Month: May 2025

More On That Possible Third Term

I covered this possibility recently and there were some facts in there that everyone should consider….for those that cannot remember back far I am here to help…..(and that is why I keep up my archives….so I can bne checked)….

What About That Third Term?

Please read this post first before moving on to my newest one…..

I know there is a Constitutional thing that states only two terms…..but that will not stop Donny if his ego wants more and more…..but how could this thing happen?

To clarify….what does the Constitution say about this third term?

The Constitution says that a president cannot serve more than two terms – an amendment that was added after Democratic President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was elected four times.

It is explicit….so how can Donny move the needle in his favor?

Democratic critics have used Trump’s third term chatter to say that he is trying to defy the Constitution.

However, some MAGA allies of the president have suggested at least one way around that.

One plan would involve Trump becoming JD Vance’s running mate and then, after a successful 2028 election, Vance resigning and Trump taking over.

(dailymail.co.uk)

Did not Putin try this in one form?

There has been some precedents for his desire and most are from Latin America…..

United States President Donald Trump has repeatedly floated the idea of remaining in office after his second term ends in 2029. Since the 22nd Amendment of the U.S. Constitution was ratified in 1951, no U.S. president has challenged the two-term limit it established.

However, attempts to circumvent constitutional term limits are not unprecedented elsewhere.

Virtually every country in Latin America has enshrined constitutional term limits as a safeguard against tyranny. These rules vary: some allow only a single term, some permit two, while others enable non-consecutive re-election. Yet several presidents have managed to defy these provisions.

Recent examples include Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua, Hugo Chávez in Venezuela, Evo Morales in Bolivia, Rafael Correa in Ecuador and Nayib Bukele in El Salvador.

Although the institutional norms and political cultures of these countries differ from those of the U.S., examining how term limits have been dismantled offers valuable insights into how any similar efforts by Trump might unfold.

https://theconversation.com/how-donald-trump-could-remain-president-of-the-united-states-255589

It is possible that this country can survive these four years but any longer and I have my doubts.

The Constitution should be the ultimate law of the land as it has been for all our years…..all this circumvention is just making the nation weaker and open to some massive exploitation.

Any thoughts you would care to share?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

What About Project 2025?

With all the chaos around Donny’s tariff stuff the implementation of Project 2025 has gone under-reported, an agenda that Donny disavowed during his campaign saying he had no idea what it was or what it was about, but so far under his leadership parts of it are being put into place just the way the Heritage Foundation wanted.

But what do we have so far?

As Trump begins his second term, his administration is rolling out Project 2025 — a detailed playbook aimed at reshaping the federal government, U.S. policy, and global posture. Developed as a sweeping roadmap during his first term’s aftermath, Project 2025 is now the blueprint driving his administration. Every agency, from Homeland Security to the EPA, is involved. The strategy? Systematically undo Biden-era policies, reduce regulatory oversight, centralize executive power, and instill a more conservative agenda across federal operations.

Here’s where things stand so far:

The Trump administration has wasted no time. By early 2025, dozens of Project 2025 objectives were marked “completed,” fundamentally shifting U.S. policy in critical areas:

Civil Rights and DEI Rollbacks

  • Eliminated the Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at the Treasury.

  • Revoked Biden’s Gender Policy Council.

  • Abolished DEI offices across federal agencies including the Pentagon and EPA.

If you want to check on what else is happening or what is on tap then there is a tracker for Project 2025….https://www.project2025.observer

Trump’s Project 2025 Is Already Changing America — See What’s Done, What’s Next, and What Could Be Coming

There is one part of this authoritarian plan that is not fairing so well….

If it’s not enough that Elon Musk’s DOGE has been taking a chainsaw to the federal labor force, about three weeks ago, the Trump administration announced that it is going to begin implementing “Schedule F,” the creepy huxleyan name for the Executive Order they produced at the end of the first term to make it easier to fire civil service employees deemed disloyal. President Biden threw it in the trash, but, as expected, it’s back. After all, it’s part of Project 2025 architect Russell Vought‘s tools of the trade, and now that he’s back at the Office of Management and Budget he’s been itching to use it.

It’s estimated that 50,000 people will be subject to the law once they are re-classified from civil service protections to “at will” policy employees. It’s pretty obvious that a witch hunt for personnel that any rando MAGA appointee suspects of being a turncoat (or just a Democrat) will soon be fired. The whole idea was to fill the jobs with the kind of people Russell Vought thinks have America’s best interests at heart. That means white, Christian nationalists.

https://www.salon.com/2025/05/14/one-major-part-of-project-2025-is-falling-apart/

Sadly that seems to be about the only part that is not popular with the supporters….seriously….the only part?

You there still part of the public that like what this plan is doing to this country and the rights of its citizens.

This plan needs a plan to stop this erosion of rights.

Time to become a ‘citizen activist’….get the Hell involved…..NOW!

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

The Trump/Putin Gab Fest

While Donny was in the Middle East signing deals that would make some lots of cash and accepting delivery of his new ‘flying palace’ he made a statement on the Russia-Ukraine War….

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly vowed to bring the war to an end, but said earlier this week that no progress would be made in the peace talks until he personally met with Putin. Following the negotiations on Friday, Trump said his administration was working to set up just such a meeting.

“I think it’s time for us to just do it,” he told reporters, later adding, “[Putin] and I will meet, and I think we’ll solve it or maybe not. At least we’ll know. And if we don’t solve it, it’ll be very interesting.”

That meeting was top be in Turkey but he had to hurriedly rush back home to meet his new grand kid, number 11 I believe.

So the meeting is off.

Then on Sunday we hear it will be a phone call not a face to face….

Monday has the potential to be a big day with regard to the Russia-Ukraine war: President Trump speaks with Vladimir Putin by phone on Monday morning, followed by a call later to Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky. “Hopefully it will be a productive day, a ceasefire will take place, and this very violent war, a war that should have never happened, will end,” Trump wrote on Truth Social over the weekend, per the New York Times.

“Tomorrow, President Putin must show he wants peace by accepting the 30-day unconditional ceasefire proposed by President Trump and backed by Ukraine and Europe,” French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted afterward. The Kremlin is paying deference to Trump—”if the political services of the US—which we highly value and are grateful to the American side—if they actually help us reach our goals with peaceful means, that would indeed be preferable” to war, said spokesman Dmitri Peskov on Monday.

Then the phone call happened…..and guess what the result was….

Monday held great promise for progress in ending the Russia-Ukraine war. The gist of coverage on Tuesday is that there is no resolution in sight after President Trump spoke with Vladimir Putin, and also with Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders.

  • Trump suggested progress: “Russia and Ukraine will immediately start negotiations toward a Ceasefire and, more importantly, an END to the War,” he wrote on Truth Social, and he told reporters later at the White House that he thought “some progress is being made,” reports Reuters. But this fell well short of the hoped-for breakthrough. The war will continue, with no ceasefire in sight, only the promise of the continuation of talks.
  • “The ground shifted again,” is how Anthony Zurcher of the BBC puts it in an analysis. Trump once promised to end the war in his first 24 hours in office, then said it would be resolved only after he and Putin put their heads together. Now, after the two-hour call, Trump “said that the conditions of a peace deal could only be negotiated between Russia and Ukraine—and maybe with the help of the pope.”
  • The New York Times similarly finds that Trump “appeared enthusiastic to surrender his mediating role to a higher power: the pope.” Trump even floated the idea of the US washing its hands of the war: “I tell you, big egos involved, but I think something’s going to happen. And if it doesn’t, I just back away and they’re going to have to keep going,” he said, per CNN.
  • After his call with Putin, Trump spoke with Zelensky, along with the leaders of Germany, France, Italy, Finland, and the European Commission in a conference call. They hoped to hear that he had convinced Putin to agree to an immediate ceasefire, perhaps under pressure of US penalties. But, according to Axios, the leaders “seemed surprised that Trump seemed relatively content with what he heard from Putin, and presented it as a new development, even though the Russian leader did not seem to have changed his position at all.”
  • The Washington Post sees a pattern emerging after Trump’s third call with Putin since his inauguration: The US “demands on Putin to show that he is serious about peace, countered by the Kremlin insisting that the complexity of a broader peace deal prevents an immediate ceasefire.”

The ‘call’ basically worries world leaders…..why?

Several world leaders were shocked by how submissive Donald Trump was to Moscow’s demands following a two-hour phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Shortly after hanging up Monday with his favorite autocrat, Trump hopped on the line with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron, and a few other world leaders to update them on negotiations.

Sources told Axios that some of the leaders seemed “surprised” and “shocked” when Trump reported that Putin had agreed to begin negotiations toward a ceasefire—something that the Russian president had previously done, as talks had already taken place in Istanbul last week.

When Zelenskiy pointed this out, Trump did not respond.

Additionally, Trump reportedly pushed back on commitments to impose penalties on Moscow, after previously discussing levying sanctions on Russia with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer if Russia refused calls for a ceasefire. While Trump declined to ramp up pressure on Putin, Starmer followed through, imposing 100 new sanctions on Russia Tuesday.

https://newrepublic.com/post/195501/donald-trump-vladimir-putin-call-global-leaders-terrified

I guess the conflict that he said he would end on Day One will continue to be hot and destructive.

There was a time when Donny coveted a Peace Prize….if he really wants one then Ukraine/Russia would be the perfect vessel….I guess he wants one but does not want to work at it.

Donald Trump was going to end the war in Ukraine in 48 hours five months ago, but it has not been so easy! Especially when he is not sure invaded who, and which one is the dictator. Still, he wants you to know, he’s tried everything.

Everything?  Really?

What Trump has not tried:

  • Demanding a timeline for a ceasefire
  • US involvement
  • More sanctions
  • Insisting Vladimir Putin sit down with him and Zelenskyy at the same time

or

  • Putting any kind of pressure on Putin whatsoever, unless you count pretending to be mad.

Job well done.  (And that my friends is how you do sarcasm).

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

The Return Of Devil’s Island

That time again….my little history lesson and beyond.

Did you see the movie Papillon?

If so then that was about the penal colony for France in South America.

Devil’s Island, its true name Cayenne, is a penal colony of French Guiana with a haunted history. Here lie the crumbled remains of a prison opened in 1852. Infamous for housing French political prisoners cast out of France by Emperor Napoleon III, it eventually became home to tens of thousands of hardened criminals. It even served as the backdrop for the 1973 action-thriller film Papillon. Nestled among the palm trees and tropical setting hides a turbulent past truth.

Prisoners were subjected to strict and inhumane treatment, making Devil’s Island aptly named. Kept in dark cells and forbidden to talk, read or even sit down throughout the day, the prison guards made the criminals’ lives a nightmare. Talking to a guard could end in severe punishment.

When details of the inhumane conditions of the prison were leaked, a public outcry led to the system’s end in 1938. But the penal colony did not close until after World War II, finally shutting down in 1946. Since its abhorrent history as a terrible prison, others have tried using the island for other means. From a police station to a shark fishing factory to a summer camp to a plant oil factory, none succeeded. Eventually, the island was abandoned, and nature took over the buildings.

I brought up this bit of history because news has broken that France will open a prison near the original location.

Deep in the Amazon jungle, France plans to open a $450 million high-security prison to isolate drug lords and radical Islamists—turning a notorious former penal colony into a fortress for modern criminals. French Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin on Sunday announced the plan to build the high-security prison in the overseas territory of French Guiana, to open as early as 2028, per the BBC. The facility will sit deep in the Amazon near Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni, the site of the infamous Devil’s Island penal colony, where 70,000 convicts from mainland France were sent between 1852 and 1954. The site inspired 1973’s Papillon, starring Steve McQueen, per CNN.

Designed for about 500 inmates, the prison will include a wing reserved for the most dangerous prisoners. Darmanin said the prison will enforce a strict protocol intended to disrupt contact between powerful criminal figures and their networks, especially drug lords “at the beginning of the drug trail.” The remote location was chosen in part to prevent inmates from communicating with outside networks. The announcement follows a wave of violence targeting prisons and staff in France, incidents the government links to its crackdown on organized crime.

French Guiana serves as a “strategic crossroads” for drug trafficking, particularly from Brazil and Suriname, and the new prison is part of broader efforts to control organized crime. Gangs have pushed the territory’s homicide rate to 18.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.2 per 100,000 in mainland France, per CNN. Recent government action also includes tough new laws, a dedicated prosecutors’ branch for organized crime, expanded investigative powers, and special protected status for informers. As French authorities face ongoing challenges such as widespread smuggling of mobile phones into prisons, stricter control over visitation and communication for high-risk prisoners is planned.

Fascinating…..will it become as infamous as the original?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Trump’s Maximalist Style

I have made many observations on Donny and his style of governing….it is a maximalist style….huh?

For those that are not too savvy on these types of terms let me clarify for you…..

A maximalist is someone who thinks things should be done in the biggest and boldest way possible. In politics, maximalists demand major changes, usually with the goal of ending capitalism.

That definition is from vocabulary.com

If you keep up with current events then you will see that Donny’s plan for government is maximalist in nature.

President Donald Trump charged into his second term with vows to quickly negotiate an end to multiple wars, pursue an “America First” strategy to restore dominance in manufacturing and abandon its postwar role as global policeman.

But the president’s maximalist domestic and foreign policy agenda has run headlong into immovable obstacles — recalcitrant autocrats, stubborn allies and an entrenched global trade network — triggering market reactions and harsh responses that have forced him to recalibrate.

It underscores the challenges Trump faces in following through on key campaign promises and bending other countries and an entrenched global economic system to his will.  The latest example came over the weekend, when Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent met with Chinese trade negotiators in Geneva to broker a detente in the countries’ month-plus trade war that brought West Coast ports to a standstill. The agreement between the U.S. and China to lower levies against one another by triple digits came as a rejection of Trump’s “no negotiations” strategy articulated by White House trade adviser Peter Navarro, which threatened to plunge the nation into recession.

Trump allies, Wall Street leaders and lawmakers say the agreement with China, like other recent policy decisions, demonstrates the limits of the economic and political pain Trump is willing to tolerate.

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/05/14/trumps-maximalist-agenda-finds-its-limits-00346389

This maximalist attitude towards policy is a mistake. The straightforward truth is that there are times when more government action in the economy is appropriate, and there are times when it isn’t. There are times when the government should step forward, and times when it should step back. The world is complex, and complexity defies simple or universal solutions. And it’s not just bad policy, but dangerous politics as well.

For decades conservatives have accused Dems of a maximalist agenda…..but that was before the hard Right entered into the picture….and now the conservs have no problem with the implementation of the Trump agenda.

I do hate to admit it but Donny and his cronies have done an excellent job at selling his agenda to the peasants (that would be you).

Dems need to step away from the center and start their own campaign of selling much needed programs to the people.

But will they?

I think no….they are too comfortable with the do-nothing middle and their own re-election than to propose an agenda for the all the people of this nation.

Time to get involved!

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

More Tariff Stuff

I know I spend a lot of time writing about the tariffs and their effects on this country that is because there is a wealth of misconceptions about these lame economic moves….for one no country pays these tariffs….YOU pay for them every time you go shopping.

With that said…..

Remember when Amazon stated that they would be labeling their products with the cost to the consumer and Donny went batcrap crazy and called Bezos to have the idea squashed and it was?

Personally I thought it was a good idea but Donny does not want you to know how badly you will be getting screwed….but guess what a majority thinks the Amazon idea is a great one….

YouGov released a new poll this week on Americans’ views of President Donald Trump, his handling of the economy, and their optimism for the future. The poll found a whopping 75% of Americans believe that Trump’s tariffs will increase prices, and a strong majority wants those additional costs explained to them on the packaging.

The poll of 1,850 adult U.S. citizens, conducted between May 2nd and 5th, also found that “Majorities of Democrats and Republicans think Trump’s tariffs will lead to price increases. Among Republicans, the share who think tariffs will raise prices ‘a lot’ has increased 8 percentage points in the past two weeks, to 22% from 14%.”

Additionally, 46% of respondents said they believe that Trump’s tariffs “are harmful to the economy and consumers, with no real long-term benefits” – as opposed to 38% who said the tariffs “may cause short-term economic pain, but lead to long-term economic growth.”

But yet there are those that want to idolize Donny and his ignorance and defend these ‘taxes’ on the rest of us.

Donny has waffled on several of his tariffs and what did that achieve?

While the various tariff rollbacks and pauses have been welcomed by businesses, the respite has not removed uncertainty entirely. Brief pauses in tariffs are not sufficient for many companies to make longer-term investment or supply chain decisions.

There are fears that the uncertainty is taking a toll on the US economy. A Bloomberg poll of economists put the chances of a recession next year at almost 50-50, the news agency reported on Monday.

The farmer will most likely get hit hard…..plus could endanger our food supply…..

Specifically, while Trump publicly proclaims that he stands with farmers, his tariff war with China stands to rob producers of their markets.  Since Trump’s last term, China has already been looking to countries like Brazil for soybeans as the US has proven an unreliable partner.  Adding insult to injury, unexpectedly cancelling government contracts with thousands around the country early in his term placed undue stress on farmers who already have to contend with what extreme weather events throw their way.

Now, with the details of the UK-US trade deal becoming known, the signal – that is, the truth – of the Trump administration’s vision for agriculture is coming into view. To the point, not unlike how US agriculture has been directed for the past few decades, it is becoming clear that this administration will prioritize exports. The problem with this vision is that, even if it generates short-term profits, it endangers our long-term national food security by dangerously further internationalizing our agricultural system.

…

Trump’s efforts to undo the previous administration’s policies set up our food system for disruption and crisis, subjecting farmers to the uncertainties of international markets and developments elsewhere. If there is a signal with the noise that Trump is making with our food system, then this is it – farmers better get ready for a volatile next few years and more bailouts, as operations will continue to go under. Overall, Trump’s nationalist rhetoric amounts to little, as our food system becomes more global, increasingly made vulnerable to dynamics outside our control.

https://www.counterpunch.org/2025/05/15/trumps-trade-deals-endanger-farmers-and-our-food-system/

Prices will head up….Walmart has made a statement and the prez has leveled his ire on the company….

President Trump’s tariffs are just “too high,” according to Walmart, which says it will raise prices, including on some food items, in response. Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said Thursday that tariffs on China are pushing up the costs of electronics and toys, while tariffs on Costa Rica, Peru, and Colombia are increasing the costs of some foods, reports CNBC. “The higher tariffs will result in higher prices,” McMillon said on an earnings call, per CNN. “We will do our best to keep our prices as low as possible. But given the magnitude of the tariffs, even at the reduced levels announced this week, we aren’t able to absorb all the pressure given the reality of narrow retail margins.”

Customers should expect price hikes beginning later this month, per CNN. “You’ll begin to see that, likely towards the tail end of this month, and then certainly much more in June,” Walmart CFO John David Rainey tells CNBC. He admits this is “not good for consumers,” per Reuters, but stresses the US is dependent on certain imports, whose prices have climbed dramatically under Trump’s tariffs. “The magnitude and speed at which these prices are coming to us is somewhat unprecedented in history,” he tells the Wall Street Journal. Though Walmart welcomed the recent deal to lower tariffs on Chinese imports from 145% to 30%, it said the remaining level is still “too high,” per CNBC.

Such statements risk Trump’s ire. The White House attacked Amazon’s reported plan to show the added cost of tariffs on some items as a “hostile and political act,” while Trump threatened a 100% tariff on Mattel’s toys after the company announced it would raise prices in response to tariffs last week. Walmart appears confident in its position, however. Of the trade war, Rainey told analysts, “We are equipped to manage this as well or better than other retailers,” per Investing.com. Walmart continues to expect annual sales to climb between 3% and 4% for the fiscal year ending in January, per Reuters.

He be pissed!

Will he threaten Walmart and make them change their tone as he did with Amazon?

You decide.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

The ‘Exclusion’ Of Immigrants

This is right time for the Old Professor to drop a bit of history on you that tries to enlighten the reader to the history that is all too forgotten.

Little Donny is deporting people at an alarming right all in an effort to keep the loyal in line with his brand of ignorance…..so far this year…Within the span of 100 days, the results of this sweeping and sustained set of actions, touching nearly every corner of the U.S. immigration system, have yielded some quick results. U.S. Border Patrol encounters of irregularly arriving migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border plunged to 7,000 in March—the fewest since at least 2000, when the government started publishing monthly apprehension numbers—after the administration declared an “invasion,” sent 10,000 troops to the border, and effectively barred access to asylum there.

All these deportations is a first for a president, right?

Not even close.

Just another misguided attempt to appear as if he truly cares about this country.

Before I go on maybe it would be a good spot to drop some history about the ‘law’ that the Trumpites are using to justify these deportation….even though the justification for these deportations is the ancient act from the 18th century….about here would be a good time to explain the “Act” for the history impaired….

The Alien Enemies Act of 1798 is a wartime authority that allows the president to detain or deport the natives and citizens of an enemy nation. The law permits the president to target these immigrants without a hearing and based only on their country of birth or citizenship. Although the law was enacted to prevent foreign espionage and sabotage in wartime, it can be — and has been — wielded against immigrants who have done nothing wrong, have evinced no signs of disloyalty, and are lawfully present in the United States. It is an overbroad authority that may violate constitutional rights in wartime and is subject to abuse in peacetime.

… but the mass deportations occurred in the beginning of the middle 19th century and the Chinese immigrants.

The United States’ current deportation process traces its roots to the late 19th century as the nation moved to exercise federal control of immigration.

The impetus for this shift was anti-Chinese racism, which reached a fever pitch during this period, culminating in the passage of laws that restricted Chinese immigration.

The influx of Chinese immigrants to the West Coast during the mid-to-late 19th century, initially fueled by the California Gold Rush, spurred the rise of an influential nativist movement that accused Chinese immigrants of stealing jobs. It also claimed that they posed a cultural threat to American society due to their racial otherness.

The Geary Act of 1892 required Chinese living in the U.S to register with the federal government or face deportation.

The Supreme Court addressed the constitutionality of these statutes in 1893 in the case of Fong Yue Ting v. United States. Three plaintiffs claimed that anti-Chinese legislation was discriminatory, violated constitutional protections prohibiting unreasonable search and seizure, and contravened due process and equal protection guarantees.

The Supreme Court affirmed the Geary Act’s deportation procedures, formulating a novel legal precept known as the plenary power doctrine that remains a key tenet of U.S. immigration law today.

https://theconversation.com/from-the-chinese-exclusion-act-to-pro-palestinian-activists-the-evolution-of-politically-motivated-deportations-254683

Is Donny’s use of ‘Act’ legal by Executive Order?  Damn good question!

… no court has expressly interpreted “invasion” in the context of the AEA, the definition of “invasion” in the constitutional sense has received recent judicial and scholarly attention. Early last year, Texas tried to make the immigration-as-invasion argument in two cases, United States v. Texas and United States v. Abbott, the former of which dealt most directly with the claim. There, a district court—after providing one of the most comprehensive analyses of “invasion” in the State War Clause—enjoined the enforcement of Texas law that established state criminal liability for immigration law violations. Although the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ultimately stayed the injunction, it was “not persuaded” by Texas’s immigration-as-invasion argument. The case is still pending. In light of interpretative uncertainty, recourse might also be had to interpretations of the president’s unilateral authority to use force to repel attacks or invasions.

(there is more legal wrangling going on)

https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/can-trump-invoke-the-alien-enemies-act

This will be a sticky situation for only recently a Trump appointed judge rules against Donny’s move on Venezuelans.

A federal judge on Thursday barred the Trump administration from deporting any Venezuelans from South Texas under an 18th-century wartime law and said President Trump’s invocation of it was “unlawful.” US District Court Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. is the first judge to rule that the Alien Enemies Act cannot be used against people the administration claims are gang members invading the United States, the AP reports.

  • “Neither the Court nor the parties question that the Executive Branch can direct the detention and removal of aliens who engage in criminal activity in the United States,” wrote Rodriguez, who was nominated by Trump in 2018. But, the judge said, “the President’s invocation of the AEA through the Proclamation … is contrary to the plain, ordinary meaning of the statute’s terms.”
  • Rodriguez’s ruling is significant because it is the first formal permanent injunction against the administration using the AEA and contends the president is misusing the law, the AP reports. “Congress never meant for this law to be used in this manner,” said Lee Gelernt, the ACLU lawyer who argued the case, in response to the ruling.
  • If the administration appeals, it would go first to the New Orleans-based 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals, one of the nation’s most conservative appeals courts. The Supreme Court has already weighed in once on the issue of deportations under the AEA. The justices held that migrants alleged to be gang members must be given “reasonable time” to contest their removal from the country. The court has not specified the length of time

This whole debacle will be interesting to watch….and I will watch.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

That “One Big Beautiful Bill”

What is That?  A faint glimmer of bi-partisanship?

Do not get too excited this passed a committee of the House…..not finished yet.

This was the bill that rumors flew around about it would gut Medicaid and other needed benefits to pass on more assistance to the wealthy that as we know are suffering badly right?

Here is what we know so far….

Republicans advanced their massive tax cut and border security package out of a key House committee during a rare Sunday night vote as deficit hawks who blocked the measure two days earlier reversed course after gaining commitments on the package’s spending cuts, the AP reports. Speaker Mike Johnson met with Republican lawmakers shortly before the meeting, telling reporters that the changes agreed to were “just some minor modifications. Not a huge thing.” Democrats on the panel pressed for more details about the changes that Republicans had agreed to in the private negotiations. But Rep. Jodey Arrington, the chairman of the House Budget Committee, said he could not give those details.

(good one…..why should those that will possibly suffer at the hands of this bill know what it says?)

Deliberations continue at this very moment,” Arrington said. “They will continue on into the week, and I suspect right up until the time we put this big, beautiful bill on the floor of the House.” The first time Republicans tried advancing the bill out of the House Budget Committee, deficit hawks joined with Democratic lawmakers in voting against reporting the measure to the full House. Five Republicans voted no, one on procedural grounds, the other four voicing concerns about the bill’s impact on federal budget deficits. On Sunday evening, the four voicing concerns about the bill’s impact on the deficit voted present, and the measure passed by a vote of 17-16. Johnson is looking to put the bill on the House floor before the end of the week.

“This is the vehicle through which we will deliver on the mandate that the American people gave us in the last election,” he said on Fox News Sunday. If the bill passes the House this week, it would then move to the Senate, where Republican lawmakers are also eyeing changes that could make final passage in the House more difficult. Johnson said: “The package that we send over there will be one that was very carefully negotiated and delicately balanced, and we hope that they don’t make many modifications to it because that will ensure its passage quickly.”

“Mandate of the people”….if that is truly then the ‘people’ are suffer from gross ignorance or to put a more polite term on it…..massively uninformed.

The only mandate that this House has is to make their wealthy patrons happy….you are a minor irritant to them.

There is more fireworks coming….so stay tuned and we will see where this goes.

But how will it effect your wallet?

President Donald Trump’s proposed “One Big Beautiful Bill” (OBBB) has stirred significant debate in Washington, D.C., and across the nation. This sweeping legislative package aims to extend and expand upon the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, introducing a series of tax reforms and spending adjustments that could have profound effects on American households. While proponents argue that the bill will stimulate economic growth and provide relief to taxpayers, critics warn of potential increases in the federal deficit and disproportionate benefits to the wealthy. Understanding the key components of this bill is essential for assessing its potential impact on your personal finances. 

https://www.savingadvice.com/articles/2025/05/18/10156620_how-trumps-big-beautiful-bill-may-impact-your-finances.html

Hopefully you took the time to see how your wallet will fair with this bill that will affect the wealthy far more than you.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

News From The UK

IST has a some UK visitors which I appreciate very much but most of my writings are about this country and our problems and events…..so I would like to write about a couple of stories I read that involve the UK.

First there is the news about Prince Charles….oh my bad he is a king now…..it has been reported that he has cancer and now he is refusing chemo….

Buckingham Palace announced in February that the King had been diagnosed with cancer, and his treatment has included some challenging moments, including a brief hospitalization just days before the Italian tour. Despite this, he returned to his duties by April 1, determined to stay engaged.

According to royal sources, Charles sees his role not just as ceremonial, but as an opportunity to make a real difference. “He knows he is fortunate to be in a position to create change,” a senior aide shared. “That’s what keeps him going, impact, not obligation.”

https://www.yahoo.com/news/surprising-reason-king-charles-not-171832554.html

Is he really that concerned about the optics of stating his cancer or is it to avoid any speculation at the length of time he has left?

Just asking.

I see the Andrew has taken over the title of King Charles from his father….

Does that mean he gets all the benefits of being the king (for now)?

Now how about the deal for more US beef?

The Prez and the PM have a deal now for sending American beef to English markets….is that a good idea?

Officials in Britain are worried contaminated beef from the U.S. could soon be flooding their supermarket shelves, RadarOnline.com can report.

However, the same beef is widely produced stateside, and many of us eat it willingly every day.

A new trade deal agreed to by the two nations will see 13,000 tons of U.S. beef shipped to the U.K. – enough meat to serve one medium-sized steak to every adult in the country.

However, consumers overseas are fearful the much more leniently regulated U.S. beef will contaminate their supply.

A common practice in the U.S. is for farmers to raise hormone-treated beef. These cattle are injected with growth hormones to accelerate muscle growth and shorten the time to slaughter, thereby increasing production efficiency and reducing costs.

But the practice has been linked to concerns such as early puberty in children and increased cancer risks.

While the hormone beef is prevalent on our store shelves, Great Britain has banned it since 1989, when the EU declared it unsafe.

https://radaronline.com/p/donald-trump-food-deal-uk-contaminated-beef-supermarket/

There was one thing I admired about the UK/EU….their ban on genetically modified products…..what has happened to that excellent idea?

I realize there is so much more that I have missed and if anyone would like to add something please leave a comment for I would love to here about the stuff that does not make it over here.

Just my small way of showing my UK readers that they are not forgotten here on IST.

Thanks for the visits and the comments.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Last Week At The Sh*t Show–18May25

Another ‘fantastic’ day in the life of the current administration….all the news that made it to the back page of the paper or maybe not at all….

So far I have been a very harsh critic of the administration but I did give Donny his props before he was sworn in when he said that he would eliminate Daylight Savings and I have waited and waited but so far it still hangs on.

Then last week he made statement that once again I can agree with…

President Trump is reportedly pushing Congress to raise taxes on the richest Americans, which Punchbowl News describes as a “seismic shift” that many GOP lawmakers oppose. It’s all part of the ongoing negotiations with the sprawling fiscal package now underway. Trump has spoken with House Speaker Mike Johnson about the idea, and the Washington Postreports that a number of options are on the table.

  • Trump suggested creating a new tax bracket for individuals making more than $2.5 million a year or couples making more than $5 million, reports the New York Timesand the Hill.

A helluva idea….the rich paying more taxes….but I will not hold my breath for in the past I have been disappointed and I feel this is just another one of those times.

Of course it is also the Congress to consider…..the bunch of wealthy loving GOPers…..they will not go along with an increase on their meal tickets.

Then there is Donny’s DNI, Tulsi Gabbard, and her approach to her gig….

Before Tulsi Gabbard was confirmed as the least qualified director of national intelligence in human history, there were rumblings around the Senate that bless her heart, the One Known As Russia’s Girlfriend maaaaaaaay not have the foggiest fucking idea what “director of national intelligence” is supposed to do in the course of their duties. (DNI coordinates all the other intel agencies. It’s a job for an intelligence expert. Tulsi Gabbard is, um, not that.)

…

The headlines in NBC News and other sources are about Gabbard firing two top intel officials who refused to go along with the regime’s likely entirely made-up insistence that the Tren de Aragua gang is an arm of the Venezuelan government. Trump needs to assert that’s true, because if TdA isn’t part of or sponsored by the Venezuelan government, then all his claims about Venezuelan migrants being part of a state-sponsored foreign terrorist invasion get even facially stupider than they already were. And if that happens, then even fewer judges might sign off on Trump using the Alien Enemies Act to kidnap and send people to concentration camps in third locations without due process, because of how the AEA is supposed to be for when we are actually at war, and not just when the racist cow in the Oval Office imagines we are at war because he’s terrified of slightly darker-skinned people who speak Spanish.

https://www.wonkette.com/p/tulsi-firing-folks-who-wont-make

To be fair….all DNI’s make up shit to fit the prez ramblings….think Iraq and GW Bush….

We have a few totally disconnected rants by Donny and/or his throng of morons….first Donny tried to take credit for the election of the new pope…

Donald Trump has suggested he played a role in Chicago-born Pope Leo XIV’s election as the new pontiff.

That’s despite the U.S. president having nothing to do with the traditional Conclave process that selects a new pope.

Seriously?

Finally we have a new nominee for Surgeon General, Dr. Casey Means, a wellness influencer not a practicing physician, is the name of our newest member of the elite idiot cabinet….

Some of her more interesting previous statements are going viral online, especially a screenshot from a previous newsletter that describes the process of how to ‘find love at age 35,’ and includes such points as setting up an ancestor shrine (common folk practice), group meditations to tune to ‘Spirit,’ reconnecting with spirit guides, talking to trees, and ‘plant medicine,’ which she followed with a mushroom emoji incase someone wasn’t sure what that meant.

The influencer has close ties to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and is the second person tapped by Trump, after Janette Nesheiwat but was criticised by Laura Loomer for being pro-Covid vaccines.

Trump said in a social media post Wednesday that Means has “impeccable ‘MAHA’ credentials” – referring to the “Make America Healthy Again ” slogan – and that she will work to eradicate chronic disease and improve the health and well-being of Americans.

https://www.irishstar.com/news/us-news/trump-surgeon-general-pick-casey-35193030

Oh good we now have ‘shaman’ in charge of our health.

She should fit in nicely with the rest of the unqualified yahoos Donny has in his cabinet.

And now for a few dumbass statements made by the worst people possible…

First from the mouth of Donny’s number 2…..

Vice President JD Vance has expounded upon that idea by suggesting that parents should think about how much better they’d like it if they knew that when they sent their children off to fight in foreign wars, that they were fighting with “good, American-made weapons.”

And that is how you prove how damn ignorant you are.

Almost….Finally….Reality TV is for the idiots and is mind numbing and guess what?

The Department of Homeland Security under President Donald Trump is reportedly considering a pitch for a reality show in which immigrants would compete for a chance to win citizenship in the United States.

Producer Rob Worsoff confirmed to The Wall Street Journal that he has had discussions with members of the DHS about the show idea. The outlet reported that he’s received “positive” feedback from Trump officials about the pitch.

Worsoff also reached out to networks for “preliminary discussions’ to see if there was any interest in picking up the show if the DHS were to collaborate on it.

https://people.com/trump-admin-weighs-reality-show-immigrants-compete-for-citizenship-11736309

This may have a chance since Little Donny likes to think of himself as some sort of TV genius (oh my bad….stable genius)….to me it is exploitation plain and simple and does not need a audience of millions of morons.

Then there are is ‘trips’….I look for him to make one to Asia especially Vietnam…..why?

The Vietnamese government approved a $1.5 billion development for the Trump Organization and an investment partner to build a golf resort outside Hanoi.

The real-estate project will include a golf course, hotel, and several residential areas, according to Vietnamese state-run media outlets. On Friday, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha approved the plan, according to same reports.

The development will be constructed in the Khuyen Chau district of the Northern Vietnamese city of Hung Yen, which is about 40 miles outside of the capital city of Hanoi. As currently planned, it will stretch across 2,446 acres, or roughly 3.8 square miles. Investments in the golf resort and its surrounding developments will start this quarter and continue through 2029, according to reports from Vietnamese media.

We know that Donny cannot resist the smell of a golf cart….so he will most likely have to go and take a close look at his acquisition.

Enough!

Time to step out and get to doing the things I need to be doing.

That was the week that was in the ever changing Sh*t Show.

I hope everyone has a lovely Sunday and as always….Be Well and Be Safe….

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”