POKING AROUND ON THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF "THE SHOT HEARD 'ROUND THE WORLD"

Today is Day 88 of Trump’s assault on the Constitution and the democratic constitutional republic it founded. There are 563 days to the mid-terms.

SPECIAL! Last night the Supreme Court ruled 7-2 that Maladministration II cannot deport Venezuelan immigrants to El Salvador; From Steve Vladek (a guy who knows the court better than most of us): “Obviously, there’s still a lot we don’t know. But at least initially, this strikes me as a massively important—and revealing—intervention by the Supreme Court, for at least three reasons:

“First, the full Court didn’t wait for the Fifth Circuit—or act through the individual Circuit Justice (Justice Alito).2 Even in other fast-moving emergency applications, the Court has often made a show out of at least appearing to wait for the lower courts to rule before intervening—even if that ruling might not have influenced the outcome. Here, though, the Court didn’t wait at all; indeed, the order specifically invites the government to respond once the Fifth Circuit weighed in—acknowledging that the Fifth Circuit hadn’t ruled (and, indeed, that the government hadn’t responded to the application in the Supreme Court) yet. This may seem like a technical point, but it underscores how seriously the Court, or at least a majority of it, took the urgency of the matter. (More on that in a moment.)

“Second, the Court didn’t hide behind any procedural technicalities…. Here, though, the Court jumped right to the substantive relief the applicants sought—again, reinforcing not just the urgency of the issue, but its gravity.

“Third, and perhaps most significantly, the Court seemed to not be content with relying upon representations by the government’s lawyers. In the hearing before Chief Judge Boasberg, Drew Ensign had specifically stated, on behalf of the government, that “no planes” would be leaving either Friday or Saturday…. In a world in which a majority of the justices were willing to take these kinds of representations at face value, there might’ve been no need to intervene overnight Friday evening; the justices could’ve taken at least all day Saturday to try to sort things out before handing down their decision.

“But this case arose only because of the Trump administration’s attempt to play Calvinball with detainees it’s seeking to remove under the Alien Enemy Act. The Court appears to be finally getting the message—and, in turn, handing down rulings with none of the wiggle room we saw in the J.G.G. and Abrego Garcia decisions last week. That’s a massively significant development unto itself—especially if it turns out to be more than a one-off.”

And there weas this:

Give the man credit when due: conservative NYT columnist David Brooks, who has managed more than once to infuriate me over the years, opened his eyes and took a look around and in a blistering column published on Thursday, he wrote that modern civilization is buttressed by several pillars, including “Constitutions to restrain power, international alliances to promote peace, legal systems to peacefully settle disputes, scientific institutions to cure disease, news outlets to advance public understanding, charitable organizations to ease suffering, businesses to build wealth and spread prosperity, and universities.” He went on to say that Trump threatens all of these because the president is only interested in the acquisition of power “for its own sake” and is engaged in “a multifront assault to make the earth a playground for ruthless men.”

He went on: “It’s time for a comprehensive national civic uprising. It’s time for Americans in universities, law, business, nonprofits and the scientific community, and civil servants and beyond to form one coordinated mass movement. Trump is about power. The only way he’s going to be stopped is if he’s confronted by some movement that possesses rival power. Peoples throughout history have done exactly this when confronted by an authoritarian assault.

Brooks went on to defend universities, which he has criticized for their progressivism. Nonetheless, he said, “I have seen it over and over: A kid comes on campus as a freshman, inquisitive but unformed. By senior year, there is something impressive about her. She is awakened, cultured, a critical thinker. The universities have performed their magic once again.”

He added that the civic uprising should “have a short-term vision and a long-term vision. Short term: Stop Trump. Foil his efforts. Pile on the lawsuits. Turn some of his followers against him. The second is a long-term vision of a fairer society that is not just hard on Trump, but hard on the causes of Trumpism — one that offers a positive vision.” He concluded: “I’m really not a movement guy. I don’t naturally march in demonstrations or attend rallies that I’m not covering as a journalist. But this is what America needs right now. Trump is shackling the greatest institutions in American life. We have nothing to lose but our chains.”

As Heather Cox Richardson observed: “Brooks is hardly the first to suggest that ‘this is what America needs right now.’ But a conservative like Brooks not only arguing that ‘Trump is shackling the greatest institutions in American life,’ but then quoting Karl Marx’s Communist Manifesto to call for resistance to those shackles—‘We have nothing to lose but our chains’—signals that a shift is underway.” Bravo to David Brooks for demonstrating that It’s Never Too Late.

It’s not only Brooks who is seeing the light. New York Times columnist Bret Stephens - generally a good indicator of the way non-MAGA Republicans are thinking - said in an interview Thursday:“My feelings about not only Trump, but the administration, are falling like a boulder going into the Mariana Trench. So the memory of things that this administration has done, of which I approve, is drowning in the number of things that are, in my view, reckless, stupid, awful, un-American, hateful and bad—not just for the country, but also for the conservative movement.” He went on to single out Trump and Vance’s bullying of Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office as the event that turned him away from Trump. “America should never treat an ally that way, certainly not one who is bravely fighting a common enemy.” Stephens also noted the meeting had “delighted” Russia’s president Vladimir Putin, who is now “emboldened…to press the war harder.”

The wind is shifting against the traitors.

From the Department of Donald J. Trump Has Been A Worthless Piece Of Shit From The Moment He Was Conceived: Writing on Lies Anti-social on Friday, Lardass Anusmouth dent slammed Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) on Friday for meeting in El Salvador with Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a man the White House acknowledged it wrongly deported there, calling him a “fool.” “Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland looked like a fool yesterday standing in El Salvador begging for attention from the Fake News Media, or anyone. GRANDSTANDER!!!” White House deputy press secretary Kush Desai also blasted Van Hollen for the visit: “Chris Van Hollen has firmly established Democrats as the party whose top priority is the welfare of an illegal alien MS-13 terrorist. It is truly disgusting. President Trump will continue to stand on the side of law-abiding Americans,”

From the Department of Everything Trump Touches Dies: Among the threats tariffs pose to the U.S. economy, none may be as strange as the sell-off in the dollar.Currencies rise and fall all the time because of inflation fears, central bank moves and other factors. But economists worry that the recent drop in the dollar is so dramatic that it reflects something more ominous as President Donald Trump tries to reshape global trade: a loss of confidence in the U.S. Since mid-January, the dollar has fallen 9% against a basket of currencies, a rare and steep decline, to its lowest level in three years. “The safe haven properties of the dollar are being eroded,” said Deutsch Bank in a note to clients earlier this month warning of a “confidence crisis.” Added a more circumspect report by Capital Economics, “It is no longer hyperbole to say that the dollar’s reserve status and broader dominant role is at least somewhat in question.” Traditionally, the dollar would strengthen as tariffs sink demand for foreign products. But the dollar not only failed to strengthen this time, it fell, puzzling economists and hurting consumers. The dollar lost more than 5% against the euro and pound, and 6% against the yen since early April.As any American traveler abroad knows, you can buy more with a stronger dollar and less with a weaker one. Now the price of French wine and South Korean electronics and a host of other imports could cost more not only due to tariffs but a weaker currency, too.

From the Department of the Wrong RFK Got Shot: Montana public health officials have found five cases of measles in Gallatin County, the first cases of the disease in the Treasure State in more than three decades. Gallatin County is home to the state’s fourth most populated city — Bozeman — and is the second most populated county in the state. A handful of children and adults contracted the disease while traveling outside of Montana, according to the state’s Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHH), leading to the state’s first measles cases since 1990. All of them are isolating at home and are either unvaccinated or their measles vaccine status is unknown, according to officials.

From the Department of Global Warming Is A Liberal Plot: A seasonal forecast released by the Climate Prediction Center on Thursday shows a warmer-than-average outlook for nearly every state over the next three months. The highest chance of hot weather is found in Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico. The region has a 60% to 70% chance of hotter-than-normal weather over the next three months, according to the Climate Prediction Center. While nearly the entire U.S. is expected to see warm weather, it’s a different story for rain. West of the Mississippi, most states are leaning toward below-average rain. That’s bad news for the growing drought out West. The seasonal predictions come after NOAA declared an official end to La Niña last week.

From the Department of RFK Jr Needs Repeated Kicks In His Skinny Ass: RFK Jr is in full damage-control mode after causing outrage with his comments about autism during his first official press briefing as HHS secretary. He attempted to dial back the controversy in a sit-down Thursday night with Fox News’ human fireplug, Sean Hannity. “You actually got emotional yesterday while talking about children suffering from [autism],” Hannity said. “You said they’ll never hold a job, they’ll never pay taxes… people mistook that. Then you said they’ll never play baseball… they’ll never go out on a date, they’ll never be able to live unassisted lives.” Kennedy attempted to clarify that he wasn’t referring to all people with diagnosed with autism, but only to those who are “nonverbal”, meaning that they do not communicate using spoken language. (FACT CHECK: There are many “non-verbal autistics” who have high-achieving work and often engage in public. As with everything else, this motherfucker doesn’t know what he’s talking about.) He went on to accuse the media of downplaying what he believes is an autism epidemic in the United States. FACT CHECK: Experts say the surge in autism diagnoses is largely the result of better awareness and wider screening. Kennedy’s remarks have caused national outrage, with Sen. Elizabeth Warren calling for Kennedy’s resignation. “I won’t share RFK Jr.’s lies about autism. It’s disgusting and dangerous. If he had a shred of decency, he would apologize and resign. “Autistic people contribute every day to our nation’s greatness. To every kid with autism, I’m in this fight all the way for you.” The American Public Health Association (APHA) accused Kennedy in a post on X on April 9 of being a danger to the public’s health. He “should resign or be fired,” the APHA added. This drug addicted sexual pervert - the least of the damn Kennedys - is so fucking stupid someone must be telling him to breathe. Of all the Trumpscum he’s the one most in need of “termination... with extreme prejudice...”

From the Department of Why Do We Have To Pay for His Unpresidential Legal fuckups? Law Barbie Pammikins Blondie, the alleged Attorney General, says the InJustice Department is looking to intervene on behalf of President Donald Trump in his appeal of the defamation verdict awarded to E. Jean Carroll, who accused him of sexually assaulting her in a New York department store dressing room. In a joint motion filed last week with Trump’s legal team, the Justice Department said the federal Westfall Act, which provides immunity to government employees for actions taken within the scope of their duties, should apply to Trump. This was already litigated in this case and a determnination was made that since Trump at the time of the rape was not a president or even a candidate, and had no announced plans to become such, that the Westfall Act did not cover his defamation of the victim. Kirsten Wilkinson, the director of the Justice Department’s Torts Branch Civil Division, wrote in an exhibit included with the case’s latest filing, “I find that Donald J. Trump was acting within the scope of his office or employment at the time of the incidents out of which the plaintiff’s claims arose.” The4se people are such scum. Every last one of these motherfucking Trump Traitors needs to be hanged, drawn, and quartered. In public.

From the Department of When Do We Get Rid of This Talentless Moron?: Alleged “hillbilly” Corporal Couchfucker has a big mad on for the appeals court judge appointed by Reagan who roasted Couckfucker and his Dear Leader for their crimes against humanity and the Constitution this week. “Call me crazy, but if you got two hearings and a valid deportation order, then you shouldn’t be in the United States‚” Vance huffed on X, though his ire seemed to subside a few hours later when he posted about how “grateful” he was for being in Rome on Good Friday and going to church with his family. OK, you talentless little pissant, from now on you are Crazy Corporal Couchfucker here.

And, finally, there is this bit of fuckwittery:

From the Department of I Do Not Have My Hand In That Cookie Jar: The Trump administration claims that the demand letter to Harvard University was sent in error. Yes, in a twist more ridiculous than all their other twists, Maladministration II is claiming its letter to Harvard University demanding surrender was “sent by mistake.” The letter was signed by three administration officials and was on official government stationery. The claim appears to be a cover story for miscalculating the ferocity of the reaction from Harvard and other universities and colleges. The cherry on top of this steaming pile is that Maladministration II is accusing Harvard of “malpractice” in responding publicly to the letter rather than “picking up the phone to see if the letter was a mistake. An administration spokesperson blamed Harvard as follows: “It was malpractice on the side of Harvard’s lawyers not to pick up the phone and call the members of the antisemitism task force who they had been talking to for weeks. Instead, Harvard went on a victimhood campaign.” If the letter was sent by mistake, why did Donnie Dumbfuck do the following: Announce the withholding of $2.2 billion in grants previously awarded to Harvard; Announce a retaliatory instigation of an IRS proceeding to revoke Harvard’s tax exempt status; announce an effort to prohibit many foreign students from applying to Harvard; and announce an investigation into major donors to Harvard from foreign countries. None of those actions suggest the initial letter was a “mistake.” Of course Donnie Dumbfuck can never just admit he didn’t have a fucking clue about what he was doing and that he is the world’s dumbest fucking felon elected by idiots to a political office

The good news for the weekend includes:

From the Department of Take Your TS Card To The Chaplain And He Will Punch You: Tesla’s share of EV sales in California fell below 50% in the first quarter of 2025—even as sales of other EVs increased. In the first quarter of 2024, registrations for new Tesla vehicles made up 55.5% of California’s EV market. But in the first quarter of 2025, it fell to 43.9%, according to data from the California New Car Dealers Association (CNCDA). At the same time, registrations for all other EV models increased by 35%. Overall, zero emissions vehicle sales rose 7.3% in California between January and March. Tesla’s shrinking sales in California, especially this year, are also a sign of the company’s overall slide away from EV dominance—a trend fueled in part by CEO Elon Musk’s involvement in the Trump administration. “An aging product lineup and backlash against Elon Musk’s political initiatives are likely key factors for the decline in Tesla BEV market share,” the CNCDA wrote in its report. Across Europe, Tesla has already sold 42.6% fewer cars this year, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers Association—even though, once again, overall EV sales are up. Sales of Tesla’s China-made EVs also plunged 49.2% in February alone, compared to the year prior. Tesla’s stock price has also crashed, falling more than 40% since the start of the year. In one day alone at the beginning of April, the company lost 15% of its value. Tesla’s stock price has also crashed, falling more than 40% since the start of the year. In one day alone at the beginning of April, the company lost 15% of its value.

Former Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) won a special election to become the next mayor of Oakland in what became a closer-than-expected race amid growing voter dissatisfaction over the direction of the city. Lee won the nonpartisan ranked-choice election over a field of more than a half dozen candidates, with the most prominent being former City Council member Loren Taylor, who was the runner-up to now-former Mayor Sheng Thao (D) in the 2022 mayoral race and emerged as this election’s dark-horse contender. Taylor had the initial lead after the first batch of votes were tallied Tuesday night with 48.2 percent of the vote, about 1,200 votes ahead of Lee, who had 45.7 percent. But additional votes counted from mail-in ballots gave Lee the victory. Lee’s website states that her priorities as mayor will be a public safety plan to ensure residents feel safe, providing unhoused people with housing and mental health and addiction services and improving the city’s ethics regulations.

District Judge William Sessions ruled Friday that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has until May 1 to move Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish doctoral student at Tufts, to Vermont no later than the start of next month, where she will be in custody. Sessions also ordered that Ozturk’s bail hearing take place on May 9, during which she will have to appear in person. “Upon review of the First Amendment and Due Process claims and the evidence presented by both parties, the Court concludes that Ms. Ozturk has presented viable and serious habeas claims which warrant urgent review on the merits,” he said in a 74-page ruling. “The Court plans to move expeditiously to a bail hearing and final disposition of the habeas petition, as Ms. Ozturk’s claims require no less.” The hearing for the merits of the petition was set for May 22, Sessions ruled. “The petition, filed in federal district court in Massachusetts, was properly transferred to this Court. There are no technical deficiencies that prevent this Court’s consideration of this petition as if it were originally filed here.”

Heather Cox Richardson gets today’s last word:

“Northerners of all parties who disagreed with each other over issues of immigration, finance, and internal improvements—and even over the institution of slavery—came together to stand against the end of American democracy.

“Four years later, in 1858, Democrat Stephen Douglas complained that those coming together to oppose the Democrats were a ragtag coalition whose members didn’t agree on much at all. Abraham Lincoln, who by then was speaking for the new party coalescing around that coalition, replied that Douglas “should remember that he took us by surprise—astounded us—by this measure. We were thunderstruck and stunned; and we reeled and fell in utter confusion. But we rose each fighting, grasping whatever he could first reach—a scythe—a pitchfork—a chopping axe, or a butcher's cleaver. We struck in the direction of the sound; and we are rapidly closing in upon him. He must not think to divert us from our purpose, by showing us that our drill, our dress, and our weapons, are not entirely perfect and uniform. When the storm shall be past, he shall find us still Americans; no less devoted to the continued Union and prosperity of the country than heretofore.”

Brother and sister: Cary and Phantom

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