7/13/26
3 VETERANS SUE TRUMP REGIME OVER ARCH
3 Vietnam war veterans, and a historian, are suing the Trump Administration to stop construction of another Trump vanity project, the proposed 250 foot tall “triumphal” arch.
The veteran’s main complaint is that the arch, which some have dubbed “Arc de Trump”, would sit between Arlington National Cemetery (dedicated at the end of the Civil War), and the memorial to Abraham Lincoln, the president who won the Civil War and preserved the union. Disrupting this sightline, critics say, would defeat the designs of both Arlington and the Lincoln Memorial.
To recap Trump, in his first 1.5 years of version 2, has:
Destroyed, without warning, the East Wing of the White House. Awarded a no bid contract to a construction firm for a “ballroom”.
Paved over the iconic White House rose garden.
Destroyed the reflecting pool shared by the Washington and Lincoln Monuments. Restoration work was awarded under another no bid contract. Trump drove heavy vehicles over the newly applied sealant, which started separating days after the pool was refilled. Trump blames this on “sabotage”, of course by the “left”, and several people have been charged with such, but observers believe these charges will go nowhere.
Hung his giant, scowling visage (Stalinesque) from several government buildings in Washington, notably the Department of Justice.
Defaced the Kennedy Center by adding his name to it. A court has ruled he must remove it, and reports are he has, although it difficult to tell because the tarps he erected to hide his defeat are still in place. The same judge has ordered those down by the end of July.
7/10/26
TRUMP FIRES ENTIRE ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION
Fresh from the Supreme Court victory that authorized him to do so, President Donald Trump Thursday fired the last 3 members of the Election Assistance Commission.
The EAC is an independent bipartisan federal commission charged with assisting elections administration officials nation wide. The EAC consists of 2 Republicans and 2 Democrats, although one of the Republican seats has been vacant since April. All of the current members of the EAC were confirmed unanimously by the Senate.
"The President, and head of the Executive Branch, reserves the right to remove individuals that may not be totally aligned with the important task of securing America's elections and ensuring every legal vote is counted," a White House official said in a statement.
The move is another naked attempt to bring national elections under presidential control. This action was anticipated by the Founders, who opposed it so strenuously that they gave the president absolutely no authority over elections in the Constitution.
7/6/26
MCMORROW DROPS OUT
State Senator Mallory McMorrow suspended her campaign for the US Senate seat of retiring Senator Gary Peters yesterday. McMorrow has been campaigning for the seat for over a year.
Her decision means the Democratic primary is now down to 2 candidates, Congressperson Haley Stevens and former Detroit Health Director Abdul El-Sayed. McMorrow did not endorse either of her former opponents, but said whoever wins will have her full support.
Attorney General Dana Nessel endorsed Haley Stevens immediately after McMorrow dropped out.
7/3/26
TAKE YOUR PICK
In what is certainly good news for Michigan Democrats (and Democrats in general), recent polling by Zenith Research finds that any of the 3 Democrats vying for their party’s nomination to replace retiring Senator Gary Peters would beat presumptive Republican nominee Mike Rogers.
Of the 3, Abdul El-Sayed has the widest edge on Rogers at 45% to 42%. Mallory McMorrow leads Rogers 44% to 42%. Haley Stevens has the thinnest margin at 43% to 42%.
El-Sayed is the most progressive of the 3, and continues the recent trend of very strong support for progressive candidates. He has the support of Senator Bernie Sanders and was recently endorsed by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Stevens is the centrist establishment candidate and has been endorsed by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. McMorrow falls somewhere between the two.
Holding the Michigan Senate seat is crucial to Democratic plans to recapture the Senate.
7/1/26
SUPREME COURT TRASHES TRUMP’S BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP EO
In a much anticipated, but not surprising, ruling on Tuesday, the US Supreme Court invalidated President Donald Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship.
The vote was 6-3, with only conservative justices Alito, Thomas, and Gorsuch dissenting. The surprising thing was that there was any dissent at all, because the 14th Amendment (unlike some other amendments) is very clear and basic. It’s authors crafted it in light of the disastrous Dred Scott decision, which said that people of black African descent could not be citizens. Having just been through the nation’s bloodiest war over the issue, the authors of the 14th were given repeated opportunities to narrow it’s scope, and instead made it as broad as possible, seeing very presciently that other classes of Americans might be marginalized in the future.
After the decision, President Trump began posting that he could still get rid of birthright citizenship another way, legislatively, with the cooperation of Congress. In fact, the only way to overturn this SCOTUS decision is by amending the Constitution itself, which was last done 34 years ago. Many observers believe that constitutional amendments are no longer possible due to the hyperpolarized state of American politics, which Trump himself has had a large part in creating.
6/29/26
BAD DAY AT SCOTUS FOR DEAR LEADER
Today’s Supreme Court decisions add up to not a very good day for President Trump.
The Court refused to hear Trump’s appeal of the 5 million dollar verdict in the E. Jean Carroll case. This means that Trump will forever carry the stigma of being found legally responsible for sexual assault.
The Court held that Trump may not fire Lisa Cook from the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, at least not in the way he attempted to do it. It remains to be seen if Trump will try it from a different angle.
In a major blow to Trump and the RNC, the court held that ballots postmarked on or before election day may be counted up to 5 days after election day.
The lone win for the president came in the firing of agency personnel. The Court ruled that the president has broad authority when it comes to executive agencies. The ruling paves the way for Trump to fire Rebecca Slaughter from the Federal Trade Commission.
6/25/26
TRUMP ENDORSES JOHN JAMES
President Donald Trump has (finally) given his “coveted” endorsement in the Republican primary for governor of Michigan, and it goes to John James, who currently represents Michigan’s 10th congressional district. James currently has a small lead in the polls over former Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox and businessman/annoying gadfly Perry Johnson.
Astute observers are wondering why Trump awarded his endorsement to James, since James is A) a two time loser in state wide elections and B) black.
But, no matter. As we saw earlier this week in South Carolina, if the polls tighten approaching the August 4th primary, Trump is likely to ALSO endorse Cox and/or Johnson. So he can say he picked the winner, and the winner needs to kiss his ring.
6/24/26
SENATE VOTES TO END IRAN WAR
By a bipartisan vote of 50 to 48, the US Senate has voted to invoke the War Powers Act, and force President Donald Trump to end the war in Iran. The vote takes the form of a concurrent resolution, since it was passed by the House in early June. That means it has no force of law. Not that Trump would obey it, anyway. But it DOES demonstrate to Trump that even his own party is sick of the war.
And boy, did Trump let his lapdogs have it today. His lunch meeting with Republican Senators was punctuated with the screams and threats we’ve become used to with America’s only toddler president. In a fit of impotent rage, Trump cancelled the public signing of a housing bill that passed both chambers of Congress with veto proof majorities.
UPDATE 6/25/26 - After screaming at his Senate minions for a solid hour, they changed course and unapproved the resolution last night.
6/22/26
AMERICANS WANT OUT
The first major poll (from CBS/Yougov) since the signing of the memo of understanding with Iran is out, and at first glance contains numbers that at least some in the Trump regime consider attractive. It reveals that 78% of Americans want to end the war now, rather than wait for a better deal. Some see this as support for Trump and Vance in negotiations with Iran. The rest of the poll makes clear that is not the case.
37% of responses said Iran got the better of the deal, while only 22% think the US did.
45% think the war has not been successful strategically, versus 29% who think that it has.
A goal of the war often repeated by the President is to stop Iran’s nuclear program, but 69% of respondents to this poll believe the memo of understanding won’t accomplish that. 68% believe the agreement will not stop Iran from threatening other nations. 79% believe the agreement has not made Iran’s leadership more pro US. 74% say it hasn’t made the Iranian people more safe or free.
Other numbers indicate Americans view the war as not just a failure, but as counterproductive. 63% say Iran is as strong or stronger than before the war began, and 57% said the war has created more problems than it solved.
Americans just want the war to be over, and they’re willing to accept a suboptimal agreement to make that happen.
6/19/26
WHAT WAS THE POINT?
Do you remember the early stages of the Iran war, and what we were trying to accomplish? It’s not easy, because they shifted so much over time. Basically, they were to prevent Iran from rebuilding it’s nuclear program, destroy Iran’s ballistic missiles, regime change, and unconditional surrender.
None of that is happening.
On Wednesday, President Trump signed a “Memorandum of Understanding” with Iran. The document was signed in Versailles, France, the place where several historic surrender documents have been signed, and the irony was not lost on many people. It’s supposed to be good for a period of 60 days. In it, the US agrees to end it’s naval blockade, remove sanctions on Iranian oil, release impounded Iranian assets totaling about 25 billion dollars, and give Iran “access” to a 300 billion dollar “reconstruction” fund. It’s unclear if the 300 billion is US taxpayer money, but given the change in the funding source for the “ballroom”, it may very well be.
In return, Iran agrees to open the Strait of Hormuz. And that’s about it. The Memorandum says Iran’s nuclear program is up for discussion. They get to keep their ballistic missiles, which the CIA estimates are only about 30% depleted. They’re keeping their stockpile of enriched uranium. There has been no regime change, and certainly no unconditional surrender.
Meanwhile, the US has created severe stress on the global economy, and seen gas prices rise 30% here at home. The war has cost at least 100 billion taxpayer dollars. Most important of all, the US lost at least 13 service people and hundreds have been severely injured. Nearly 10,000 deaths in the Middle East are attributed to the conflict.
Even Republican Senators are disgruntled with this “deal”. Senator Bill Cassidy (R - Louisiana) called it “the worst foreign policy blunder in decades”.
Trump, in justifying signing the agreement, said he didn’t want to be responsible for a global depression. Perhaps his self awareness is finally catching up with his ego.
6/16/26
FOUR WINNS CADILLAC CLOSING IN AUGUST
A fixture of the Cadillac, Michigan, economy for over 50 years is closing in August. The parent company of Four Winns boats announced the closure after a board meeting June 11. Reasons for the closure are declining boat sales, a weakening economy, and the Middle East conflict leading to a less than rosy economic outlook. The closure will cost Northern Michigan 232 jobs.
6/13/26
KENNEDY CENTER CLEANED OF GRAFFITI
In the early morning of June 13, 2026, workers, under the cover of darkness and a tarp designed to obstruct the view of the public, removed the name of Donald J. Trump from the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts. To be sure, as of this writing, the view obstructing tarp is still in place, but witnesses at the scene report that the offending graffiti has been removed.
Work began yesterday in response to a midnight deadline imposed by federal judge Christopher Cooper to have Trump’s name removed from the building, website, and literature for the Center. Trump’s name has already been removed from the website and literature.
The work, which was done after erecting metal scaffolding, was delayed several times by thunderstorms and accompanying lightning. This provided a convenient excuse to the Trump regime to fail to meet the deadline, and request of Judge Cooper more time, which was denied. Also denied was an appeal to the US Court of Appeals.
Undeterred by the thunderstorms and tarp, hundreds of people gathered to view the restoration of the venerable landmark. Tens of thousands tuned in to several live streams of the event.
6/10/26
TRUMP ORDERS USPS TO DISRUPT MAIL IN VOTING
Ever since issuing his Executive Order to nationalize elections back in March, President Donald Trump has met with an unbroken string of defeats in the courts. 23 states (mostly Democratic controlled), well as several 3rd party entities have sued his administration in myriad lawsuits, and have won every single time. Because the Constitution is clear: states control elections, and the executive branch has no say over them.
Never one to be deterred by little things like the Constitution, Trump is now trying a different tactic. A key part of his elections EO was that states would turn over their voter lists to the federal government, which would then “approve” which people on it are eligible for mail in voting. Every court presented with this has shot it down as unconstitutional. So, Trump is, in effect, ordering the US Postal Service not to deliver mail in ballots in states which have not given their voter lists to the US government.
You might be wondering how Trump can order an arm of the government to implement a policy which has been rejected by every court in which it’s appeared. We all are. Stay tuned.
6/7/26
SECRETARY OF DEFENSE OF THE FAITH
Pete Hegseth is widely considered the least qualified person to ever hold the job of Secretary of Defense in the 79 year history of the position, having only attained the rank of Major in a 10 year career in the Army and Reserves. Not only is he unqualified, but there have been myriad reports of his drunkeness, violence toward women, racism, and financial incompetence.
He just squeaked by confirmation in the Senate, needing the vote of Vice President JD Vance to put him over the top. Once confirmed, one of the first actions of this unqualified, incompetent man was to fire two of the military’s most senior and distinguished officers: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Charles Q. Brown, and Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Lisa Franchetti. Both of these officers had absolutely impeccable careers which saw them steadily earn their way to the lofty positions they held when fired by the retired Major. No reason was given for their dismissal, so we have to go to the obvious - Brown is black, Franchetti is a woman.
This is becoming a pattern. In recent weeks, Hegseth has blocked the promotion of 8 Navy Captains to the rank of Admiral. Of those 8, 3 were women and 2 were black. Of the 22 people promoted to the rank of Admiral on Hegseth’s watch, NONE of them are women. In fact, during his tenure, Hegseth has fired or blocked nearly 3 dozen high ranking career officers.
To be sure, he does have the authority to do this, delegated by the President. But, you would be hard pressed to find a single Defense Secretary that has blocked a single promotion. Ever.
Also this week, Hegseth directed the DOD to reduce the number of recognized religions, faiths and belief systems from over 200 to just 31. In what should come as no surprise, given Hegseth’s unabashed Christian Nationalism, Christian sects account for 21 of the 31 recognized. Some of the faiths that no longer make the cut are Atheists, Deists, Druids, Humanists, and Unitarian Universalists.
6/5/26
PENTAGON HIRES TERRORIST TO WORK ON COUNTER TERRORISM
The Pentagon has hired Elias Irizarry, a convicted and pardoned J6 insurrectionist, to work on a unit that specializes in top secret counter terrorism and special ops actions.
Irizarry was a 19 year old student at the Citadel when he took part in the January 6, 2021 insurrection at the Capitol in a failed effort to keep Trump in power. In 2023, he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of entering or remaining in a restricted building, and was sentenced to 14 days in jail.
All the members of the unit to which he is assigned must have Top Secret security clearance. It is unclear whether Irizarry has, or can obtain, such a clearance.
6/2/26
THE NEW DNI
Many people rejoiced at the announcement a couple weeks ago that the Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, was resigning. Many people thought that there was absolutely no way that Trump could find anyone less qualified and more sycophantic than Gabbard. Many people would be wrong.
The President is appointing Fannie Mae Director William Pulte as Acting Director of National Intelligence. Pulte will continue as head of Fannie Mae while he also runs DNI. Pulte’s greatest contribution to the Trump Administration is that he’s the guy that keeps coming up with “evidence” of mortgage fraud against Trump “enemies” like Leticia James, Adam Schiff, and Lisa Cook. Mortgage fraud is a Trump fixation, because a New York court found he and his company responsible for it in a suit brought by New York AG Leticia James, to the tune of a half billion dollar judgement. And when Trump is guilty of something, he wants you to think that everybody does it. Except, they can’t seem to find prosecutors who will indict based on Pulte’s “evidence”.
Gabbard was fatally wounded by two circumstances. It was known that she was opposed to the war of choice in Iran, and she could not manage to manufacture any evidence of fraud in the 2020 election, despite stealing the 2020 ballots from Fulton County, Georgia.
6/1/26
LAWYERS FLEE WASHINGTON DC
The New York Times reports that, since the start of Trump 2.0 a little over a year ago, a stunning ten thousand lawyers have quit or been fired from federal employment. The total count of lawyers employed by the federal government is down 17%. Various departments have fared even worse. DOE is down 53%, and HUD is down 40%.
The government runs on laws. Therefore, you need a lot of lawyers to run the government. As you might imagine, with the most litigious individual in American history at the helm, the government is extraordinarily busy just now. To put a double whammy on it, many of these experienced attorneys went directly to Democratic state attorney’s general, and are making an immediate contribution to this administration’s mounting losses in the courts.
Our President? He thinks this is a good thing.
5/30/26
JUDGE ORDERS KENNEDY CENTER RESTORED TO GREATNESS
US District Judge Christopher Cooper has ordered Donald Trump’s name removed from The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts. Judge Cooper has also ruled that the Center may not be closed for “repairs”.
The ruling comes in response to a suit filed by Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio), an ex officio member of the Center’s board. In his ruling, Judge Cooper said that Trump adding his name to the Center was a clear violation of federal law that requires the building to honor President Kennedy, and President Kennedy alone.
Trump ordered his name added to the Center (before Kennedy’s) last December. This came after Trump fired the entire governing board and replaced them with sycophants, including members of his cabinet and current Fox News hosts. The “Board” lost no time in appointing Trump chairman.
Trump, for his part, went on a long rant on his Truth Social site, but said he would order his administration to transfer control of the center back to Congress.
5/28/26
35 FORMER JUDGES: “THE COURT WAS DECEIVED”
A bipartisan group of 35 former federal judges has filed a motion in federal court in the Southern District of Florida, asking the court to reopen the legal case between Donald Trump and the Internal Revenue Service, and investigate whether the “settlement” between the two constitutes an act of fraud against the court.
From the article: "The purported 'settlement' that the parties never placed before this Court raises profound questions about the parties’ candor toward the Court and manipulation of the judicial system, which threatens to undermine confidence in the administration of justice," the 35 former judges said in their motion.
UPDATE 5/30/26 - In response to this filing, Judge Kathleen Williams has reopened the case.
5/26/26
US BOMBS IRAN; CEASEFIRE HOLDS
The US Monday launched new strikes against Iranian missile locations and boats. The strikes were termed “self defense”.
The official version from the military? "US Central Command continues to defend our forces while using restraint during the ongoing ceasefire."
Apparently, “ceasefire” doesn’t mean what you think it means. This entire weekend, the President of the United States has been crowing about how close he is to a peace deal.
5/24/26
BIG TOBACCO’S COMEBACK
Decades after being identified as perhaps the biggest threat to American public health, Big Tobacco is, apparently, making a comeback in the Trump White House.
On April 30, a subsidiary of Reynolds American gave 5 million dollars to Trump’s super pac MAGA, Inc.
Two days later, representatives from Reynolds and another tobacco company had lunch with Trump at his golf club in Jupiter, Florida. The conversation revolved around the tobacco executives dissatisfaction with how the FDA was regulating them with regard to flavored vapes. Trump interrupted the conversation to call FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary. When Makary didn’t answer, Trump called HHS head Robert Kennedy Jr. and Dr. Mehmet Oz, to complain about the FDA’s regulation of e-cigs.
Low and behold, a couple days later, the FDA issued new guidelines for flavored e-cigs, opening the door for Big Tobacco to start marketing them.
A few days later, Dr. Makary resigned, saying he could not in good conscience support such a policy.
5/22/26
REPUBLICANS BRAVELY RUN AWAY
Republican Senators, when staring at unprecedented corruption by the President of the United States, ran for the exits instead of defending the constitution. This came after Senator Tillis (R, N. Carolina) labeled Trump’s ridiculous slush fund for terrorists as “stupid on stilts” and a “payout for punks”.
Meanwhile, over in the House, a War Powers vote was about to make it to the floor, and Republicans could not defeat it. So, Speaker Mike Johnson gaveled the chamber into recess until June.
During the next 9 days or so, these Republicans are going to be under intense pressure from this President to chose between him and the Constitution. The correct choice is the Constitution. Let’s hope they choose wisely.
5/20/56
BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE!
Adding insult to injury, President Donald Trump has ordered the DOJ to add an “addendum” to his scam to make everyone pay for the criminality he has unleashed upon America.
Are you ready for this?
The addendum states that the United States is ‘“FOREVER BARRED and PRECLUDED from prosecuting or pursuing, any and all claims, including “monetary relief,” that “have been or could have been” asserted by the IRS against Trump, his family or his businesses.
A reminder: Trump, his family, and his organizations have been adjudicated in US courts as responsible for multiple cases of fraud, even involving veteran’s and children’s cancer “charities”.
5/19/26
IS THIS LAWFUL?
Back on April 25th, we brought you the story of how a US District judge had (temporarily) stopped the President from suing his own government. Judge Kathleen Williams ordered both parties – that would be Trump the plaintiff and Trump the defendant – to file briefs and be prepared to argue them on May 20th, tomorrow. Presumably, this would involve one Trump to present a case to convince the judge that the Constitution is just fine with a sitting president suing the government he controls for ten billion dollars, while the other Trump would have to argue that this is balderdash (it is). The entire basis of our law is adversarial; if both parties agree, there is nothing to litigate.
Most legal observers thought it likely that Judge Williams would dismiss this case and, thus, erect some legal barrier to such overtly corrupt behavior, but Trump evaded that by dropping his suit and settling with himself. Faced with the raw, naked savagery of historic corruption, Judge Williams closed the case, while noting that no settlement of record had been filed with her court.
What really happened here was Trump sued all of US for 10 billion dollars and then, in probably the most magnanimous presidential act of all time, allowed US to settle with him for a mere 1.7 billion dollars. He intends to use this money as a slush fund for his fellow “victims”, and it’s no small coincidence that the amount is enough to make everyone convicted over January 6 a millionaire. Dispensation of these funds (our tax dollars) will be controlled by a 6 person “Commission”, with 5 members appointed by the Attorney General, and all subject to firing by, you guessed it, Trump.
Authoritarianism has come to America.
5/18/26
TON OF EVIDENCE
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche tells Fox News that there is a “ton of evidence” that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from Donald Trump. And then, he goes on to say that he can not provide a “definitive answer” of whether that is true or when the government might be able to prove it.
To date, no credible evidence has been discovered that proves the 2020 election was rigged.
The seizure of election records from Arizona and Georgia by the FBI have not shown any malfeasance. It does, however, illustrate the FBI’s new “payback squad” - agents who are willing to work on political cases exposing and discrediting federal law enforcement officials who investigated Trump.
5/14/26
CONSTITUENTS FILE ETHICS COMPLAINT ON BERGMAN
Two of his constituents, one a retired judge and the other a retired Navy chaplain, have filed a complaint with the House Ethics Committee, over the conduct of Congressman Jack Bergman’s aides. Bergman, a Republican, represents Michigan’s 1st Congressional District, which includes Roscommon County.
The complaint alleges that Bergman’s aides are running a political consultancy firm on the side, and have had their government salaries reduced specifically to avoid House rules about income reporting.
Bergman is running for re-election. If he wins, he will turn 80 years old about a month after he takes office. He is a 2020 election denier who joined a Texas suit to invalidate the votes of all Michiganders, and then refused to certify the election of President Joe Biden.
5/13/26
SO MUCH WINNING
The Trump regime has been sued in federal court around 11,600 times over it’s draconian deportation policies. It has lost nearly 10,400 of these cases, an unprecedented failure rate of over 90%.
One of the things at issue is the Trumpian interpretation of a federal law that requires the detention of “applicants for admission” who are “seeking admission” to the US. Every prior administration has taken this to mean people who were apprehended trying to cross the border illegally. Under Trump, ICE now considers people who have lived legally in the US while applying for asylum, sometimes for many years, are considered “seeking admission” and must be detained.
This has led to so many blatantly unAmerican activities that the courts have been overwhelmed. ICE has been buying up abandoned warehouses to convert to concentration camps. People who have legally lived in the US, sometimes for decades, have found themselves ripped from their homes and families and sent to a concentration camp. Among the things courts have ruled against ICE for, in thousands of cases, are denial of due process, holding individuals for unconstitutionally long periods of time, and arresting individuals when they show up for court mandated hearings.
And if ICE doesn’t like a particular court’s orders? No problem, they’ll just ignore them. This continues a disturbing pattern in the Trump regime of violating court orders unless they come from the Supreme Court itself.
Rest assured, the Supreme Court will, eventually, decide these cases. But, an administration that puts itself so blatantly above the law should not have the support of any American.
5/11/26
THE POLITICS OF DISASTER
Since FEMAs creation in 1979, every prior president (including Trump in his first term) has approved federal disaster funds for states unfortunate enough to need them at roughly the same rate, regardless of the political leanings of the particular state.
No more. Trump, in his second term, has approved only 23% of FEMA funds requested by Democratic states, defined as those with a Democratic governor and two Democratic Senators. Republican states (Republican governor, 2 Republican Senators), he approves at an 89% rate. This partisan disparity is unprecedented.
These denials have, so far, cost Democratic states 250 million dollars in disaster aid that would have been approved by every prior president, including Trump 1.0. Every president since Reagan has approved at least 67% of aid requests by Democratic states.
Further, when he does approve the request from a Democratic state, he takes 80 days to do it. He approves Republican state requests in an average of 39 days.
Trump is being, uncharacteristically, quite honest about it, too. He regularly posts his Republican disaster awards to his Truth Social page, along with praise to that state in voting for him in 3 elections. ““What he posts on Truth Social is a political analysis of the state’s voting record and tying that to the decision to award disaster assistance. I have not seen that in the past,” said Sarah Labowitz, a senior fellow who tracks disasters at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a nonprofit research group.”
If there is a silver lining here, it’s this: FEMA disaster requests are made most often for rural areas, because natural disasters occur most often in rural areas. Even in Democratic states, the highest percentage of Trump voters are in rural areas. So, his attempt to punish Democrats is hurting his own voters.
Or, as Illinois Governor JB Pritzker said, “Playing politics with disaster relief funding is a new low, even for the Trump Administration.”
5/9/26
INVESTIGATING PAY TO PLAY
CBS News reports that Democrats in the House and Senate have launched an investigation to determine if recipients of President Trump’s clemency obtained it through “pay to play”, otherwise known as bribery. According to California congressman Dave Min, the investigation "gets to the heart of what is wrong with America right now under this administration."
Of particular interest to the Democrats is the impact on victims. Trump’s pardons are unlike any other president’s in that they also forgive the recipient of any restitution levied by the court. Billions of dollars stolen from thousands of victims no longer has to be repaid. It is, literally, a license to steal.
Among the people Democrats want to question are:
Changpeng Zhao, founder of crypto exchange Binance, who pleaded guilty to money laundering. Zhao received his pardon after Binance brokered a massive investment in the Trump family crypto business, staking it to a 2.1 billion dollar valuation.
Joseph Schwartz, a nursing home operator convicted of tax crimes. Pardoned after payments to right wing operatives and lawyers close to the president.
Trevor Milton, entrepreneur convicted of lying to investors. Pardoned after he and his wife donated at least 3 million dollars to Trump’s campaign.
Democrats are the minority in both the House and Senate, so they have no subpoena power, but they may be getting a head start on investigations they wish to conduct starting in January 2027, when they are widely expected to regain control of at least one, if not both, chambers. Why does this matter? The Constitution states that "The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors".
5/6/26
MICHIGAN DEMS RETAIN CONTROL OF STATE SENATE
In a special election to fill the state Senate seat vacated by Kristen McDonald Rivet when she took her US House seat in January, 2025, Democrat Chedrick Greene has defeated Republican Jason Tunney by a wide margin, roughly 60% to 40%.
The victory means Democrats will retain control of the Michigan Senate for the remainder of Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s term. Had Tunney prevailed, the Senate would have been deadlocked between the parties at 19 seats each.
The results continue the recent trend of overwhelming Democratic victories in response to the deep and growing unpopularity of the Trump regime.
The seat will be up for election again in November.
5/5/26
REPUBLICANS THROW A COOL BILLION AT THE BALLROOM
Remember when you woke up to find out that the East Wing of the White House, one of America’s most historic places, had been destroyed by the sitting president without so much as giving notice?
Remember when he said he was going to replace it with a grand ballroom that wouldn’t cost us a thing, that private donations would cover the entire 200 million dollar cost? Remember that the cost went to 300 million? And then 400 million? But we still wouldn’t have to pay for it?
Well, Congressional Republicans are having none of that nonsense. In their latest sneaky reconciliation funding package, they are committing 1 BILLION dollars to the ballroom. That’s our tax dollars. They are justifying this by saying the funding can only be used on “security”. Sure.
It gets better. The Trump Regime will, no doubt, use this as an excuse to resume construction that is on hold by court order, because the order said Trump needed congressional approval and this is it.
5/2/26
WHO’S AFRAID OF THE BIG, BAD TRUMP
In the early days of Trump 2.0, he was poking his nose literally everywhere it didn’t belong, writing executive orders and filing suit against companies, law firms, universities, and media companies he felt were insufficiently adoring of his magnificence. For the most part, those entities fell all over themselves to bend the knee and kiss the feet of a man who was using the presidency in truly novel ways to exact retribution. Law firms agreed to fire people, eliminate DEI, and do pro bono work for Trump, who rewarded them by demanding more free stuff. Universities changed long standing policies under the threat of losing their federal funding. ABC paid him 15 million dollars; CBS 16 million rather than fight him in court. Amazon ponied up 40 million for the “Melania” biopic, and is said to be considering a reboot of “The Apprentice”, starring Junior.
That dynamic seems to be changing. The universities that stood up to him, most notably Harvard and UCLA, won law suits invalidating executive orders against them, as did 4 of the nation’s leading law firms.
The turning point, ironically, seems to be the assassination of far right provocateur Charlie Kirk. ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel commented on it, and the right wing exploded in outrage, demanding his removal. ABC capitulated (again), taking Kimmel off the air. Until it became clear that ABC’s customer base did not approve, at which point Kimmel was promptly reinstated.
Now the Trump administration is demanding that Kimmel be fired over a small piece of a rather brilliant and funny skit of an alternative White House Correspondents Dinner, with Kimmel as the host. At one point, he claims the first Lady ha the “glow of an expectant widow”. This segment aired two days prior to the actual WHCD.
ABC and parent company Disney are fighting back. Stay tuned.
4/29/26
COMEY INDICTED AGAIN
Former FBI Director James Comey has been indicted for a second time in less than a year by Donald Trump’s Department of Justice. He is charged with 2 felonies that have a combined maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment. The charges are 1) threatening the life of the president and 2) using interstate commerce to convey the threat.
The charges stem from an Instagram post Comey made in May, 2025, that was a photo of some seashells in sand arranged to form the numbers “8647” and captioned “Cool shell formation on my beach walk.” Comey removed the post the next day, saying “I didn’t realize some folks associate those numbers with violence,” he said. “It never occurred to me, but I oppose violence of any kind, so I took the post down.” The phrase “8647” most commonly refers to political speech meaning “remove Trump”.
Keep in mind, there is no evidence that Comey arranged the shells in that formation, or that it couldn’t be a naturally occurring event. A quick search of “8647” on Amazon returns 7 pages of merchandise, from t-shirts to coffee mugs, with “8647” on it, so (presumably) Jeff Bezos will be indicted next.
No, this is clearly a president behaving like a dictator. Trump, in a social media post from September 2025, demanded that his Attorney General (Pam Bondi at the time) indict Comey and several other people. That happened within a couple weeks of his post, but the case was thrown out because the US Attorney who filed it had been improperly appointed, again at Trump’s insistence.
The DOJ is now maintaining that Comey is an imminent threat. If that is so, why did they wait for nearly a year to indict him? It’s clear to any rational person that what Trump really wants is a perp walk, as well as to minimize his very real crimes, by charging his opponents with made up nonsense designed to humiliate and bankrupt them.
The US justice system still takes a dim view of such applications of the “law”. Someone should remind Acting AG Todd Blanche that he may get a presidential pardon, but it won’t save his law license.
4/28/26
TRUMP FIRES ENTIRE NATIONAL SCIENCE BOARD
In a story that has largely flown beneath the radar, the Trump Administration last Friday fired all 22 members of the National Science Board. The Board was established in 1950 to help guide the National Science Foundation and advise the president and Congress on matters regarding science and engineering.
Members are typically appointed to the independent board for 6 year terms. Members are usually national leaders in STEM research, education, and industry. The positions are unpaid. All of the members were informed Friday that they had been terminated via email, a show of disrespect that is all too common with this administration.
It seems that President Trump will not be satisfied until he has made all of America just as ignorant and corrupt as he is.
4/26/26
WE’RE NOT GETTING THE FULL STORY
A report by NBC News is casting doubt on the Trump Administration’s transparency regarding the Iran war. The report claims that Iran has done extensive damage to US bases in the Persian Gulf region, damage that may cost up to 5 billion dollars to repair. That figure does not include repairing and/or replacing radar systems, weapons systems, or aircraft damaged or destroyed.
Of course, when you read something like this, the mind leaps immediately to “I wonder what else they aren’t telling us”.
4/25/26
JUDGE STOPS TRUMP FROM SUING HIMSELF
President Donald Trump is suing the IRS (an agency he controls) for 10 billion dollars over his financial data being leaked to journalists by an IRS contract employee. That employee is currently serving a 5 year prison sentence over the leak.
The judge overseeing the case, U.S. District Court Judge Kathleen Williams, is not at all sure the Constitution allows this. She has ordered both parties to submit briefs for a hearing in late May.
From the article: “Although President Trump avers that he is bringing this lawsuit in his personal capacity, he is the sitting president and his named adversaries are entities whose decisions are subject to his direction,” Williams wrote in a four-page order. “It is unclear to this Court whether the Parties are sufficiently adverse to each other so as to satisfy [the Constitution’s] case or controversy requirement.”
“One such employee of the executive branch, the Attorney General, has a statutory obligation to defend the IRS when it is hailed into court, but then is ostensibly required by executive mandate to adhere to the President’s opinion on a matter of law in such a case,” Williams wrote. “This raises questions here over whether the Parties here are truly antagonistic to each other.”
4/21/26
ABORTION BANS BACKFIRE
The intent of anti abortionists was to decrease the frequency of abortions occurring in the US. When the US Supreme Court handed down the Dobbs decision, overturning Roe v Wade, several red states rushed to outlaw abortion outright. Problem solved, right?
Not so fast. It turns out that the rate of abortion has increased in the US as a whole since the Dobbs decision, and that is true for all but two of the red states that have passed draconian abortion bans.
There is, however, one type of abortion that has decreased in these red states - the medically necessary ones to safeguard the life and health of pregnant women. As a direct consequence, no less than 6 women have died because they were denied the abortion that would have saved their lives. Countless more have suffered permanent injury.
4/20/26
DEMOCRATS CHOOSE STATE CANDIDATES
Michigan Democrats chose nominees for several state positions at the party convention in Detroit yesterday.
For Attorney General, Eli Savit gets the nod. He is currently the Washtenaw County Prosecutor.
For Secretary of State, it’s current Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist II. Gilchrist had been a candidate for governor, but withdrew to run for Secretary of State instead.
For Supreme Court, Democrats chose incumbent Justice Noah Hood and incumbent Chief Justice Megan Cavanagh.
For State Board of Education, the nominees are Tiffany Tilley and Judith Pritchett.
For MSU Board of Trustees, it’s Brianna Scott and Kelly Tebay Zemke. For U of M Board of Regents, Amir Makled and Paul Brown were nominated. Incumbent U of M Regent Jordan Acker was not selected. Wayne State University Board of Governors nominations went to Richard Mack and Shereef Akeel.
4/17/26
GOVERNOR WHITMER DECLARES ANOTHER STATE OF EMERGENCY
Just one month after placing 7 Northern Michigan counties under a State of Emergency for a devastating ice storm, Governor Gretchen Whitmer has placed the rest of Northern Michigan under a State of Emergency due to widespread flooding.
The Cheboygan Dam and the Bellaire Dam are at record levels, just inches from the top. Downstream residents have been warned to evacuate at a moments notice. Buck’s Pond in Alcona County is no more, after the privately owned Buck’s Pond Dam burst on Monday.
At least 14 bridges across Northern Michigan have failed or are closed.
4/15/26
DOJ FILES TO VACATE TERRORIST CONVICTIONS
The US Department of Justice has filed with the DC Court of Appeals to vacate the seditious conspiracy convictions of leaders of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, infamous far right terrorist groups that helped to foment the insurrection of January 6 in coordination with President Donal Trump.
These criminals received sentences ranging from 8 to 22 years for their attempt to violently overturn the 2020 election of President Joe Biden. Trump did not pardon these people, he commuted their sentences, which put their cases into legal limbo. It’s now obvious why - since they never had to admit guilt (a requirement for a pardon), the DOJ is now simply moving to dismiss them.
The exception is Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio, who was sentenced to 22 years for seditious conspiracy. For some reason, Trump pardoned him, which means he DID have to admit guilt. Pretty hard to put THAT toothpaste back in the tube.
These criminals were all convicted in jury trials, and are now being defended by a DOJ that has trouble even getting grand jury indictments.
4/13/26
TRUMP COMMENTS ON POPE LEO
Ordinarily, we link to a reputable news source for our stories. This one is from Truth Social, but we’re going to link to it anyway, right here. But this time, we’re going to post the entire text, because we have a feeling this may not be around long.
This is what our president posted about Pope Leo, the first American Pope and leader of over a billion Catholics.
“Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy. He talks about “fear” of the Trump Administration, but doesn’t mention the FEAR that the Catholic Church, and all other Christian Organizations, had during COVID when they were arresting priests, ministers, and everybody else, for holding Church Services, even when going outside, and being ten and even twenty feet apart. I like his brother Louis much better than I like him, because Louis is all MAGA. He gets it, and Leo doesn’t! I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon. I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s terrible that America attacked Venezuela, a Country that was sending massive amounts of Drugs into the United States and, even worse, emptying their prisons, including murderers, drug dealers, and killers, into our Country. And I don’t want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States because I’m doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do, setting Record Low Numbers in Crime, and creating the Greatest Stock Market in History. Leo should be thankful because, as everyone knows, he was a shocking surprise. He wasn’t on any list to be Pope, and was only put there by the Church because he was an American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump. If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican. Unfortunately, Leo’s Weak on Crime, Weak on Nuclear Weapons, does not sit well with me, nor does the fact that he meets with Obama Sympathizers like David Axelrod, a LOSER from the Left, who is one of those who wanted churchgoers and clerics to be arrested. Leo should get his act together as Pope, use Common Sense, stop catering to the Radical Left, and focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician. It’s hurting him very badly and, more importantly, it’s hurting the Catholic Church! President DONALD J. TRUMP”
4/12/26
US ECONOMY WEAKENS
There are troubling signs that the Iran War is doing major damage to the US economy already, only 6 weeks into the war.
The price of gasoline rose 21.2 % in March, a record increase for a single month.
The oil shock caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz sent inflation up by .9% in March, the highest one month jump in 4 years. Inflation now stands at 3.3%, the highest it has ever been in the Trump presidency.
The closely watched University of Michigan consumer sentiment index reached it’s all time low in March, from data reaching all the way back to 1952.
This could be just the beginning. Inflation is likely to keep rising for several months, even if the war is brought to a conclusion soon. If the war is not ended soon, the outlook is bleak.
4/9/26
“SOUNDS GOOD TO ME”
According to reporting by the New York Times, that is what President Donald Trump told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, after a presentation the Israeli government made in the White House Situation Room on February 11. The presentation was designed to convince the American president to join Israel in a sneak attack on Iran, and it, apparently, worked.
A subsequent meeting, between only Trump and his cabinet on February 12, struck a different tone. Cabinet officials broke the Israeli presentation into 4 parts:
Killing Iran’s top government officials (illegal under international law)
Destroying Iran’s ability to project power
Fomenting a popular uprising in Iran, and
Regime change
Administration officials deemed points 1 & 2 achievable, but were not so keen on 3 & 4.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe said regime change as on objective was “farcical”. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was even more direct, calling it “bull****”.
Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dan Caine did his job, giving the President his unbiased assessment of the consequences of what was being contemplated, without advocating for or against it. Among the things he told Trump, on that and subsequent days, was that the Israelis were overselling their position, and that war with Iran would drastically deplete American stockpiles of weapons. He also told the President the enormous difficulty in securing the Strait of Hormuz, and the risks of Iran blocking it.
The strongest voice against US involvement was none other than Vice President JD Vance, who agreed with other cabinet members about the dangers, and also told Trump that war with Iran could unleash regional chaos and mass casualties. Vance was the only one to tell Trump directly that it was a “terrible idea”.
The only cabinet member to advocate strongly for the Israeli proposal was Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
But President Trump didn’t listen to the naysayers, and here we are.
Where we are is this: At least 13 Americans have been killed, with hundreds more wounded. All American bases in the region have sustained damage, and some have been rendered inoperable. The war, so far, has cost at least 40 billion dollars, with some estimates doubling or tripling that number. America is running low on Tomahawk cruise missiles and air defense interceptors. Thousands of people have been killed in Iran and Lebanon, with hundreds more among US allies in the Middle East. Iran’s military has been degraded, but is certainly not destroyed, particularly their offensive missile and drone capabilities. Iran’s government remains in place and all indications are that it is more extreme than ever. The Strait of Hormuz, open prior to the conflict, is now under effective Iranian control, along with 20% of the world’s petroleum. A tenuous “ceasefire” is in place, already violated numerous times by Israel and Iran.
So much winning.
4/5/26
THE PRICE OF WAR
According to economic experts, if the Iran war continues for just 6 months, the forecast is world wide recession.
The International Energy Agency in Paris calls the war the largest energy shock in history. Bloomberg Economics says the price of oil could rise to $170 per barrel in just 3 months.
Asia is already being hit hard by shortages, as a great deal of their trade goes through the Strait of Hormuz. Because the travel time to the US is much greater, America will be among the last to feel the effects, but they will be felt. It’s not only petroleum that passes through the Strait, but a also large part of the word’s fertilizer and helium.
In happier news from the war, both crew members of an F-15 jet that was shot down over Iran have been rescued by the US military. During the rescue operation, an A-10 Warthog was also shot down, and it’s pilot rescued. Several Black Hawk helicopters were damaged by small arms fire.
4/3/26
BONDI OUT AS AG, HEGSETH CANS THREE GENERALS
President Donald Trump has fired Attorney General Pam Bondi 14 months into her term, despite her slavish devotion to his every whim. During her tenure, Bondi oversaw the near total destruction of the US Department of Justice, transforming it from impartial defender of American law to instrument of personal revenge for the President. As a consequence, literally hundreds of experienced attorneys have either quit or been fired.
Speculation is that Bondi was fired for her lack of success securing legal punishment for the many names on Trump’s enemies list. Some indictments she tried to bring were refused by grand juries, others overturned by judges. Only John Bolton’s indictment for espionage has held up, and that as a result of an investigation begun under the Biden Administration.
Todd Blanche will now become Acting Attorney General, but whoever the AG is, they’re going to have the same problem - American law just doesn’t allow what Trump wants.
Meanwhile, over at the Department of Defense, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has fired three senior generals in the middle of a war. The three are US Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George, chief of chaplains, Maj. Gen. William Green Jr., and commander of Army Transformation and Training Command, Gen. David Hodne. No reason was given for these firings.
4/2/26
TRUMP SIGNS EO TO NATIONALIZE ELECTIONS
Having failed utterly to intimidate his own party into enacting his voter suppression legislation (the SAVE Act), President Donald Trump on Tuesday took matters into his own corrupt hands and issued an Executive Order that does many of the same things. If followed, the order would:
Severely restrict absentee and mail in voting.
Require the Department of Homeland Security to create a list of citizens who are eligible to vote.
Charge the US Postal Service with checking the “eligible voter list”, and delivering mail in ballots only to those who are both on the list and “approved” for mail in voting.
Withhold federal funds from states and localities that do not comply.
Several things should be noted, before we move on to reactions. The primary one is that the President has absolutely no constitutional role in elections, and that’s exactly as the founders intended. The Federalist Papers are replete with warnings of the dire consequences should a president like Trump ever gain control of US elections. Then there is the matter of DHS involvement, when the agency has no experience in the administration of elections, as well as holding a public image that is currently tarnished, at best. Combine that with only 7 months to go to the mid terms, and the recipe is one of chaos and disaster.
And it’s that “chaos and disaster” thing that is the real point. Like no other President before him, Donald Trump has sought to undermine American faith in our elections. Except the ones he wins.
Reaction to this blatantly unconstitutional order has been swift. Democratic Party leadership filed suit to stop it on Wednesday. Michigan Secretary of State (and gubernatorial candidate) Jocelyn Benson said "This executive order is illegal on its face. States run elections, not the president. As Secretary of State, I will protect the votes and voices of Michiganders. The law is on our side, and I will take swift action to fight this illegal order in court."
3/31/26
TRUMP TO NATO: JOIN MY PIRATE CREW
Amid sometimes conflicting stories, it’s been hard to tell just how the war in Iran is going. We’ve heard (from Trump) “we’ve won”, “we’re winning”, “Iran has nothing left”, “we’ve obliterated them” (at least 5 times), “we want to talk”, “we’ve killed everyone we could talk to”, “if Iran doesn’t open the Strait of Hormuz, we’ll annihilate their electric grid in 2 5 14 days”, ‘we demand help from NATO”, “we don’t need NATO at all”. All the things you usually hear about a well planned operation.
Dear Leader’s pronouncement today make be the clearest indication yet of the state of the war and where he wants to lead this country. Trump said that allies who have had their oil supplies disrupted by his “special military operation” should “go to the Strait and just TAKE IT”. Because, that’s how powerful countries should treat weaker ones - just take their stuff.
From the article: The president added that the U.S. would not assist allies in reopening the strait, stating "You’ll have to start learning how to fight for yourself, the U.S.A. won’t be there to help you anymore, just like you weren’t there for us."
This is incredibly wrong in 3 particulars - 1. NATO is a defensive treaty, members respond when a NATO country is attacked; 2. the only time Article 5 was ever invoked was on behalf of the US after 9/11; and 3. the Strait of Hormuz was a fully functional vital waterway, until the US attacked Iran without warning.
ARRGH, mates! Let’s sail the 7 seas and plunder where we will!
3/30/26
NO KINGS III SETS ATTENDANCE RECORD
According to the organizers, Saturday’s No Kings III protests drew over 8 million participants at 3300 different locations across America. That would make Saturday the largest single day of protest in US history.
Bruce Springsteen performed for an estimated 100,000 in St. Paul, the flagship rally for the event.
Across the nation, rallies were peaceful, with just a couple exceptions. In Dallas, pardoned January 6ers provoked a confrontation with protesters. In Los Angeles, 9 demonstrators were arrested for throwing rocks and bottles at federal officers at a detention center.
3/28/26
NO KINGS III
In big cities and small towns across America, the 3rd No Kings protest will be held today. Organizers claim over 3200 rallies will be held all over the country. Given the nature of the protests, it’s difficult to get a head count, but organizers hope to make this the largest day of peaceful protest in US history. Northern Michigan locations include Cadillac, Traverse City, Gaylord, Tawas, West Branch, and right here in Houghton Lake.
If you decide to attend one, please be peaceful and respect those around you.
3/27/26
TRUMP SIGNATURE TO APPEAR ON US PAPER CURRENCY
You read that right, and yes, it’s a first. The Treasury Department says that Trump’s signature will be on paper US currency. No other US president in history has done this; various dictators, poohbahs, kings, and potentates have done it in other countries.
A number of questions remain. Which bills will bear his scrawl? We don’t know yet. Since Trump collects a fee for using his name, will the US have to pay, too? It seems entirely likely, given the corruption we see from this regime on a daily basis.
US currency currently contains 2 signatures, those of the Secretary of the Treasury and the US Treasurer. It’s not clear yet which of those Trump is going to replace, or if he’s just going to add his signature someplace else. Those signatures, by the way, are a promise that the bill you are holding is actually worth the denomination printed on it. Who, other than a Trump cultist, believes a promise from Donald Trump?
3/24/26
NO DEALS WITH DEMOCRATS
For over a month, Democrats have held firm on their promise to reign in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and to use DHS funding (the only tool available) to do it. Unfortunately, the same sectional funding is responsible for the TSA, the part of DHS that deals with airport security. And it’s causing havoc in the nation’s air transportation system.
Understand, what Democrats are demanding is that ICE act like any other American law enforcement agency - that is, no masks, wear body cams, and obtain judicial warrants before breaking down people’s doors.
TSA agents are about to miss their SECOND paycheck. 400 of them have quit. 12% of those that remain called in sick last weekend.
So, Republican and Democratic Senators got together and came up with a plan. They would pass funding for other parts of DHS (including TSA), leave ICE unfunded so Democrats wouldn’t have to support it, and then later pass ICE funding through reconciliation without Democratic support.
It was a done deal, as admitted by GOP Senators Thune, Kennedy, and Cruz. TSA agents could have been back on the payroll by this weekend.
But President Trump killed it, as also admitted by the GOP Senators. “No deals with Democrats” he said. Oh, and by the way, he’s also not going to sign it unless his draconian voter suppression bill, the “SAVE” Act, is passed along with it. And that has NO chance, unless Republicans agree to kill the Senate filibuster for good.
3/23/26
GET YOUR WALLET OUT
In what is surely one of the most bizarre twists on the practice of farm subsidies, CNN is reporting that the Trump regime is going to pay 1 billion dollars to a French energy firm - to NOT build wind farms.
Our president’s hatred of wind energy is well known, but this is extreme. The government is going to pay TotalEnergies 1 billion of our tax dollars to abandon plans to build offshore wind farms, and instead develop fossil fuel plants in Texas.
This comes at a time when the regime has gutted the regulatory framework of the nation, and every energy obese data farm is given a fast track to approval. Consumers are already feeling the pinch in rapidly escalating energy costs.
They’ve got us coming and going: we pay the ever increasing cost of energy while we also pay to increase the cost.
3/22/26
TRUMP GIVES IRAN ULTIMATUM OVER STRAIT
President Donald Trump said Saturday that he was giving Iran 48 hours to completely open the Strait of Hormuz, or face attacks on their energy grid.
Iran said that they would respond in kind with attacks on the energy infrastructure of US allies in the region. Iran also said that such an attack by the US would result in Iran closing the Strait completely. At this time, Iran is allowing some ships to pass, if they are from “friendly” nations.
It should be pointed out that attacks on civilian infrastructure are prohibited under international law. In other words, it’s a war crime.
UPDATE 3/23/26 - Trump has now pushed his deadline back 5 days, saying progress has been made in talks with Iran. Iran, for it’s part, says there are no talks.
3/20/26
TRUMP MAKES PEARL HARBOR COMPARISON WITH JAPANESE PM
In what surely will go down as one of the most insensitive diplomatic moments in US history, President Donald Trump, in a press event with the Prime Minister of Japan, brought up Pearl Harbor as justification for his sneak attack on Iran.
Quoting the article: “We didn’t tell anyone about it because we wanted a surprise. Who knows better about surprise than Japan?” Trump said to laughter. “Why didn’t you tell me about Pearl Harbor?”
Takaichi's eyes widened and her smile disappeared as she leaned back and drew her hands in at the mention of Pearl Harbor.”
Pearl Harbor, of course, brought the US into World War II.
3/18/26
WHITMER DECLARES STATE OF EMERGENCY
Following the catastrophic winter storm that struck Michigan on March 15-16, Governor Gretchen Whitmer has declared a State of Emergency for 7 counties.
The governor issued the declaration for Alcona, Alpena, Missaukee, Ogemaw, Roscommon and Wexford counties in northern Lower Michigan, as well as the Upper Peninsula’s Delta County.
The 6 Lower Peninsula counties were hit hard by a devastating ice storm. As of this writing, thousands remain without power in Roscommon County. At points north, the storm was an intense blizzard that dropped as much as 52 inches of snow on unlucky communities across northern Michigan.
3/18/26
DNR INTERVENES IN CONSUMER’S DAM SALE
In an unusual move, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources is opposing the proposed sale of 13 dams owned by Consumer’s Energy to a private equity firm.
Consumer’s would sell each of the 13 dams, which impound some of Michigan’s largest rivers, to private equity firm Confluence Hydro, for 1 dollar each. Consumer’s would then buy electricity generated by the dams at twice the market rate for hydroelectric power.
The State fears that this is a scheme by Consumer’s to relieve themselves of maintenance responsibilities for the dams, by shifting them to a private equity firm outside the control of the Michigan Public Service Commission. We’ve seen how this works out before, a few years ago, when the privately owned Edenville and Sanford dams broke due to poor maintenance and flooded Sanford and Midland.
3/14/26
JUDGE THROWS OUT FEDERAL RESERVE SUBPOENAS
Federal judge James Boasberg has thrown out 2 subpoenas obtained by the DOJ against members of the Federal Reserve. His ruling has the effect of invalidating the case, unless it is overturned on appeal.
Judge Boasberg had some choice words for the Trump regime, too.
"A mountain of evidence suggests that the Government served these subpoenas on the Board to pressure its Chair into voting for lower rates or resigning," he wrote. "On the other side of the scale, the Government has produced essentially zero evidence to suspect Chair Powell of a crime."
"In light of all the evidence, the only reasonable inference is that the Government targeted Powell 'out of malice or an intent to harass' and has launched a 'fishing expedition' to either find something to pin on him or to pressure him to fold," he continued.
3/13/26
DEATH TOLL RISES TO THIRTEEN
All 6 crew members of a KC-135 refueling aircraft are confirmed dead, after the plane crashed in western Iraq. The crash is under investigation, however CENTCOM insists that the crash was not due to friendly or hostile fire. Their deaths bring the total for the war, so far, to 13.
In other war news, the US is sending an amphibious assault ship, the USS Tripoli to the Middle East, along with it’s Marine expeditionary unit of over 2000 soldiers.
3/10/26
THE STATE OF THE WAR
Where exactly are we on this, the 11th day of the Iran War? It’s hard to say.
Just yesterday, the Commander in Chief said the “war is very complete”. But this morning, the Secretary of Defense said that we were going to dial up the intensity to it’s highest level today. Those two things would seem to be at odds with each other.
We now know that we burned through 5.6 BILLION dollars worth of munitions in the first 2 days of the war. Despite this, the Secretary of Defense says we have plenty of ammo. If that is true, why are we moving air defense batteries from South Korea to the Middle East?
We lost another soldier, making 7 so far.
3/8/26
IT SURE LOOKS LIKE WE DID IT
In the opening day of the Iran War, now 1 week old, a truly horrific event took place - the destruction of an Iranian girl’s elementary school. Estimates vary, but it appears likely that well over a hundred girls between the ages of 7 and 12 were killed.
Not surprisingly, nobody wants to take credit for this. The US has blamed Israel. Israel has blamed the US. And both of them have blamed Iran itself, claiming that the Iranian regime is so bloodthirsty that they will massacre their own children for propaganda purposes.
Now, US military investigators are saying that evidence shows the US is responsible for the attack.
What does Dear Leader have to say about it? “No, in my opinion, based on what I’ve seen, that was done by Iran.”
His opinion. Just like he had a “feeling” that Iran was going to attack us (despite all evidence to the contrary), and that’s why he started this war.
3/7/26
NOEM OUT AT DHS
Embattled Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, was fired Thursday by President Trump.
To be clear, she was not fired over the cold blooded murder of 2 US citizens by her agents, or the kidnapping and imprisonment of elementary school students, or her painfully slow release of relief payments to states hit with natural disasters.
No, what took her down was this. On Tuesday, she testified before a Senate committee, and when asked about a 220 million dollar ad campaign featuring herself, she testified that the campaign was awarded by competitive bid. Then, on Wednesday, she testified before a House committee, and Democrats were ready to pounce. It’s turns out that she perjured herself in her Senate testimony. The ad contract had been awarded, without bids, to a company hastily formed by her political allies from South Dakota.
Even that probably wouldn’t have gotten her fired, but she went further. She said President Trump had approved the whole thing. That’s what did it.
President Trump lost no time in nominating Senator Markwayne Mullin (R., Oklahoma) to replace her. Mullin is an ex MMA fighter who does not have a college degree.
3/5/26
AG TO STATE BARS: YOU WILL BE ASSIMILATED
Citing “unprecedented weaponization” of complaints, Attorney General Pam Bondi is claiming the right (through DOJ rule making) to subsume or supersede state bar disciplinary investigations and actions against DOJ attorneys.
The proposed rule is now subject to a 30 day public comment period. Should you wish to comment, here is the site.
To clarify, if the rule is adopted as proposed, any time a state bar opens an investigation into a DOJ attorney, Bondi could tell them to stop and turn it over to her. Some of you may be asking, what’s wrong with that? Well, the “unprecedented weaponization” of complaints she cites stems from an unprecedented amount of times judges have rebuked DOJ attorneys for unethical behavior or actual criminal activity. Given this, state bars are one of the last remedies available to enforce an ethical legal system.
Who DOESN’T want an ethical legal system? Well, there is a guy in the White House…