[guest post by Dana]

Let’s go!

First news item

Is there any man who is, or has been in a position of power and *hasn’t* sexually assaulted a woman? FFS:

late Cesar Chavez, one of the nation’s most prominent labor rights leaders, has been accused of sexually abusing girls and women in the 1960s and 1970s, when he was at the forefront of a movement to improve farmworkers’ rights.

rights icon Dolores Huerta said in a statement that Chavez, her co-founder of what became the United Farm Workers, coerced her into having sex with him once and, on another occasion, she was raped.

“The first time I was manipulated and pressured into having sex with him, and I didn’t feel I could say no because he was someone that I admired, my boss and the leader of the movement I had already devoted years of my life to,” Huerta said in a statement published online. “The second time I was forced, against my will, and in an environment where I felt trapped.”

Huerta first revealed her claims of sexual assault to The New York Times, which published an investigation Wednesday of allegations by her and two other women, who said they were 12 and 13 when Chavez first sexually molested them.

Second news item

Chump change, eh:

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Thursday that the Pentagon will be asking Congress for more money to cover the Iran war, saying he wants to ensure current and future costs are covered “above and beyond.”

A senior administration official confirmed that a $200 billion request was sent from the Pentagon to the White House on Wednesday. . .

Multiple lawmakers said the White House has not yet submitted the request to Congress as of Thursday morning. Lawmakers remain deeply divided on President Donald Trump’s decision to attack Iran.

Trump has also been back and forth about U.S. boots on the ground.

Third news item

Good:

Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson on Thursday signed a law prohibiting law enforcement officers in the state from covering their faces to hide their identities — a response to concerns about identification during the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.

All law enforcement officers, including federal immigration officers, must show their faces while performing their official duties in the state, effective immediately.

The bill passed unanimously by Democrats, who hold a majority in the state’s Legislature, and received no votes from Republicans, who called the bill unconstitutional. The Supremacy Clause in the Constitution mandates that federal law take precedence over state law — an argument the Trump administration used to challenge a similar law in California, which was blocked last month by a federal judge. The judge said California’s “No Secret Police Act” violated the Constitution by targeting federal police and not state and local police equally.

. . .

While Washington state’s new law mirrors the one in California, it holds a key distinction: It applies to all federal, state and local law enforcement — potentially bolstering its chance of holding up in court.

Fourth news item

More of Trump’s impulse and whim:

The leader of Cuba is vowing to put up “resistance” against the U.S. as President Trump suggests he may “take” the island nation, whose communist government has faced months of intense U.S. pressure and has languished under severe energy shortages.

“In the face of the worst scenario, Cuba is accompanied by a certainty: any external aggressor will clash with an impregnable resistance,” Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez wrote in a post on X late Tuesday, accusing the U.S. of threatening to overthrow the Cuban government and exploit its resources.

The Cuban leader’s comments came hours after Mr. Trump hinted during a White House event that “we’ll be doing something with Cuba very soon.” A day earlier, the president floated the idea of “taking Cuba in some form,” after saying last month a “friendly takeover of Cuba” was possible.

“Whether I free it, take it, I think I could do anything I want with it,” he told reporters on Monday.

Fifth news item

A king in his own eyes:

President Trump’s handpicked arts commission voted on Thursday to approve a commemorative, 24-karat gold coin bearing Mr. Trump’s image, brushing aside debate over whether the coin violates American tradition.

The coin, which is supposed to commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary, shows Mr. Trump with his fists pressed against a desk and a glowering expression on his face. The back of the coin features an eagle.

It is one of at least three coins featuring Mr. Trump’s face, including a $1 coin that will circulate as currency, that the administration is planning.

The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, which advises federal agencies on design matters, voted unanimously on Thursday to approve the coin’s design. The approval was a procedural hurdle as the Trump administration pushes ahead with the project.

. . .

Many of America’s founders, including George Washington, were fiercely against taking steps that would make its government officials appear like kings, and that included featuring them on the country’s coins. Only a handful of times in history have people been featured on U.S. currency while they were alive.

The administration’s move to mint official coins with Mr. Trump’s face is also legally aggressive. An 1866 law called the Thayer Amendment states: “Only the portrait of a deceased individual may appear on United States currency and securities.”

Have a great weekend.

—Dana

[guest post by Dana]

Bill Browder: Easing sanctions on Russian oil could give Putin nearly $10 billion.

That money will buy weapons used against Ukrainians.

Lifting the restrictions becomes a pure gift to Putin and undermines Western efforts to contain Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. 1/ pic.twitter.com/TB2aePmWcx

— Tymofiy Mylovanov (@Mylovanov) March 16, 2026

Browder: Sanctions forced Russia to sell most of its oil to China, India and Turkey at deep discounts.

They buy about 80% of Russia’s oil. The discount cuts the money Putin receives for his war machine. Remove the restrictions and Russia immediately earns far more. 2/ pic.twitter.com/lc74qjPmdZ

— Tymofiy Mylovanov (@Mylovanov) March 16, 2026

Browder: Lifting sanctions on Russian oil makes no sense. Russia already sells all the oil it produces.

Removing restrictions will not increase global supply or lower prices — it simply lets Russia sell the same oil at the full international market price. 3/ pic.twitter.com/UgLDhtDC3f

— Tymofiy Mylovanov (@Mylovanov) March 16, 2026

Browder: Russia and Iran operate as close allies.

Putin received Shahed drones from Iran and now provides Tehran with targeting information and intelligence used against American and allied forces. These two countries are joined at the hip. 4X pic.twitter.com/CQFXpArdgP

— Tymofiy Mylovanov (@Mylovanov) March 16, 2026

Of course the reason to lift sanctions isn’t to increase global supply, which Browder understands. We know that Trump’s actions regarding the lifting of sanctions against our longtime enemy (until Trump) make sense only if one understands that the unstable Trump continues to actively support work for Russia. While Putin will no doubt personally benefit from the lifting of sanctions, so two will the president of the United States. Exactly how it remains to be seen, but we know from experience and what we have witnessed that he too will personally benefit from the decision.

Over the course of 14 months, he [Trump] has, despite talking of peace, encouraged Russian aggression. He stopped sending military and financial aid to Ukraine, thereby giving Vladimir Putin renewed hope of victory. His envoy, Steve Witkoff, began openly negotiating business deals between the United States and Russia, although the war has not ended and the Russians have never agreed to a cease-fire. Witkoff presents himself to European leaders as a neutral figure, somewhere between NATO and Russia—as if, again, the United States were not the founder and leader of NATO, and as if European security were of no special concern to Americans. Trump himself continues to lash out at Zelensky and to lie about American support for Ukraine, which he repeatedly describes as worth $300 billion or more. The real number is closer to $50 billion, over three years. At current rates, Trump will spend that much in three months in the Middle East, in the course of starting a war rather than trying to stop one.

If anything, Trump has been consistent in his inconsistency and utter incoherence. Anne Applebaum describes it more robustly, more specific, and with a no holds barred accuracy:

Donald Trump does not think strategically. Nor does he think historically, geographically, or even rationally. He does not connect actions he takes on one day to events that occur weeks later. He does not think about how his behavior in one place will change the behavior of other people in other places.

He does not consider the wider implications of his decisions. He does not take responsibility when these decisions go wrong. Instead, he acts on whim and impulse, and when he changes his mind—when he feels new whims and new impulses—he simply lies about whatever he said or did before.

For the past 14 months, few foreign leaders have been able to acknowledge that someone without any strategy can actually be president of the United States. Surely, the foreign-policy analysts murmured, Trump thinks beyond the current moment. Surely, foreign statesmen whispered, he adheres to some ideology, some pattern, some plan. Words were thrown around—isolationism, imperialism—in an attempt to place Trump’s actions into a historical context. Solemn articles were written about the supposed significance of Greenland, for example, as if Trump’s interest in the Arctic island were not entirely derived from the fact that it looks very large on a Mercator projection.

This week, something broke. Maybe Trump does not understand the link between the past and the present, but other people do. They can see that, as a result of decisions that Trump made but cannot explain, the Strait of Hormuz is blocked by Iranian mines and drones. They can see oil prices rising around the world and they understand that it is difficult and dangerous for the U.S. Navy to solve this problem. They can also hear the president lashing out, as he has done so many times before, trying to get other people to take responsibility, threatening them if they don’t.

As he said last month, Kasparov sees no daylight between Russia and the U.S.:

If you still think the Trump WH is being played by Russia, then the one who is being played is you. The fake negotiations, the “two weeks” delays, the threats and calls, it’s all a charade. Trump has worked hand in glove with Russia to try to force Ukraine to surrender.

And we’re being played again. There is no plan, no strategy. Just Trump and his impulses and whims.

—Dana

As I have done every March 17 since I started this blog, I am wishing my Dad a Happy Birthday.

It is a tradition to note my previous similar posts on this special day. And so, I am doing it again on this exceptionally noteworthy day.

Last year was his 100th. He would have been 101 years old today.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

[guest post by Dana]

Perhaps he shouldn’t have treated our allies so badly. Perhaps he should have talked to those same allies about his plan to start a war. And just maybe, he shouldn’t have hurt them economically with his tariffs. He might be getting a positive response if he had:

President Donald Trump has berated and threatened America’s NATO allies. Now he wants these same countries to help unblock the Strait of Hormuz — and their response has not exactly been enthusiastic.

“This is not our war, we have not started it,” German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius told reporters Monday.

That appeared to sum up the mood among U.S. allies, with leaders from Berlin to London expressing reservations about Trump’s demands and indicating they had no immediate plans to provide military support to reopen the crucial waterway.

And, like all of us:

Europe needed to understand Trump’s “strategic goals. What will be the plan?” Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said.

Here is a summary of responses to Trump’s demand for support from ally nations to secure the Straits of Hormuz:

JAPAN

Japan does not currently plan to dispatch naval vessels to escort ships in the Middle East, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on Monday.

“We have not made any decisions whatsoever about dispatching escort ships. We are continuing to examine what Japan can do independently and what can be done within the legal framework,” Takaichi told parliament.

Takaichi will travel to Washington this week for talks with Trump that she said will cover the conflict with Iran.

AUSTRALIA

Australia will not send naval ships to assist in reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a government minister said on Monday.

“We won’t be sending a ship to the Strait of Hormuz. We know how incredibly important that is, but that’s not something that we’ve been asked or that we’re contributing to,” Catherine King, a member of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s cabinet, said in an interview with state broadcaster ABC.

SOUTH KOREA

“We will communicate closely with the U.S. regarding this matter and make a decision after careful review,” South Korea’s presidential office said on Sunday.

Under South Korea’s constitution, overseas troop deployments require parliamentary approval, and opposition figures have said any dispatch of warships to the Strait would need consent from the legislature.

BRITAIN

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday he would not be “drawn into the wider Iran war” whilst reiterating he was working with allies to reopen the Strait.

“We are working with others to come up with a credible plan for the Strait of Hormuz to ensure that we can reopen shipping and passage through the Strait. Let me be clear, that won’t be and it’s never been envisioned to be a NATO mission,” he told reporters.

EUROPEAN UNION

EU foreign ministers will on Monday discuss bolstering a small naval mission in the Middle East but they are not expected to discuss expanding its role to include the choked-off Strait, diplomats and officials say.

The EU’s Aspides mission – named after the Greek word for “shields” – was established in 2024 to protect ships from attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebel group in the Red Sea.

GERMANY

Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said on Monday that Germany would not participate with its military in securing the Strait.

“What does Trump expect from a handful of European frigates that the powerful U.S. Navy cannot do? This is not our war, we have not started it,” Pistorius said.

Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said in an interview with Germany’s ARD television on Sunday that he was “very sceptical” that extending Aspides ​to ​the ⁠Strait of Hormuz would provide ​greater security.

DENMARK

Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said on Monday ahead of the EU ministers’ meeting that it would be wise to keep an open mind to this question “as the small country that we are, but a large maritime nation”.

Even if Europe did not support the U.S.-Israeli decision to go to war, “we must face the world as it is, not as we want it to be”, he told journalists.

ITALY

Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on Monday that diplomacy was the right way to solve the crisis in the Strait, adding there were no naval missions Italy was involved in that could be extended to the area.

GREECE

A government spokesperson said on Monday that Greece would not engage in military operations in the Strait of Hormuz.

Another reality that our allies understand is that Trump is not a trustworthy partner. Even ex-Trump loyalists know this.

Trump: Numerous countries have told me they're on the way. Some are very enthusiastic about it and some aren't. Some are countries that we've helped for many, many years. We've protected them from horrible outside sources, and they weren't that enthusiastic. And the level of… pic.twitter.com/3teoeTvyBu

— Acyn (@Acyn) March 16, 2026

—Dana

[guest post by Dana]

Let’s go!

First news item

Thankfully, no children were injured:

The FBI is investigating a car ramming attack on a large Detroit-area synagogue Thursday as a “targeted act of violence against the Jewish community,” the special agent in charge for the region said.

The suspect was killed by security staff members at Temple Israel synagogue in West Bloomfield Township, officials said.

A preschool was in session at the temple, which is in a suburb around 30 miles northwest of downtown Detroit, but no children or school staff members were injured, officials said.

Note: ”All of us have thoughts of maybe why this happened,” Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard said at the news conference. “But we don’t operate in a world where we can presume something. We have to determine it through investigation.”

P.S. According to CNN, explosive devices were found inside the attacker’s car.

Second news item

Terror attack in Virginia:

Authorities are investigating a shooting at a Virginia college Thursday that left one victim dead and two injured as an act of terrorism, FBI Director Kash Patel said.

The gunfire erupted shortly before 11 a.m. in an ROTC classroom at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, officials said.

The victim, Lt. Col. Brandon Shah, was an ROTC instructor described by Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger as a devoted teacher who “didn’t just lead a life of service to our country, he taught and led others to follow that path.”

About the shooter:

The gunman, a former member of the Army National Guard who previously pleaded guilty to terrorism-related charges, was also killed in the shooting. The FBI identified him as Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, 36.

Dominique Evans, special agent in charge of the agency’s Norfolk field office, said that he shouted “Allahu Akbar” and was subdued by students who “rendered him no longer alive.”

Hope the authorities figure out a motive for this horrendous event.

Third news item

There’s more than just a possible scheduling problem:

A company affiliated with President Donald Trump’s eponymous memecoin is advertising plans to host a luncheon next month for the cryptocurrency token’s top 297 investors with Trump himself.

There’s just one problem: Trump may be busy.

The April 25 gathering at Mar-a-Lago, billed as “THE MOST EXCLUSIVE CRYPTO & BUSINESS CONFERENCE IN THE WORLD,” is expected to include a luncheon featuring Trump as keynote speaker, according to the memecoin’s official website and its social media account, which began promoting the event Thursday. The top 29 investors would even be invited to a special reception with Trump.

Fourth news item

U.S. refueling goes wrong:

A U.S. refueling aircraft “went down” in friendly airspace in western Iraq, with rescue efforts ongoing, U.S. Central Command said Thursday.

“Two aircraft were involved in the incident,” CENTCOM said in a brief statement. “One of the aircraft went down in western Iraq, and the second landed safely.”

The incident resulted in the loss of a U.S. KC-135 refueling aircraft, CENTCOM said. The other aircraft involved was also a KC-135 tanker, according to a U.S. official.

“This was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire,” CENTCOM said.

Four service members died as a result.

Fifth news item

The power and folly of a dictator:

The outlook for Russia in its current state is unsustainable and its place in the global community, with few exceptions, is reduced to that of a pariah. It is beset with an uncertain future that may ultimately see it fail catastrophically much in the way it occurred just 35 years ago. All of this is attributable to the mental state of a single individual [Vladimir Putin] who has driven his nation to the brink of collapse and all for the purpose of attempting to reclaim the questionable glory of an imperial past. Putin has committed himself to a task that he is seemingly incapable of abandoning in spite of foreseeable calamity. He alone will carry the blame, but it will be Russia’s future that will suffer the consequences.

A very good essay. Read the whole thing.

Sixth news item

This:

For the last few years, I have repeatedly heard a phrase uttered by politicians, activists, and commentators that has irritated me.

“The rise in antisemitism.”

Calling what is aggressively permeating American society and popular and political culture a “rise in antisemitism” vastly understates the problem because it makes the phenomenon sound like a temporary increase in incidents or statistics.

What we are actually dealing with is something far more pervasive than a statistical uptick. It is an ideological contagion. It is spreading across political movements, social media platforms, and countries.

This ideological contagion is not only spreading among the usual suspects. It is also rapidly radicalizing people in demographics that have not historically been associated with anti-Jewish prejudice — and certainly not with violence against Jews.

That is why I describe it as a pandemic of Jew-hatred rather than a mere rise.

Seventh news item

If the shoe fits:

The US president has been buying his favourite shoes for his staff so frequently that they have become the unofficial White House uniform.

One female White House official told the Wall Street Journal: “All the boys have them. It’s hysterical because everybody’s afraid not to wear them.”

Mr Trump has fallen in love with Florsheim, a brand that sells some pairs for as little as $49.90 (£37.27) – a far cry from his expensive Brioni suits.

The president has been buying the shoes for agency heads and members of Congress. He often speaks about how “incredible” they are.

Such is Mr Trump’s devotion to the brand, that he guesses people’s shoe size in front of them, puts in the order, and a week later it turns up, sometimes with the president’s signature on the box.

Agency heads and members of Congress will let Trump humiliate them every single time. That’s the agreed-upon price to be near the seat of power. They wear their clown shoes understanding the obligation, even while dying inside every time they tie the laces. They are simply too afraid not to wear them – even if the shoes are the wrong size. It’s no wonder that these scared rabbits very rarely, if at all, stand up to the president about core issues, even when they know it would be the right thing to do.

Heh: The company making the shoes sued Trump over tariffs. . .

Have a great weekend.

—Dana

[guest post by Dana]

Hedgehogs are simply cuter, and more importantly, less offensive and controversial than. . . Winston Churchill:

The Bank of England has confirmed Sir Winston Churchill will be scrapped from banknotes and replaced with images of wildlife.

The central bank will soon ask the public which animals they want to appear on the next set of £5, £10, £20, and £50 notes – but confirmed the wartime hero Prime Minister would not be staying.

The move to replace historical figures with animals was described as “significant” and “overdue” by celebrity bird-watcher Nadeem Perera, who sits on the bank’s panel of wildlife experts who will choose which English species will appear on the next set of banknotes.

Charles C.W. Cooke snorts at the claim of the banknote changes being “overdue,” while listing the illustrious individuals who are currently depicted on British notes, including: Winston Churchill, Jane Austen, JMW Turner, and Alan Turing. All notable contributors to British life. Of course, Churchill stands in a class alone. Previously, British banknotes have depicted James Watt, Charles Darwin, Elizabeth Fry, Edward Elgar, Isaac Newton, Charles Dickens, Adam Smith, Michael Faraday, George Stephenson, Christopher Wren, Florence Nightingale, and William Shakespeare.

As Cooke points out, the problem is: Too many of these noted individuals (looking at you, Mr. Churchill) are controversial, while benign hedgehogs and foxes don’t require defense or explanation:

Animals are abstractions; people are not. People — real, discrete, identifiable people, with names and achievements and sins — are invariably imperfect. People have attributes that are unpleasant or embarrassing or awkwardly rooted in their eras. People require defending from the cultural vandals who like to elevate their flaws over their virtues. That defense takes patience, grace, and courage.

Evidently, the Bank of England no longer has that courage. Perhaps England in general no longer has that courage. If so, this story is not really about what goes on the money, but about how Britain sees itself, and how Britain wants to be seen around the world. Increasingly, it seems that Britain does not want to be seen at all. Its political rulers do not like its flag, its spiritual leaders do not like its church, its historians do not like its history. All those centuries of achievement, innovation, and inquiry, and the only symbol that is now acceptable to the custodians is a hedgehog? Half a league, half a league, half a league onward — all in the valley of Nothing.

To this American, it’s rather unbelievable that Churchill has become culturally passé because (checks notes) he saved the world.

—Dana

[guest post by Dana]

Really awful news:

An ongoing military investigation has determined that the United States is responsible for a deadly Tomahawk missile strike on an Iranian elementary school, according to U.S. officials and others familiar with the preliminary findings.

The Feb. 28 strike on the Shajarah Tayyebeh elementary school building was the result of a targeting mistake by the U.S. military, which was conducting strikes on an adjacent Iranian base of which the school building was formerly a part, the preliminary investigation found. Officers at U.S. Central Command created the target coordinates for the strike using outdated data provided by the Defense Intelligence Agency, people briefed on the investigation said.

The administration response to the preliminary findings:

President Trump’s attempts to sidestep the blame for the strike have also already complicated the inquiry, leaving officials who have reviewed the findings showing U.S. culpability expressing unease. The people interviewed for this story spoke on the condition of anonymity, citing the sensitive nature of the ongoing investigation and Mr. Trump’s assertion at one point that Iran, not the United States, was responsible.

“As The New York Times acknowledges in its own reporting, the investigation is still ongoing,” Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, said in a statement.

Asked about this article as he left the White House on Wednesday for a trip to promote his economic agenda in Ohio and Kentucky, Mr. Trump replied, “I don’t know about that.”

Q: You just suggested Iran got a Tomahawk and bombed its own elementary school. But you're the only person in your govt saying this. Even your defense secretary wouldn't say that. Why are you the only person saying this?

TRUMP: Because I just don't know enough about it. It's… pic.twitter.com/C9yy4RFFSj

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 9, 2026

Reports estimate that 165 to 175 individuals were killed by the strike on the school.

What a horrible tragedy. Hopefully the full investigation will provide concrete answers as to why this happened, and subsequently act to prevent such a horrific event from happening again.

Also, do you think the mistaken bombing of the school speaks to a disorganized plan and changing objectives of our involvement in Iran?

—Dana

[guest post by Dana]

Hegseth: You see, this is not 2003. This is not endless nation building under those types of quagmires we saw under Bush or Obama. It's not even close. Our generation of soldier will not let that happen again. And nor will this president who very clearly ran against those kinds… pic.twitter.com/PHJ5Zv3Nhj

— Acyn (@Acyn) March 10, 2026

It’s possible that Hegseth didn’t say what the objectives are because not even POTUS knows what’s going on:

Q: You said the war is 'very complete.' But your defense secretary says 'this is just the beginning.' So which is it?

TRUMP: You could say both pic.twitter.com/4orXm5ZM4b

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 9, 2026

Perhaps, in yesterday’s phone call with Putin about Iran, Trump wasn’t given further information about the goals. What we do know is, that after the call, Trump eased sanctions on Russia:

Trump on Russia: We're gonna take those sanctions off until this straightens out. Who knows, maybe we won't have to put them on
pic.twitter.com/mHyWAuGDMH

— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) March 9, 2026

So, really, all we know for sure is that Trump continues to suck up to Putin and help him in any way that he can. This, despite Russia giving Iran information on American troop locations. How is this not the behavior of a traitor??

Instead of discussing the Iranian conflict with Putin, it would be a good idea if Trump discussed the objectives of the U.S. mission in Iran with Congress.

—Dana

[guest post by Dana]

Let’s go!

First news item

Well, this should put a crimp in Trump’s vile embrace of Putin. But will it?:

Russia has provided Iran with targeting information on US military assets in the Middle East since the outbreak of the war, three officials familiar with the intelligence told the Washington Post, marking the first indication that another major US adversary may be involved in the conflict.

According to the officials, Moscow has passed Tehran the locations of American military platforms, including warships and aircraft, since the fighting began on Saturday. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the intelligence.

. . .

One of the officials said the information shared by Russia included the positions of US military assets operating in the region. The intelligence was reportedly provided to help Iran identify potential targets linked to American forces deployed across the Middle East.

Apparently the White House doesn’t care that Russia is providing Iran with targeting information:

Leavitt on reports that Russia is sharing intelligence with Iran to help them target US assets: "Whether or not this happened, frankly, it does not really matter" pic.twitter.com/aTQfmjRSMg

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 6, 2026

As long as Trump keeps Vlad happy, that’s what matters. Too bad, so sad, Americans in the region. Priorities, people.

It’s in the open, and now we all know.

Second news item

Noem is out:

President Donald Trump fired Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Thursday, making her the first Cabinet secretary to leave her post and capping off a tumultuous year in which she oversaw his increasingly unpopular mass deportation agenda.

Alongside the announcement of Noem’s ouster, Trump said he would tap Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., to replace her, elevating a fiercely loyal first-term senator.

Trump’s fury: Trump was reportedly “mad as a murder hornet” when he heard that Noem testified that he had approved a $220 million budget, claiming that he did not know about it. Except:

Trump said he didn’t approve the $220M DHS ad campaign. But Noem told this story at a CPAC dinner more than a year ago pic.twitter.com/8xOI63Pr1H

— Nick Miroff (@NickMiroff) March 6, 2026

So Noem wasn’t fired because a judge found that under her leadership ICE “detained immigrants illegally more than 4,440 times since October,” or that Noem tried to block members of Congress from going inside detention centers. Nope, she exposed and embarrassed the thin-skinned narcissist and had to go.

P.S. About Trump’s nominee to replace Noem:

“You’re a U.S. senator!”

Bernie stops Noem’s replacement from literally trying to fight someone👇🏽

This should go great pic.twitter.com/YPLod9lmFX

— The Tennessee Holler (@TheTNHoller) March 5, 2026

Third news item

Facing murder charge, but still wins nomination:

An Arkansas primary race is drawing national attention—Aaron Spencer, who is currently facing a second-degree murder charge, has won the Republican nomination for Lonoke County sheriff.

Spencer was arrested in 2024 for the killing of Michael Fosler, 67, who was out on bond after allegedly sexually assaulting Spencer’s then-13-year-old daughter.

“I’ve never had a defendant be running for the sheriff or any office while, you know, there, this is a court case that’s going on,” said Lonoke County Prosecuting Attorney Chuck Graham.

The trial was originally scheduled to start in January, but the Arkansas Supreme Court removed the presiding judge from the case at the request of Spencer’s defense and appointed retired Circuit Judge Ralph Wilson.

Reports say that Spencer went to find his daughter when he discovered her missing from her bed, and found her in a truck with Fosler, and shot him. He then called 911..

Arkansas law states

(a) A person is justified in using deadly physical force upon another person if the person reasonably believes that the other person is:

(1) Committing or about to commit a felony involving physical force or violence;

(2) Using or about to use unlawful deadly physical force; or

(3) Imminently endangering the person’s life or imminently about to victimize the person from the continuation of a pattern of domestic abuse.

(b) A person is not required to retreat before using deadly physical force if the person:

(1) Is lawfully present at the location where deadly physical force is used;

(2) Has a reasonable belief that the person against whom the deadly physical force is used is imminently threatening to cause death or serious physical injury to the person or another person. . .

Spencer has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Fourth news item

About the President of the United States:

The Justice Department posted a trio of FBI interviews with a woman who alleged President Donald Trump sexually assaulted her when she was a young teenager after she was introduced to him by Jeffrey Epstein.

The woman’s central allegation, according to FBI summaries of her interviews with investigators, known as FBI 302s, is that Trump hit her after she. . .[graphic detail]

The three files come as Democrats are investigating whether the department purposefully withheld materials that included sexual assault allegations against Trump.

Trump has denied wrongdoing in relation to the Epstein allegations and he hasn’t been charged with a crime in connection with them. There’s no evidence to suggest Trump took part in Epstein’s sex trafficking operation. Many of the materials released by the Justice Department lack substantiation or context.

Note:

Need to reinforce: These documents contain unsubstantiated allegations against Trump.

Notable: These documents were posted the day after Pam Bondi was subpoenaed by the House Oversight Committee.

Fifth news item

From President Zelensky:

We received a request from the United States for specific support in protection against “shaheds” in the Middle East region. I gave instructions to provide the necessary means and ensure the presence of Ukrainian specialists who can guarantee the required security. Ukraine helps partners who help ensure our security and protect the lives of our people. Glory to Ukraine!

Well, look who has the cards now.

Meanwhile:

The United States joined Russia, China, and ‌Niger on Thursday in opposing a resolution adopted by the U.N. nuclear watchdog’s board denouncing attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure as a threat to nuclear safety, diplomats said.

The resolution, passed by the ​International Atomic Energy Agency’s 35-nation Board of Governors, is the seventh on Ukraine ​since Russia invaded its neighbour four years ago.

“While we continue supporting the IAEA’s work in-country, ​we do not support the Board’s current consideration of an unnecessary resolution that does not ​help achieve peace between Ukraine and Russia,” the United States said in its statement to the board before the vote.

Sixth news item

I guess “it depends upon what the meaning of the word ‘is’ is war is”:

In a phone interview with TIME on Wednesday, Trump acknowledged the possibility that Americans should be worried about retaliatory attacks at home. “I guess,” he said. “But I think they’re worried about that all the time. We think about it all the time. We plan for it. But yeah, you know, we expect some things. Like I said, some people will die. When you go to war, some people will die.”

Mike Johnson:

“We're not at war, we have no intention at being at war. The president and the Department of Defense have made it very clear, this is a limited operation." pic.twitter.com/HNWr4GJCwn

— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) March 6, 2026

Have a great weekend.

—Dana

[guest post by Dana]

It couldn’t have happened to a nicer person:

The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on Wednesday took the remarkable step of issuing a subpoena to Attorney General Pam Bondi, compelling her to appear to answer questions about the Epstein files.

The resolution to subpoena Bondi was introduced by Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) and passed in a bipartisan 24-19 vote.

“There’s over 65,000 documents missing, and we know there are more than 2,000 videos that are out there. They’re not giving Congress all the information or all the documents, and they’re obfuscating. And I’d like to ask questions about that in our deposition,” Mace told reporters shortly after the vote.

—Dana