Brian Karem’s “Reporter’s Notebook”

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George Santos gets . . .what?

Mark Zaid displays his love for his hometown

Brian J Karem Oct 22

Who would actually want George Santos to get out of prison early and why?

Excerpt from “Just Ask the Press”

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Did you attend No Kings this weekend? I sure did! That’s me, alright, proudly following in the footsteps of the Portland Frog to celebrate democracy (along with my amazing girlfriend, who took dozens of photos for exuberant fellow attendees who wanted pictures). I’m so glad we went, because it was such an energizing, joyful experience. I live for the chance to fight for democracy every day by publishing The Downballot, but connecting with fellow Americans who feel the same way was a tremendous shot in the arm. Knowing you’re not alone is a powerful feeling. If you participated in this jubilant celebration, please share your experiences in the comments below this newsletter, or on our Discord server. And remember: Frogs together strong! – David Morning Digest, sponsored by FiftyPlusOne: Why the Utah GOP's new ploy to stop fair maps may be unconstitutional Time is running out before a judge decides which districts to use in 2026 David Nir Oct 20 Utah’s invalidated congressional map (at left), and a new Republican-backed map, known as Map C (at right). Both are shaded according to the results of the 2024 presidential election. (credit: Dave’s Redistricting App). Leading Off UT Redistricting As a Utah judge prepares to decide which congressional map the state should use next year, Republicans have launched a new plan to thwart anti-gerrymandering rules adopted by voters. Their gambit, however, may run afoul of the state constitution. Last week, the state Republican Party announced it would seek to qualify a pair of measures for the ballot aimed at locking in the GOP’s 4-0 advantage in Utah’s congressional delegation. A message from our sponsor, FiftyPlusOne.news: Keep track of the latest political polls From members of the research and graphics team of now-defunct FiveThirtyEight comes a new website for tracking all the latest political polls in the U.S. Publicly available averages distill noisy polling data, and all raw data is accessible via an API for paying customers. Check out our new site at FiftyPlusOne.news → The first is a veto referendum that could pause, and ultimately repeal, the new map Republicans in the legislature passed earlier this month, known as Map C. The second is an “indirect” initiative that seeks to tee up a vote by the legislature to abolish the redistricting reform measure that voters passed at the ballot box in 2018, known as Proposition 4. The GOP adopted Map C, which aims to preserve four districts that Republicans can win, after Judge Dianna Gibson struck down the state’s previous map as an illegal partisan gerrymander in August. In theory, should the referendum qualify for the ballot, that now-invalidated map would come back into use. But even if Republicans succeed in obtaining the required 141,000 signatures by Nov. 15, it’s not clear what impact that might have. Administrators would have three weeks to review those signatures, but Gibson is likely to rule well before then. (The state’s top elections official, Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson, previously informed the court that a new map would need to be in place by Nov. 10 to give administrators enough time to prepare for the 2026 elections.) If Gibson were to approve the legislature’s adoption of Map C only to later see it suspended thanks to the GOP’s referendum, the state would still be left with illegal districts. To avoid that problem, Gibson could impose Map C herself, since a court-ordered map could not be subject to a veto referendum. This might all be moot, however, should Gibson decide that Map C does not pass muster. The GOP’s proposed initiative may be even more fraught. Under this largely untested approach, Republicans would need to gather 70,000 signatures, also by Nov. 15, to set up a vote to repeal Proposition 4. Crucially, though, the matter would not be referred to voters. Instead, the initiative would send the question of repeal to the Republican-dominated legislature, which has sought to undermine Proposition 4 at every turn and would jump at the chance to overturn it. But as Quinn Yeargain, an expert in state constitutional law and a contributor at The Downballot, points out, Utah’s rules for indirect initiatives may themselves violate the state constitution. That constitution explicitly establishes two ways for legislation to be passed: through the legislature, with approval from the governor (or over their veto); and by the traditional ballot initiative process, in which voters ultimately decide. It does not, however, say anything about indirect initiatives. These are permitted in a handful of states, but always with express constitutional authorization. In Utah, indirect initiatives are solely statutory in nature, but Yeargain says that “it would be stunning to me if the legislature could be authorized by the constitution to statutorily establish an alternative legislative process.” Even if indirect initiatives are allowed, though, Yeargain concludes that there’s “a really strong argument that the power of the people to propose *and approve* a statute themselves should prevail over the power of the people to propose that the *legislature* consider a statute.” Reformers are advancing an argument along those lines in a new filing before Gibson last week. They point out that because Gibson previously ruled that a 2020 attempt by Republican lawmakers to repeal Proposition 4 was unconstitutional, any effort to repeal it via indirect initiative must also be unconstitutional. They ask that Gibson block Henderson from accepting the GOP’s application to proceed with their initiative. Pumped up after No Kings and eager to continue the fight for democracy? Supporting The Downballot by upgrading to a paid subscription is an excellent way! Redistricting Roundup MD Redistricting House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has held conversations with Maryland Democrats regarding a new congressional map, reports NBC, though it doesn’t appear that leaders are preparing to take action. A spokesperson for Gov. Wes Moore would say only that “all options are on the table”—the exact same phrase Moore has been using for at least two months. Since then, Republicans in Texas and Missouri have passed new gerrymanders targeting six Democratic-held districts, and their counterparts in other red states are moving forward with similar plans. Senate ME-Sen Oyster farmer Graham Platner’s political director quit on Friday following a further series of revelations about the candidate’s social media history. Former state Rep. Genevieve McDonald said in a resignation letter obtained by the Bangor Daily News that Platner’s comments “were not known to me when I agreed to join the campaign, and they are not words or values I can stand behind in a candidate.” ”While I am empathetic to Graham’s experiences and respect his personal journey and growth, I cannot overlook the volume and nature of his past comments, many of which were made as an adult, not as a young man,” she added. Following a CNN report on Thursday morning that surfaced posts from Platner in which he called himself a “communist,” said that “all” cops are “bastards,” and described rural Americans as racist and stupid, several other outlets unearthed more messages in a similar vein. They included the BDN, Politico, and the Washington Post. Some sample comments: “Why don’t black people tip? I work as a bartender and it always amazes me how solid this stereotype is. Every now and again a black patron will leave a 15-20% tip, but usually it [is] between 0-5%. There’s got to be a reason behind it, what is it?” “In today’s current climate, when every whisper of a misplaced hand brings down a feature length film, anyone who actually thinks the military is purposefully covering up rape to save the career of some god damn [captain], is clearly both an idiot and junior enough in rank or life experience to think it matters.” If people “expect to fight fascism without a good semi-automatic rifle, they ought to do some reading of history.” Platner responded to the latest revelations by sharing a five-minute video on Friday evening in which he apologized for his remarks. He said he posted his comments at a time when he felt “very disillusioned, very alienated, and very isolated” after leaving the Army in 2012, an experience he said left him suffering from PTSD and depression. However, he described at length what he called his “journey,” saying that around four to five years ago, after moving back to his hometown, his life began to change. “I’d found community. I’d started a business. I’d met someone to fall in love with,” he said. “I’d been able to really begin to feel connected again. And not only did it let me feel connected, it also gave me a lot of hope.” “I was in different places that I’m not in now,” he concluded, asking that voters not judge him “on the dumbest thing I ever wrote on the internet” but instead “on the person I am today.” Governors NJ-Gov, VA-Gov At his new site, FiftyPlusOne, G. Elliott Morris has unveiled new interactive poll charts that aggregate data for next month’s gubernatorial elections, showing a more optimistic picture for Democrats in both states than other polling averages have. In Virginia, Democrat Abigail Spanberger holds a 52-42 lead on Republican Winsome Earle-Sears, while in New Jersey, Democrat Mikie Sherrill is up 49-43 on Republican Jack Ciattarelli. Morris explains that other aggregators fail to properly adjust for the well-known biases that polls from partisan sources typically display—namely, that Republican polls tend to be more favorable for Republican candidates, and Democratic polls for Democratic candidates. (He also addresses the more prosaic issue of “house effects”—the quirks inherent to every pollster’s methods “that can push their data away from the polling average.”) Given the relatively large volume of GOP polling compared to the amount of data coming from Democratic firms, it’s easy for aggregates that don’t take this issue into account to yield results that are too rosy for Republicans. The two newest polls in New Jersey, it so happens, neatly bookend Morris’ current average: A Fox News survey puts Sherril ahead 50-45, while Fairleigh Dickinson University has her in front 52-45. TX-Sen, TX-Gov Former San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg plans to challenge Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai in next year’s Democratic primary, reports the San Antonio Express-News, a decision that would take him out of the running for Senate or governor. The paper says that Nirenberg will launch a campaign after local elections on Nov. 4. SC-Gov Democratic state Rep. Jermaine Johnson, who’s been weighing a run for South Carolina’s open governorship, looks set to announce a bid on Oct. 28, when his campaign says it will make a “special announcement.” House CA-11 Democratic State Sen. Scott Wiener, who’s long been preparing for the day that Nancy Pelosi decides to retire, has decided to run in next year’s top-two primary, according to the San Francisco Standard. Wiener did not dispute the report, telling the Standard, “I’ve been preparing and raising money for whenever the race starts.” It could start very soon: The outlet said that an announcement is “expected” this week. Pelosi has yet to announce her plans and could opt to call it a career. However, the speaker emerita already faces a challenge from wealthy software engineer Saikat Chakrabarti, a former chief of staff to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who launched a bid in February. That campaign, says the Standard, “has been a motivating factor in Wiener’s decision to run.” IL-08 Sen. Tammy Duckworth has endorsed former Rep. Melissa Bean in the crowded Democratic primary for Illinois’ 8th District. Bean represented a prior version of the district for three terms before losing to tea partier Joe Walsh in the 2010 GOP wave. Walsh, who is now a Democrat, was ousted two years later by Duckworth after Democrats in the legislature made the 8th bluer. Mayors & County Leaders New York, NY Mayor Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R) for Fox News: Zohran Mamdani (D): 52, Andrew Cuomo (I): 28, Curtis Sliwa (R): 14. In Fox’s prior poll in September, conducted before Mayor Eric Adams dropped out, Mamdani led Cuomo 47-29, with Sliwa at 11. Grab Bag Where Are They Now? On Friday, Donald Trump commuted the prison sentence of disgraced former Rep. George Santos, who served less than three months of the seven-year term he received in April after pleading guilty to a wide array of fraud and theft charges. Santos was immediately freed from prison. Trump’s commutation also specified that Santos need no longer pay $374,000 in restitution that was part of his sentence.

Watch now   NEWS: 18 Year Old Told "You Have No Rights" During Arrest as Woman Denied Care Because She's Unmarried A Tennessee woman was denied prenatal care because she's unmarried, Trump says Bondi never told him he was in the Epstein files, an 18 year old was told "you have no rights" during arrest, and more Aaron Parnas Jul 25 Good afternoon, everyone—and happy Friday! There’s no shortage of urgent stories demanding our attention, and not nearly enough time to tell them all. But here we are, doing the work anyway. At a moment when corporate media bends to pressure and authoritarian forces grow bolder, fearless, independent journalism isn’t just important—it’s indispensable. I won’t be silenced. I won’t back down. Not now. Not ever. If you believe in truth that holds power accountable, subscribe today. Stand with us. With that, here’s the news: When asked about the Justice Department’s investigation into Ghislaine Maxwell and speculation over a possible pardon, Trump dismissed the matter, saying, “This is no time to be talking about pardons,” denied knowing details, and deflected blame toward Bill Clinton and Harvard’s former president, insisting the media “don’t talk about Trump.” Donald Trump again says he was never briefed that his name was in the Epstein files. Ghislaine Maxwell’s lawyer said she fully cooperated during two days of DOJ questioning, answering every question without invoking privilege, and confirmed no clemency offer was made by Trump’s Justice Department—though prosecutors have previously accused her of lying under oath and refusing to take responsibility for her crimes. Kenny Laynez-Ambrosio, an 18-year-old US citizen, secretly recorded his violent arrest by immigration agents in Florida, who told him “You’ve got no rights,” as they used chokeholds and a stun gun on his undocumented friends—footage that has sparked renewed scrutiny of aggressive enforcement tactics, officer misconduct, and controversial arrest quotas under the Trump administration. A Tennessee woman was denied prenatal care by a doctor citing “Christian values” because she is unmarried, forcing her to seek treatment across state lines—an alarming consequence of Tennessee’s new Medical Ethics Defense Act, which allows providers to refuse care based on moral or religious beliefs, further compounding fear and risk for pregnant people in a state already facing the nation’s highest maternal mortality rate. Isaiah Martin, a Democratic congressional candidate and University of Houston graduate, was arrested inside the Texas State Capitol after protesting GOP-led redistricting efforts; video shows Martin being forcibly taken to the ground, and he now faces misdemeanor charges—his supporters argue the arrest was meant to silence dissent against election manipulation. THANK YOU! THESE ARE REAL CHRISTIANS! In response to escalating ICE raids under the Trump administration, the Los Angeles archdiocese has launched a Family Assistance Program to deliver food, medication, and essentials to parishioners too afraid to leave home—reflecting growing fear among immigrant communities and a faith-based effort to fill critical gaps as thousands face arrest, including some with no criminal record. EMIL BOVE: ANOTHER UNQUALIFIED INCOMPETENT TRUMP NOMINEE - SPEAK OUT! A former DOJ lawyer has submitted internal documents to a watchdog, corroborating claims that Trump ally Emil Bove—now under consideration for a lifetime federal judgeship—knowingly instructed DOJ attorneys to defy court orders, raising serious concerns about the integrity of prosecutions under the Trump administration. Disgraced ex-Representative George Santos has reported to a federal prison in New Jersey to begin a seven-year sentence after pleading guilty to wire fraud and identity theft charges tied to his deceptive congressional campaign, marking a dramatic fall from grace for the ousted New York Republican. Attorney General Pam Bondi is recovering from a torn cornea, according to a DOJ official, which led her to cancel a CPAC appearance—but the injury hasn’t stopped her from performing her duties, amid growing speculation about her absence during the ongoing Epstein controversy. ***GERRYMANDERING TO STEAL ELECTIONS!**** As Texas Republicans push to gerrymander congressional districts at Trump’s urging, 15 Texas Democrats met with Governors Gavin Newsom and JB Pritzker on Friday to explore countermeasures, slamming GOP efforts to manipulate elections amid a deadly flood crisis—while Newsom considers controversial legal avenues to bypass California’s independent redistricting commission. Two senior NOAA officials who led the “Sharpiegate” investigation into Trump’s false hurricane forecast were placed on administrative leave just days before a Senate vote on Trump’s nominee for NOAA administrator—raising concerns of political retaliation, especially as the agency faces morale issues, budget cuts, and scrutiny over scientific integrity. Over 130,000 Thai civilians have been evacuated amid the deadliest clashes in over a decade between Thailand and Cambodia, as artillery fire spreads to 12 locations along the disputed border; with rising casualties and both sides trading accusations, Thailand’s acting prime minister warns the conflict “could develop into war,” prompting international calls—including from the UN, US, China, and Malaysia—for an immediate ceasefire. Good News: Two University of Calgary students canoeing on Alberta’s Kananaskis River rescued a drowning foal trapped under a bridge, ultimately reuniting it with its mother after carrying the exhausted animal in their boat and contacting a local First Nations community—an act of compassion that likely saved the foal’s life. A beloved pet parakeet named Rambi stunned his London family by turning up over 100 miles away in Dorset after escaping during a backyard barbecue; found by a stranger in a Sainsbury’s parking lot and confirmed by his ID tag, Rambi’s miraculous journey has inspired a potential children’s book and a joyful reunion that the owners call “unheard of.” See you in the morning. — Aaron

Today in Politics, Bulletin 122. 5/1/25 Ron Filipkowski May 1 ∙ … Trump fired his National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and his deputy, Alex Wong today. Waltz was embroiled in controversy after he linked Atlantic reporter Jeffrey Goldberg into Pete Hegseth’s Signal chat on bombings in Yemen … Mark Halperin broke the story: “Unhappiness with Waltz's performance has been growing at State, Treasury, NEC, West Wing, and elsewhere. IN as possible replacement: Steve Witkoff, who has backing from many senior officials. Other national security changes coming, as Susie Wiles and others have told SecDef he needs to bring in a team of serious people to help stabilize the Pentagon pronto.” … Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) told CNN that Hegseth should have been fired: “I think they’re holding the wrong guy accountable - I think they fired the wrong guy.” … Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA): “What the hell? And Hegseth gets to stay?” … Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA): “Pete Hegseth shows real leadership by passing the blame to Mike Waltz. Was it Waltz who set up Signal on Hegseth's office computer and added his wife, brother, and lawyer in a war plan group chat?” … Trump then announced on Truth Social that he is nominating Waltz to replace Elise Stefanik as UN Ambassador. So he’s not competent for NSA but he’s the most qualified person in the country for UN Ambassador. Makes sense. … 3 of the 4 House Republicans Trump nominated for senior positions have already been replaced: Waltz, Gaetz, Stefanik. … CNN reported that several high level foreign officials said they are sad to see Waltz go. One senior western official: “Of all of them, we never thought he would be the first to be fired. But we know he will be the first of many.” … CNN: “Steve Witkoff has told people close to him he does not want the job, and they do not anticipate he’ll ultimately be selected (or asked by POTUS) as Waltz’s replacement.” … The firing also came hours after Waltz joined every other senior Trump admin official to lavish praise on Dear Leader at a Cabinet meeting in front of the press. Even right-wing talk show host Ann Coulter was sickened by the sycophancy: “Would it be possible to have a cabinet meeting without the Kim Jong il-style tributes?” … Reuters: “The government of Pakistan-administered Kashmir has closed all religious seminaries in the region for 10 days, officials said, citing fears they would be targeted by Indian strikes following a deadly attack on tourists in Indian Kashmir.” … Fox’s Chief Nat Security Correspondent Jen Griffin: “Things heating up between these two nuclear armed neighbors: India and Pakistan. This could be the national security crisis the administration was not expecting. Every administration gets tested in its first year with a national security surprise.” … At a NewsNation town hall, Trump was asked by an audience member what was the biggest mistake he made during his first 100 days: “I’ll tell you that’s the toughest question I can have because I don’t really believe I’ve made any mistakes.” The audience of Republicans, Democrats and Independents erupted in laughter. … Meanwhile, Hegseth basically declared war on Iran last night with an unhinged X post: “Message to IRAN: We see your LETHAL support to The Houthis. We know exactly what you are doing. You know very well what the US Military is capable of — and you were warned. You will pay the CONSEQUENCE at the time and place of our choosing.” … Aside from the insanity of the entire thing, a SecDef has no business talking like this about a foreign adversary. Any communications of this nature should come from the Secretary of State in a formal public statement or communicated to his counterpart privately. Not by late night drunk tweet from a bumbling SecDef. … Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY): “I support this administration, but the Secretary of Defense doesn’t have the Constitutional authority to declare war on a sovereign country. A planned military attack on Iran is an Act of War and requires a vote of Congress according to the US Constitution.” … Hegseth was also whining on X about how unfair the press is to him: “In case you wonder what we, and President Trump, are up against. 100% NEGATIVE coverage from so-call ‘mainstream’ press in the first 100 days. PERFECT SCORE.” … Disgraced former Rep. George Santos said he is leaving the country as soon as he finishes his 7 year prison sentence: “Once I finish my obligations with the US criminal justice system I will leave and never return. I rather take my chances in other countries than live in a country that has a weaponized justice system and is run by the industrial prison complex.” … Trump was showing off his copy of the Declaration of Independence in the Oval Office to ABC, and was asked what the Declaration means to him: “Well, it means exactly what it says. It’s a declaration of unity and love and respect and it means a lot.” … It was a declaration of war on King George III. It is a venomous and aggressive list of grievances from the colonies to the Crown. There is nothing in it that remotely resembles what Trump describes. The experiment of letting the dumbest person in the country run it continues to produce unsatisfactory results. OMG! PROGRAMMING KIDS TO GENUFLECT TO THE FASCIST LEADER! … Stephen Miller joined Karoline Leavitt for this morning’s press conference: "This Admin's fighting to get Critical Race Theory out of our school districts. Kids will be taught to love America. Children will be taught to be patriots. Children will be taught civic values for schools that want fed taxpayer funding. So as we close the Dept of Education and provide funding to states, we're going to make sure these funds are not being used to promote communist ideology." … RFK Jr. gave an interview on the measles outbreak and the measles vaccine: "The MMR vaccine contains a lot of aborted fetus debris." … Newsweek: “The MMR vaccine is produced using human cell lines that originated from two legal abortions in the 1960s but these cells are not present in the final vaccine. The Vaccine Education Center says that ‘the cells used to grow viruses for vaccines are sometimes called fetal cells because they were originally derived from two fetuses in the 60s, but fetal cells are not in the vaccine itself.’ These original cells have been replicated over time, and current vaccine production uses descendant cells, not any tissue from the original fetuses.” … Trump hosted a National Prayer Day event on WH rose garden this morning: "We're bringing back religion in our country and we're bringing it back quickly and strongly — because for America to be a great nation, we must always be One Nation Under God." … Trump talked about his WH Faith Office: "They work right out of the White House. That's never been done before. No other president allowed that. They say 'separation between church and state.' I said, alright, let's forget about that for one time." … Dr. Phil was there. He told the audience: “I have sat with President Trump with no cameras around, nobody watching, and I'm telling you: This is a man of deep faith.” … After he gives the commencement address of the Univ of Alabama tonight, Trump heads to Palm Beach for another 3-day golf outing. He has already played golf 31 days of his presidency. Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY): “The GOP budget has $0 for FEMA’s emergency management funding, yet provides $300M to pay for Trump’s golf trips. Extreme weather doesn’t discriminate between red and blue districts. The GOP is choosing Trump’s golf over the safety and security of their constituents.” … Politico: “Something is going on with Ed Martin's nomination to be US attorney in DC. But what, precisely, is unclear. Sen. Durbin said this morning: ‘It’s my understanding that we are not going to move forward on the Martin nomination.’ Grassley said he'd have more to say when Martin's nomination was officially on the calendar.” … CNN: “As controversies pile up, Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee met behind closed doors this week to discuss concerns about Ed Martin’s nomination and whether senators should take the extraordinary step of holding a hearing on it.” Martin’s post as interim US attorney runs out on May 20. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) says he has “serious questions” about Martin because of his comments trashing Capitol Police officers’ conduct on J6. … Martin defended several of the J6 defendants. An admin source told CNN that Trump will be unhappy if Martin is rejected: “Martin is President Trump’s favorite US Attorney.” … CNBC: “Initial unemployment claims posted an unexpected increase last week in a potential trouble sign for the wobbling US economy. First-time filings for unemployment insurance totaled a seasonally adjusted 241,000 for the week ended April 26, up 18,000 from the prior period and higher than the Dow Jones estimate for 225,000. This was the highest total since Feb. 22. Continuing claims, which run a week behind and provide a broader view of layoff trends, rose to 1.92 million, up 83,000 to the highest level since Nov. 13, 2021.” Tomorrow is my second of three spring weekend trips as we come out of hibernation in Maine. We are heading to the Berkshires going to the Baby Animals Festival at the Shaker Village in Pittsfield, MA, then to a cider farm in Richmond and a Dairy Farm in Lee for some fresh ice cream. Saturday is the Daffodil & Tulip festival at the Naumkeag estate in Stockbridge and the Norman Rockwell Museum. Bed & Breakfast in Stockbridge. Weather isn’t supposed to be great, but we will still have fun. So that means no Bulletin tomorrow and the next one will be the weekend recap on Sunday night. If you missed the last Bulletin, you can find it here. Meidas+ is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. … Trump was asked about the impact of his China tariffs on working families: "Maybe the children will have two dolls instead of 30 dolls, and maybe the two dolls will cost a couple of bucks more than they would normally." … Greg Ahearn, CEO of the Toy Association representing 850 toy companies: “We have a frozen supply chain that is putting Christmas at risk. If we don’t start production soon, there’s a high probability of a toy shortage this holiday season.” … Sen. Bernie Sanders: “Billionaires like Musk and Trump do not have a clue about what it means for a working class family trying to buy presents for the kids or to take care of basic necessities." … Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) was asked by HuffPost about Trump’s doll comment: “I think how many dolls you have is up to the people who buy, not up to the President. It sounds like the govt choosing for you what is a good amount of things to buy. When it's your own money, you decide, I don't care if you have four TVs in your house or one TV or no TV. It's none of my business. But for the govt to tell you shouldn't have so many TVs that sounds like big brother.” … Mike Pence wrote an OpEd for the WSJ opposing tariffs: “Trump’s proposed tariffs would be the largest peacetime tax hike in American history, harming consumers and driving inflation.” … Elon Musk was fuming this morning over a story in the WSJ that Tesla’s board was quietly looking to replace him as CEO. WSJ: “Board members reached out to several executive search firms to work on a formal process for finding Tesla’s next CEO. Tensions had been mounting at the company. Sales and profits were deteriorating rapidly. Musk was spending much of his time in Washington. … “The board narrowed its focus to a major search firm, according to the people familiar with the discussions. The current status of the succession planning couldn’t be determined. It is also unclear if Musk, himself a Tesla board member, was aware of the effort, or if his pledge to spend more time at Tesla has affected succession planning. Musk didn’t respond to requests for comment.” … Musk responded on X: “It is an EXTREMELY BAD BREACH OF ETHICS that the WSJ would publish a DELIBERATELY FALSE ARTICLE and fail to include an unequivocal denial beforehand by the Tesla board of directors!” … WSJ spokesman to CNN on Musk’s post: "We stand by our reporting. Tesla was given the opportunity to provide a statement before publication, which they did not do." … Later in the day, perpetual victim Musk made another post about it: “It’s not that all WSJ stories are fake, but they are almost all mean-spirited and deceptive.” … Jeffrey Kleintop, Chief Global Investment Strategist at Charles Schwab: Today's Q1 GDP data: +3.2% Ireland +0.6% Spain +0.4% Eurozone +0.3% Italy +0.2% Germany +0.2% Austria +0.2% Mexico +0.1% France -0.3% U.S. … After claiming that the first quarter stock market, job losses, and negative growth was Biden’s fault, Trump is now saying that the second quarter will also be Biden’s fault if it goes badly: “This is all Biden - and you can even say the next quarter is sort of Biden.” … Trump supporter and Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy: “What’s that old expression? Don’t piss down my back and tell me it’s raining? Well that applies here. The stock market is a direct reflection of Trumps 1st 100 days in office. Doesn’t mean it won’t get better and that we don’t need to be patient, but this is his market not Biden’s.” … Newsweek reported that Trump and his advisors badly miscalculated how China was going to respond to his tariffs. Todd Belt, Dir of the Graduate School of Political Management: "China has essentially called Trump's bluff. They're pivoting faster than he anticipated. They're not responding with the kind of economic pain he expected." … “Joseph Foudy, Prof. at NYU's Stern School of Business said China is actively building new trade relationships to reduce reliance on the US. Chinese officials have spent the last few months deepening ties with Europe and discussing new routes through Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America. Meanwhile, US allies like Mexico and Canada are upgrading infrastructure and expanding economic ties with China and the EU.” … Foudy: "If we push our allies too hard while we're pressuring China, we risk isolating ourselves. That's exactly what China wants." … Even Trump’s favorite restaurant McDonald’s is now struggling. WSJ: “Regulars are reducing their fast-food trips, fueling concerns about an economic malaise fanning across the restaurant sector. The burger giant posted a 3% drop in revenue in its latest quarter, driven in part by fewer guests visiting its US locations. Same-store sales in its home market dropped 3.6% in the 3 months ended March 31. … Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI): "I'm hearing an awful lot from manufacturers in Wisconsin. If this thing drags on, the tariffs remain high, their businesses will be put out of business." … Ukrainian journalist Illia Ponomarenko on the new minerals deal: The real art of the deal is when, through negotiations and diplomacy, an openly idiotic and monstrously exploitative ‘agreement’ to hand over Ukraine’s entire economy and imaginary ‘rare earth metals’ in exchange for a $350 billion ‘debt’ dreamed up by Trump ends up being transformed into a fairly standard long-term investment framework with no real obligations - one that, frankly, no one is likely to ever act on after signing. But at least the deranged despot will declare it a grand victory, not bother to read the actual deal, and calm down for a few minutes.” … Centre for Strategic Communication and Information Security of Ukraine: “Facts: Ukraine retains control. Subsoil resources remain Ukrainian; decisions on extraction stay with the state. Equal partnership. The Fund will be managed jointly by Ukraine and the US. No privatization changes. State-owned assets remain under Ukrainian ownership. No debt obligations for Ukraine. Funded by new licenses only. Existing or planned revenues are not included. US partners will bring in investments and technology. The Fund’s income is tax-free in both countries to maximize impact. This Fund is not about giving away resources. It’s about rebuilding Ukraine with fair, transparent, and innovation-driven cooperation.” … Former CIA Agent Marc Polymeropoulos: “Lesson: pushing back works. Ukraine gets a good reconstruction deal, nothing remotely close to extortion deal first proposed by Trump. The US caved (thank goodness). Symbolically positive for bilateral relationship.” … NYT: “Trump Org has agreed to a new Middle East golf course and real estate deal that involves a Qatari govt-owned firm, two weeks before Trump is set to travel to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and UAE on a state visit. The project in Qatar, a key US ally and home to a major American military base, is a partnership with Qatari Diar, a real estate company established by the country’s sovereign wealth fund and chaired by a govt minister.” … “Eric Trump traveled to the Middle East this week to attend a cryptocurrency conference and promote the company’s real estate developments, which include a separate Trump-branded tower in Dubai. The two projects will also involve Dar Global, the international subsidiary of the private Saudi real estate firm Dar Al Arkan, which is leading the project and has close ties to the Saudi govt.” … Fox host and gang tattoo expert Jeanine Pirro said that Trump wasn’t wrong when he was talking about the photoshopped gang tats spelling out MS-13: “The marijuana on his finger stands for M. And the smily face on his finger stands for S. And the plus sign means 1 and the skeleton means 3.” … “M-S-1-3”! Sounds legit. Lock him up for life! … Rep. Marge Greene (R-GA) has doubled-down on her post after Pope Francis’ death where she responded to the news with: “Today there were major shifts in global leaderships. Evil is being defeated by the hand of God.” Catholic League President William Donohue sent a complaint about her comments to the House Ethics Committee. … Greene responded to the complaint by posting that she grew up Catholic but left because “she could not trust the church leadership to protect my children from pedophiles. It’s the church leadership I was referring to when I invoked the Devil. Just so we’re clear, bishops, when I said ‘controlled by Satan,’ I wasn’t talking about the Catholic Church. I was talking about you.” … Fox host Steve Doocy, who has been with Fox & Friends since it began in 1998, announced he will be leaving the show as a host and today was his last day. He is moving to Florida and will do part-time work for the network. He has been pretty critical of Trump the last few months - I guess he figured since he was on his way out the door he could start telling the truth. … NBC asked AOC if she was going to run again for ranking member of House Oversight after Gerry Connelly just stepped down: “It’s something that I’m weighing.” Rep. Jasmine Crockett told Politico that she has been making phone calls to see what level of support she would have for the position. … Kamala Harris gave her first major speech since Trump took office in SF last night: "Instead of an admin working to advance America's highest ideals, we are witnessing the wholesale abandonment of those ideals. And what we are also seeing in these last 14 weeks is Americans using their voice. I have been inspired by the movements like the one in WI that put Susan Crawford on the supreme court and by leaders across the spectrum - including congressional leaders like Cory Booker, Chris Van Hollen, Chris Murphy, Jasmine Crockett, Maxwell Frost, AOC and Bernie Sanders.” … Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) to HuffPost on a new poll showing him down big to MAGA AG Ken Paxton in the Republican primary: “It’s 10 months out, I haven't been on the ballot since 2020, and so it's not surprising that the polls would show me with not the name identification that I would otherwise have if I if I was in the middle of a campaign, but we've got more than enough time and more than enough resources to make up for that.” … A sitting US Senator saying he doesn’t have name recognition in his own state. Not looking good for Cornyn. As bad as he is, Paxton is much worse. But Texas Dems believe they can beat Paxton in the general election because he is so toxic to moderate Republicans and independents, and are actually rooting for him to win. … MD Gov Wes Moore announced on The View today that he will not be running for president in 2028. The rising Democratic star certainly will be a very popular VP option for whoever gets the nomination. … JD Vance was playing steel mill worker today for our cosplay government.