/dompedia/carib-kalinago-territory/" target="_blank">Kalinago Territory</a>, in 1956. She pursued her <a href="https://www.dom767.com/dompedia/primary-education-in-dominica/" target="_blank">primary education</a> in her native village and later attended the <a href="https://www.dom767.com/dompages/dominica-grammar-school/" target="_blank">Dominica Grammar School</a>. Burton furthered her <a href="https://www.dom767.com/dompedia/education-sector-in-dominica/" target="_blank">education</a> by earning a Bachelor’s degree in Rural Development from St. Francis Xavier University in Canada and a Master’s degree in Project Management from the University of Manchester, England. She is married with two children. [...] Sylvanie Burton‘s career in <a href="https://www.dom767.com/dompedia/public-service-in-dominica/" target="_blank" title="">public service</a> spans several decades. Since 2014, she has served as <a href="https://www.dom767.com/dompedia/permanent-secretary-in-dominica/" target="_blank">permanent secretary</a> in various ministries, including the <a href="https://www.dom767.com/dompages/ministry-of-culture-youth-sports-and-community-development/" target="_blank">Ministry of Culture, Youth, Sports & Community Development</a>, <a href="https://www.dom767.com/dompages/ministry-of-environment-rural-modernization-and-kalinago-upliftment/" target="_blank">Ministry of Environment, Rural Modernization, Kalinago Upliftment, and Constituency Empowerment</a>, <a href="https://www.dom767.com/dompages/ministry-of-foreign-affairs-international-business-trade-and-energy/" target="_blank">Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Trade, and Energy</a>. She also held the position of Development Officer in the Ministry of Kalinago Affairs. Her work has significantly impacted land management and community development, particularly through her roles in the <a href="https://www.dom767.com/dompages/lands-and-surveys-division/" target="_blank">Lands and Surveys Division</a>. Burton’s dedication to public service is evident through her numerous contributions, particularly in addressing the needs of the Kalinago community and promoting <a href="https://www.dom767.com/dompedia/sustainable-development-in-dominica/" target="_blank">sustainable development</a> in <a href="https://www.dom767.com/dompedia/the-commonwealth-of-dominica/" target="_blank">Dominica</a>. Sylvanie Burton’s Presidency In September 2023, Sylvanie Burton made history by being elected the first female and indigenous President of the Commonwealth of Dominica. Nominated by the <a href="https://www.dom767.com/dompedia/dominica-labour-party-dlp/" target="_blank">Dominica Labour Party (DLP)</a> government led by <a href="https://www.dom767.com/dompedia/roosevelt-skerrit/" target="_blank">Roosevelt Skerrit</a>, her election followed a parliamentary vote after <a href="https://www.dom767.com/dompedia/leader-of-the-opposition-of-dominica/" target="_blank">leader of the opposition</a>, <a href="https://www.dom767.com/dompedia/jesma-paul-victor-from-dominica/" target="_blank">Jesma Paul Victor</a>, initially rejected her nomination. [...] Burton champions gender equality and women’s empowerment, emphasising the importance of female representation in leadership roles. Her advocacy extends to the Kalinago Territory, ensuring the voices and needs of the indigenous community are addressed in national policies. </blockquote> FYI: Dominica is NOT the Dominican Republic, and is <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/10/21/2058821/-Caribbean-Matters-Sorry-Columbus-You-didn-t-discover-anything-The-Caribbean-was-already-occupied" target="_blank">home to the indigenous Kalinago people</a>. <div class="dk-editor-embed center-block" data-bluesky-content="&lt;blockquote class="bluesky-embed" data-bluesky-uri="at://did:plc:c254crvo7of5knfklc6jqn33/app.bsky.feed.post/3maxxykygp623" data-bluesky-cid="bafyreihgw4yhadjwjlstijarchjjfeht77qjcyjmcpy7jnu6ygktipofm4" data-bluesky-embed-color-mode="system"&gt;&lt;p lang=""&gt;Dominica’s president calls on U.S. to return to dialogue&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Speaking to Leaders Talk, President of the Commonwealth of Dominica Sylvanie Burton expressed deep concern over the U.S. military deployment in the southern Caribbean, calling it a threat to regional peace and stability. She urged Washington…&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:c254crvo7of5knfklc6jqn33/post/3maxxykygp623?ref_src=embed"&gt;[image or embed]&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Fllics (&lt;a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:c254crvo7of5knfklc6jqn33?ref_src=embed"&gt;@fllicsofficial.bsky.social&lt;/a&gt;) &lt;a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:c254crvo7of5knfklc6jqn33/post/3maxxykygp623?ref_src=embed"&gt;December 27, 2025 at 9:04 AM&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;"><div class="remove-embed-content">x</div><blockquote class="bluesky-embed" data-bluesky-uri="at://did:plc:c254crvo7of5knfklc6jqn33/app.bsky.feed.post/3maxxykygp623" data-bluesky-cid="bafyreihgw4yhadjwjlstijarchjjfeht77qjcyjmcpy7jnu6ygktipofm4">Dominica’s president calls on U.S. to return to dialogueSpeaking to Leaders Talk, President of the Commonwealth of Dominica Sylvanie Burton expressed deep concern over the U.S. military deployment in the southern Caribbean, calling it a threat to regional peace and stability. She urged Washington… <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:c254crvo7of5knfklc6jqn33/post/3maxxykygp623?ref_src=embed" target="_blank">[image or embed]</a>— Fllics (<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:c254crvo7of5knfklc6jqn33?ref_src=embed" target="_blank">@fllicsofficial.bsky.social</a>) <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:c254crvo7of5knfklc6jqn33/post/3maxxykygp623?ref_src=embed" target="_blank">December 27, 2025 at 9:04 AM</a></blockquote></div> </div> Meet <a href="https://caricom.org/secretaries_general/dr-carla-natalie-barnett/" target="_blank"> Dr.Carla Natalie Barnett</a> <div> <div> <div> <blockquote> Carla Natalie Barnett, PhD, CBE, became the eighth Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) on 15 August 2021, by unanimous appointment of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM.   </blockquote> Closer to home is this groundbreaker from the U.S. Virgin Islands, profiled in “<a href="https://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/opinion/ruby-rouse-was-a-legendary-first-whose-legacy-empowers-all-others/article_6068227c-9e5a-5f58-ab9b-93435e1130ec.html" target="_blank" title="">Ruby Rouse was a legendary 'first' whose legacy empowers all others</a>”: </div> </div> </div> <blockquote> <div> Being the first anything is hard. Given the racist past of this country, being the first black anything required a level of talent, humility and grit that few possessed. Being the first black woman to do anything takes an extra level of knowing how to show your strength, maintain your confidence and stand your ground without alienating potential allies, all while having to break down deeply ingrained stereotypes of gender roles. </div> <div> Add to that being a single mother of four and you can begin to see why the sister werecognize today is lauded as an iconic figure in V.I. history. </div> </blockquote> Caribbean Women in Leadership has this overview titled “<a href="https://ciwil.org/women-appointed-to-highest-political-offices-in-the-caribbean/" title="" target="_blank">Women Appointed to Highest Political Offices in the Caribbean</a>”: <blockquote> The Caribbean Women in Leadership (CIWiL) acknowledges the historic appointment of Her Excellency Marcella Liburd as the first female Governor-General of St. Kitts and Nevis, and Her Excellency Christine Kangaloo as the President Elect of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. Her Excellency Marcella Liburd was sworn in on January 31st, 2023, and will serve as the fifth Governor-General of St. Kitts and Nevis. Her Excellency Christine Kangaloo will be sworn in on March 21st 2023, and will serve as the sixth President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, and the second woman as Head of State. These appointments are significant to the Caribbean region as it represents strides towards increased gender parity in political and civic life. It also exemplifies to all women and girls that their aspirations to serve as leaders of national offices can be realized regardless of their socio-cultural backgrounds, such as race, ethnicity and religion. The full and equal participation of women in all spheres is integral to the sustainability of the Caribbean. As such, continued efforts must be made to ensure that women are represented  across all arms of government, and within each Caribbean country. Recent data from the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) reveals that several Caribbean countries are currently below the threshold of 30 percent representation of women in parliaments, as articulated in the <a href="https://archive.unescwa.org/sites/www.unescwa.org/files/u1281/bdpfa_e.pdf" target="_blank">1996 UN Beijing Platform for Action</a>. This indicates that women’s representation continues to be a specific area for action in the Caribbean. </blockquote> Caribbean Perspectives wrote about “<a href="https://www.uvi.edu/files/documents/Research_and_Public_Service/ECC/SRI/ExcerptfromCaribbeanPerspectives2019-2020.pdf" title="" target="_blank">Female Leadership in the 20th and 21st Century Caribbean</a>”: <blockquote> The Indigenous People of the Caribbean discovered a new set of conquerors in 1492. Little did they know what was about to befall them. The conquest of Indigenous Caribbean civilization and subsequent creation of colonial societies in which African women were oppressed fostered a socio-economic and cultural deficit in the Caribbean Basin. Colonialism brought patriarchy, sexism, and racism. Today we must affirm that despite this colonial experience, Caribbean women leaders have emerged to overcome the moribund ideas of chauvinism and colonialism, and the achievements of great women have stood the test of time. </blockquote> CARICOM profiled <a href="https://caricom.org/personalities/dame-mary-eugenia-charles/" target="_blank" title="">Dame Mary Eugenia Charles</a>, the first female prime minister in the Caribbean: <blockquote> Dame Mary Eugenia Charles has the distinction of being the first female lawyer in her native land of Dominica and the first female to be elected Prime Minister in the Caribbean. Her entry into the political arena came in 1968 owing to the attempt of the Dominica Labour Party (DLP) to have a Sedition Act passed. From then onward she never looked back and confidently blazed the trail for what was to become a distinguished course of statesmanship. She was appointed to the Legislature in 1970 and to the House of Assembly in 1975. She co-founded the Dominica Freedom Party in 1972 and became the Leader of the Opposition in 1975. Her involvement with her party helped her country relinquish colonial rule on 3rd November, 1978. Mounting dissatisfaction with the pace of reconstruction after a devastating hurricane helped Ms. Charles lead a political campaign which ensured victory in the 1980 general elections. Thus it was that she was elected Prime Minister, a position which she held for fifteen years. During this period she earned for herself the title of “Iron Lady of the Caribbean”, no doubt because of her indomitable will and unflinching dedication and commitment to set principles and her fearlessness in giving utterance to her beliefs in the face of opposition or maybe, in spite of it. </blockquote> iKNOW Politics provided more history in “<a href="https://iknowpolitics.org/en/news/world-news/three-caribbean-countries-run-females" target="_blank">Three Caribbean countries run by females</a>”: <blockquote> Three Caribbean countries have been governed by women in the last twenty years. Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and Guyana, three former British colonies, shared the experience of having been ruled by women leaders. In the case of Jamaica, Portia Simpson-Miller is Prime Minister since January 2012, and leader of the center-left party People’s National Party (PNP), with 42 of the 63 seats in the House of Representatives. Low inflation, and foreign direct investment are features of her mandate, although the unemployment rate is still high. One of the aspirations of Ms. Simpson-Miller is to make Jamaica a republic, leaving behind the British Monarch as Head of State, now that the country celebrates 50 years since independence in August. In Trinidad and Tobago, Ms. Kamla Persad-Bissessar was Prime Minister between 2010 and 2015. She took office after the victory of the People’s Partnership, becoming the first female Prime Minister of the country, and the first female Commonwealth Chairperson-in-Office. Finally, in Guyana, Ms. Janet Ronsenberg was the 6th President of Guyana between 1997 and 1999. Ms. Rosenberg, who passed away in 2009, was awarded Guyana’s Order of Excellence in 1993, and also UNESCO’s Mahatma Gandhi Gold Medal for Women’s Rights in 1998. She was a member of the left-wing People’s Progressive Party, who she co-founded in 1950.  </blockquote> This 16-minute video titled “10 Most Powerful Caribbean Women Trailblazers In Politics In The Region” is an excellent review: <div class="dk-editor-embed embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9 center-block"> <div class="remove-embed-content">x</div> <a class="iframe_placeholder youtube dk-embed" href="//youtube.com/watch?v=mzvlZyOWz6k" data-frameborder="0" data-height="315" data-src="//www.youtube.com/embed/mzvlZyOWz6k?si=aV4GUK_z6oO1-ZVP" data-width="560">YouTube Video</a></div> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rBaVSOSSS8" target="_blank">Caribbean Focus Lifestyle video note</a>s: <div id="upload-info"> <div id="container"> <div id="text-container"> <blockquote> Welcome to a world where resilience meets change, gender is no barrier to leadership and the echoes of diverse voices redefine political landscapes. In our latest video, join us on a captivating journey through the inspiring stories of ten trailblazing women shaping the face of Caribbean politics. </blockquote> How many of these women are you already familiar with? Which ones were new to you? Please join me in the comments section below for more, and for the weekly Caribbean News roundup. </div> </div> </div> rss@dailykos.com (Denise Oliver Velez) CaribbeanMatters CarlaNatalieBarnett MaryEugeniaCharles MiaMottley RubyRouse SylvanieBurton _2368397 Sat, 07 Mar 2026 14:00:04 +0000 Cartoon: Biden strikes again https://www.dailykos.com/story/2026/3/7/2371823/-Cartoon-Biden-strikes-again?pm_campaign=blog&pm_medium=rss&pm_source= A cartoon by David Horsey. <hr> Related | <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/5/2371687/-The-peace-president-can-t-stop-starting-wars?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=top_news_slot_2&pm_medium=web" target="_blank">The ‘peace’ president can’t stop starting wars</a> <hr> rss@dailykos.com (David Horsey) Cartoon DavidHorsey DonaldTrump Iran JoeBiden MAGA War _2371823 Sat, 07 Mar 2026 13:30:11 +0000 How the flood of retiring Republicans signals a growing blue wave https://www.dailykos.com/story/2026/3/6/2371943/-How-the-flood-of-retiring-Republicans-signals-a-growing-blue-wave?pm_campaign=blog&pm_medium=rss&pm_source= Skeezy GOP Rep. <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/2/24/2370196/-House-speaker-protects-skeevy-GOP-lawmaker-to-save-his-majority" title="" target="_blank">Tony Gonzales</a> of Texas <a href="https://x.com/RepTonyGonzales/status/2029772094481842245" title="" target="_blank">announced</a> late Thursday night that he is <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/5/2371812/-House-GOP-to-cheating-Republican-You-must-quit-but-not-right-now" title="" target="_blank">acquiescing</a> to GOP leaders’ demands and dropping his reelection bid amid a <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/1/2370585/-Republicans-stoop-lower-than-ever-to-protect-flimsy-House-majority" target="_blank">disturbing affair scandal</a>, bringing the <a href="https://pressgallery.house.gov/member-data/casualty-list" title="" target="_blank">total number</a> of Republicans not returning to the House to 34. According to <a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/congress-lawmakers-retirement-2026-8f4e61bc?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=AWEtsqeC_aLXaEcnxAXZtNpirMiis_CvCZbKlKvuzmS3PRXIfCj_5ubpaWYFZqfiYCM%3D&gaa_ts=69a8b29a&gaa_sig=GsQUarRLik864Tz-VeUyxJsN0FXIHTJdO3w-KFjiSsXJ1EvhHnVMaA40zpkLaG9emWcCq_GQ2Fivx-tP71qKNg%3D%3D" target="_blank">data</a> from the Wall Street Journal, that is the same number of Republicans who chose to either retire or run for other offices in 2018, President Donald Trump’s first midterm election year when Republicans <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/11/06/us/elections/results-house-elections.html" target="_blank">lost 40 seats</a> and the House majority in a massive blue wave. <figure class="image-captioned width-xl align-right"><img alt="Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, speaks during a news conference about school safety enhancements at North East Independent School District in front of the new Wilshire Safety Training Center Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. (Blaine Young/The San Antonio Express-News via AP)" class="width-xl" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1532746/large/AP26061746904379.jpg?1772740198" title="Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, speaks during a news conference about school safety enhancements at North East Independent School District in front of the new Wilshire Safety Training Center Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. (Blaine Young/The San Antonio Express-News via AP)"> <figcaption>GOP Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas dropped his reelection bid amid an ongoing scandal surrounding an affair with a former aide.</figcaption> </figure> Indeed, when one party has a lopsided number of retirements, it's often an indicator that members of that party do not think they’ll be returning to a congressional majority, choosing to bail instead. Worse still for Republicans is that retirement season is not over. Many states’ filing deadlines are <a href="https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/2026-candidate-filing-deadlines" title="" target="_blank">still on the horizon</a>, and even more Republicans could choose to retire rather than file to run again. Just look at what happened with Republicans in Montana this week. Rep. Ryan Zinke and Sen. Steve Daines both <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/5/2371772/-Republican-senator-pulls-some-sh-t-by-anointing-his-successor" target="_blank">retired</a> at the last minute and <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/2/2371294/-Democrats-get-another-big-boost-in-quest-for-House-majority" title="" target="_blank">colluded</a> with their successors of choice to ensure that other possible candidates wouldn’t have enough time to enter the race. Daines even <a href="https://x.com/burgessev/status/2029687942763979154" target="_blank">admitted</a> that he pulled this switcheroo to <a href="https://x.com/mkraju/status/2029617739418005851" target="_blank">deprive Democrats</a> of the opportunity to recruit a strong challenger so Montana wouldn't flip blue. But his bait-and-switch might actually make the seat more competitive than had he just retired sooner. Ultimately, open-seat races are more perilous for a party, as incumbency provides electoral and fundraising advantages. What's more, primaries run the risk of nominating candidates whose baggage could make them vulnerable in a general election. <hr> Related | <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/4/2371604/-5-things-Democrats-can-learn-from-the-Texas-and-North-Carolina-primaries" target="_blank" title="">5 things Democrats can learn from the Texas and North Carolina primaries</a> <hr> Look no further than Brandon Herrera, the Republican in Gonzales' district who will now be the nominee. A self-proclaimed gun activist, Herrera <a href="https://jewishinsider.com/2024/04/brandon-herrera-gop-tony-gonzales-social-media-influencer-nazi-jokes/" title="" target="_blank">is a lunatic</a> who has made antisemitic comments and posted videos with Nazi imagery.  Trump carried Gonzales' district—which is primarily Hispanic and along Texas’ border with Mexico—by 15.5 points in 2024, according to <a href="https://www.the-downballot.com/p/the-downballots-calculations-of-presidential" title="" target="_blank">Downballot data</a>. But in 2020, Trump won by 7 points, meaning this seat could flip if a blue wave fueled by Hispanic backlash gets big enough. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which seeks to elect Democrats to the House, razzed Speaker Mike Johnson for having traded a scandal-ridden Republican for an antisemitic one. “Deputy Speaker Mike Johnson tried to quietly push sexual harasser Tony Gonzales through his primary out of fear of defending a Neo-Nazi. Now Gonzales is gone and House Republicans have added another casualty to their massive retirement list,” DCCC spokesperson Justin Chermol <a href="https://dccc.org/%f0%9f%9a%a8-tony-gonzales-becomes-34th-house-gop-retirement/" target="_blank">said in a statement</a>. “Good riddance.” rss@dailykos.com (Emily Singer) BrandonHerrera DCCC DonaldTrump Midterms Texas TonyGonzales _2371943 Sat, 07 Mar 2026 00:31:01 +0000 The Recap: Racist young Republicans are no quitters, and Trump’s economy is in the sh-tter https://www.dailykos.com/story/2026/3/6/2372008/-The-Recap-Racist-young-Republicans-are-no-quitters-and-Trump-s-economy-is-in-the-sh-tter?pm_campaign=blog&pm_medium=rss&pm_source= A daily roundup of the best stories and cartoons by Daily Kos staff and contributors to keep you in the know. <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/6/2371932/-Yes-Trump-s-economy-really-is-as-bad-as-it-seems?pm_source=ICYMI&pm_campaign=ICYMI03062026" target="_blank">Yes, Trump’s economy really is as bad as it seems</a> What happened to all the winning? <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/6/2371829/-Leaked-GOP-group-chat-pushes-extreme-racism?pm_source=ICYMI&pm_campaign=ICYMI03062026" target="_blank">Leaked GOP group chat pushes extreme racism</a> The future leaders of the Republican Party just can’t quit being bigots. <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/6/2371939/-Trump-s-buddy-Putin-is-helping-Iran-kill-Americans?pm_source=ICYMI&pm_campaign=ICYMI03062026" target="_blank">Trump’s buddy Putin is helping Iran kill Americans</a> So much for that bromance. <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/6/2371703/-Cartoon-America-er-last?pm_source=ICYMI&pm_campaign=ICYMI03062026" target="_blank">Cartoon: America, er ... last?</a> We doubt this is what Trumpers voted for. <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/6/2371967/-FCC-bozo-aims-his-nationalist-weirdness-at-call-centers?pm_source=ICYMI&pm_campaign=ICYMI03062026" title="" target="_blank">FCC bozo aims his nationalist weirdness at call centers</a> Because what is a Trump policy if it’s not a little racist? <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/6/2371961/-Trump-stooges-blame-abysmal-jobs-report-on-the-weather-yes-really?pm_source=ICYMI&pm_campaign=ICYMI03062026" title="" target="_blank">Trump stooges blame abysmal jobs report on the weather—yes, really</a> Talk about scraping the barrel when it comes to excuses. <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/6/2371940/-You-won-t-believe-this-Republican-s-absurd-attempt-to-defend-Iran-war?pm_source=ICYMI&pm_campaign=ICYMI03062026" title="" target="_blank">You won’t believe this Republican’s absurd attempt to defend Iran war</a> Just … wow. <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/6/2371861/-More-bad-news-for-Lindsey-Halligan?pm_source=ICYMI&pm_campaign=ICYMI03062026" target="_blank">More bad news for Lindsey Halligan</a> As if losing her U.S. attorney job wasn’t bad enough. <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/6/2371844/-Room-Temp-War-grifters-and-the-Epstein-problem?pm_source=ICYMI&pm_campaign=ICYMI03062026" target="_blank">Room Temp: War, grifters, and the Epstein problem</a> Tune in to Episode 3 of Markos’ new podcast! <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/blog/Comics?pm_source=ICYMI&pm_campaign=ICYMI03062026" target="_blank">Click here to see more cartoons</a>. rss@dailykos.com (Daily Kos Staff) DonaldTrump Economy LindseyHalligan TheRecap VladimirPutin _2372008 Fri, 06 Mar 2026 22:15:18 +0000 Cartoon: Dumb war weapons https://www.dailykos.com/story/2026/3/6/2371926/-Cartoon-Dumb-war-weapons?pm_campaign=blog&pm_medium=rss&pm_source= <div> A cartoon by Brian McFadden. Support <a href="https://www.patreon.com/BrianMcFadden" target="_blank">my </a><a href="https://www.patreon.com/BrianMcFadden" target="_blank">Patreon</a> for early access and exclusives. </div> <div> Follow me on <a href="https://mastodon.social/@mcfadden" target="_blank">Mastodon</a>, <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/mcfadden.bsky.social" target="_blank">Bluesky</a>, or at <a href="https://brianmcfadden.org/" target="_blank">my website</a>. <hr> Related | <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/3/2371436/-Here-s-how-Trump-wants-the-GOP-to-spin-his-war-on-Iran" title="" target="_blank">Here's how Trump wants the GOP to spin his war on Iran</a> <hr> </div> rss@dailykos.com (BrianMcFadden) ArtificialIntelligence chatgpt Comics DonaldTrump Gambling Iran OpenAI peteHegseth SamAltman _2371926 Fri, 06 Mar 2026 22:50:10 +0000 Watch Obama’s moving tribute to the late Jesse Jackson https://www.dailykos.com/story/2026/3/6/2371999/-Watch-Obama-s-moving-tribute-to-the-late-Jesse-Jackson?pm_campaign=blog&pm_medium=rss&pm_source= Former President Barack Obama delivered powerful remarks Friday during a public memorial to celebrate the late <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/2/17/2369125/-I-am-somebody-Tributes-pour-in-for-civil-rights-icon-Jesse-Jackson" title="" target="_blank">Rev. Jesse Jackson</a>. “We are living in a time when it can be hard to hope,” Obama said. “But this man, Rev. Jesse Lewis Jackson inspires us to take a harder path. His voice calls on each of us to be heralds of change, to be messengers of hope, to step forward and say, ‘Send me wherever we have a chance to make an impact.’” <div class="dk-editor-embed embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9 center-block"> <div class="remove-embed-content">x</div> <div class="dk-editor-embed embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9 center-block"> <div class="remove-embed-content"><a class="new_iframe_placeholder" href="#">x</a></div> <a class="iframe_placeholder youtube dk-embed" href="//youtube.com/watch?v=bCuAJwbbQ9c" title="" data-frameborder="0" data-height="281" data-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bCuAJwbbQ9c" data-width="500">YouTube Video</a></div> </div> “How fortunate we were that Jesse Jackson answered that call,” Obama continued. “What a great debt we owe to him. May God bless Rev. Jackson. May he rest in eternal peace. God bless you.” Amen. You can watch the entire service below. <div class="dk-editor-embed embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9 center-block"> <div class="remove-embed-content">x</div> <div class="dk-editor-embed embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9 center-block"> <div class="remove-embed-content"><a class="new_iframe_placeholder" href="#">x</a></div> <a class="iframe_placeholder youtube dk-embed" href="//youtube.com/watch?v=MpazVi_oedI" title="" data-frameborder="0" data-height="281" data-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MpazVi_oedI" data-width="500">YouTube Video</a></div> </div> rss@dailykos.com (Walter Einenkel) BarackObama CivilRights JesseJackson Memorial Speech _2371999 Fri, 06 Mar 2026 23:30:06 +0000 Trump has the power to do anything—except pay back tariffs, apparently https://www.dailykos.com/story/2026/3/6/2371995/-Trump-has-the-power-to-do-anything-except-pay-back-tariffs-apparently?pm_campaign=blog&pm_medium=rss&pm_source= When President Donald Trump imposed tariffs hither, thither, and yon, he was a colossus striding across the world—America First, the <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/7/7/2332135/-Trump-threatens-not-to-chicken-out-yet-again-over-tariffs" target="_blank">toughest</a> country you know.  But now that it’s time to give those back, <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/2/24/2370118/-Supreme-Court-conservatives-air-their-grievances-in-tariffs-dissent" title="" target="_blank">per the Supreme Court</a>, the administration is suddenly just a smol bean, and they can’t do it. That’s what it <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cit.19346/gov.uscourts.cit.19346.31.0_1.pdf" target="_blank">just told</a> the Court of International Trade, where Judge Richard Eaton <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cit.19346/gov.uscourts.cit.19346.21.0_3.pdf" target="_blank">ruled</a> that the administration has to refund the reciprocal tariffs to everyone, whether they filed a lawsuit or not. That’s about <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/06/us-judge-lawyers-175bn-trump-tariffs-refunds" target="_blank">333,000 importers</a>, in case you were wondering.  <figure class="image-captioned width-xl align-right"><img alt="President Donald Trump speaks during an event to announce new tariffs in the Rose Garden at the White House, Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)" class="width-xl" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1416840/large/AP25092740404180.jpg?1743788548" title="President Donald Trump speaks during an event to announce new tariffs in the Rose Garden at the White House, Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)"> <figcaption>President Donald Trump announces his “Liberation Day” tariffs on April 2, 2025.</figcaption> </figure> Sure, this is a problem of staggering proportions, but it’s also a problem of the administration’s own making. And now, it’s everyone else’s problem.  Eaton’s ruling instructed Customs and Border Patrol to start refunding importers with the same system it used to charge the tariffs. When importers bring in shipments, they pay an estimated amount that <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/mar/05/trump-tariff-refunds-supreme-court" target="_blank">isn’t finalized</a> until about 314 days later. So Eaton ordered CBP to finalize those costs without tariffs, which results in a refund.  Oh, and the administration also has to pay interest.  During a court hearing, Eaton told the administration that CBP “knows how to do this” because “they do it every day. They liquidate entries and make refunds.” But according to CBP, it’s just too hard to do at this scale, and they need a <a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/cbp-says-tariff-refund-system-will-be-operational-in-45-days-19883aa7?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=AWEtsqd6QFAz0MuZYVQCQs1EmmkOOY1upEav9rAPQMq05Hub-cjxUZCvzIpqlQXatCA%3D&gaa_ts=69ab20e0&gaa_sig=k6mqqizVQnepsqBlubV98qTeASyO2k_ODOdoRZYWtE06gZjt795eY6ROIX3-RBvVGHm4EioXdnxuupTUDoozIQ%3D%3D" title="" target="_blank">whole new system</a>, which does not yet exist and will take 45 days to set up.  They’re also whining that they don’t have enough capacity to manually process this many refunds.  According to an agency spokesperson, CBP’s “existing administrative procedures and technology are not well-suited to a task of this scale and will require manual work that will prevent personnel from fully carrying out the agency’s trade enforcement mission.” Hmm. Seems like the kind of thing an agency should have been planning for, given that the case had been pending at the Supreme Court for months before the ruling came down.  But it’s pretty obvious that the administration’s plan all along was to just do nothing and keep the tariff money instead.  Pretending that they just can’t staff up is absurd. Why not take some of that $4.1 billion that the<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/5/2371788/-Kristi-Noem-commits-Trump-s-one-unforgivable-sin" target="_blank"> dearly departed</a> Kristi Noem <a href="https://www.dhs.gov/news/2025/07/04/secretary-noem-commends-president-trump-and-one-big-beautiful-bill-signing-law" target="_blank">bragged about</a> getting from the “One Big, Beautiful Bill: to hire 3,000 additional customs officers? <figure class="image-captioned width-xl align-left"><img alt="Cartoon by Clay Bennett" class="width-xl" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1529726/large/20260221edcbc-a.jpg?1771866939" title="Cartoon by Clay Bennett"> <figcaption>A cartoon by Clay Bennett.</figcaption> </figure> And pretending that they can’t quickly deploy a technology solution is also absurd. The Department of Homeland Security has been <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/2/4/2367060/-Trump-cronies-and-donors-cash-in-on-brutalizing-immigrants" target="_blank">handing out</a> massive no-bid contracts to tech companies like candy to help terrorize immigrants. Just slide some millions to one of those and get this thing done.  Trump has spent the last year spending whatever he wants, freezing funding for whatever he wants, and declaring that he has the infinite power to do so.  Remember how, during the shutdown, he <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-has-been-making-major-funding-decisions-without-congress-2025-10" target="_blank">unilaterally</a> and illegally decided to pay the military, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and CBP? And it isn’t like Congress would stop Trump if he moved some money around anyway. Crying about a lack of infrastructure or money to unwind these illegal tariffs is just another way that Trump is going to try to keep your money—even though the Supreme Court said that he can’t.  The administration can’t be both all-powerful and a little, helpless baby. It’s time to pay up.  rss@dailykos.com (Lisa Needham) CBP DonaldTrump Economy SupremeCourt Tariffs Trade _2371995 Fri, 06 Mar 2026 22:30:16 +0000 After Noem, which Trump crony should be thrown out next? https://www.dailykos.com/story/2026/3/6/2371989/-After-Noem-which-Trump-crony-should-be-thrown-out-next?pm_campaign=blog&pm_medium=rss&pm_source= On Wednesday, President Donald Trump<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/5/2371832/-Cosplay-queen-Noem-s-reign-is-over-and-everyone-s-rejoicing" target="_blank"> removed Kristi Noem</a> from her position as secretary of Homeland Security. A day later her <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/1/23/2365033/-Report-Kristi-Noem-s-rumored-lover-is-the-brains-of-DHS" target="_blank">rumored paramour</a> and longtime Trump aide Corey Lewandowski<a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/corey-lewandowski-dhs-kristi-noem-b2933532.html" target="_blank"> was also purged</a>. Notably Noem was not removed for repeatedly misleading Congress, using taxpayer funds<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/2/27/2370761/-Luxury-jets-for-deportations-Kristi-Noem-s-biggest-grift-yet" target="_blank"> for luxury</a> planes, cosplay,<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/3/24/2312256/-Here-s-where-cosplaying-homeland-security-chief-will-be-performing-next" target="_blank"> and photoshoots</a>, or for her department’s embrace of policies that have killed civilians and terrorized migrants.<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/05/politics/kristi-noem-trump-homeland-security-replace" target="_blank"> Reports indicate</a> that Trump’s biggest problem area with Noem was her role in a federally financed ad campaign that featured her prominent appearance which she said Trump signed off on. <figure class="image-captioned align-right"><img alt="President Donald Trump gestures from the stairs of Air Force One upon his arrival at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Friday, Feb. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez)" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1530975/large/AP26058692332382.jpg?1772222235" title="President Donald Trump gestures from the stairs of Air Force One upon his arrival at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Friday, Feb. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez)"> <figcaption>If only we could get rid of Trump.</figcaption> </figure> So who is next? To be sure, there are millions of Americans who would love to see Trump himself out of office. He is <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/2/26/2370534/-Trump-voters-regret-hits-new-high" target="_blank">unpopular</a>, recently launched an<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/6/2371939/-Trump-s-buddy-Putin-is-helping-Iran-kill-Americans" target="_blank"> inexplicable war</a> against Iran,<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/5/11/2321736/-Trump-reportedly-getting-gift-of-luxury-jumbo-jet-from-Qatar" target="_blank"> is swimming</a> in corruption, and is presiding<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/6/2371932/-Yes-Trump-s-economy-really-is-as-bad-as-it-seems" target="_blank"> over a tanking economy</a>. Trump is the only president in American history to be impeached twice and since retaking the office has committed a swath of<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/1/5/2361561/-Trump-faces-a-third-impeachment-and-it-s-not-just-about-Venezuela" target="_blank"> more impeachable offenses</a>. But even if Trump isn’t shown the door before his term expires, several of his ring of secretaries, advisers, and sycophants are prime candidates for expulsion from the public payroll. <h3>Pam Bondi</h3> <figure class="image-captioned align-right"><img alt="lk021226dAPR.jpg" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1526402/large/lk021226dAPR.jpg?1770921762" title="lk021226dAPR.jpg"> <figcaption>“Bondi’s blunder” by Mike Luckovich</figcaption> </figure> Attorney General Pam Bondi has generated more bad news for the administration than even <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/12/27/2356699/-11-times-JD-Vance-was-a-pathetic-jerk" target="_blank">Vice President JD Vance</a> and ranks just below Trump on bad buzz. Bondi has presided over<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/2/11/2368252/-Pam-Bondi-loses-her-sh-t-at-Epstein-hearing" target="_blank"> the cover-up of the Epstein files</a>, pivoting from her claim early in Trump’s presidency that all would be disclosed to her even less plausible spin that the case was closed. Bipartisan legislation had to be passed to force her hand, and she is<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/10/7/2347431/-Pam-Bondi-dodges-easy-question-about-Trump-and-Epstein" target="_blank"> still the figurehead</a> blocking full disclosure of Epstein-related documents, particularly<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/12/12/2358189/-Epstein-kept-photos-of-Trump-young-women-and-sex-toys" target="_blank"> the connections</a> to Trump. When she isn’t covering for pedophiles and their allies, Bondi has been using her department to wage<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/2/20/2369509/-Trump-twerp-demands-federal-prosecutors-bend-the-knee-to-Dear-Leader" target="_blank" title=""> war against Trump’s critics and enemies</a> and can’t even get her people<a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-doj-humiliated-after-botching-basic-words-in-filing/" target="_blank"> to spell right</a>. <h3>Pete Hegseth</h3> <figure class="image-captioned align-right"><img alt="Cartoon by Clay Bennett" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1504057/large/20251202edcbc-a.jpg?1764633327" title="Cartoon by Clay Bennett"> <figcaption>“Fixed it” by Clay Bennett</figcaption> </figure> Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/story/2026/3/4/2371621/--Death-and-destruction-Hegseth-can-t-contain-his-bloodlust" target="_blank"> is having a fun time</a> preening for the cameras while pushing the war against Iran (while the administration tries to say<a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5765650-republican-denies-trump-iran-war/" target="_blank"> it isn’t a war</a>), but there are several reasons he should fold up<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/4/24/2318485/-Hegseth-demands-makeup-studio-at-Pentagon-to-spin-his-scandals" target="_blank"> his makeup table</a> and clean out his desk. Hegseth is the lead official in executing Trump’s likely extremely illegal<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/12/4/2356867/-This-tech-bro-hopes-Trump-s-boat-bombings-will-bring-big-bucks" target="_blank"> bombing of boats</a>, he is<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/story/2026/2/17/2369018/-Hegseth-sets-alarming-conditions-for-AI-company-s-contract" target="_blank"> pushing for AI systems</a> that will kill without question, and it seems his every move endangers the troops.   His own department’s inspector general found that<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/12/4/2356842/-Hegseth-could-have-killed-troops-with-Signal-chat-leak" target="_blank"> he was in violation</a> of policy when he couldn’t stop blabbing on a Signal chat about classified military operations, endangering the lives of the men and women in the armed forces. Hegseth already knows<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2024/12/3/2289960/-Right-wing-media-is-a-house-divided-when-it-comes-to-Pete-Hegseth" target="_blank"> nearly everyone at Fox News</a>, the country would be safer with him back there. <h3>Kash Patel</h3> <figure class="image-captioned align-right"><img alt="Cartoon by Tim Campbell" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1530480/large/20260225edtcc-a.jpg?1772052074" title="Cartoon by Tim Campbell"> <figcaption>“Well deserved” by Tim Campbell</figcaption> </figure> FBI Director Kash Patel<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/story/2026/2/23/2370020/-Despite-crises-in-US-FBI-director-chugs-a-beer-in-Italy" target="_blank"> recently generated</a> a worldwide wave of cringing as he celebrated the U.S. Olympic hockey team’s gold medal win, swilling beer while his team pretended he was in Italy on serious government business. But while he was operating as a team mascot, the<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2024/12/2/2289701/-Kash-Patel-s-qualifications-to-run-FBI-include-writing-Trump-fan-fiction" target="_blank"> former Trump fan fiction writer</a> turned chief law enforcement official also took time out<a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5770359-dems-demand-answers-fbi-director/" target="_blank"> to gut the agency’s team</a> working on counterintelligence-related issues. This happened just a little bit before his boss started a war with Iran. Surely America would be safer with Patel scribbling out a sequel to<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Plot-Against-King-Return/dp/1955550700?ref_=ast_author_dp&th=1&psc=1" target="_blank" title=""> his 2024 book</a> “The Plot Against the King 3: The Return of the King”—yes, there were three books of Trump fan fiction from Patel—<a href="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71NHVuFFwLL._SL1250_.jpg" target="_blank" title="">where Patel appears</a> as a wizard. <h3>Robert F. Kennedy Jr.</h3> <figure class="image-captioned align-right"><img alt="Cartoon by Jack Ohman" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1476325/large/20250910edohc-a.jpg?1757443519" title="Cartoon by Jack Ohman"> <figcaption>“Eating his words” by Jack Ohman</figcaption> </figure> Oddly, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s biggest offense as Trump’s secretary of Health and Human services isn’t his bizarre habit of<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/8/21/2339425/-What-s-up-with-RFK-Jr-s-jeans-obsession" target="_blank"> working out in jeans</a>. Kennedy<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/9/18/2344274/-RFK-Jr-continues-quest-to-Make-America-Sick-Again-vaccines-edition" target="_blank"> has made all the fears</a> about his history as a peddler of medical conspiracies come true during his tenure, as he has installed his quack medical beliefs and <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/2/25/2370429/-Trump-s-kooky-surgeon-general-pick-withers-under-mild-scrutiny" target="_blank">medical charlatans</a> throughout the federal medical infrastructure. Kennedy has somehow<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/12/6/2357026/-While-scientists-race-to-study-spread-of-measles-in-US-Kennedy-unravels-hard-won-gains" target="_blank"> made measles great again</a> and children are suffering. For the sake of the kids, and the rest of us, he should be gone. <h3>Tulsi Gabbard</h3> <figure class="image-captioned width-xl align-right"><img alt="A cartoon by Clay Jones." class="width-xl" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1374399/large/CjonesRGB12022024.jpg?1733189167" title="A cartoon by Clay Jones."> <figcaption></figcaption> </figure> National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard was always one of the stranger figures in Trump’s orbit—which is saying a lot—and she has lived down to her reputation as a member of his administration. In the case of Gabbard she appears to be an intelligence chief who is actively working against the American people,<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/story/2025/8/28/2340666/-Whoops-Tulsi-Gabbard-blows-a-CIA-agent-s-cover" target="_blank"> whether that involves</a> outing CIA officers or presiding over<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/story/2026/2/16/2368949/-What-meetings-among-trump-lawyers-reveal-about-the-FBI-s-seizure-of-election-records-in-Georgia" target="_blank"> ludicrous raids of election offices</a> based on Trump’s conspiracies. Gabbard<a href="https://www.civilbeat.org/2026/03/iran-war-puts-tulsi-gabbard-in-an-awkward-spot/" target="_blank"> once claimed</a> that if elected to the presidency, Democrats would have America at war with Iran. Somehow she hasn’t said much about her boss’ decision to do just that. <h3>Doug Collins</h3> <figure class="image-captioned align-right"><img alt="House Judiciary Committee ranking member Rep. Doug Collins, R-Ga., speaks during a House Judiciary Committee markup of the articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump, on Capitol Thursday, Dec. 12, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1385521/large/AP19346666243010.jpg?1736286795" title="House Judiciary Committee ranking member Rep. Doug Collins, R-Ga., speaks during a House Judiciary Committee markup of the articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump, on Capitol Thursday, Dec. 12, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)"> <figcaption>Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins</figcaption> </figure> While he has flown more under the radar than Trump’s other insider cronies, Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins has transitioned from being a Trump defender in Congress to operating as his<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/8/12/2338098/-Veterans-are-really-getting-screwed-by-Trump" target="_blank"> top man hurting veterans</a>. A<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/03/us/politics/veterans-affairs-nurses-doctors-cut.html" target="_blank"> recent analysis</a> from The New York Times determined that on Collins’ watch thousands of medical professionals have been cut from the VA. This includes doctors and nurses, who are critical providers for veterans facing a host of medical issues. Trump<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/8/25/2340190/-Fake-macho-man-Trump-wants-to-change-Department-of-Defense-to-Department-of-War" target="_blank"> may believe</a> the troops are “suckers” and “losers” but that doesn’t mean Collins should continue wrecking their lives. <h3>Jeanine Pirro</h3> Most of Trump’s other cronies weren’t prominent enough to be a recurring character on “Saturday Night Live” but Washington, D.C.’s U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro fit the bill. <div class="dk-editor-embed embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9 center-block"> <div class="remove-embed-content">x</div> <div class="dk-editor-embed embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9 center-block"> <div class="remove-embed-content"><a class="new_iframe_placeholder" href="#">x</a></div> <a class="iframe_placeholder youtube dk-embed" href="//youtube.com/watch?v=TEbtOSXmY0c" data-frameborder="0" data-height="281" data-src="//www.youtube.com/embed/TEbtOSXmY0c" data-width="500">YouTube Video</a></div> </div> The former Fox News host transitioned<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/8/26/2340311/-Turns-out-this-Fox-News-hack-isn-t-too-good-at-being-a-US-attorney" target="_blank"> from her on-air career</a> defending Trump and writing books like<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Liars-Leakers-Liberals-Anti-Trump-Conspiracy-ebook/dp/B0763KYPNP/" target="_blank"> “Liars, Leakers, and Liberals: The Case Against the Anti-Trump Conspiracy”</a> (not to mention<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Radicals-Resistance-Revenge-Remake-America-ebook/dp/B07NCXL517/" target="_blank"> “Radicals, Resistance, and Revenge: The Left's Plot to Remake America”</a>) to operating as one of Trump’s legal hammers. But she’s amazingly bad at it, which is probably good for America. Pirro<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/2/11/2368270/-Jeanine-Pirro-fails-to-get-Trump-critics-indicted" target="_blank"> couldn’t convince jurors</a> to throw the book at Democratic members of Congress who (correctly) said troops shouldn’t follow illegal orders, had to quietly<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/5/2371771/-DOJ-fails-to-make-up-a-case-against-Biden-failing-Trump-s-demands" target="_blank"> give up on</a> prosecuting former President Joe Biden for using a pen, and<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/11/6/2352520/--Sandwich-Guy-triumphs-over-ham-fisted-charges" target="_blank"> she couldn’t even convict</a> a guy who threw a sandwich … on camera. Maybe Pirro can go back to Fox and<a href="https://youtu.be/TEbtOSXmY0c" target="_blank"> start slamming back drinks</a> with Hegseth. <hr> Republicans<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/4/2371604/-5-things-Democrats-can-learn-from-the-Texas-and-North-Carolina-primaries" target="_blank"> are in the bad place</a>, politically. Voters are dying to go to the polls to send Trump’s party a message—enough with the corruption, death, and<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/4/2371604/-5-things-Democrats-can-learn-from-the-Texas-and-North-Carolina-primaries" target="_blank"> tanking economy</a>. Getting rid of his stumbling team of sycophants is unlikely to stop the bleeding and give the party the boost it needs in the midterms. But we would all be better off if they just gave it a try anyway. rss@dailykos.com (Oliver Willis) DonaldTrump DougCollins JeaninePirro KashPatel KRISTINOEM PamBondi peteHegseth TulsiGabbard _2371989 Fri, 06 Mar 2026 21:30:14 +0000 Trump stooges blame abysmal jobs report on the weather—yes, really https://www.dailykos.com/story/2026/3/6/2371961/-Trump-stooges-blame-abysmal-jobs-report-on-the-weather-yes-really?pm_campaign=blog&pm_medium=rss&pm_source= Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer and National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett hit the airwaves Friday to spin yet another month of <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/6/2371932/-Yes-Trump-s-economy-really-is-as-bad-as-it-seems?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=top_news_slot_2&pm_medium=web" target="_blank">terrible jobs numbers</a>. Both had the same talking points, blaming the weather and striking workers while gaslighting Americans into thinking that the numbers are actually great. “There's some weather, there are strikes on the West Coast,” Hassett told CNBC. “I think what we need to start doing with these jobs numbers, at least on the payroll side, is take the average over a few months … on average, it’s about what we expect to be seeing because immigration has gone down by so much.” <div class="dk-editor-embed embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9 center-block"> <div class="remove-embed-content">x</div> <div class="dk-editor-embed embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9 center-block"> <div class="remove-embed-content"><a class="new_iframe_placeholder" href="#">x</a></div> <a class="iframe_placeholder youtube dk-embed" href="//youtube.com/watch?v=pvu8GtwVPXI" title="" data-frameborder="0" data-height="281" data-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pvu8GtwVPXI" data-width="500">YouTube Video</a></div> </div> Hassett, no stranger to turning <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/2/9/2367919/-In-Trump-world-bad-jobs-data-means-things-are-great" title="" target="_blank">lemons into Trump-branded lemonade</a>, continued, “I think it's consistent with everything else we're seeing, which is that the economy is really strong.” Chavez-DeRemer took a similar approach during an appearance on Fox Business, dismissing the bad economic news as “noise,” even when host Stuart Varney admitted that it “doesn’t look good for the Trump economy.” “I think we have to address the fact that this is not a good report in its raw numbers,” she said. “But we have to also talk about why this possibly has happened, this snapshot in time. It was mentioned—the weather.”  <div class="dk-editor-embed center-block" data-twitter-content="&lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;&lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;VARNEY: If you add it all up, it doesn&amp;#39;t look good for the Trump economy&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;LABOR SECRETARY LORI CHAVEZ-DeREMER: I couldn&amp;#39;t agree with you. Overall, we&amp;#39;ve gained 60,000 new jobs over the last two months &lt;a href="https://t.co/v46CxpBh5J"&gt;pic.twitter.com/v46CxpBh5J&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&amp;mdash; Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/2029931773241524465?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;March 6, 2026&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt; "><div class="remove-embed-content">x</div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">VARNEY: If you add it all up, it doesn't look good for the Trump economy LABOR SECRETARY LORI CHAVEZ-DeREMER: I couldn't agree with you. Overall, we've gained 60,000 new jobs over the last two months <a href="https://t.co/v46CxpBh5J">pic.twitter.com/v46CxpBh5J</a>— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) <a href="https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/2029931773241524465?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 6, 2026</a></blockquote> </div> Chavez-DeRemer also blamed labor strikes in California, which is rich considering that she has <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/7/9/2332531/-Labor-secretary-says-Americans-want-to-work-hard-jobs-for-little-pay" title="" target="_blank">previously insisted</a> that Americans are eager to take low-wage work. rss@dailykos.com (Walter Einenkel) DonaldTrump Economy Jobs KevinHassett Labor LoriChavez-DeRemer _2371961 Fri, 06 Mar 2026 20:00:17 +0000 Cartoon: America, er ... last? https://www.dailykos.com/story/2026/3/6/2371703/-Cartoon-America-er-last?pm_campaign=blog&pm_medium=rss&pm_source= A cartoon by Pedro Molina. <hr> Related | <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/2/2371107/-The-peace-president-goes-to-war" title="" target="_blank">The 'peace' president goes to war</a> <hr> rss@dailykos.com (Pedro Molina) AmericaFirst BoardofPeace Cartoon DonaldTrump Iran PedroMolina War _2371703 Fri, 06 Mar 2026 19:59:02 +0000 FCC bozo aims his nationalist weirdness at call centers https://www.dailykos.com/story/2026/3/6/2371967/-FCC-bozo-aims-his-nationalist-weirdness-at-call-centers?pm_campaign=blog&pm_medium=rss&pm_source= Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr has a new<a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/us-agency-considers-limits-telecom-foreign-call-centers-requiring-english-2026-03-04/" target="_blank"> idea</a>, and it’s one that might sound fine at first but is really just straight-up racism and America First blather.  Carr is<a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/us-agency-considers-limits-telecom-foreign-call-centers-requiring-english-2026-03-04/" title="" target="_blank"> pushing</a> to force telecom firms to require all their call centers to employ only people proficient in English. American Standard only please, not that fussy British English, apparently. He’s also spitballing whether consumers could demand a transfer to a U.S.-based representative or require call centers to disclose where they are located. Ultimately, he wants telecoms to onshore all their workers.  <figure class="image-captioned width-xl align-right"><img alt="Cartoon by Clay Bennett" class="width-xl" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1479588/large/20250919edcbc-a.jpg?1758236733" title="Cartoon by Clay Bennett"> <figcaption>“Flattery will get you everywhere” by Clay Bennett</figcaption> </figure> Yes, your uncle who screams about how he can’t understand the Xfinity call center representative will now get some additional legal reasons to scream. Terrific. Carr isn’t subtle about the reasons here, of course. Why do we need English-speaking, American-based call centers? Because Americans “have struggled to resolve an issue with a representative due to cultural and language barriers,” and foreign-based customer service centers “also raise concerns about protecting consumer’s personal information.” Those foreigners, always putting your private information at risk. You know who is actually putting your private information at risk, of course. It’s the Trump administration that nearly immediately<a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/91335533/cfpb-russell-vought-data-rules-abandoned" target="_blank"> killed</a> some proposed Biden-era rules that would have stopped scuzzy data brokers from buying and selling your personal information. It’s the same administration<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/21/doge-social-security-data" title="" target="_blank"> that let</a> the so-called Department of Government Efficiency take your Social Security data, throw it on an unauthorized third-party cloud server, and sign an agreement to share it with election deniers.  Carr also wants to hang the pernicious problem of robocalls around the necks of foreign call centers. But it’s Carr himself who invented the “<a href="https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/04/isps-and-robocallers-love-the-fcc-plan-to-delete-as-many-rules-as-possible/" title="" target="_blank">Delete, Delete, Delete</a>” initiative, where he invited big business to give him a wish list of all those pesky regulations they’d like repealed. You will not be surprised to learn that robocalls have therefore<a href="https://www.techdirt.com/2025/07/02/our-national-robocall-nightmare-is-getting-worse-under-donald-trump/" target="_blank"> wildly increased</a> since Trump took office.  If Carr and the GOP genuinely cared about American workers and consumers, they could have just aligned themselves with<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/2495/text" title="" target="_blank"> Democratic bills</a> introduced in Congress in 2025, which of course went nowhere. But this isn’t about saving American jobs or a better consumer experience; It’s about further isolating America from the global stage and, as a bonus, a sop to every racist consumer who wants to yell “SPEAK ENGLISH” at underpaid call center workers. Carr announced this in conjunction with his approval of the <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/charter-cox-merger-approval-1236521701/" title="" target="_blank">Charter-Cox merger</a>, where Charter Communications<a href="https://x.com/BrendanCarrFCC/status/2029601317656650165" title="" target="_blank"> committed</a> to onshoring their workforce.  What Carr is unsubtly implying here is that somehow woke Democrats and deceitful foreign companies are the reason your call center representative is in another country and not a native speaker of English. But the reason call center jobs in America disappeared is that American businesses made<a href="https://cwa-union.org/pages/the_outsourcing_problem" title="" target="_blank"> those decisions</a> to cut their cost, and by 2017, that had killed 500,000 American jobs.  It isn’t entirely clear that Carr even has the authority to do this, but that hasn’t really stopped it. Carr came in hot from the jump, primed to turn the FCC into a fully Trumpy tool, and he’s delivered.  <hr> Related | <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/1/30/2366248/-FCC-pushes-to-punish-talk-shows-as-Trump-friendly-media-gets-a-pass" title="" target="_blank">FCC pushes to punish talk shows as Trump-friendly media gets a pass</a> <hr> He’s going after late-night and daytime talk shows to try to force them to include<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/1/30/2366248/-FCC-pushes-to-punish-talk-shows-as-Trump-friendly-media-gets-a-pass" title="" target="_blank"> conservative</a> voices. Unsurprisingly, conservative outlets don’t have to do the same with liberal voices because Carr isn’t including talk radio, for … reasons. He’s “<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/2/20/2369661/-FCC-chair-s-patriotic-nonsense-is-straight-out-of-North-Korea" title="" target="_blank">suggesting</a>” broadcasters sign a pledge to be more patriotic by starting the day with the Pledge of Allegiance and the like, a suggestion that broadcasters will essentially have to comply with in order to get Carr to approve any mergers.  Speaking of mergers. Carr made a lot of noise about how Netflix merging with Warner Brothers raised huge<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/03/fcc-chair-brendan-carr-wbd-paramount-merger-deal-netflix.html" title="" target="_blank"> antitrust concerns</a>, but those magically disappeared when Paramount forced a merger with Warner Brothers instead. That merger was just dandy because Paramount has already paid the appropriate<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/7/25/2335135/--Bribery-is-still-illegal-Paramount-merger-reeks-of-Trump-payoff" title="" target="_blank"> fealty</a> to Trump and ensured that it will go full MAGA. Honestly, this proposal likely won’t go anywhere. Giant broadband providers are not going to love the notion of taking on a huge increase in call center costs, and this administration’s fondness for letting big businesses run wild will likely prevail. But in the meantime, Carr will get a lot of mileage out of this xenophobic nonsense.  rss@dailykos.com (Lisa Needham) BrendanCarr callcenters FederalCommunicationsCommission _2371967 Fri, 06 Mar 2026 19:00:04 +0000 You won’t believe this Republican’s absurd attempt to defend Iran war https://www.dailykos.com/story/2026/3/6/2371940/-You-won-t-believe-this-Republican-s-absurd-attempt-to-defend-Iran-war?pm_campaign=blog&pm_medium=rss&pm_source= GOP Rep. Joe Wilson of South Carolina <a href="https://youtu.be/ghNX_VX-zck" title="" target="_blank">appeared</a> on Newsmax on Friday with a brand new spin on President Donald Trump’s <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/5/2371687/-The-peace-president-can-t-stop-starting-wars" title="" target="_blank">Iran war</a>, comparing it to the fall of the Berlin Wall.  Yes, really. “I'm just so grateful we have a president who understands and, gosh, the ripple effect of this, it's just going to be incredible,” he said. “It's been compared to the fall of the Berlin Wall.”  <div class="dk-editor-embed embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9 center-block"> <div class="remove-embed-content">x</div> <div class="dk-editor-embed embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9 center-block"> <div class="remove-embed-content"><a class="new_iframe_placeholder" href="#">x</a></div> <a class="iframe_placeholder youtube dk-embed" href="//youtube.com/watch?v=ghNX_VX-zck" title="" data-frameborder="0" data-height="281" data-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ghNX_VX-zck" data-width="500">YouTube Video</a></div> </div> rss@dailykos.com (Walter Einenkel) berlinwall DonaldTrump Iran JoeWilson MiddleEast War _2371940 Fri, 06 Mar 2026 18:50:14 +0000 Trump’s buddy Putin is helping Iran kill Americans https://www.dailykos.com/story/2026/3/6/2371939/-Trump-s-buddy-Putin-is-helping-Iran-kill-Americans?pm_campaign=blog&pm_medium=rss&pm_source= Russia is providing Iran with targeting information to help locate U.S. assets like warships and aircrafts. The revelation follows years of cozy relations between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Washington Post<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/03/06/russia-iran-intelligence-us-targets/" target="_blank"> reported</a> Friday that multiple officials have confirmed that Iran is receiving Russian intelligence, with one official describing the effort as “pretty comprehensive.” <figure class="image-captioned align-right"><img alt="People watch from a rooftop as a plume of smoke rises after a strike in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, March 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1531945/large/AP26060314070136.jpg?1772483354" title="People watch from a rooftop as a plume of smoke rises after a strike in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, March 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)"> <figcaption>People watch from a rooftop as a plume of smoke rises after a strike in Tehran, Iran, on March 1.</figcaption> </figure> When asked for comment about the report, the White House chose not to address Russia’s actions and instead told the outlet that “the Iranian regime is being absolutely crushed.” The information about Russia’s role in the conflict comes just two days after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/04/pete-hegseth-iran-us-israel-war" target="_blank"> claimed</a> that Russia and China were not involved in the conflict. “They’re not really a factor here,” Hegseth said. At least six U.S. soldiers<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/4/2371618/-Hegseth-cares-more-about-fake-media-coverage-than-dead-troops" target="_blank"> have been killed</a> so far in the fallout from Trump’s war on Iran. The administration has been unclear as to why the United States has<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/5/2371687/-The-peace-president-can-t-stop-starting-wars" target="_blank" title=""> become involved</a> in a new war and has offered up an array of conflicting justifications.  Opinion polling has shown strong opposition to the war, with some in Trump’s own coalition joining with Democrats and independents in opposing it. Meanwhile, Russia’s involvement in the war follows years of Trump catering to Putin. Instead of an adversarial relationship with Russia, Trump<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/story/2025/5/27/2324556/-Trump-admits-to-treating-Putin-with-kid-gloves" target="_blank"> has sought to curry favor</a> with the nation, repeatedly<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/8/19/2339162/-Trump-takes-victim-blaming-Ukraine-to-the-next-level" target="_blank"> asserting</a> that Putin’s invasion of Ukraine was justified and that Ukraine was to blame. He even made a<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/2/28/2306916/-Democrats-rip-un-American-Trump-after-Zelenskyy-clusterf-ck" target="_blank"> </a>point of <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/2/28/2306916/-Democrats-rip-un-American-Trump-after-Zelenskyy-clusterf-ck" target="_blank">humiliating</a> Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a meeting at the White House last year. <figure class="image-captioned align-left"><img alt="President Donald Trump greets Russia's President Vladimir Putin Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1467912/large/AP25227723560720.jpg?1755299495" title="President Donald Trump greets Russia's President Vladimir Putin Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)"> <figcaption>President Donald Trump greets Russia's President Vladimir Putin ahead of a meeting in Alaska on Aug. 15, 2025.</figcaption> </figure> Trump even <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/story/2026/1/29/2366009/-Putin-photo-gets-place-of-honor-in-Trump-s-White-House" target="_blank" title="">hung up a photo</a> of himself with Putin in the White House, lending credence to the accusation<a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/world/clinton-accuses-trump-of-being-putins-puppet-idUSKCN12K0EB/" target="_blank" title=""> lobbed by</a> former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election that Trump would operate as a “puppet” for Putin. In 2020, a bipartisan Senate investigation<a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/senate-panel-finds-russia-interfered-in-the-2016-us-election" target="_blank" title=""> determined</a> that Russia had interfered in the 2016 election on Trump’s behalf, noting that senior members of his presidential campaign were in regular contact with the Kremlin. Russia also played a role in the 2024 election, with bomb threats<a href="https://www.npr.org/2024/11/09/nx-s1-5181965/2024-election-foreign-influence-russia-china-iran" target="_blank"> sent to polling locations</a> in several swing states that the FBI traced to Russian email domains. Trump won every swing state that was targeted. First Putin killed American elections. Now he’s helping kill Americans. rss@dailykos.com (Oliver Willis) DonaldTrump Iran Military Russia Ukraine VladimirPutin War _2371939 Fri, 06 Mar 2026 18:00:01 +0000 Yes, Trump’s economy really is as bad as it seems https://www.dailykos.com/story/2026/3/6/2371932/-Yes-Trump-s-economy-really-is-as-bad-as-it-seems?pm_campaign=blog&pm_medium=rss&pm_source= The wheels have really fallen off the wagon this week for President Donald Trump and the Republican Party, with the economy losing 92,000 jobs in February, oil and gas prices surging, the stock market posting steep declines, and the war in Iran quickly spiraling out of control with no end in sight. The spate of bad news is the exact opposite of what Trump promised to do if voters returned him to the White House. And if things remain this bad, November will be an <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/2/2371207/-Trump-s-Iran-conflict-could-sink-the-GOP-in-November?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=top_news_slot_1&pm_medium=web#comments" target="_blank">annihilation</a> for the GOP at the <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/1/16/2363647/-Democrats-are-the-clear-favorites-to-win-the-House" title="" target="_blank">ballot box</a>. A delve into the economic data shows just how grim things really are. <figure class="image-captioned width-xl align-right"><img alt="Cartoon by Pedro Molina" class="width-xl" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1530539/large/20260225edpmc-a.jpg?1772065963" title="Cartoon by Pedro Molina"> <figcaption>“Money (doesn’t) talk” by Pedro Molina</figcaption> </figure> The 92,000 monthly job losses in February, as reported by the <a href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm" title="" target="_blank">Bureau of Labor Statistics</a>, were far less than the 50,000 jobs economists <a href="https://www.wsj.com/economy/jobs/february-jobs-report-unemployment-1d7d1a9b?mod=WSJ_home_mediumtopper_pos_1" target="_blank">expected</a> the economy to add last month. The BLS also revised December's number down, sending it into negative territory and showing that the economy has <a href="https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CES0000000001&output_view=net_1mth" title="" target="_blank">lost jobs in five of the last nine months</a>.  That means that job growth since April—when Trump first announced his <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/1/29/2366119/-Key-promise-of-Trump-s-tariffs-goes-up-in-smoke" title="" target="_blank">idiotic</a> and <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/2/23/2370010/-All-the-ways-Trump-will-illegally-impose-more-tariffs?detail=emailrecap" title="" target="_blank">illegal</a> tariffs—has been virtually zero. “Here's the point to remember about the brutal negative revisions in today's job market report: They aren't saying the labor market showed green shoots that withered. It's saying that there never were any green shoots. They were an illusion,” University of Michigan economics professor Justin Wolfers <a href="https://x.com/JustinWolfers/status/2029921311166709800" title="" target="_blank">wrote</a> in a post on X, referring to January’s positive job report that made economists wonder if things were on the rise. Worse yet is that oil and gas prices are surging as the <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/2/28/2370859/-US-and-Israel-launch-an-attack-on-Iran-with-tensions-high-over-nuclear-talks" target="_blank">war Trump launched in Iran</a> has<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-03-05/iran-war-how-oil-prices-are-surging-as-hormuz-shipping-production-disrupted" title="" target="_blank"> negatively impacted the world's supply</a>, as export facilities have been hit by drone strikes and the Strait of Hormuz—a major shipping corridor that transports Middle Eastern oil and gas—has been choked off by Iran. It's led gas prices to <a href="https://www.aol.com/articles/gas-27-cents-since-sunday-205916307.html" target="_blank">surge</a> all across the United States, with prices jumping a whopping 11% a gallon on Tuesday—the <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/americas-average-gas-price-saw-213111163.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAF7iC7zef6E1txrroY7H7LgRnWn3Ko6MF6FljJLCOeSvC6xs2SSnR8YbjtyMCH5cmyWcus8a63glYakrQ4vaf8yC2quiytxKmf66l7i4ObGxOXZeWvO9QUUCIb2uuTcTnqbfLzrOn0eTuf1GqLE_7SYraxK3MibOZY19-KmyMZE0" title="" target="_blank">largest one-day increase since 2022</a>. “Every additional day the disruption continues compounds the problem,” Patrick De Haan, a gas price expert who runs the website GasBuddy, <a href="https://x.com/GasBuddyGuy/status/2029926280238395737" target="_blank">wrote</a> in an article posted on X. “Even if the Strait reopened immediately, the market would still face the challenge of catching up on days’ worth of missing shipments—an increasingly difficult task as the backlog grows.” <figure class="image-captioned width-xl align-right"><img alt="FILE - A person pumps gas, on Sept. 12, 2023, in Marietta, Ga. Oil prices have risen, meaning drivers are paying more for gasoline and truckers and farmers more for diesel. The increase also is complicating the global fight against inflation and feeding Russia&#39;s war chest to boot. " class="width-xl" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1231446/large/AP23265645453876.jpg?1695651417" title="FILE - A person pumps gas, on Sept. 12, 2023, in Marietta, Ga. Oil prices have risen, meaning drivers are paying more for gasoline and truckers and farmers more for diesel. The increase also is complicating the global fight against inflation and feeding Russia&#39;s war chest to boot. "> <figcaption>Gas prices are surging all across the U.S.</figcaption> </figure> Worse yet is that Qatar, one of the world's top oil producers, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/qatar-energy-minister-warns-war-will-force-gulf-stop-energy-exports-within-weeks-2026-03-06/" target="_blank">warned</a> that the war could cause oil prices to surge to $150 per barrel—which would likely push gas prices over $4 per gallon. “Given current market conditions, the national average price of gasoline could climb toward $3.50 to $3.70 per gallon in the coming days if oil continues rising and supply disruptions persist,” De Haan wrote. Both economic indicators—the job losses and gas price surges—have now spooked investors, with the<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/quotes/@DJ.1" title="" target="_blank"> Dow Jones Industrial Average</a> falling more than 1,700 points since Monday and the<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/quotes/@ND.1" title="" target="_blank"> Nasdaq composite</a> down roughly 400 points. And if you think the horrible news would make Trump rethink his policy decisions ... well you'd be wrong. He's only <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/04/bessent-says-global-15percent-tariff-starts-this-week-move-back-to-prior-rates-within-5-months.html" title="" target="_blank">doubled down on his tariff agenda</a>, and vowed on Friday that the only way the U.S. will stop waging war against Iran is if they agree to "unconditional surrender." "After that, and the selection of a GREAT & ACCEPTABLE Leader(s), we, and many of our wonderful and very brave allies and partners, will work tirelessly to bring Iran back from the brink of destruction, making it economically bigger, better, and stronger than ever before," Trump<a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116182551337254643" target="_blank"> wrote</a> in a Truth Social post. "IRAN WILL HAVE A GREAT FUTURE. 'MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN (MIGA!).'" You know what Americans didn’t vote for? Making other countries great while we here at home suffer.  “I’ve seen a lot of Presidents fall short of their promises but I’ve never seen any President just doing the opposite of everything promised on purpose,” Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) <a href="https://x.com/brianschatz/status/2029933550904983911" target="_blank">wrote</a> in a post on X. “Prices, Epstein, wars. Just absolutely racing to betray his voters.” rss@dailykos.com (Emily Singer) Affordability DonaldTrump Economy Gas Inflation Iran Jobs Oil _2371932 Fri, 06 Mar 2026 17:00:08 +0000 Cartoon: Goodbye, puppy killer https://www.dailykos.com/story/2026/3/6/2371935/-Cartoon-Goodbye-puppy-killer?pm_campaign=blog&pm_medium=rss&pm_source= A cartoon by Clay Jones. <hr> Related | <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/5/2371788/-Kristi-Noem-commits-Trump-s-one-unforgivable-sin" title="" target="_blank">Kristi Noem fired</a> <hr> rss@dailykos.com (Clay Jones) Cartoon ClayJones DepartmentofHomelandSecurity DonaldTrump ICE Immigration KRISTINOEM _2371935 Fri, 06 Mar 2026 16:59:01 +0000 More bad news for Lindsey Halligan https://www.dailykos.com/story/2026/3/6/2371861/-More-bad-news-for-Lindsey-Halligan?pm_campaign=blog&pm_medium=rss&pm_source= Oh, Lindsey Halligan, what have you gotten yourself into now?  How about an <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/05/us/politics/lindsey-halligan-investigation-florida-bar.html?unlocked_article_code=1.Q1A.kfEl.amiodU3kPDJy&smid=url-share" target="_blank">investigation</a> by the Florida Bar? Oh, dear. That seems bad.  Who could possibly have predicted that letting a real estate lawyer with very little experience and even fewer morals do President Donald Trump’s bidding would turn out poorly? Halligan <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/story/2026/1/24/2364765/-Fake-US-attorney-steps-down-and-one-media-outlet-grows-a-spine" target="_blank">left</a> the Department of Justice earlier this year after being told repeatedly that she was not lawfully serving as the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia and never had been. But in her brief time in the office, Halligan managed to rack up a fairly impressive number of ethically dubious acts.  <figure class="image-captioned align-right"><img alt="Lindsey Halligan speaks as President Donald Trump signs executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, Jan. 31, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1472693/large/AP25031757969870.jpg?1756497892" title="Lindsey Halligan speaks as President Donald Trump signs executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, Jan. 31, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)"> <figcaption>Lindsey Halligan speaks as President Donald Trump signs executive orders in the Oval Office on Jan. 31, 2025.</figcaption> </figure> There was the whole thing where the federal magistrate in former FBI Director James Comey case <a href="https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/the-situation--malevolence--incompetence--and-the-strange-case-of-lindsey-halligan" target="_blank">said</a> that Halligan made “fundamental misstatements of the law that could compromise the integrity of the grand jury process.”  And let’s not forget about when she <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/12/11/2358028/-Grand-juries-won-t-prop-up-Trump-team-s-dumbassery" target="_blank">presented</a> the Comey indictment—but not to the full grand jury. That’s a wee bit of a problem.  After a judge ruled that Halligan was not a U.S. attorney and threw out the indictments against Comey and New York Attorney General <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/1/9/2362259/-One-of-Trump-s-biggest-foes-takes-his-ass-to-court-again" target="_blank">Letitia James</a>, Halligan continued to <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/1/7/2361911/-Trump-toady-in-hot-water-for-still-cosplaying-as-US-attorney" target="_blank">sign indictments</a> as U.S. attorney. Now, there’s no earthly reason to do this. It didn’t benefit the DOJ or Halligan, as there were plenty of people in the Eastern District who could have signed off. And she wasn’t signing off on big flashy cases where she might’ve thought there was some benefit to slapping her name on them. These were just regular, run-of-the-mill criminal cases.  So Trump-appointed Judge David Novak demanded that Halligan explain why she thought that she could do this—and also helpfully outlined all of the ethical rules she was violating. <hr> Related | <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/4/2371669/-Pam-Bondi-moves-to-make-DOJ-attorneys-even-less-accountable" target="_blank">Pam Bondi moves to make DOJ attorneys even less accountable</a> <hr> In December 2025, the watchdog group Campaign for Accountability filed a complaint with the Virginia Bar over Halligan’s myriad and obvious ethical violations. But the bar <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/12/3/2356550/-Legal-watchdogs-won-t-bite-Trump-s-corrupt-pet-lawyers" target="_blank">refused</a> to investigate, saying that a criminal indictment “obtained through material misrepresentations of fact and done for political purposes falls within the authority of the court to determine and not this office.” That was patent nonsense and a chickenshit move clearly undertaken to avoid a clash with the DOJ over its high-profile, low-experience superstar.  But Halligan is no longer employed with the DOJ, so the watchdog group <a href="https://campaignforaccountability.org/watchdog-renews-lindsey-halligan-bar-complaint-following-court-rulings/" target="_blank">renewed</a> its complaint in both Florida and Virginia. And in a surprise twist, the Florida Bar <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/27773054-cfa-florida-bar-response-lindsey-halligan-complaint/#document/p1" target="_blank">wrote back</a>! It’s the briefest letter possible, but oh, does it say a lot.  “We are aware of these developments and have been monitoring them closely. We already have an investigation pending,” it stated. <figure class="image-captioned align-left"><img alt="Attorney General Pam Bondi listens as President Donald Trump speaks at an event on addiction recovery in the Oval Office of the White House, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Allison Robbert)" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1526140/large/AP26029818771113.jpg?1770832154" title="Attorney General Pam Bondi listens as President Donald Trump speaks at an event on addiction recovery in the Oval Office of the White House, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Allison Robbert)"> <figcaption>Attorney General Pam Bondi has been hard at work trying to shield former and current DOJ attorneys from facing any consequences. </figcaption> </figure> Halligan had very little legal experience that made her in any way qualified for the U.S. attorney gig, but she has been admitted to the Florida Bar since 2013, where she practiced regularly. So she’s well aware that having an open ethics investigation into your conduct is less than great. But now we know why Attorney General Pam Bondi <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/4/2371669/-Pam-Bondi-moves-to-make-DOJ-attorneys-even-less-accountable" target="_blank">slid a new proposed rule</a> into the Federal Register earlier this week, basically attempting to block state bars from investigating or disciplining current and former DOJ attorneys. This isn’t just Bondi trying to do Halligan or any of the DOJ’s other departed misfits a solid by protecting them from discipline after they’re gone. What Bondi is worried about—and rightly so—is that investigations by the bar are just that: investigations.  In order to figure out if Halligan broke any ethical rules, the bar would have to dig into what actually happened, which would involve a deep dive into the whole grand jury mess—which would also include an inquiry into Bondi’s own role. This administration has done everything in its power to shield its worst actors from facing any consequences. But it turns out it that can’t last forever.  rss@dailykos.com (Lisa Needham) Courts DOJ DonaldTrump Florida LindseyHalligan PamBondi Virginia _2371861 Fri, 06 Mar 2026 16:00:10 +0000 Room Temp: War, grifters, and the Epstein problem https://www.dailykos.com/story/2026/3/6/2371844/-Room-Temp-War-grifters-and-the-Epstein-problem?pm_campaign=blog&pm_medium=rss&pm_source= Yo, everyone—I have a podcast again, this time with comedian Janesh Rahlan, who is really, really funny:  <div class="dk-editor-embed embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9 center-block"> <div class="remove-embed-content">x</div> <div class="dk-editor-embed embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9 center-block"> <div class="remove-embed-content"><a class="new_iframe_placeholder" href="#">x</a></div> <a class="iframe_placeholder youtube dk-embed" href="//youtube.com/watch?v=IRmfQk80jtI" data-frameborder="0" data-height="281" data-src="//www.youtube.com/embed/IRmfQk80jtI" data-width="500">YouTube Video</a></div> </div> In this week’s episode, we talk about Iran, of course, and about how the right-wing influencer world is losing their minds over it. We also dug into this factoid, earthed <a href="https://x.com/axios/status/2028443881662980316" target="_blank">by Axios</a>: “No president in the modern era has ordered more military strikes against as many different countries as Donald Trump. He's attacked 7 nations, three of which had never been targeted by U.S. military strikes. He authorized more individual air strikes in 2025 than Biden did in four years.” People really believed Trump in 2024 when he said he was the “candidate of peace,” and that it was Kamala Harris who would start a war with Iran. The deplorable base? They will never abandon their cult leader. But like much of what Trump does, it’s whittling away at his support, and it will all culminate in a November reckoning. You can watch the full episode here, or listen at your favorite podcast platform, links below.  <div class="dk-editor-embed embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9 center-block"> <div class="remove-embed-content">x</div> <div class="dk-editor-embed embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9 center-block"> <div class="remove-embed-content"><a class="new_iframe_placeholder" href="#">x</a></div> <a class="iframe_placeholder youtube dk-embed" href="//youtube.com/watch?v=YFJ8oUH_7LA" data-frameborder="0" data-height="281" data-src="//www.youtube.com/embed/YFJ8oUH_7LA" data-width="500">YouTube Video</a></div> </div> Do me a favor and subscribe to “Room Temp” on your favorite platform: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpMojy2NAgk&list=PLo9budFDfA8nLaWUVxCxID2MG4keLjgF0" target="_blank">YouTube</a>,<a href="https://url495.podbean.com/ls/click?upn=u001.CkJmcYn3xoD5o07JBKmK5nw3Fqu2DUTEWnmQssQ8BAdsjxfLUXxCY4q3nsXq97xdaWNeaM6cmlqF-2BIy-2FObvOR6IEStDgv-2BZwxdK4RHGDlnO2PpvO3UOoRVf-2FxIYr82q1RLJPjMV0W-2BmDEVUawpmo04Jg-2FaXVQM7xp-2BcXnge1OQ-2Fw2ahubUMVQczS3GoI7PhXjgfw_hNE-2BLadtnHYnCe5kpBX3fiuRZi90kfI0p1g5-2BKAKNrfm9HhHTSrXHR2NvYF5dxIzF8h7lSVp9mS-2Ba5b0mOdkB0KlAqvieDjENco7NGvG8Td9PkKNt7dpP3bbG-2BDqfQYAAD9HdAls-2FlyP1bk39WvAKsSLpWB0BUUCV-2BpKIjeUxyW-2F1zbg4UnQ9rqSK7yG-2FxuKSbKrIj99c3hlJchdXAzDiLvB-2B7E5Y1jb-2F-2BqL7g-2Fyb-2FQYlj7uAO9YXmfAoHFT97A8iq4XswsOILS-2B1g7GgYlKrA-3D-3D" target="_blank"> Apple Music</a>,<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/3TPBA6XITIbE7qkz9BjAfl" target="_blank"> Spotify</a>, <a href="https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8ba57e12-babd-43d3-a167-80f9733cf45a" target="_blank">Amazon Music</a>, or<a href="https://linktr.ee/roomtemppodcast" target="_blank"> wherever you get your podcasts</a>. You can follow Janesh at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/janeshrahlan/" target="_blank">his Instagram</a>. rss@dailykos.com (kos) DailyKos DonaldTrump Iran JaneshRahlan MarkosMoulitsas Podcast RoomTemp _2371844 Fri, 06 Mar 2026 15:30:09 +0000 Leaked GOP group chat pushes extreme racism https://www.dailykos.com/story/2026/3/6/2371829/-Leaked-GOP-group-chat-pushes-extreme-racism?pm_campaign=blog&pm_medium=rss&pm_source= Remember last fall when a group chat of Young Republicans leaders leaked, revealing their use of a breathtaking<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/10/15/2348617/-Young-Republicans-leaked-chats-reflect-Trump-s-racist-influence" title="" target="_blank"> array of slurs</a>? If you thought that embarrassing event would stop other conservatives from starting their own bigoted group chats, you were wrong. Enter <a href="https://floridapolitics.com/archives/783592-bipartisan-calls-for-accountability-mount-after-racist-antisemitic-miami-dade-gop-chat-revealed/" title="" target="_blank">Abel Alexander Carvajal</a>, the secretary of Miami-Dade County’s Republican Party. That very same fall, he <a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/article314928484.html" target="_blank">started</a> a group chat for conservative students at Florida International University, according to the Miami Herald, which obtained leaked texts from the WhatsApp chat. In less than three weeks, it was overrun with racist, antisemitic, and homophobic slurs, including reportedly over 400 uses of the N-word and its variations. While the chat did have FIU students in it, its members weren’t random young conservatives with no standing in the Republican community in Florida. Besides being started by the county party’s secretary, it reportedly included the head of FIU’s Turning Point USA chapter, Ian Valdes, as well as the former recruitment chair of the College Republicans, Dariel Gonzalez. <figure class="image-captioned width-xl align-right"><img alt="A cartoon by Clay Bennett." class="width-xl" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1263736/large/cbe240114c.jpg?1705072934" title="A cartoon by Clay Bennett."> <figcaption></figcaption> </figure> Valdes offered such deeply racist thoughts as: “We need to have a moratorium on immigration temporarily unless it’s someone from a first world country. … Yeah I obviously mean whites.” Valdes also changed the group chat name from “Uber-[r-word] Yapping” to “Gooning in Agartha.” Those not extremely online probably don’t know what “gooning” means: It’s slang for extended periods of often compulsive male masturbation. But the real problem with that name is “<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/2026/01/agartha-memes-youth-internet-nazi/685718/" target="_blank">Agartha</a>,” a mythical Aryan civilization and a fable so beloved by Nazi commander Heinrich Himmler that he reportedly wasted money trying to find it in Tibet.  Edgy young right-wingers have glommed onto this racist Atlantis idea, and naming your chat after it is a clear signal you are a straight-up Nazi. FIU says it is<a href="https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/breaking-fiu-probes-alleged-racist-antisemitic-chat-tied-to-turning-point-usa-40529008/" title="" target="_blank"> investigating</a>, and perhaps that’s because one of the chat’s heavy users, William Bejerano, who tried to start <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20250502162238/https://studentsforlife.org/2025/05/02/free-speech-frozen-at-floridas-miami-dade-college-student-speaks-out-and-takes-action/" title="" target="_blank">a chapter of Students for Life</a> at Miami Dade College, reportedly called for extreme violence against Black people, including crucifixions and dissections. That seemingly didn’t elicit pushback from his fellow chatters, though Gonzalez mustered just an insult, saying, “How edgy.” Of course, Florida Republicans, like María Elvira Salazar, are <a href="https://floridapolitics.com/archives/783592-bipartisan-calls-for-accountability-mount-after-racist-antisemitic-miami-dade-gop-chat-revealed/" target="_blank">denouncing</a> this, with a lot of this-has-no-place-in-our-society<a href="https://www.wlrn.org/government-politics/2026-03-05/miami-republicans-denounce-local-gop-groups-racist-whatsapp-conversations" target="_blank"> language</a>. The only trouble is, their political party is the main reason this awful stuff still plagues our society. The U.S. president is a white nationalist. His administration is primarily focused on abusing immigrants of color. The Department of Homeland Security has<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/2/12/2368321/-Meet-the-baby-faced-bigot-behind-Homeland-Security-s-icky-social-media" target="_blank"> turned</a> its social media accounts into Nazi-friendly meme factories run by 21-year-olds.  This is exactly who these people are. They are just sad that more of them got caught. rss@dailykos.com (Lisa Needham) Florida GOP _2371829 Fri, 06 Mar 2026 14:30:09 +0000 Blue states push to ban ICE at the polls amid federal voter intimidation fears https://www.dailykos.com/story/2026/3/6/2371787/-Blue-states-push-to-ban-ICE-at-the-polls-amid-federal-voter-intimidation-fears?pm_campaign=blog&pm_medium=rss&pm_source= The U.S. Department of Homeland Security says it has no plans to target voting locations. By <a href="https://stateline.org/author/jshorman/" target="_blank" title="">Jonathan Shorman</a> for <a href="https://stateline.org/2026/03/05/blue-states-push-to-ban-ice-at-the-polls-amid-federal-voter-intimidation-fears/" target="_blank" title="">Stateline</a> <hr> Several Democratic states are moving to bar federal immigration agents from being near polling places and other election sites, amid persistent worries that President Donald Trump will use federal law enforcement or the military to disrupt the midterm elections. Measures to restrict federal agents from operating at or near election-related locations have been offered in more than half a dozen states, according to a Stateline count. While the proposals vary, they broadly seek to combat the prospect of chaotic confrontations between federal agents and voters this November. A federal law dating to the end of the Civil War already bans sending the military or other “armed men” to polling places, except to repel armed enemies of the United States. The U.S. Constitution also gives states — not the president or federal government — the responsibility for running elections. But Trump’s calls to nationalize elections, his promise to impose voting restrictions with or without Congress, and his history of working to overturn the 2020 presidential election is prompting some Democratic state lawmakers to act. Adding to lawmakers’ fears is the FBI’s January seizure of ballots from the 2020 election in Fulton County, Georgia, and U.S. Department of Justice lawsuits against dozens of states for copies of their voter rolls that include sensitive personal information. <hr> Related | <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/2/16/2368949/-What-meetings-among-trump-lawyers-reveal-about-the-FBI-s-seizure-of-election-records-in-Georgia" target="_blank">What meetings among trump lawyers reveal about the FBI's seizure of election records in Georgia</a> <hr> The president’s party typically loses ground in Congress in midterm elections. Given that, Democrats fear Trump is laying the groundwork to block or cast doubt on a losing outcome. “When the president says he’s going to break the law, I actually believe him,” said California state Sen. Tom Umberg, a Democrat who has introduced legislation that would prohibit federal immigration enforcement within 200 feet of polling places. He said Trump’s call to “nationalize” elections was the “triggering event” that prompted him to offer the bill. Legislation to restrict immigration enforcement or the presence of federal forces near polling places and other election sites has been offered or announced in California, Connecticut, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia and Washington. A bill has also been introduced in Kansas, which has a Democratic governor, but the measure is unlikely to pass in the Republican-controlled legislature. The bills focus on immigration enforcement, but the New Mexico legislation would go further, prohibiting the military or any armed federal personnel from polling locations. The Trump administration and its supporters have suggested that the president might order U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, to the polls. After former Trump adviser Steve Bannon in early February said ICE will surround polling places, White House press secretary Karolina Leavitt said she couldn’t guarantee an ICE agent wouldn’t be near a polling place. <hr> Related | <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/2/18/2369290/-ICE-violence-is-up-over-290-under-Trump" title="" target="_blank">ICE violence is up over 290% under Trump</a> <hr> Trump allies have also circulated a draft executive order that Trump could sign declaring a national emergency and attempting to assert broad powers over elections, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/02/26/trump-elections-executive-order-activists/" target="_blank">The Washington Post reported</a> last week. Trump told reporters on Friday that he had never heard of the draft order. But during a conference call last week for election officials from across the country, the Department of Homeland Security committed to not placing ICE agents at any polling places in 2026, according to both Republican and Democratic secretaries of state who were on the call. Homeland Security told Stateline in a statement that ICE isn’t planning operations “targeting” polling places, but could arrest individuals if an active public safety threat endangered a polling location. “There’s no reason for us to deploy to a polling facility,” ICE’s current leader, Todd Lyons, told Congress in February. <figure class="image-captioned width-xl align-right"><img alt="Todd Lyons, acting director of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) testifies during a House Committee on Homeland Security oversight hearing of the Department of Homeland Security: ICE CBP and USCIS, on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Tom Brenner)" class="width-xl" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1525942/large/AP26041589382292.jpg?1770756679" title="Todd Lyons, acting director of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) testifies during a House Committee on Homeland Security oversight hearing of the Department of Homeland Security: ICE CBP and USCIS, on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Tom Brenner)"> <figcaption>Todd Lyons, acting ICE director, testifies on Capitol Hill on Feb. 10.</figcaption> </figure> Democratic state lawmakers calling for election-related restrictions on ICE in state law say they don’t want to take any chances. “I think this is just prudent, wise policy to do what we all know is right, which is to protect polling places,” said Virginia Democratic state Del. Katrina Callsen, the chief sponsor of a bill that would prohibit federal civil immigration enforcement within 40 feet of polling places and voting counting sites. The New Mexico legislature in February passed a measure that largely mirrors restrictions in federal law against armed federal personnel at polling places. The bill is now before Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. The bill says officials generally cannot order or bring troops or other armed federal agents to polling places or parking areas for polling places beginning 28 days before Election Day, when early in-person voting begins. It also would prohibit officials from changing who is qualified to vote contrary to New Mexico law or from imposing election rules that conflict with state law. Violators would be guilty of a felony. New Mexico lawmakers offered the legislation the day after Trump’s initial remarks about wanting to nationalize elections. New Mexico Democratic state Sen. Katy Duhigg, the bill’s lead sponsor, said she wanted a measure that wouldn’t run into issues with the U.S. Constitution’s supremacy clause, which says federal law supersedes state law. “I think a lot of states, frankly, are trying to figure out what to do right now,” Duhigg said, adding that courts will likely be asked to sort through new state-level limits on federal forces. “This seems like a reasonable approach to try.” <h3>Republican lawmakers opposed</h3> Some Republican state lawmakers are dismissive of the Democratic measures, casting them as unnecessary. “I just cannot imagine the president, as much as you might dislike him, ordering federal troops to seize New Mexico elections by armed force,” New Mexico Republican state Sen. William Sharer, the minority leader, said during debate. Sharer didn’t respond to an interview request from Stateline. In Washington state, one bill would require local election officials to block anyone from accessing areas where ballots are processed or counted for the purposes of immigration enforcement. Law enforcement could be allowed access with a judicial warrant or court order, however. Washington state Rep. Jim Walsh, a Republican who also chairs the state party, characterized the proposal as “fearmongering” and a solution in search of a problem — unless its supporters acknowledge that people in the country illegally are voting. And he claims Washington doesn’t have the authority to legally bar ICE from areas of an election office. Washington Democratic state Sen. Drew Hansen, the bill’s lead sponsor, said election workers counting ballots deserve to be able to perform their task without interference from federal immigration authorities. Hansen noted that ICE “does not have a perfect track record, to say the least, of only detaining extremely dangerous, violent noncitizens.” More than 170 U.S. citizens have been held by immigration agents during Trump’s second term, <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/immigration-dhs-american-citizens-arrested-detained-against-will" target="_blank" title="">ProPublica reported</a> in October. A December report by Democrats on the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations identified at least seven U.S. citizens who were held for more than 24 hours. In Arizona, some Republicans want to encourage an ICE presence at the polls. In February, Republican state Sen. Jake Hoffman offered a bill that would require counties to sign an agreement with ICE to provide a federal law enforcement presence at polling places. Hoffman didn’t respond to an interview request from Stateline. A scheduled committee hearing on the measure was canceled in February, likely killing the bill. Still, the underlying proposal could be resurrected, <a href="https://azmirror.com/2026/02/20/arizonas-ice-at-polls-bill-is-dead-for-now-but-backers-can-revive-it/" target="_blank" title="">Arizona Mirror reported</a>. “Arizonans deserve to know that election laws are not just written in statute but actually enforced in practice,” Hoffman said in a news release. <hr> Related | <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/10/18/2349104/-Immigration-agents-have-held-more-than-170-Americans-against-their-will-ProPublica-finds" title="" target="_blank">Immigration agents have held more than 170 Americans against their will, ProPublica finds</a> <hr> Existing federal laws against federal election interference are specific and straightforward, said Sean Morales-Doyle, director of the Voting Rights and Elections program at the left-leaning Brennan Center for Justice at New York University. States such as Arizona don’t get a “free pass” to violate federal law, either, he said. Options exist to hold people accountable under federal law, Morales-Doyle said. If ICE agents deployed to polling places, federal prosecutors would have five years to bring charges against ICE personnel under the statute of limitations. While the Justice Department under the Trump administration would be unlikely to bring charges, he noted, the time limit extends into the next presidential administration. Still, Morales-Doyle said he understands why people are skeptical, given how ICE and other elements of the Trump administration have behaved. “So it is, I think, important to think about what state legal mechanisms there are for holding people accountable,” he said. <h3>Local enforcement</h3> Some of the state legislative proposals would place local election workers on the front lines of resisting federal interference. The Washington state measure would instruct multiple election workers, when possible, to document incidents in which they deny permission to enter areas that are off limits to immigration enforcement. The New Mexico bill would allow county clerks and voters who experienced intimidation to sue over alleged violations, in addition to state officials. The California legislation goes perhaps the furthest in empowering local election officials. It would allow county election officials to keep polls open if they determine that voting was disrupted because of violations of a ban on federal immigration enforcement nearby. Some local election officials appear hesitant to discuss the proposals and whether they are preparing for the possibility of federal interference. The president of the California Association of County Clerks and Elected Officials and the clerks chair of New Mexico Counties, a statewide advocacy group for county officials, didn’t respond to requests for interviews. The Washington State Association of County Auditors declined to comment. <figure class="image-captioned width-xl align-right"><img alt="Cartoon by Mike Luckovich" class="width-xl" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1516921/large/lk010926dAPR.jpg?1768242986" title="Cartoon by Mike Luckovich"> <figcaption></figcaption> </figure> More broadly, other election officials have said the possibility of federal interference is informing their preparations for the midterm elections. Scott McDonell, the Democratic clerk of Dane County, Wisconsin, which includes Madison, told Stateline in February that while Trump’s desire to “nationalize” elections isn’t possible under the Constitution, he is paying attention to agencies that answer to Trump. “What does the president actually control? The FBI, National Guard, ICE, DOJ in general. That’s far more concerning,” McDonell said. (State national guards can be federalized by the president.) Barbara Richardson Crouch, the Republican registrar of voters in the Town of Sprague, Connecticut, said she prefers no law enforcement at polling places — whether local, state or federal. In Connecticut, legislators plan to offer a measure to restrict federal immigration enforcement within 250 feet of a polling place or other election site. Crouch, who has been involved in election administration for nearly two decades, said she has long dealt with concerns surrounding law enforcement at voting sites, but that those fears in the past centered on state and local police. Crouch said a state trooper typically comes through her polling place in the early morning as election workers are setting up, and then again when polls close. Law enforcement is on call, but Crouch said she believes that if someone sees law enforcement, it sends a message that the area isn’t safe. “I personally have never liked police at election places, even local police,” Crouch said. rss@dailykos.com (Stateline) Elections HomelandSecurity ICE Voting _2371787 Fri, 06 Mar 2026 14:00:05 +0000 Cartoon: Truth from Tillis https://www.dailykos.com/story/2026/3/6/2371845/-Cartoon-Truth-from-Tillis?pm_campaign=blog&pm_medium=rss&pm_source= A cartoon by Jack Ohman. <hr> Related | <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/5/2371788/-Kristi-Noem-commits-Trump-s-one-unforgivable-sin" target="_blank">Kristi Noem fired</a> <hr> rss@dailykos.com (Jack Ohman) Cartoon DepartmentofHomelandSecurity DonaldTrump JackOhman KRISTINOEM ThomTillis _2371845 Fri, 06 Mar 2026 13:30:06 +0000 Cosplay queen Noem’s reign is over—and everyone’s rejoicing https://www.dailykos.com/story/2026/3/5/2371832/-Cosplay-queen-Noem-s-reign-is-over-and-everyone-s-rejoicing?pm_campaign=blog&pm_medium=rss&pm_source= If you haven’t already heard, puppy killer Kristi Noem <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/5/2371788/-Kristi-Noem-commits-Trump-s-one-unforgivable-sin" target="_blank" title="">has been fired</a> from her position as Homeland Security secretary.  Noem was an easily identifiable villain, epitomizing the corruption and cruelty of the entire Trump enterprise. And that reputation was <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/3/2371433/-Everyone-s-pissed-at-Kristi-Noem" target="_blank" title="">on full display</a> during her <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/4/2371663/-Noem-torn-apart-at-hearing-Your-ICE-agents-shot-them-in-the-face" target="_blank">appearances</a> before congressional committees this week. Now people from across the political spectrum are celebrating her ouster. <figure class="image-captioned"><img alt="" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1532748/original/Screenshot2026-03-05at12.14.58PM.png"> <figcaption>A screenshot of a post captioned, “Justice for Cricket!,” from California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Press Office, featuring an AI-generated image of a smiling puppy holding a newspaper that reads, “Trump fires Kristi Noem.”</figcaption> </figure> Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/govpritzker.illinois.gov/post/3mgdiung2uk2n" target="_blank">released</a> a video statement, succinctly detailing Noem’s legacy at the top of the Department of Homeland Security. “Now that you’re gone, don't think you get to just walk away,” Pritzker said. “I guarantee you, you will still be held accountable.” <div class="dk-editor-embed center-block" data-bluesky-content="&lt;blockquote class="bluesky-embed" data-bluesky-uri="at://did:plc:khkaorxvl6o5xvmzmuxn2rl5/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgdiung2uk2n" data-bluesky-cid="bafyreia7vaanxzb3ei3cztbdz46vbzcbzys2z65erqljy2qsmh3a5ibani"&gt;&lt;p lang="en"&gt;Don’t let the door hit you on the way out, Kristi Noem.&lt;/p&gt;&amp;mdash; &lt;a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:khkaorxvl6o5xvmzmuxn2rl5?ref_src=embed"&gt;Governor JB Pritzker (@govpritzker.illinois.gov)&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:khkaorxvl6o5xvmzmuxn2rl5/post/3mgdiung2uk2n?ref_src=embed"&gt;2026-03-05T19:11:46.738Z&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;script async src="https://embed.bsky.app/static/embed.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;"><div class="remove-embed-content">x</div><blockquote class="bluesky-embed" data-bluesky-uri="at://did:plc:khkaorxvl6o5xvmzmuxn2rl5/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgdiung2uk2n" data-bluesky-cid="bafyreia7vaanxzb3ei3cztbdz46vbzcbzys2z65erqljy2qsmh3a5ibani">Don’t let the door hit you on the way out, Kristi Noem.— <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:khkaorxvl6o5xvmzmuxn2rl5?ref_src=embed" target="_blank">Governor JB Pritzker (@govpritzker.illinois.gov)</a> <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:khkaorxvl6o5xvmzmuxn2rl5/post/3mgdiung2uk2n?ref_src=embed" target="_blank">2026-03-05T19:11:46.738Z</a></blockquote></div> Similarly, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz called out Noem for doing “a stunning amount of damage.” “It’s good she’s gone,” he <a href="https://x.com/GovTimWalz/status/2029642594825748501" target="_blank">wrote on X</a>. “But this doesn’t change the fact that we need a complete overhaul of DHS, impartial investigations into the killings of two American citizens, and information on children that were taken from Minnesota.” <figure class="image-captioned align-right"><img alt="Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, right, participates in a ship assault demonstration on board the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Elm with the Maritime Security Response Team, Sunday, March 16, 2025, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1412507/large/AP25075760110262.jpg?1742851328" title="Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, right, participates in a ship assault demonstration on board the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Elm with the Maritime Security Response Team, Sunday, March 16, 2025, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)"> <figcaption>Kristi Noem during one of her many cosplay adventures, seen here dressed as a member of the U.S. Coast Guard.</figcaption> </figure> And leave it to right-wing media pundit Tomi Lahren to bring a touch of the GOP’s signature sexism to Noem’s send-off.  “Kristi Noem made the job about her, her hair, her makeup, her outfits, her vanity. It was a giant distraction from the mission,” Lahren <a href="https://x.com/TomiLahren/status/2029631409032134936" target="_blank">wrote on X</a>. “She did the same sh*t as governor of South Dakota. Once the cameras turned on she forgot about the people and went on a personal PR mission. Not cute. Good riddance and hide your dogs.” Former GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois <a href="https://x.com/AdamKinzinger/status/2029645786707853493?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet" target="_blank">released a video</a> saying that Noem should have been fired “a long time ago.” <div class="dk-editor-embed center-block" data-twitter-content="&lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;&lt;p lang="ht" dir="ltr"&gt;Bye Felecia&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Noem out &lt;a href="https://t.co/WQjN1hzMUP"&gt;pic.twitter.com/WQjN1hzMUP&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&amp;mdash; Adam Kinzinger (Slava Ukraini) 🇺🇸🇺🇦 (@AdamKinzinger) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/AdamKinzinger/status/2029645786707853493?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;March 5, 2026&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt; "><div class="remove-embed-content">x</div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Bye Felecia Noem out <a href="https://t.co/WQjN1hzMUP">pic.twitter.com/WQjN1hzMUP</a>— Adam Kinzinger (Slava Ukraini) 🇺🇸🇺🇦 (@AdamKinzinger) <a href="https://twitter.com/AdamKinzinger/status/2029645786707853493?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2026</a></blockquote> </div> Meanwhile, the Democratic National Committee’s official X account was quick to <a href="https://x.com/TheDemocrats/status/2029624627459191292" target="_blank">put out a reminder</a> of some of Noem’s egregious luxury spending, which <a href="https://x.com/HouseDemocrats/status/2029635496725426673" target="_blank">House Democrats</a> called her out on during a hearing Wednesday. <div class="dk-editor-embed embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9 center-block"> <div class="remove-embed-content">x</div> <div class="dk-editor-embed embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9 center-block"> <div class="remove-embed-content"><a class="new_iframe_placeholder" href="#">x</a></div> <a class="iframe_placeholder youtube dk-embed" href="//youtube.com/watch?v=PqeFcZBUv-c" data-frameborder="0" data-height="281" data-src="//www.youtube.com/embed/PqeFcZBUv-c" data-width="500">YouTube Video</a></div> </div> Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/wyden.senate.gov/post/3mgdivc4oxs2n" target="_blank">wrote on Bluesky</a>, “Turns out lawlessness is not a winning strategy. See you at Nuremberg 2.0.” And GOP Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina—who <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/3/2371433/-Everyone-s-pissed-at-Kristi-Noem" target="_blank">hasn’t been shy</a> about calling out Noem—did a victory lap of his own  by celebrating her replacement, the <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/12/16/2358720/-Nation-s-dumbest-senator-is-back-with-a-new-head-scratcher" target="_blank" title="">nation’s dumbest senator</a> Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma. <figure class="image-captioned align-left"><img alt="Cartoon by Clay Jones" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1527942/large/CjonesRGB02152026.jpg?1771348291" title="Cartoon by Clay Jones"> <figcaption>A cartoon by Clay Jones.</figcaption> </figure> “Senator Markwayne Mullin is a great guy and a great choice to lead DHS, restore competence, and refocus efforts on quickly distributing disaster aid, keeping the border secure, and targeting violent illegal immigrants for deportation,” he <a href="https://x.com/SenThomTillis/status/2029642281997770948" target="_blank">wrote on X</a>. “Another big positive: he likes dogs.” Democratic Rep. Jared Moskowitz of Florida took a humorous approach, <a href="https://x.com/JaredEMoskowitz/status/2029633287296077937" target="_blank" title="">sharing a clip</a> from “The Apprentice” with the caption, “Kristi, you’re fired!” And Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota <a href="https://x.com/IlhanMN/status/2029639333561397508" target="_blank">clearly approved</a>. <hr> Related | <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/5/2371788/-Kristi-Noem-commits-Trump-s-one-unforgivable-sin" target="_blank">Kristi Noem fired</a> <hr> In addition to celebrating the news of Noem’s firing, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries made it clear that we shouldn’t stop there. “Kristi Noem is gone. Pam Bondi is next. Keep the pressure on these extremists,” he <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/hakeem-jeffries.bsky.social/post/3mgdihfpfw222" target="_blank">wrote on Bluesky</a>. But retired Air Force Colonel Moe Davis might have <a href="https://x.com/ColMoeDavis/status/2029634805315285416" target="_blank">said it best</a>: “Firing Kristi Noem and replacing her with Markwayne Mullin is like shitting your pants and running home to change your shirt.” rss@dailykos.com (Walter Einenkel) DonaldTrump Immigration KRISTINOEM _2371832 Fri, 06 Mar 2026 01:01:08 +0000 The Recap: Kristi Noem gets canned, and RFK Jr. wants nobody to run on Dunkin’ https://www.dailykos.com/story/2026/3/5/2371836/-The-Recap-Kristi-Noem-gets-canned-and-RFK-Jr-wants-nobody-to-run-on-Dunkin?pm_campaign=blog&pm_medium=rss&pm_source= A daily roundup of the best stories and cartoons by Daily Kos staff and contributors to keep you in the know. <hr> <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/5/2371788/-Kristi-Noem-commits-Trump-s-one-unforgivable-sin?pm_source=ICYMI&pm_campaign=ICYMI03052026" target="_blank">Kristi Noem fired</a> Couldn’t have happened to a worse person. <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/5/2371687/-The-peace-president-can-t-stop-starting-wars?pm_source=ICYMI&pm_campaign=ICYMI03052026" title="" target="_blank">The ‘peace’ president can’t stop starting wars</a> What better time to launch a war than in the middle of another war? <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/5/2371767/-Ken-Paxton-doubles-down-adding-to-GOP-s-Texas-fears?pm_source=ICYMI&pm_campaign=ICYMI03052026" title="" target="_blank">Ken Paxton doubles down, adding to GOP's Texas fears</a> Let them fight. <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/5/2371655/-Daily-Kos-endorses-James-Talarico-for-US-Senate-in-Texas?pm_source=ICYMI&pm_campaign=ICYMI03052026" title="" target="_blank">Daily Kos endorses James Talarico for US Senate in Texas</a> Is this the year we finally flip the Lone Star State? <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/5/2371639/-RFK-Jr-s-newest-nemesis-Iced-coffee?pm_source=ICYMI&pm_campaign=ICYMI03052026" title="" target="_blank">RFK Jr.'s newest nemesis: Iced coffee</a> America famously hates sugar, so this should be an easy victory for Secretary Brain Worm. <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/5/2371498/-Cartoon-Plan-What-plan?pm_source=ICYMI&pm_campaign=ICYMI03052026" title="" target="_blank">Cartoon: Plan? What plan?</a> Trump is no Slim Pickens. <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/5/2371771/-DOJ-fails-to-make-up-a-case-against-Biden-failing-Trump-s-demands?pm_source=ICYMI&pm_campaign=ICYMI03052026" title="" target="_blank">DOJ drops the ball(point) in making up case against Biden</a> Trump won’t be happy about this one. <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/5/2371772/-Republican-senator-pulls-some-sh-t-by-anointing-his-successor?pm_source=ICYMI&pm_campaign=ICYMI03052026" title="" target="_blank">Republican senator pulls some sh-t by anointing his successor</a> Democracy hates this one weird trick. <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/blog/Comics?pm_source=ICYMI&pm_campaign=ICYMI03052026" title="" target="_blank">Click here to see more cartoons.</a> rss@dailykos.com (Daily Kos Staff) Iran KenPaxton KRISTINOEM RFKJr TheRecap _2371836 Thu, 05 Mar 2026 20:34:56 +0000 Cartoon: They're genetic https://www.dailykos.com/story/2026/3/5/2371692/-Cartoon-They-re-genetic?pm_campaign=blog&pm_medium=rss&pm_source= A cartoon by Mike Luckovich. <hr> Related | <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/3/2371473/-Trump-started-a-war-without-a-plan" title="" target="_blank">Trump started a war without a plan</a> <hr> rss@dailykos.com (Mike Luckovich) BarronTrump Cartoon DonaldTrump Draft Iran MikeLuckovich War _2371692 Fri, 06 Mar 2026 00:59:06 +0000 ICE reportedly shutters facility plagued by homicide allegations https://www.dailykos.com/story/2026/3/5/2371838/-ICE-reportedly-shutters-facility-plagued-by-homicide-allegations?pm_campaign=blog&pm_medium=rss&pm_source= Camp East Montana in El Paso, Texas, acquired a nasty reputation in the mere eight months it's been open. Since July of last year, three detainees have died within the massive facility. Now the Trump administration is reportedly shuttering its operations. In January, a Cuban immigrant’s death was later <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/cuban-immigrant-in-ice-custody-died-of-homicide-due-to-asphyxia-autopsy-finds" title="" target="_blank">ruled a homicide</a> by asphyxiation. According to the autopsy, agents held the 55-year-old man down with one of the workers placing his arm around the father of four’s neck until he lost consciousness. In the same month, a 36-year-old<a href="https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/ice-reports-death-illegal-alien-custody-el-paso" title="" target="_blank"> died of a “presumed” suicide</a>.  <figure class="image-captioned width-xl align-right"><img alt="Protesters gather outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement regional field office, Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, in Burlington, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)" class="width-xl" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1478936/large/AP25259596965764.jpg?1758054453" title="Protesters gather outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement regional field office, Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, in Burlington, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)"> <figcaption>Protesters gather outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement regional field office, on Sept. 16, 2025, in Burlington, Massachusetts. </figcaption> </figure> A month prior, a 48-year-old man was rushed to the hospital where he died of <a href="https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/illegal-alien-guatemala-ice-custody-dies-local-hospital-suspected-natural-causes" title="" target="_blank">reported liver and kidney failure</a>.  But the tent facility, still in the process of being built with a projected end date in 2027, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/2026/03/04/trump-administration-closes-fort-bliss-detention-center/" target="_blank">according to the Washington Post</a>, had reported issues of food shortages and lack of medical care as well. The outlet’s investigation found that, from an internal report, that the facility violated over 60 federal standards for immigrant detention. This is hardly a win for human rights, however, given ICE facilities across the nation have a laundry list of abuse accusations as well. Even more reports are coming out about the <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/2/27/2370729/-911-calls-reveal-brutal-condition-for-kids-at-Trump-s-detention-centers" title="" target="_blank">egregious conditions</a> immigrant children are enduring at these facilities. Since President Donald Trump took office again and enacted his mass deportation plan, a record number of immigrants have <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2026/jan/04/ice-2025-deaths-timeline" target="_blank">died in ICE custody</a>, marking the highest the U.S. has seen in the past two decades. Nine people have died in 2026 at the time of publication.  <figure class="image-captioned width-xl align-right"><img alt="FILE - Trucks come and go from the "Alligator Alcatraz" immigration detention center in the Florida Everglades, Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025, in Collier County, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File)" class="width-xl" src="https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1485430/large/AP25274466014505.jpg?1759766759" title="FILE - Trucks come and go from the "Alligator Alcatraz" immigration detention center in the Florida Everglades, Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025, in Collier County, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File)"> <figcaption>Trucks leave the "Alligator Alcatraz" immigration detention center in the Florida Everglades, on Aug. 28, 2025, in Collier County, Florida.</figcaption> </figure> And while El Paso’s facility might be closing, Trump’s Big, Beautiful Bill greenlit a whopping <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-02-13/trump-administration-reveals-38-3-billion-ice-detention-plan" target="_blank">$38.3 billion for ICE</a> to throw toward building new processing facilities in the years to come—and they’ve already started.  As <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/2/25/2370439/-Another-GOP-senator-cools-on-ICE-prisons-in-their-own-state" title="" target="_blank">previously reported</a>, Republicans are already pushing back on the Trump administration’s attempt to build ICE facilities in their backyards. The new facilities expected to come in 2026 will complement the already tattered <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/7/14/2333365/-Florida-built-a-black-site-and-other-red-states-are-sure-to-follow" target="_blank">Alligator Alcatraz</a> and Indiana’s “<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/speedway-slammer-indiana-miami-correctional-center-bunker-hill/" title="" target="_blank">Speedway Slammer.</a>” One of the warehouses they’re eyeing is just 15 miles south of Camp East Montana. Then again, facility conditions alone might not be to blame for the lives lost. The culture emanating from the administration’s deportation agenda has cultivated violence, while acting first and asking questions later.From a “<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/2/3/2366418/-Venezuelans-fled-a-violent-paramilitary-only-to-find-Trump-s-version-here" title="" target="_blank">protect the homeland</a>” standpoint, ICE and other federal agents have been masked, armed,<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/10/23/2350052/-Looks-like-ICE-recruits-are-a-hot-mess" title="" target="_blank"> untrained</a>, and positioned as <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/1/2370789/--Skin-color-as-the-enemy-Trump-s-ICE-raids-face-legal-action-in-LA" target="_blank">protectors of dangerous infiltrators.</a> And evidence<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/2/2370799/-Agents-in-ICE-shootings-made-racist-or-sexist-remarks-records-show?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=top_news_slot_11&pm_medium=web" title="" target="_blank"> suggesting a racist mindset</a> behind arrests and altercations makes things even more clear. So while the disastrous facility might be closing its flimsy, half-built doors—more are being built in its place. rss@dailykos.com (Alix Breeden) Deportation ICE Immigration Texas _2371838 Fri, 06 Mar 2026 00:30:03 +0000 House GOP to cheating Republican: You must quit—but not right now https://www.dailykos.com/story/2026/3/5/2371812/-House-GOP-to-cheating-Republican-You-must-quit-but-not-right-now?pm_campaign=blog&pm_medium=rss&pm_source= House GOP leaders on Thursday said that Rep. Tony Gonzales—the Texas Republican who admitted to having an affair with an aide who later died by suicide—should drop his bid for reelection, saying in a wishy-washy <a href="https://x.com/jakesherman/status/2029616526215573545?s=46&t=WxXHwaDpJjk6ZQsNcfuHbQ" title="" target="_blank">statement</a> that Gonzales' conduct is "serious." However, the four Republican leaders—Speaker Mike Johnson, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, and House Republican Conference Chair Lisa McClain—stopped short of calling for Gonzales to resign, saying instead that they asked him “to withdraw from his race for re-election.” Of course, if the leaders thought Gonzales' conduct was so bad that he should not run for reelection, then ostensibly it would also be bad enough that he should not continue to serve in Congress. However, if Gonzales resigned it would <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/2/24/2370196/-House-speaker-protects-skeevy-GOP-lawmaker-to-save-his-majority" title="" target="_blank">narrow</a> the GOP's already minuscule majority even further, making it that much more difficult for Johnson and his lieutenants to pass legislation than it already is. <hr> Related | <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/1/2370585/-Republicans-stoop-lower-than-ever-to-protect-flimsy-House-majority" title="" target="_blank">Republicans stoop lower than ever to protect flimsy House majority</a> <hr> Their call for Gonzales to drop his bid but <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/1/2370585/-Republicans-stoop-lower-than-ever-to-protect-flimsy-House-majority" title="" target="_blank">not leave Congress</a> is the epitome of the leaders trying to have their cake and eat it, too. Gonzales, for his part, admitted on Wednesday that he had an affair with an aide who later self-immolated. His confession came after congressional investigators filed a <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2026/03/04/tony-gonzales-ethics-report-staffer-00812160" target="_blank">report</a> saying they had “substantial reason to believe that Rep. Gonzales engaged in a sexual relationship with an employee of the House of Representatives who was working under his supervision,” which is a violation of House <a href="https://ethics.house.gov/code-of-official-conduct/" target="_blank">rules</a>. "I made a mistake and had a lapse in judgment. It was a lack of faith, and I take full responsibility for those actions," Gonzales <a href="https://x.com/RpsAgainstTrump/status/2029411320676724973" target="_blank">said</a> in an absolutely cringeworthy interview with a right-wing radio host. "Since then, I’ve reconciled with my wife, Angel. I’ve asked God to forgive me, which he has.” <div class="dk-editor-embed center-block" data-twitter-content="&lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;&lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) admits he had an affair with a female staffer who later died by suicide:&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;“I made a mistake and had a lapse in judgment. It was a lack of faith, and I take full responsibility for those actions. Since then, I’ve reconciled with my wife, Angel. I’ve asked… &lt;a href="https://t.co/ZayMkBGYA7"&gt;pic.twitter.com/ZayMkBGYA7&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&amp;mdash; Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/RpsAgainstTrump/status/2029411320676724973?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;March 5, 2026&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt; "><div class="remove-embed-content">x</div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) admits he had an affair with a female staffer who later died by suicide: “I made a mistake and had a lapse in judgment. It was a lack of faith, and I take full responsibility for those actions. Since then, I’ve reconciled with my wife, Angel. I’ve asked… <a href="https://t.co/ZayMkBGYA7">pic.twitter.com/ZayMkBGYA7</a>— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/RpsAgainstTrump/status/2029411320676724973?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2026</a></blockquote> </div> Well in that case … Gonzales still insisted that he is not dropping his reelection bid, which was already in serious peril after he <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/us/elections/results-texas-us-house-23-primary.html" target="_blank">placed second</a> in Tuesday’s primary behind GOP opponent Brandon Herrera, triggering a May 26<a href="https://www.kosu.org/politics/2026-03-04/gop-rep-tony-gonzales-heads-to-a-runoff-in-texas-amid-a-new-ethics-probe-in-the-house" target="_blank"> runoff</a>. “Those that are asking for me not to do my job are the ones that want to see the Republicans fail here in Congress. There’s no time," Gonzales <a href="https://x.com/birenbomb/status/2029377379999597015" target="_blank">said</a>, adding that he felt confident he'd win the runoff. Herrera, a gun rights nut who has made <a href="https://www.expressnews.com/politics/article/brandon-herrera-ak-guy-congress-19381040.php" title="" target="_blank">disgusting comments about the Holocaust</a>, praised Republican leaders for calling on Gonzales to step aside. <hr> Related | <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/2/24/2370196/-House-speaker-protects-skeevy-GOP-lawmaker-to-save-his-majority" target="_blank" title="">House speaker protects skeevy GOP lawmaker to save his majority</a> <hr> "I would like to thank Speaker Johnson and House leadership for holding Congressman Tony Gonzales accountable for actions that have tarnished the office," Herrera<a href="https://x.com/TheAKGuy/status/2029621292937212053" target="_blank"> wrote</a> in a post on X. "I’m looking forward to representing the district the way the people of West Texas have always deserved. Lets get to work." However, even some<a href="https://x.com/MZanona/status/2026065632320483539" title="" target="_blank"> Republican lawmakers</a> quickly criticized the speaker and his lieutenants for not forcing Gonzales to leave before his term expires. "Where’s the GOP leadership’s moral conscience? For the sake of our party, advise him to resign," Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky<a href="https://x.com/RepThomasMassie/status/2029620664760483915" target="_blank"> wrote</a> in a post on X. Where, indeed. rss@dailykos.com (Emily Singer) 2026election 2026midterms BrandonHerrera LisaMcClain MikeJohnson SteveScalise Texas ThomasMassie TomEmmer TonyGonzales _2371812 Fri, 06 Mar 2026 00:00:18 +0000