Extra, Extra
Meeting Expectations: “President Donald Trump’s abrupt shift from frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s intransigence to a potential one-on-one meeting soon — despite Putin’s refusal to halt attacks on Ukraine or back away from Russia’s core war aims — handed the Russian leader a diplomatic coup, which the Kremlin embraced Thursday.” Actually, they may not be meeting. When you get conflicting statements from the Kremlin and the White House in 2025, who should you believe?
+ Re: Member: It’s not just that the administration is firing some of its most honest and talented staff. It’s who’s replacing them. “The Department of Justice hired a former Jan. 6 defendant who was caught on tape urging rioters to ‘kill’ police. The department calls him a ‘valued member’ of the administration.”
+ You Had Me at Shalom: “As described by their handlers, their motives were a mix of personal and political. Some were seeking revenge against a repressive, clerical regime that had imposed strict limits on political expression and daily life. Others were enticed by cash, the promise of medical care for family members or opportunities to attend college overseas.” ProPublica: Israel Secretly Recruited Iranian Dissidents to Attack Their Country From Within.
+ Cain Able? Ex-Superman actor Dean Cain has announced he is planning to join ICE. However, don’t think this means you need a super heroic resumé to apply. They even just got rid of age restrictions for the gig. ICE Is Extremely Desperate for You to Work for Them. And once arrests are made, Migrants Vanish Into Opaque ICE Detention System. “Frequent transfers between detention centers, across the country or to multiple locations in a few days, have become commonplace in the second Trump administration, according to more than a dozen immigration lawyers across the country. They describe a trend where their clients are disappearing into an opaque and labyrinthine system that is obstructing their ability to defend themselves in court.”
+ The Fugitives: “Senator John Cornyn, Republican of Texas, said on Thursday that the F.B.I. had agreed to his request to help track down dozens of Democratic Texas state lawmakers who left the state to prevent a vote on a redistricting plan.” But wait. What about the actual law? Ha, ha, ha.
+ Burning Rubber: “It’s just egregious that they’re willing to waste $9 million worth of contraceptives that are so desperately needed … Women are going to die because they’ve not had access to those contraceptives.” NYT (Gift Article): As Trump Administration Plans to Burn Contraceptives, Europeans Are Alarmed. (The second half of that title can work with almost any headline.)
+ Still in the Room Where it Happened: “It’s a running joke that he’s moved into the building. Fans predict he’ll haunt the place one day — they call him the Phantom of the Rodgers.” The only actor who’s been in ‘Hamilton’ the whole time is still having a blast.
