[guest post by Dana]

Let’s go!

First news item

Crimes committed after clemency for their Jan. 6 insurrection convictions:

At least 97 of the more than 1,500 individuals granted clemency by President Trump for their roles in the January 6 Capitol attack have been arrested for, charged with, or convicted of crimes separate from Jan. 6 since their participation in the Jan. 6 riot.

A Lawfare study reveals that almost one in 16 insurrectionists subject to the president’s clemency order has been arrested for and charged with—and in the vast majority of cases convicted of—other crimes, at least some of which were actively enabled by the clemency actions.

The alleged crimes by Jan. 6 defendants since Jan. 6, 2021, run the gamut from relatively low-grade offenses like property damage, possession of drug paraphernalia, and trespassing to serious felonies like grand larceny, stalking, planning to assassinate law enforcement officials and prominent politicians, and defrauding government agencies. One Jan. 6 pardonee was convicted in February 2026 of child molestation and sentenced to life in prison. Another was convicted in 2025 of reckless homicide.

At least 14, meanwhile, have been charged with sex crimes or crimes related to child sexual abuse material (CSAM), and at least six have faced domestic violence charges. Others have faced charges for physical assaults, illegal firearms possession, or other violent crimes. At least 20 have been charged with driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol or drugs or public intoxication.

Second news item

Speaking of Jan. 6 defendants (and a follow-up on yesterday’s post titled Convicted Jan. 6 Rioter Now Working in Highly Sensitive Position at Pentagon):

A recent appointee to a sensitive counterterrorism job in the Defense Department was filmed for more than five minutes during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot as he moved through restricted grounds and climbed through a broken window, holding a metal pole, to enter the U.S. Capitol, according to a Washington Post analysis.

. . .

Post confirmed Irizarry’s presence in five videos by matching them with screenshots or photographs in court filings or with events described in those filings. In two other videos, clothing worn by Irizarry and his companions, and their presence together, made the identification possible. The videos were obtained from social media, a related court case and other sources.

In a statement, acting Pentagon press secretary Joel Valdez said that Irizarry “is a qualified, patriotic young professional, and we are proud to have him as a political appointee.”

Third news item

It should have never taken 20 long years for this to happen:

For the first time in more than two decades, the House of Representatives has approved a major increase in benefits for some of the nation’s most catastrophically disabled veterans.

The House recently passed the Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act, legislation that would increase benefits by roughly $10,000 annually for veterans receiving the highest levels of Special Monthly Compensation while also increasing support for surviving military spouses and families receiving Dependency and Indemnity Compensation, or DIC.

The legislation would provide approximately 7,000 catastrophically disabled veterans nationwide with additional annual support to help offset those care needs.

Fourth news item

Some House members find their missing backbones:

More than a dozen GOP lawmakers defied their own leadership — and President Donald Trump — by voting with Democrats to approve a major bill to deliver billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine while imposing steep sanctions on Russia.

The House voted 226 to 195 to approve the package, which cracks down on Russia with new oil and gas sanctions, in its first big pro-Ukraine measure of Trump’s second term.

. . .

[U]ltimately, 18 Republicans – and one independent who frequently votes with Republicans – voted to pass the bill in what amounts to a rebuke of Trump’s posture toward Russia’s war in Ukraine, eager to send a message to their leadership after the party with Trump at its helm has drifted in recent years away from backing Ukraine as staunchly as it once had.

As for that little bag of putrid pus that is Speaker Mike Johnson, he remains as sleazy and spineless as ever:

Speaker Mike Johnson has urged his members to oppose the measure, arguing in a closed-door meeting Wednesday that they should give Trump space to negotiate with Russia, according to a person in that meeting.

Since Trump is already bored to death with the Iran negotiations, surely he is beyond bored with a situation that’s been going on for 4 years.

P.S. Maybe we’re seeing the beginnings of a Republican trend?:

Six GOP senators voted with Democrats in support of a proposal sponsored by Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) to block the construction of President Trump’s 90,000-square-foot White House ballroom unless Congress authorizes the project.

Fifth news item

What, cronyism??:

When the Pentagon announced a $620 million loan last year to a small North Carolina startup linked to Donald Trump Jr., defense officials and the company tried to tamp down suspicions of cronyism.

The president’s eldest son said through a spokesperson that he wasn’t involved. The Pentagon said Trump Jr. played no role in the record-setting deal. And the startup’s founder told reporters that his company, Vulcan Elements, received no political favoritism.

But interviews and Defense Department records reviewed by ProPublica show that the request to loan hundreds of millions of dollars to the firm linked to Trump Jr. was made by Peter Navarro, a White House adviser to President Donald Trump and a friend of Trump Jr.’s.

Sixth news item

After a long day and night:

(AP) — The Senate passed legislation to fund President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement agencies early Friday, after weeks of delays and fierce backlash to an unrelated $1.776 billion settlement fund that threatened to derail the bill.

Senators voted 52-47 to pass the $70 billion legislation to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol for the next three years, through the end of Trump’s term, after Democrats have blocked the money for months. The bill will now head to the House, which is expected to take it up next week.

The final vote came just before 5 a.m., after Republicans narrowly defeated multiple attempts by members of both parties to add language to the bill that would permanently ban Trump’s settlement fund for allies who believe they’ve been politically persecuted.

Republicans cleared the last major hurdle overnight when they defeated an amendment proposed by one of their own members, Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy, that would have redirected payments from the settlement to members of law enforcement who were injured when a mob of Trump supporters seeking to overturn his 2020 presidential election loss attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Sigh. So much for Republicans finding their missing backbones.

Seventh news item

President Zelensky’s open letter to Putin, in part:

If you do not personally come to the conclusion that it is time to end this war, Ukraine will continue fighting for its existence. We will have those who support us.

But you, too, will have to fight much harder for your own existence — not Russia’s, but your own. And this is not a threat from me or from Ukraine. It is a fact of Russian history that you know well: when Russia grows tired, change comes.

We can work toward that fatigue.

Slava Ukraine!

Miscellaneous

Heh:

pic.twitter.com/COe9Pwud0w

— Spencer Hakimian (@SpencerHakimian) June 5, 2026

Have a great weekend.

—Dana

[guest post by Dana]

This is one of those What if the DOJ under President Biden or President Obama had done this?” moments. Why? Because the current President of the United States is now protected from any pending I.R.S. tax inquiries, even if they find him liable for enormous back-tax penalties:

The Justice Department on Tuesday issued an addendum to its sweeping settlement to end President Donald Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS that would bar the government from continuing any existing audits of tax returns filed by Trump, his family and their companies.

The filing, signed by acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and posted to the Justice Department’s website Tuesday, states that the IRS is “forever barred and precluded” from “prosecuting or pursuing” examinations or reviews of Trump or “related or affiliated individuals” and businesses which arise out of “any matters currently pending or that could be pending” before the IRS or other agencies or departments.

For clarification: the DOJ says that this does not apply to future audits, only existing ones.

—Dana

[guest post by Dana]

This should concern everyone. And in normal times it would. Unfortunately, these are not normal times. Today, far too many Americans won’t agree that assigning an inexperienced individual, who was convicted of attacking America, to a highly sensitive position at the Pentagon is highly problematic. To them, the only real problem is that the new hire was ever tried and convicted for his actions on Jan. 6 in the first place:

A convicted Jan. 6 rioter who later said that he regretted his participation in the U.S. Capitol attack has been hired by the Trump administration to work inside a Pentagon office that manages highly classified military operations, according to four people familiar with the matter.

. . .

Elias Irizarry is assigned to the office’s irregular warfare and counterterrorism section, the people familiar with the matter said. The team comprises about 40 people, and its portfolio includes operations such as embassy security, personnel recovery and hostage rescue.

Two people characterized the work as among the most delicate that the Pentagon performs. All positions, they said, require a top-secret security clearance.

There is reasonable concern about the assignment by those already working in the department:

The appointment of Elias Irizarry, who was 19 at the time of the riot in 2021, to a post in the Defense Department’s Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict office has raised alarm internally among staff who question how anyone convicted in the assault on American democracy could be trusted for such a sensitive role in the U.S. government, these people said. . .

“In the case of rescue/extraction missions, it can place our special operators in some of the most complex and dangerous environments we ask of them,” said one person familiar with Irizarry’s hiring. “To put someone so junior and new to DOD, and with such a checkered background, into such a sensitive portfolio raises serious questions for leadership.”

I wouldn’t be surprised if Trump issued a blanket approval to the hiring of any individuals convicted for their Jan. 6 actions (done on his behalf) because any monetary compensation (from Trump’s slush fund) is currently unavailable.

—Dana

[guest post by Dana]

Let’s go!

First news item

Of course Trump is pushing for this:

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Thursday that his department has prepared the design for a $250 bill featuring President Donald Trump, anticipating the passage of stalled legislation in Congress to put the president on a new denomination of legal tender.

Bessent said at the White House that authorizing the new currency will be up to lawmakers on Capitol Hill, but that “we’ve created the bill” because “we have to be prepared.”

Note:

An exception to the federal law banning living people on U.S. money is currently being pursued through legislation. To feature President Donald Trump on a proposed commemorative $250 note, Congress must pass the Donald J. Trump $250 Bill Act (H.R. 1761) to amend the 1866 law that restricts currency portraits to deceased individuals.

Second news item

Payouts following Charlie Kirk killing:

At least $2 million in settlements has been agreed to after employees and other critics were fired or penalized over their posts about Charlie Kirk following his killing.

. . .

Kirk’s death became a catalyst for a free speech debate after an estimated 600 individuals were fired or punished for criticizing the conservative political activist or downplaying his death — repercussions that were backed by the Trump administration.

The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) is aware of 14 First Amendment lawsuits in federal court brought by workers terminated for their comments about Kirk, not including those brought by workers terminated in the private sector or filed in state court.

Third news item

Just horrible:

Russians turned the “last bells” in the occupied area of Ukraine into a platform for recruiting children into the Russian army.

As reported by the Center for National Resistance, this year the Russian administration placed a major emphasis on selecting graduates for UAV units.

Even before the end of the school year, school principals and collaborators were handing over lists of students who participated in military clubs, drone classes, and “homeland defense lessons” to representatives of the Russian Defense Ministry.

According to the Center for National Resistance, individual “interviews” were conducted with teenagers directly during and after the ceremonies. They were promised free education in Russia, a “career as a UAV operator,” and benefits for joining the military.

Separately, the occupiers restricted parents’ access to schools, citing “anti-terrorist measures.” In reality, this allowed Russian military personnel and recruiters to work with children without the presence of their families.

Fourth news item

Jeepers, the DOJ rooting out private individuals who criticized the administration’s deportation decisions??!! Again, this administration believes the First Amendment is just an option to use when needed:

The US Justice Department is seeking the names, addresses, and banking information of Reddit and X users, ratcheting up efforts to identify social media critics of government deportation efforts.

The US Attorney’s Office for Washington, led by Jeanine Pirro, a close ally of President Donald Trump, has subpoenaed the social media companies as part of criminal investigations, asking for personal information on at least two anonymous posters behind accounts that have chided immigration enforcement efforts, according to records shared by attorneys for the users.

I hope every individual whose identity is revealed files for damages from Trump’s newly established slush fund. . . Oops! Looks like that is no longer possible, at least for now.

Fifth news item

Here we go again:

The Pentagon has spent months positioning the troops and weapons needed for the U.S. to launch a military attack on Cuba — all it needs is a final go-ahead from Donald Trump.

The president has floated an invasion of the island after economic and political pressure failed to topple the Communist government. But the Navy’s built-up presence in the region — the largest in the world outside the Middle East — would allow the U.S. to act immediately.

These strategically placed assets set the table for military action, from a capture of Havana’s leadership much like the seizure of former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, to a series of precision strikes. And they open the possibility that the U.S. throws itself into the third international conflict of the Trump administration.

Sixth news item

BREAKING: A Russian drone struck an apartment building in NATO member Romania, injuring two people.

Major escalation pic.twitter.com/9qEQ0YtbVk

— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) May 29, 2026

Have a great weekend.

—Dana

[guest post by Dana]

Don’t call her a victim, whatever you do. She is an enemy of the revenge-driven Trump, and therefore deserves payback:

The Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation into E. Jean Carroll, the 82-year-old former magazine writer who accused Donald J. Trump of sexual assault, according to a person with direct knowledge of the situation.

The investigation is believed to center on whether Ms. Carroll committed perjury in civil lawsuits against Mr. Trump, according to the person, who requested anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation. Ms. Carroll won a $5 million civil judgment against Mr. Trump that he had sexually abused and defamed her, which the president last November asked the Supreme Court to overturn.

I’m pretty sure this falls under the weaponization of the Justice Dept. Trump has so many perceived enemies that that it’ll take the next decade to pay back even half of those on the list. If you recall, retribution was a consistent theme of his campaign. Reuters reported at least 470 potentialTrump targets. Fortunately, he doesn’t have that much time left in office. Unfortunately, if a MAGA faithful manages to take the White House in 2028, who know if he will still be still be pulling the strings of agencies, like the DOJ, that can effectively wreak massive havoc on his behalf.

This:

There is no plausible argument that E. Jean Carroll – whose testimony was found credible by multiple juries – is a reasonable target for a criminal investigation by the Department of Justice. They’re not even pretending at this point: this is just an attempt at payback by Trump.

Trump has turned the U.S. Department of Justice into his own personal law firm and tasked it with going after his enemies. Reprehensible, if all too predictable.

Apparently, going after one for perjury in a civil lawsuit is very uncommon:

Federal perjury investigations for testimony in civil cases are incredibly rare. Nearly unheard of. And I have absolutely never heard of one launched against the prevailing party in a case.

Wanton and open corruption.

In other words, just a vengeful Trump being who he told us he was.

—Dana

[guest post by Dana]

Let’s go!

First news item

Of course they did:

Republicans struggled Thursday to find the votes to dismiss legislation that would compel President Donald Trump to withdraw from the war with Iran, delaying planned votes on the matter into June.

The House had scheduled a vote on a war powers resolution, brought by Democrats, that would rein in Trump’s military campaign. But as it became clear that Republicans would not have the numbers to defeat the bill, GOP leaders declined to hold a vote on it. It was the latest sign of the slipping support in Congress for a war that Trump launched more than two months ago without congressional approval.

Finally some pushback from Republican members:

The actions by congressional leaders showed Republicans are struggling to maintain political backing for Trump’s handling of the war. Rank-and-file Republicans are increasingly willing to defy the president over the conflict.

Second news item

Todd Blanche attempted to reassure the public that those who assaulted law enforcement officers on Jan. 6, might not could still receive a settlement from Trump’s new slush fund:

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche made clear Wednesday that the conduct of January 6, 2021, rioters who attacked law enforcement will be factored when the soon-to-be-set-up commission reviews applications to the anti-weaponization fund.

“One of the factors the commissioners have to consider is what the claimant did — the claimant’s conduct,” Blanche told CNN’s Paula Reid in an interview Wednesday. “The claimant would have to say, ‘I assaulted a cop and I want money.’”

“Whether the commissioners will give that person money – that claimant – it’s up to them. But that’s one of the factors they have to consider,” he continued, adding that Trump “does not stand for assaulting law enforcement.”

. . .

“So, whether the commissioners will give that person money, that claimant, it’s up to them,” he said.

Plea and reminder:

Trump’s theft of $1.8 billion from the taxpayers to create a personal and political slush fund for his once-and-future private militia violates many essential principles of our Constitution: Congress’ power over the purse, the judicary’s power to decide specific cases, the ban on…

— Rep. Jamie Raskin (@RepRaskin) May 22, 2026

Third news item

Deployment to Poland:

President Donald Trump declared Thursday the United States will send an additional 5,000 troops to Poland, an apparent reversal following recent moves by his administration to reduce the number of US troops in Europe.

The announcement comes one week after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stopped the scheduled deployment of a combat team expected to rotate through Poland, a decision his department said was based on frustration with European nations who have “not stepped up when America needed them.”

Fourth news item

Surprisingly, both Democrats and Republicans vote in support of. . . parents:

The House passed a bill late Wednesday to force public school teachers to out transgender students to their parents.

It wasn’t a party-line vote, either: Eight Democrats voted for it.

. . .

The Republican bill they just supported, the Stopping Indoctrination and Protecting Kids Act, requires elementary and middle schools to get parental consent before changing a student’s pronouns or preferred names on any school forms, or for making gender-based accommodations for things like locker rooms or bathrooms.

It also bars teachers from talking about transgender people or issues in the classroom, which means books that include transgender characters or that address the existence of transgender people would be banned. It would also ban LGBTQ+ school groups.

The report also notes that three of the Democrats that voted in support of the act are also members of the Congressional Equality Caucus, which advocates for LGBTQ+ rights. I suppose the writers of the report want readers to view this as some sort of hypocrisy that or betrayal on the part of the three Democrats. But it’s not:

“As a dad to two public school kids, I believe parents must be included in their children’s decisions in school,” Rep. Eugene Vindman (D-Virginia) said in a statement.

“Whether it’s what they put on their school forms, their academic performance, or athletics, parents need to be at the center because that is the key to every child’s success,” he said. “There are other policies in the bill I don’t agree with and will work to change, but I voted today to make sure parents like me can continue to support their kids at school, and I believe to my core that is what our kids need.”

Fifth news item

Women haters:

New Taliban Decree on Divorce Formalizes Child Marriage, U.N. Warns:
A new Afghan law requires girls to wait until puberty before seeking to get out of a marriage. It also requires mediation for women seeking to escape an abusive husband.

P.S. Speaking of child marriages, did you hear the one about Oklahoma???

Have great weekend.

—Dana

[guest post by Dana]

He should have never been arrested in the first place, and taxpayers shouldn’t have to foot the bill:

Tennessee officials will pay $835,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by a man who was jailed for more than a month over a Facebook post he made about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk

His felonious post? Steel yourselves:

Bushart was arrested in September after he refused to take down Facebook memes that joked about Kirk’s killing, which had prompted an outpouring of grief among conservatives, including in Perry County, which is near Bushart’s home and which held a candlelight vigil.

The meme Bushart posted that prompted his arrest read: “This seems relevant today…” and featured President Donald Trump and the words, “We have to get over it.” That quote, the meme explained, was said by Trump in 2024 after a school shooting at Iowa’s Perry High School.

Law enforcement rationalized Bushart’s arrest by claiming it prompted fear in the community:

Perry County Sheriff Nick Weems told news outlets that most of Bushart’s “hate memes” were lawful free speech, but residents were alarmed by the school shooting post, fearing Bushart was threatening a local school, also called Perry County High School, even though Weems said he knew the meme referred to a school in Iowa.

“Investigators believe Bushart was fully aware of the fear his post would cause and intentionally sought to create hysteria within the community,” Weems said in a statement to The Tennessean last year.

FIRE helped in representing Bushart, and released this statement:

“It’s in times of turmoil and heightened tensions that our national commitment to free speech is tested the most. When government officials fail that test, the Constitution exists to hold them accountable. Our hope is that Larry’s settlement sends a message to law enforcement across the country: Respect the First Amendment today, or be prepared to pay the price tomorrow.”

It is a relief that an American’s right to speech was recognized. Just because others don’t like what he said shouldn’t matter. And if they choose to react hysterically over something as obvious as Bushart’s post was, does that rose to a felonious level? Because my question is: Exactly what felony did Bushart commit?

My second question is: Did the same people who were upset over Bushart’s meme, also upset with Trump and his tone-deaf “We have to get over it” comment, made right after a school shooting? Somehow I doubt it.

Moreover, did Sheriff Weems stress to investigators and the public that Bushart’s post was obviously a play on the president’s dismissive comment referring to a high school in Iowa, and not a threat to a local high school?

—Dana

[guest post by Dana]

Unbelievable:

US tax authorities will be barred from pursuing claims against Donald Trump, his eldest sons and the Trump Organization under an agreement to halt the president’s $10bn lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service.

The pledge by the Department of Justice on Tuesday came a day after Trump agreed to settle his lawsuit against the IRS in exchange for the US government launching a $1.8bn fund for victims of alleged “lawfare”.

“The United States RELEASES, WAIVES, ACQUITS, and FOREVER DISCHARGES each of the Plaintiffs from, and is hereby FOREVER BARRED and PRECLUDED from prosecuting or pursuing, any and all claims,” wrote acting attorney-general Todd Blanche in a one-page document released on Tuesday, in relation to the case brought in January by Trump, his sons Donald Trump Jr and Eric Trump, and the Trump Organization.

However, since 1977, IRS policy has been to audit sitting presidents and vice-presidents every year:

The Internal Revenue Manual requires an audit for every income tax return filed by a sitting U.S. president or vice president. That requirement, which first appeared in 1977, is part of a broader set of procedures governing the treatment of White House returns. And while general in nature, it arose within a specific historical context: the aftermath of the Nixon presidency.

And worse than just no longer being able to audit Trump and family, acting attorney general Todd Blanche included that Donald Trump cannot be investigated, sued, or audited by the United States government in the future:

Trump’s settlement with DOJ is even worse than we knew. A secret add-on to the agreement was revealed today. It is an unconscionable betrayal of the American people by the president and Acting Attorney General. https://t.co/Djt16SAtvk

— Liz Oyer (@lawyeroyer) May 19, 2026

(Watch the whole thing.)

An unconscionable betrayal of the American people is happening before our eyes. Sadly, too many Americans are happy to keep looking the other way, or shrieking “Whatabout?!, and making excuses for their perceived-savior. I’m looking at you, GOP members of Congress.

—Dana

[guest post by Dana]

Let’s go!

First news item

Trump bought corporations’ stock as his administration boosted their business:

President Donald Trump personally bought and sold millions of dollars worth of stock in technology companies and government contractors early this year, according to new government records.

The Trump administration directly regulates some of these companies and many of these trades coincided with favorable regulatory decisions.

Business as usual.

Second news item

Hantavirus update:

The total number of confirmed and probable cases of hantavirus of those who were onboard the MV Hondius cruise ship stands at 10, including two people confirmed to have died from the virus and one person who remains suspected to have died from the virus.

Sixteen American passengers arrived on Monday at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Fifteen of those passengers were being monitored in a quarantine unit and another, who had initially tested positive, was in a biocontainment unit, officials said. Later, that person tested negative and was medically cleared to go to the quarantine unit.

Two other American passengers were flown to Atlanta for “further assessment and care,” officials said.

Additionally, non-passengers are in quarantine as a safeguard:

12 quarantined staff members at Dutch hospital were not contagious to others, hospital says.

41 people under monitoring for hantavirus across US, CDC says.

All close contact patients in France test negative, health minister says

Third news item

Unbelievable:

President Donald Trump is expected to drop his $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service in exchange for the creation of a $1.7 billion fund to compensate allies who claim they were wrongfully targeted by the Biden administration, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.

The commission overseeing the compensation fund would have the total authority to hand out approximately $1.7 billion in taxpayer funds to settle claims brought by anyone who alleges they were harmed by the Biden administration’s “weaponization” of the legal system, including the nearly 1,600 individuals charged in connection with the Jan. 6 Capitol attack as well as potentially entities associated with President Trump himself.

. . .

The arrangement would be an unprecedented use of taxpayer dollars with little oversight. Under the terms of the potential settlement agreement, President Trump would have the authority to remove members of the commission running the fund without cause, and the commission would be under no obligation to disclose its procedures or decision-making process for awarding more than a billion dollars, the sources said.

Oversight? What’s that??

And don’t even look for Congress’s involvement. This president appropriates money all by himself!

HAYES: “We have more reporting about how this heist might shake out… $1.7 BILLION of our money, that could go to Medicaid or farmers, doled out by Trump with no oversight – maybe to ‘victims’ who beat cops half to death on January 6th or men convicted of seditious conspiracy…” pic.twitter.com/jKR2Eck0zF

— The Tennessee Holler (@TheTNHoller) May 15, 2026

In a nutshell:

Judge was about to throw out the case bc Trump controls both parties.

Before it’s dismissed, Trump tells both parties to reach a “settlement.”

Settlement shields Trump from any future audit and creates a secret slush fund that can dole out money to anyone with no transparency.

Heh:

So James Comey is getting $1.7 billion?

Trump’s naked corruption has been normalized to the point of voters shrugging their shoulders: “Thats just Trump being Trump”.

Fourth news item

Overview of Trump visit with President Xi of China:

U.S. President Donald Trump has wrapped up his visit to Beijing after a crucial series of meetings with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on the Iran war, trade, technology and Taiwan. The presidents claimed important progress in stabilizing U.S.-China relations even as deep differences persist between the two biggest world powers.

Taiwan remained the most important issue for China in the talks. Xi privately warned Trump that differences over the self-governed island, which Beijing claims as its own territory, could bring the U.S. and China into clashes or conflict. Trump told reporters that he had not yet made a determination on whether a major U.S. sale of arms to Taiwan can move forward.

On Iran, Trump said Xi told him that China wants to help negotiate an end to the war and a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Trump has previously expressed hope that China would use its leverage as Iran’s biggest trading partner to prod Tehran into a deal on U.S. terms. Trump also said Xi assured him that China wouldn’t provide Iran with military equipment.

Have a good weekend.

—Dana

[guest post by Dana]

Let’s go!

Rig, rigged, rigging:

. . . Tennessee state lawmakers passed into law on Thursday a new congressional map that could allow Republicans to flip the state’s lone Democratic-held seat, notching the GOP another win in the mid-decade redistricting scramble.

Republican Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed the bill into law Thursday afternoon.

The new map breaks up the state’s current 9th Congressional District, which is primarily made up of Memphis, and the state’s only majority-Black district. The district is currently represented by Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen.

The legislature also passed bills on Thursday that will allow the state to legally redistrict outside of the normal once-a-decade cycle, as well as providing funding to help implement the new map in time for the 2026 elections.

This now splits the Tennessee’s only majority-Black district.

As a result, Republicans could possibly gain another House seat.

Second news item

An epidemiologist on the hantavirus situation:

A Swiss man linked to the ship has now tested positive after developing symptoms after disembarking. He received an exposure alert, sought care, and tested positive. This means there are 3 deaths and 5 suspected.

2/ It’s also been confirmed that this is Andes virus, a hantavirus found in the Americas. The working hypothesis is that someone got this from a rat on an excursion, then unknowingly brought it on the ship.

3/ This type of hantavirus can spread person-to-person under specific conditions: prolonged, close contact with an infected person. Past Andes outbreaks have involved very close contact settings—caring for a sick person, sleeping in the same bed, or prolonged indoor exposure during symptoms.

. . .

Bottom line: This is not Covid-19. This is a serious and very unique outbreak that doesn’t have a playbook. Things are moving quickly but this virus is acting like we expect it to. The W.H.O says this is still a low risk situation.

Q: Have you been briefed on the hantavirus?

TRUMP: Yes I have

Q: What have you learned?

TRUMP: Ahhh — it's very much we hope under control

Q: Should Americans be concerned it's going to spread?

TRUMP: I hope not. We'll do the best we can. pic.twitter.com/6Kjz1Tw33M

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 8, 2026

Third news item

If an unnecessary ballroom did not exist, there would be no need for security upgrades paid by taxpayers:

Senate Republicans want to fund Secret Service security upgrades related to President Donald Trump’s ballroom project as part of a nearly $72 billion package that would shovel cash to immigration enforcement agencies.

The proposal Senate Judiciary Republicans unveiled late Monday night — a piece of the forthcoming party-line bill to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol — would direct $1 billion to the Secret Service for “security adjustments and upgrades,” including at the White House. This is on top of the almost $3.3 billion the agency received already under the fiscal 2026 DHS funding bill signed into law Thursday.

Fourth news item

Virginia Supreme Court is a no-go:

The Virginia Supreme Court voided Democrats’ attempt to redraw the state’s US House map in an April referendum.

The court ruled that the process of creating the referendum violated the state Constitution.

The ruling is a damaging blow to national Democrats who hoped to gain as many as four US House seats in this fall’s fight for the midterms.

Then why even have the election in the first place? Why not do this before it happened?

Fifth news item

Poor little Vlad:

On May 9, Moscow will stage its annual Victory Day parade marking the end of World War II in Europe — but this year, the spectacle is notable not for its grandeur, but for what’s missing.

For the first time in Vladimir Putin’s Russia, no missiles, tanks, or armored vehicles are expected to appear in Saturday’s Red Square parade. Although the Kremlin offered no explanation for the dramatic scale-back, recent Ukrainian strikes deep inside Russian territory have suggested that even Putin’s military showcase may no longer be beyond reach.

The recent reports by a consortium of international media alleged that the Russian president has become increasingly scared of a coup, including the use of a drone strike possibly framed as a Ukrainian attack.

In a conversation with the Kyiv Independent, experts said the Kremlin’s decision to scale back the parade was unprecedented, citing both Kyiv’s growing strike capabilities and Russia’s concern that its signature display of military strength would clash with the reality of a prolonged and costly war in Ukraine.

Sixth news item

Marco Rubio on Iran:

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the U.S. is expecting a response from Iran today on a proposal to end the war.

Speaking to reporters at the U.S. Embassy in Rome, Rubio said: “We should know something today. I mean, we’re expecting a response from them. We’ll see what the response entails.”

“The hope is it’s something that it can put us into a serious process of negotiation,” said Rubio, adding that the U.S. has seen reporting overnight that Iran is trying to establish some control of traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.

“That would actually be unacceptable,” he continued. “And the world has to start asking itself, what is it willing to do if Iran tries to normalize a control of an international waterway? I think that’s unacceptable, so, but we’re expecting a response from them today at some point. We have not received that yet.”

Seventh news item

On Marco Rubio’s negative comments about negotiations with Ukraine and Russia:

Rubio declares that U.S. efforts to negotiate between Russia and Ukraine "has not led to a fruitful outcome for a variety of reasons" and have now "stagnated."

​Really? Maybe they stagnated because the strategy of pressuring the victim to surrender to an aggressor, who would… pic.twitter.com/86lwB2s7xF

— Kate from Kharkiv (@BohuslavskaKate) May 8, 2026

And from Kasparov:

So the US policy of taking Russia’s side and trying to force Ukraine to surrender to occupation and slaughter has stagnated thanks to the fierce resistance of Ukrainians and their allies in Europe. Good.

Have a restful weekend.

—Dana