#lawless law

[agentfascinateur]

Israel violating 1979 Peace Accord and slanders now Egypt

The corridor is part of a larger demilitarized zone along the entire Israel-Egypt border. Under the peace accord, each side is allowed to deploy only a small number of troops or border guards in the zone, though those numbers can be modified by mutual agreement. At the time of the accord, Israeli troops controlled Gaza, until Israel withdrew its forces and settlers in 2005.

Tunnels! Like the non-existing ones of Al Shifa Hospital where instead very real mass graves were found once Israeli forces evacuated...

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Lan Wangji Goes To Lotus Pier AU: Part 4: Deranged Bedfellows

(Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4.5)

[thekenobee]

I really thought he would adopt these kids

[reality-detective]

So what took the governor's so long to stop the madness at the border?

Maybe nobody knows constitutional law 🤔

[tomorrowusa]

« So, here’s a shocker: It turns out that, if you elect a felon as president of the United States, he will continue to break laws once he’s in office.

Who knew? »

— Dana Milbank at the Washington Post (archived).

Further down in the article, Mr. Milbank lists some of the laws Trump has likely broken.

The Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act of 2024. The Administrative Leave Act of 2016. The Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014. The Affordable Care Act of 2010. The Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act of 1998. The Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993. The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986. The Inspector General Act of 1978. The Privacy Act of 1974. The Impoundment Control Act of 1974. The Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972. The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952. The Administrative Procedure Act of 1946. The Public Health Service Act 1944. The Antideficiency Act of 1870. That’s a century and a half of statutes shredded in just over two weeks.

You don't put lawbreakers in office to solve problems. Once a crook, always a crook.

You either have the rule of law or you have lawlessness.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Clay Bennett, Chattanooga Times Free Press

* * * *

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

July 1, 2024

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

JUL 02, 2024

Today the United States Supreme Court overthrew the central premise of American democracy: that no one is above the law. 

It decided that the president of the United States, possibly the most powerful person on earth, has “absolute immunity” from criminal prosecution for crimes committed as part of the official acts at the core of presidential powers. The court also said it should be presumed that the president also has immunity for other official acts as well, unless that prosecution would not intrude on the authority of the executive branch.

This is a profound change to our fundamental law—an amendment to the Constitution, as historian David Blight noted. Writing for the majority, Chief Justice John Roberts said that a president needs such immunity to make sure the president is willing to take “bold and unhesitating action” and make unpopular decisions, although no previous president has ever asserted that he is above the law or that he needed such immunity to fulfill his role. Roberts’s decision didn’t focus at all on the interest of the American people in guaranteeing that presidents carry out their duties within the guardrails of the law. 

But this extraordinary power grab does not mean President Joe Biden can do as he wishes. As legal commentator Asha Rangappa pointed out, the court gave itself the power to determine which actions can be prosecuted and which cannot by making itself the final arbiter of what is “official” and what is not. Thus any action a president takes is subject to review by the Supreme Court, and it is reasonable to assume that this particular court would not give a Democrat the same leeway it would give Trump. 

There is no historical or legal precedent for this decision. The Declaration of Independence was a litany of complaints against King George III designed to explain why the colonists were declaring themselves free of kings; the Constitution did not provide immunity for the president, although it did for members of Congress in certain conditions, and it provided for the removal of the president for “high crimes and misdemeanors”—what would those be if a president is immune from prosecution for his official acts? The framers worried about politicians’ overreach and carefully provided for oversight of leaders; the Supreme Court today smashed through that key guardrail. 

Presidential immunity is a brand new doctrine. In February 2021, explaining away his vote to acquit Trump for inciting an insurrection, Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), who had also protected Trump in his first impeachment trial in 2019, said: “Trump is still liable for everything he did while he was in office…. We have a criminal justice system in this country. We have civil litigation, and former presidents are not immune from being held accountable by either one.”

But it was not just McConnell who thought that way. At his confirmation hearing in 2005, now–Chief Justice John Roberts said: “I believe that no one is above the law under our system and that includes the president. The president is fully bound by the law, the Constitution, and statutes.” 

In his 2006 confirmation hearings, Samuel Alito said: “There is nothing that is more important for our republic than the rule of law. No person in this country, no matter how high or powerful, is above the law.” 

And in 2018, Brett Kavanaugh told the Senate: “No one’s above the law in the United States, that’s a foundational principle…. We’re all equal before the law…. The foundation of our Constitution was that…the presidency would not be a monarchy…. [T]he president is not above the law, no one is above the law.”

Now they have changed that foundational principle for a man who, according to White House officials during his term, called for the execution of people who upset him and who has vowed to exact vengeance on those he now thinks have wronged him. Over the past weekend, Trump shared an image on social media saying that former Representative Liz Cheney (R-WY), who sat on the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol, was guilty of treason and calling for “televised military tribunals” to try her. 

Today, observers illustrated what Trump’s newly declared immunity could mean. Political scientist Norm Ornstein pointed out that Trump could “order his handpicked FBI Director to arrest and jail his political opponents. He can order the IRS to put liens on the property of media companies who criticize him and jail reporters and editors.” Legal analyst Joyce White Vance noted that a president with such broad immunity could order the assassination of Supreme Court justices, and retired military leader Mark Hertling wrote that he was “trying to figure out how a commander can refuse an illegal order from someone who is issuing it as an official act.” 

Asha Rangappa wrote: “According to the Court, a President could literally provide the leader of a hostile adversary with intelligence needed to win a conflict in which we are involved, or even attack or invade the U.S., and not be prosecuted for treason, because negotiating with heads of state is an exclusive Art. II function. In case you were wondering.” Trump is currently under indictment for retaining classified documents. “The Court has handed Trump, if he wins this November, carte blanche to be a ‘dictator on day one,’ and the ability to use every lever of official power at his disposal for his personal ends without any recourse,” Rangappa wrote. “This election is now a clear-cut decision between democracy and autocracy. Vote accordingly.”

Trump’s lawyers are already challenging Trump’s conviction in the election interference case in which a jury found him guilty on 34 counts. Over Trump’s name on social media, a post said the decision was “BRILLIANTLY WRITTEN AND WISE, AND CLEARS THE STENCH FROM THE BIDEN TRIALS AND HOAXES, ALL OF THEM, THAT HAVE BEEN USED AS AN UNFAIR ATTACK ON CROOKED JOE BIDEN’S POLITICAL OPPONENT, ME. MANY OF THESE FAKE CASES WILL NOW DISAPPEAR, OR WITHER INTO OBSCURITY. GOD BLESS AMERICA!”

In a concurring opinion, Justice Clarence Thomas, whose wife was deeply involved in the effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election, also took a shot at the appointment of special counsels to investigate such events. Thomas was not the only Justice whose participation in this decision was likely covered by a requirement that he recuse himself: Alito has publicly expressed support for the attempt to keep Trump in office against the will of voters. Trump appointed three of the other justices granting him immunity—Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett—to the court.

In a dissent in which Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson concurred, Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote that because of the majority’s decision, "[t]he relationship between the President and the people he serves has shifted irrevocably. In every use of official power, the President is now a king above the law."

“Never in the history of our Republic has a President had reason to believe that he would be immune from criminal prosecution if he used the trappings of his office to violate the criminal law. Moving forward, however, all former Presidents will be cloaked in such immunity. If the occupant of that office misuses official power for personal gain, the criminal law that the rest of us must abide will not provide a backstop. With fear for our democracy,” she wrote, “I dissent.” 

Today’s decision destroyed the principle on which this nation was founded, that all people in the United States of America should be equal before the law.

The name of the case is “Donald J. Trump v. United States.” 

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[wiirocku]

1 John 3:4 (NIV) - Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.

[mariocki]

Il cittadino si ribella (Street Law, 1974)

"If citizens start taking the law into their own hands, who will distinguish honest people from dishonest ones?"

[reading-writing-revolution]

Last night, officials in the Trump administration purged the Federal Bureau of Investigation of all six of its top executives and, according to NBC’s Ken Dilanian, more than 20 heads of FBI field offices, including those in Washington, D.C., and Miami, where officials pursued cases against now-president Trump. Acting deputy attorney general Emil Bove, who represented Trump in a number of his criminal cases, asked acting FBI director Brian J. Driscoll Jr. for a list of FBI agents who had worked on January 6 cases to “determine whether any additional personnel actions are necessary.”

Clarissa-Jan Lim of MSNBC reported that Trump denied knowing about the dismissals but said the firings were “a good thing” because “[t]hey were very corrupt people, very corrupt, and they hurt our country very badly with the weaponization.”

Officials also fired 25 to 30 federal prosecutors who had worked on cases involving the rioters who attacked the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, and reassigned others. Bove ordered the firings. Career civil servants can’t be fired without cause, and these purges come on top of the apparently illegal firing of 18 inspectors general across federal agencies and a purge of the Department of Justice of those who had worked on cases involving Trump.

[davidaugust]

potus "accidentally" is outlawing circumcision here by Executive Order.

Both Muslim & Jewish male babies are often circumcised shortly after birth, & many more are for cultural & health reasons.

[absolutebl]

Hi there! I've just returned from a two-week holiday (as I'm writing this I'm actually still driving back home, but I want to get on top of it lmao), so I would like to defer to your knowledge:

could you pretty please provide me with an update on what series ended/started while I was away? I have a vague idea, but I don't want to miss out on the things that didn't get as much promo and are therefore not on my mdl.

if you can, my watchlist will be forever thankful!!

July Report: BL that Stopped & Started & Is worth Your time

Ended July 2023

Step By Step

This was Thailand’s answer to The New Employee, and everything I loved about that show I loved about this one.

This was an office romance between stern boss and sweet subordinate that felt more authentic to an office environment than previous Thai BLs of this ilk. And that authenticity added tension to the narrative and character development (how novel). Now that might be because it has western source material, or it might be because it is actually kind of old-fashioned (it’s been years since I worked as an office grunt). I also really enjoyed the brothers’ relationship, and kinda wished they hadn’t attempted (and failed) to give said brother his own side BL. That one flaw made it a 9/10 for me.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

La Pluie

This BL takes to task the fated mates trope and what it means to have love chained intimately to predestination. It’s about how faith in destiny before choice diminishes the authenticity of emotion, relationships, and connection. This is a high concept to examine through the lens of a BL.

By activating + examining the soulmates trope this show is challenging a foundation of romance: the idea that there is one person meant to be your one romantic partner all your life. This means that we, as viewers, spend much of the show worried about it having a happy ending, and that’s the source of both its brilliance and tension: would the narrative have the strength to truly challenge its own romantic core? But, ultimately, all this elevated complexity was executed in a somewhat shaky manner with the narrative derailing into some serious pacing issues and characters manipulated by miscommunication.

However, with good chemistry and decent acting all around, plus some excellent high heat and representation of consent and a few other rare tropes, this one has to (like it’s sibling show My Ride) earn a 9/10. I enjoyed it even as it made me think, so despite its flaws:

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Started July 2023 & Looking GOOD

Jun & Jun

Korea Thurs Viki 8 eps

THANK YOU BL GODS. It is so good. Like everything I want in the world. I’m incandescently happy with this show.

It’s office set,

it’s an ex idol,

everyone is pretty as peaches,

and it’s all about remembering somebody’s smell!

I could not be more delighted.

Laws of Attraction

Thai Sat iQIYI 8 eps

(Icky picked it up but they are serving it in a complicated way that may require a VPN.)

Stars the pair from To Sir With Love with the same production team. IT’S SO GOOD. A morally corrupted trickster lawyer with a tragic past, sad eyes, and a beautiful smile that he uses like a weapon. Meets paladin martial arts instructor from other side of the tracks (who is out, at least to his baby sister).

Corrupt police.

Spoiled rich kid evil.

Ambitious politician.

Tragic death.

Terrible subs.*

This show is very like Manner of Death but so far it is a much better/tighter story (there's a Devil Judge aura happening). It’s NOT BL but it is fucking phenomenal. And you should watch it. Not wait to binge it. WATCH IT.

On a global scale this might be the best thing currently airing featuring gay romantic leads. Its really fucking good. It’s Lawless Lawyer but more complex character motivation and gay af. Fuck yes please and thank you. FINALLY.

Triggers for violence, beatings, death & torture depicted on screen. Like MoD they are not holding back. 

(* A lot of the familial names they are using are not gendered in Thai but translated as such, like “nephew”. This one is gonna go down a lot easier if you know some Thai.)

ALSO:

Stay By My Side - Taiwan Fri Gaga 10 eps

Hidden Agenda that isn’t hidden - Thailand Sun GMMTV YouTube 12 eps

Low Frequency - Thailand Sat iQIYI 8 eps

Started But You Can Probably Wait IMHO

Dinosaur Love (Sun iQIYI)

Be Mine Super Star (Mon Viki)

Wedding Plan (Weds YT & iQIYI) it's mame so A trash watch is happening! 

Minato Shouji Coin Laundry Season 2 (Japan Thu Gaga)

Hope this is what you wanted.

[tangomagnolija]

sorry to be posting fanart for a nonexistent fandom but pchela and kosmos are rotting my brain and i cant do anything about it

[infamous-if]

idk if this has already been asked (and if it has sorry 💕💕) but for fic purposes: we know MC's seven tattoo can be their first/only one, but did seven have tattoos beforehand or was it their first one too? thanks so much for writing this IF i am eating it tf up and you're amazing, hope that u are doing well 💕

If I can recall correctly, Seven never had tattoos before that. MC's initials was their first :>

And thank you! I hope you're doing well too, friend <3

[not-poignant]

Some ppl want a UtB Temsen x Gwyn fic but all I want is a oneshot of Temsen hunting down and decimating Christian and putting him "in his place" lmao. I'd enjoy reading that so much.

Question: peak alphas can get away with committing pretty much any crime right so why doesn't Temsen or the other peak alphas at Hillview just kill abusive alphas? I'm pretty sure Temsen could get away with murdering Christian and it would save future omegas from what Nate went thru.

Hi anon!

I mean the main reason is that killing in cold blood is still frowned on, and peak alphas exist in all levels of government, and would likely be like 'hey, cut that out, you're making it hard for the rest of us to kill people sometimes and get away with it.'

A peak alpha killing someone due to ardolphogen rage or similar is not against the law, but like, it has to be demonstrable that they're in this state, it can't be them plotting in advance to murder people, because that is against the law. And there comes a point where everyone stops wanting to have anything to do with you and other peak alphas will be like '...that is a crazy out-of-control problem over there.'

Nothing is more dangerous to a peak alpha than another peak alpha, after all.

But yeah, that's why. Societal policing, even if it can't come in the form of some levels of society, still exists! They can't just go commit whatever crimes they want free from consequence. But they can do some crime relatively free from consequence. They're still expected to cooperate with the law, make a statement, a report is filed etc. Like, they get a record.

I'm pretty sure Temsen could get away with murdering Christian and it would save future omegas from what Nate went thru.

Okay, but that's not his job, or his function, or his purpose in life. Like, just because he can, doesn't mean he a) should, or b) that this would be healthy for him or c) that it actually even solves the problem systemically at all.

Temsen's work is broader than that. He tries to change education so alphas grow up respecting omegas more, he tries to change attitudes through activism so omegas feel better insisting on respect from alphas in the first place. It's a lot easier to stop the abusers when you stop all the people who enable the abusers.

Like, how many people is Temsen supposed to kill? It's not just Christian who's awful, but all of Christian's friends. It's not just all of them who are awful, but nearly every alpha that sends an omega to Hillview, it's not just all of those alphas, but it's often their alpha family members who encouraged and enabled them in the first place, and it's not just those alphas, but also the ones they encounter out in life who act like this is permissible. And if that was something Temsen felt impassioned to do, I'm sure he would a) end up with a death count of thousands and b) still not actually have done as much to stop abuse as what he's literally doing by trying to change the systems that enable abuse re: education (like the education modules that Efnisien is reading) or helping facilitate the global introduction of laws that protect omegas (because for those laws to be passed, you have to convince the governments that those omegas have a right to be protected. It's more than just the law itself.)

It's tempting to be like 'he should just kill the bad people we don't like' but it's never just one bad person. Hillview has around 30 omegas on site at any time, that's a lot of abusive alphas you want Temsen to be killing on a regular basis.

That does negatively affect someone's psyche? To just...repeatedly murder people in cold blood. Also we have a show about it (Dexter) and it's not like it really solves the problem. Also it tends to create an issue, it's not like people who murder all the time out of a sense of righteousness stay like...good, compassionate, empathetic people. The black and white thinking you need to justify those actions means that you stop considering whether an alpha has been abused, or whether they have a potential for redemption, etc.

That isn't to say Temsen won't kill people again, just that if he does, it will be in the heat of the moment and not because he thinks 'well that guy was abusive so I should.'

I mean, as far as we know, Christian's never killed anyone. So ending his life, while Nate gets to recover, is...not even something we do in places where we have the death penalty. Christians actions are reprehensible, but we do not become a better society by also committing reprehensible actions just because we can.

Temsen could not stay "Temsen" if that was something he believed was right to do.

It's a fun revenge fantasy, and that's where it stays, I'm afraid!

Finally, Christian does have PTSD from being abused in the past. More abuse isn't going to stop him or make him recognise what he's doing. His PTSD and his trauma is legitimate, even if the way he weaponises it isn't. Much like Efnisien in Falling Falling Stars, wanting to hurt someone who is abusive who has also been an abuse victim rarely solves anything at all. It just makes the person doing the hurting feel some righteous, sadistic pleasure in the moment, which when you think about it, actually isn't justice at all.

[paulagrint95]

Spartacus polaroids

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Barry Blitt, The Kvetchbook

* * * * *

A suggested approach for dealing with the news.

February 7, 2025

Robert B. Hubbell

If you are struggling to make sense of the torrent of seemingly inconsistent news alerts pummeling you every 15 minutes, welcome to the club! One minute, things seem to be improving; the next minute, they are getting worse. I find the situation horribly disorienting and stressful.

Here is the mental construct I am employing to help me digest the news:

Two things are happening at once. Both are true. They are in opposition.

Thing one: Democrats are gaining a foothold in opposing Trump's coup—through the courts, through public opinion, and through legislative stalling tactics. Those are not complete defenses, and they take time. But they are the tools we have.

Thing two: Musk and Trump are accelerating their efforts to infect the federal government with AI computer viruses to assist in making drastic workforce and budget cuts in intelligence, law enforcement, health, science, and foreign aid. The sting of thing two is compounded by the complicity of congressional Republicans and the willingness of Trump supporters to lie with aplomb and feigned indignation

Thing one—the resistance—is trailing behind thing two—the pillaging and burning. To be sure, the resistance is catching up to the vandals. But playing “catch up” feels bad. It feels like we are losing and that there is no accountability. The sense of being “behind” is a temporary illusion created by the First Law of the Universe: It is easier to break things than to fix them.

Moreover, the velocity of the news combined with its jaw-dropping implausibility makes the tension between thing one and thing two difficult to track and comprehend. Well-meaning writers—like me—are creating a flood of content that attempts to keep track of important and urgent developments. The mere act of reading the list of “The Top 36 things that happened today” can be overwhelming.

I get it. I read many other newsletters written by smart and well-meaning people, and I often feel overwhelmed by the end of such articles. Why? I believe that the constant re-telling of the crises triggers our “fight or flight” sensors until they are saturated and shut down. We are left exhausted.

The comforting news is that we have all been here before in our personal lives, albeit in different circumstances. A car accident while unemployed. Battling cancer and experiencing the sudden death of a loved one. A hurricane followed by a once-in-a-thousand-year flood. A sexual assault and doubting police officers. Being bullied and harassed by a co-worker under a boss who doesn’t want to get involved.

Somehow, we managed to survive those crises. We put one foot in front of the other. We dealt with the circumstances we faced with the tools we had. And we have managed to make it to this point successfully.

We need to employ those same coping skills to deal with the political crises confronting us. Put one foot in front of the other. Deal with the circumstances we face with the tools we have. Fight in the present but take confidence from the long-term inevitability that we will prevail if we do not give up. Trump is an aberration whose time will pass.

Recognize that the cognitive dissonance of this moment is caused by two things being true at once: Democrats are gaining a foothold in opposing Trump's coup, and Trump is accelerating the chaos.

Do not be troubled by the inconsistent, see-saw nature of the news. That tension is a sign that we are beginning our long road to victory.

To help ease the cognitive load, I will reduce my commentary in this newsletter and categorize today’s news into comprehensible themes. I hope this helps!

All readers are welcome to join me on Saturday, February 8, at 9:00 a.m. PST / 12:00 noon EST for a Substack livestream session. Download and open the Substack App at the appointed time. I will send a reminder email 30 minutes in advance on Saturday morning.

Thing One—Democrats are gaining a foothold in opposing Trump's coup

Senate Democrats filibuster confirmation of OMB Director Russell T. Vought

See NYTimes, (accessible to all), Senate Democrats Hold the Floor in Overnight Protest of Trump Nominee. Democratic Senators heard their constituents, located their spines, and went down swinging. That outcome is far superior to losing on perfunctory votes that signal surrender. Keep it up!

Federal Judge delays Trump's deadline to federal workers to accept “Fork in the road” deferred terminations.

See Business Insider, Judge delays Trump's federal employee buyout deadline. To date, every time a judge has ruled on a lawsuit against a Trump executive order or illegal terminations, Trump has lost.

Labor Department barred from sharing information on employees with DOGE team

See Latin Times, Elon Musk's DOGE Blocked from Accessing Labor Department Data in Stunning Win for Unions

Employee unions sue to prevent termination of USAID workers

Two labor groups sued to prevent the Trump administration from invoking mass layoffs of USAID workers. See CNN Politics, Labor groups sue to halt Trump admin’s dismantling of USAID as workforce is expected to be slashed to under 300

Thirteen states plan to sue DOGE to prevent access to personal information about citizens

“Democratic attorneys general in several states vowed Thursday to file a lawsuit to stop Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency from accessing federal payment systems containing Americans’ sensitive personal information.” See AP News, 13 states to sue over DOGE access to government payment systems containing personal data.

House Democrats apparently secure agreement from Speaker Johnson to hold hearing on DOGE hacking of Treasury data

A letter released by two Democrats on the House Ways & Means Committee says that Speaker Mike Johnson agreed to hold a hearing on DOGE’s access to Treasury Department data. See Talking Points Memo, Dems Suggest They Got Johnson To Commit To Hearing On Elon’s Treasury Break-In

Senate Democrats demand VA Secretary deny DOGE access to veterans’ records.

See HuffPo, Democrats Demand VA Secretary Deny Elon Musk Access To Veterans' Private Records.

Disciplinary complaint filed against acting US Attorney in DC, Ed Martin

Acting US Attorney in DC, Ed Martin, represented one of the January 6 defendants. As acting US Attorney Martin just filed a request for dismissal of the case against his client—while he was still counsel of record for that client in a criminal proceeding. A legal advocacy group filed a disciplinary complaint against Martin in Missouri, where he is licensed. Martin tried to file a motion to withdraw as attorney for his client. The motion was rejected because he had allowed his membership in the DC bar to lapse. See Top Trump prosecutor in DC faces bar complaint for dismissing January 6 charges against client.

DOGE employee who posted racist statement resigns

Proving that public shaming can still work, the WSJ reported that one of Musk’s cadre of engineers had made vile racist posts, which he had attempted to remove. But the internet is forever and the posts were archived. When they were published on Wednesday, the employee resigned immediately. See The Independent, DOGE staffer quits after exposure of racist social media posts.

Thing Two-- Musk and Trump are accelerating their efforts

Attorney General Pam Bondi.

Attorney General Pam Bondi went on a legal terror campaign within the DOJ on Thursday. She did the following:

Disbanded a group of prosecutors assigned to prevent foreign interference in US elections. NBC News, Bondi ends FBI effort to combat foreign influence in U.S. politics.

Disbanded a group of prosecutors who targeted criminal activities by Russian oligarchs. Reuters, Trump administration disbands task force targeting Russian oligarchs.

Instructed the DOJ to investigate companies that promote diversity and inclusion through hiring and retention. Slate, Pam Bondi instructs Trump DOJ to investigate companies that do DEI.

Trump executive orders:

Trump signed an executive order sanctioning the International Criminal Court for “targeting Israel.” Trump signs executive order to sanction ICC, accusing court of targeting US and its ‘close ally’ Israel – live

NCAA bans transgender athletes after Trump signs executive order. Reuters, NCAA bans transgender women from sports a day after Trump executive order.

Foreign policy

Trump doubles down on Gaza takeover proposal despite bipartisan opposition | Donald Trump | The Guardian

Concluding Thoughts

Calls from constituents are overwhelming the staff of most members of Congress. Good! Keep it up—even if you have a Republican representative or Senator! Democrats appear to have received the message (finally) and are opposing / delaying confirmations of Trump's nominees. See The New Republic, “Disgusted” Democratic Voters Are Blowing Up Congress’s Phones.

Regardless of whether Senate Democrats can stop the confirmations, we need to know that they understand the depth of the crisis and will not cooperate with the party that is facilitating the coup.

And the calls to Republican members of Congress are also worthwhile—even if they do not succeed in changing the views of the GOP member of Congress. About 200 protesters showed up to protest outside Senator John Cornyn’s office. Cornyn sent a snide tweet that said,

Sorry to miss these folks from @IndivisibleTeam + @MoveOn protesting my state offices over my support of @realDonaldTrump’s nominees & all the good work @ElonMusk is doing with @DOGE," the senator said, sharing photos of protests outside his other Texas offices. "I hate to break it to them, but we are just getting started," Cornyn continued. "These people are really going to lose it when we extend the Trump tax cuts."

Although Cornyn blamed Indivisible and MoveOn for the protest, neither organization was involved. The protesters were Cornyn constituents who are dependent on military contracts for their livelihood and are terrified of the chaos Musk and Trump are causing.

Here’s the point: Cornyn took notice and sent a boastful tweet worthy of every schoolyard bully who feels his dominance is threatened. Cornyn is frightened, and his Freudian slip is showing.

Multiply that single protest by hundreds more, and it is clear that the emerging resistance is penetrating the consciousness of MAGA members of Congress. It is just a start, but it is a good one. Keep it up!!

[Robert B. Hubbell Newsletter]