Kat's Korner (of The Common Ills)

Thursday, April 02, 2026

Dolly Parton, Megan Thee Stallion, Bruce Springsteen and Charley Crockett

Starting with some good news. Dolly Parton's in the news. She's doing another wonderful act of kindness. Teddy Grant (NEWS NATION) reports:

The head of a children’s hospital in Tennessee is singing the praises of music legend Dolly Parton for her “transformational” generosity.

Matt Schaefer, the president and CEO of what was East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, spoke with Chief Healthcare Executive on Monday about how “surreal” the moment was when Parton donated to the hospital.

While he was nervous about meeting Parton, he said her “incredibly disarming personality” and humor put him at ease.

“It was truly humbling, and to hear her, in her own words, talk about the importance of this to her, to her community, to this organization, and to children, was super affirming,” he said.

Schaefer said he hoped the “Jolene” singer’s donation would let the hospital hire more doctors. He also wants to grow fundraising efforts and invest in new programs and technology.

PROJECT NIGHTFALL adds:

Imagine a legacy forged over nearly a century. A place where hope takes root, a sanctuary for the most vulnerable children in an entire region. For almost 90 years, a children’s hospital in East Tennessee stood as a testament to unwavering care.

Now, after decades of dedicated service, a profound transformation has occurred. This institution, a beacon of healing since 1937, has been reborn with a new name. And it belongs to someone whose very essence embodies generosity and unwavering love for children.

East Tennessee Children’s Hospital has officially been renamed the Dolly Parton Children’s Hospital. This isn't just a simple name change; it’s a powerful declaration, honoring the lifelong philanthropy of an icon. It’s a moment that will resonate through generations.

You know the name Dolly Parton. Her influence reaches far beyond the stage and into the hearts of millions. Now, her name, a symbol of hope and kindness, will stand proudly above the doors of a Knoxville hospital.

This groundbreaking move signifies a long-term partnership, a collaborative vision for the future. Along with her celebrated name, the hospital has also adopted her signature butterfly symbol. It’s a poignant emblem of transformation, hope, and new beginnings for every child.

Ilana Kaplan (PEOPLE) notes:

In February, Parton shared an Instagram Reel announcing that the East Tennessee Children's Hospital has officially been renamed the Dolly Parton Children's Hospital.

In a video message and collaborative post with the Today show and the official hospital page, she said, "I've always believed that every child deserves a fair chance to grow up healthy, hopeful and surrounded with love. That belief is what brought me together with the incredible folks at East Tennessee Children's Hospital."

Parton continued, "For nearly 90 years, their teams have provided compassionate and talented care. They see children not just as patients, but as precious lives. Each with a story, and a future. I am so excited to share, East Tennessee Children's Hospital is becoming ... guess what? Dolly Parton Children's Hospital. Yay!"

"Together, we're committed to strengthening our relationship where world class care and a caring heart go hand in hand for children across East Tennessee and beyond. And I hope that you'll join me in supporting this work," she said.

Parton concluded by telling fans that she will need the public's help.

"I can't do it all myself! I'm going to need you. So when we come together for our children, there's no limit to what we can do. To learn more or to get involved, visit DollyChildrens.org," she said.

On hospitals, Megan Thee Stallion was admitted to one this week. Alexandra Del Rosario (LOS ANGELES TIMES) reports:

Megan Thee Stallion is on the mend after a bout of "concerning symptoms" landed her in the hospital Tuesday evening, cutting her latest "Moulin Rouge" performance short.

A spokesperson for the rap star, 31, confirmed to The Times on Wednesday that the artist's doctors "ultimately identified extreme exhaustion, dehydration, vasoconstriction and low metabolic levels as the cause of her symptoms." The Grammy-winning "Savage" star received treatment and has been discharged to rest, the spokesperson added.

TMZ reported Tuesday evening that the "Hiss" rapper was rushed to a nearby hospital after she fell "very ill" during Tuesday's performance. Megan Thee Stallion began her run of "Moulin Rouge" performances at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre just last week. She plays Moulin Rouge proprietor Zidler, succeeding Bob the Drag Queen. The Fire Department of New York responded to the theater Tuesday evening to "a person who was having trouble breathing," according to the TMZ.

So thoughts and prayers and vibes for Megan. She was planning to be back on Broadway tonight.

Travis Gettys (RAW STORY) notes that Donald Chump has exploded online at Bruce Springsteen:

"The guy is a total loser who spews hate against a President who won a Landslide Election, including the popular vote, all Seven Swing States, and 86% of the Counties across America. Under Sleepy Joe and the Dems, our Country was DEAD, and now we have the 'hottest' Country, by far, anywhere in the World," Trump added. "MAGA SHOULD BOYCOTT HIS OVERPRICED CONCERTS, WHICH SUCK. SAVE YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY. AMERICA IS BACK!!! President DJT."

Donald Chump is an idiot. America will be back when Chump leaves the White House. For now, we're all stuck with the high strung antics of a demented man. Scarlett O'Toole & John O'Sullivan (THE MIRROR) note:

Though Trump lacks the authority to exile Springsteen from America, [Chad D. ] Cummings cautioned there's an alternative avenue for presidential payback. "The IRS audit is the weapon of choice for presidents who feel wronged by public figures," he noted.

The specialist raised concerns about an "Former FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover and President Nixon maintained an 'enemies list' that triggered tax audits against critics, a fact confirmed by the Senate Watergate Committee in 1973." noting: "Former FBI Director J. Edgar Vacuum and President Nixon maintained an 'enemies list' that triggered tax audits against critics, a fact confirmed by the Senate Watergate Committee in 1973."

Cummings indicated that landing on Trump's "enemies list" might hit Springsteen's wallet hard. "Springsteen operates a touring enterprise that generates tens of millions in revenue per cycle, with complex royalty structures, merchandise LLCs, and multi-state tax obligations," he outlined.

He went on to say: "That surface area creates federal audit exposure in every jurisdiction where the E Street Band performs. Of course, targeting citizens for IRS scrutiny based upon their exercise of free expression is illegal, but the historical precedent is well established."

Bruce isn't going to be intimidated and neither are Lucinda Williams, Madonna, Neil Young, Mick Jagger, Joni Mitchell or any of the others who've spoken out against Chump. Another one who has spoken out? Mars Salazar (AUSTIN-AMERICAN STATESMAN) reports:

"Best thing you could have done would have been to stay out of politics," one Instagram user wrote after Austin-based country singer Charley Crockett shared a politically charged post referring to President Trump as a "grifter" and calling for Elon Musk's deportation on the social media platform in February.

His outspokenness has spurred discourse among country music's Republican-leaning audience. He's lost some fans, but others say they have discovered his music because of his public candidness.

"All my life I just flat-out never trusted the government," Crockett told the crowd during his South by Southwest Music Festival show on March 18. "I thought this was the kind of country where we knew that the only way we could get anybody from the government to do anything that represented us was to hold them to the fire."

With police drones and bomb-sniffing dogs deployed, security felt tight at the Luck Ram Jam concert at Stubb's BBQ. However, Austin Police Department and SXSW officials told the American-Statesman that they were not aware of specific threats against one of the most stridently political performers to play the 2026 festival.

With his new album, "Age of the Ram," coming April 3, Crockett told the Statesman that he will always stand by what he believes in.

"Age of the Ram" is the third installment of "The Sagebrush Trilogy."

Crockett wrote on Substack that the series follows "a man trying to find his name in the world." He described his 2025 release "Lonesome Drifter" as "the wanderer," with "boots full of highway dust, chasing a song and a dollar." That year's follow up, "Dollar A Day," represents "the rustler," who is "learning what hunger will make you do."

Closing with C.I.'s "The Snapshot"

Thursday, April 2, 2026. Chump vows to continue the illegal war, Homeland Security's corruption in payments for warehouses and other buildings to be retro-fitted as prisons and gulags gets more exposure, Kristi Noem's personal scandal continues, the administration is not honoring FISA requests, and much more.

Shortly before Convicted Felon Donald Chump addressed the nation last night, Isabel van Brugen (DAILY BEAST) noted:

Public backlash to President Donald Trump’s Iran war is exploding as he is reported to be plotting to use thousands of American service members to conduct ground operations in the region.

The 79-year-old president has deployed about 10,000 ground troops to the Middle East. According to The Washington Post, the Pentagon is gearing up for weeks of ground operations in the region, with potential plans including seizing Iran’s oil production to put pressure on the regime. He’s also reported to be considering troop reinforcements.

Just 14 percent of Americans support sending U.S. troops to Iran, 62 percent are opposed to the move, and 24 percent of respondents haven’t made up their minds, according to an Economist-YouGov poll conducted Friday through Monday among 1,679 U.S. adults.

The same poll shows that the war, which has killed thousands and sparked an energy crisis, is becoming more unpopular as it continues.

The Economist-YouGov poll found that 28 percent of Americans strongly or somewhat support the war with Iran, while 59 percent oppose it, for a net support of -30. That marks a decline from net support of -23 in an Economist-YouGov poll conducted from March 13 through 16.

And then he spoke.

Josh Marshall (TPM) offers:

I think any press person who watched President Trump’s Iran cheer-up session speech on truth serum would have to concede that this was a speech he shouldn’t have given. He meandered. He looked bad and worn out. He had the requisite moments when his degenerate inner monologue creeps into the open: he said that free passage through the Strait of Hormuz is something for importer countries in Asia to deal with, that they should “grab and cherish” the Strait, as though it were some underage beauty pageant contestant Trump was hungering to assault. What is important is that in political and public opinion terms, there was nothing new or newsworthy in this speech. They didn’t even manage to accomplish this in the narrow and cynical sense of saying anything new that could be a fresh point of public discussion. It was a rambling set of unconvincing excuses no one with any real concern or anxiety about this war (the only real audience) would find convincing. Why are you complaining, he asks? This war hasn’t gone on nearly as long as World War II! LOL.

Video coverage includes the following.

"Clearly, there is no plan for the Strait," Patrick De Haan, petroleum market analyst for GasBuddy, posted on X.

"What the f--- was that?" Andrew Feinberg, White House correspondent for The Independent, posted on X.

Luke Broadwater and Tyler Pager (NEW YORK TIMES) note:

More than a month into the war in Iran, President Trump gave a prime-time address to the nation on Wednesday to make the case for why he believes the conflict is necessary.

In a 19-minute speech from the White House, Mr. Trump said Iran’s missiles and drone systems have been “dramatically curtailed and their weapons factories and rocket launches are being blown to pieces.”

Although the U.S. and Israeli militaries have destroyed many of Iran’s ballistic missiles and launchers in airstrikes, Iran continues to fire missiles in the region.

Still, Mr. Trump described the military action as a major success and called on Americans, who are uneasy about its costs, to keep things in perspective. He estimated that the war should wind down within three weeks.

Mr. Trump oscillated between endorsing negotiations to end the war and promising an escalation of violence.

“We are on track to complete all of America’s military objectives shortly, very shortly,” he said. “We are going to hit them extremely hard. Over the next two to three weeks, we’re going to bring them back to the Stone Ages, where they belong. In the meantime, discussions are ongoing.”

Iran has said there are no direct talks with the United States, and U.S. intelligence agencies have assessed that the Iranians are willing to keep channels of communication open but not to make concessions at this point.

And Zolan Kanno-Youngs, Yan Zhuang and Jason Karaian (NYT) note this morning:

Oil prices surged and stock markets sank on Thursday, hours after President Trump declared in a national television address that the U.S. military campaign against Iran was an overwhelming success but failed to offer a clear exit strategy.

On Wednesday night, in his first prime-time address from the White House since the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran on Feb. 28, Mr. Trump threatened to bomb Iran “back to the Stone Ages” and repeated his threats to hit Iranian infrastructure, including electrical plants, unless a deal was struck.

Investors hoping for clearer signals of a de-escalation appeared disappointed. The price of Brent crude, the global benchmark for oil, jumped more than 7 percent in early trading on Thursday, the steepest daily rise in three weeks. Stock markets around the world fell, with indexes in Asia, where countries import vast quantities of oil and gas from the Middle East, hit particularly hard.

Mr. Trump said in his speech that Iran’s “ability to launch missiles and drones is dramatically curtailed.” On Thursday morning, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps said that American and Israeli strikes had not decimated the country’s missile production centers, long-range drones, air defenses or electronic warfare systems. The United States and Israel “know nothing about our vast and strategic capabilities,” the Guards said in a statement on Thursday.

At MS NOW, Paul Waldman observes:

If that was the best case President Donald Trump could make for why launching a war against Iran was necessary, it’s clearer why he didn’t bother to make it before he started the war a month ago.

In a prime-time address from the White House, a decidedly lethargic president argued both that the war was necessary — lest Iran rain destruction down on America and much of the world — and that the war is going great and will soon be over. If there is anyone not already on board with Trump’s war who would have been convinced by that speech, it’s hard to imagine who and where they are.

The speech featured many of Trump’s familiar rhetorical tics. The military, he said, has delivered “victories like few people had ever seen before,” while Iran was about to obtain “a nuclear weapon like nobody’s ever seen before.” Everyone, apparently, is in awe: “The whole world is watching, and they can’t believe the power, strength, and brilliance, they just can’t believe what they’re seeing.” And before you know it, the war will be just a memory. “We are on track to complete all of America’s military objectives shortly, very shortly. We are going to hit them extremely hard over the next two to three weeks. We’re going to bring them back to the stone ages, where they belong.”

And the global energy crisis the war touched off? Not Trump’s fault, certainly. “This short-term increase” in gas prices, he said, “has been entirely the result of the Iranian regime launching deranged terror attacks at oil tankers.” It’s hard to consider those attacks “deranged” when they were both utterly predictable and have given Iran the best leverage it has to force an end to the conflict on favorable terms.

Trump also insisted that “We’re now totally independent of the Middle East” and “America has plenty of gas. We have so much gas,” and therefore don’t have to worry about the restriction in oil moving through the Strait of Hormuz. This would be news to anyone who has filled up their gas tank in the past few weeks.

DHS? So much news. Let's drop back to last month when Kristi Noem was still Secretary of Homeland Security and she appeared before the Senate Committee. In the March 3rd Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Cory Booker offered an example of how Kristi's contracts were wasteful -- here he is noting where she paid twice the worth of a property.

Senator Cory Booker: ICE officers entered the grounds of a high school in Minneapolis. That's a fact. Elementary school children in New Jersey are terrified of your agents. When they came up a school bus top, they fled. Another school, higher education, Columbia University. your agents reportedly lied to students, told them they were searching for a missing person to gain access to private spaces, to non public areas of campus. Secretary Noem, these are kids. They're terrified in our communities. How do you think that affects them when children in my stage go running, fleeing and often you will pursue children throwing them to the ground, getting on their backs,putting them in handcuffs. I want to talk to you about this incredible empire of for-profit companies that are profiting at rates we've never seen and the way you're using money. Let's -- let's drill down on the warehouses, the DHS has been buying over the last several months, totaling hundreds of millions of dollars. Are you familiar with the acquisition of a warehouse DHS recently bought in Roxbury Township, New Jersey?

Secretary Kristi Noem: Yes.

Senator Cory Booker: You are familiar with that.

Secretary Kristi Noem: I'm familiar.

Senator Cory Booker: How much you spent of it?

Secretary Kristi Noem: No, sir. I do not.

Senator Cory Booker: $129.3 million. Do you know how much it was assessed for in New Jersey?

Secretary Kristi Noem: Sir, we're purchasing centers across the country to build efficiency into our detention system. Efficiency so that we can --

Senator Cory Booker: As a person who's run tight budgets before and had taxpayer dollars. You paid $129.3 million for a facility in my state that was assessed at less than half of that at $62 million to work for a president that says he's a great dealmaker. I can't believe he thinks that you're a great dealmaker.

The property was assessed at $62 million and Kristi okayed the contract to purchase it with our tax dollars for twice that amount, for $129.3 million.

What Corey pointed out was, in fact, the standard and not the exception. Rachel Maddow (MS NOW) notes:

The grassroots group Maryland Coalition to Stop the Camps asked people to come from all over the state to Hagerstown to show opposition to the prison camp that Trump is trying to put there.

This piece of this story is worth watching right now, especially after Kristi Noem was ousted as homeland security secretary and a new guy, former Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin, is taking over.

One of the things that has emerged about the warehouse purchases the administration has been making for its prison camps is that for some reason the government appears to have been eager to wildly overpay.

In Salt Lake City, the administration paid almost 50% more than the property appeared to be worth. It was assessed at $97 million, and the government paid more than $145 million. In Roxbury, New Jersey, one warehouse was assessed at $62 million, but the Trump administration came in and offered $129 million for it — more than double the cost. In Georgia, one of the properties valued last year at $26 million was purchased for $129 million.

On Friday, The Washington Post reported on an internal department memo that circulated last week, the day after Mullin was sworn in as the new head of Homeland Security. The memo reportedly said that the process of turning these warehouses into Trump prison camps was going to be slowed down and that the proposals for these facilities are going to be revised to start incorporating feedback from stakeholders — whatever that means — before they move ahead.

Simultaneously, CNN reported that there is a new inspector general investigation into alleged corruption at the department concerning the soliciting and handling of contracts, including the involvement of Noem and her top adviser, Corey Lewandowski.

There was already an audit that had been sparked in the department; now, on top of that, there’s a new and apparently urgent investigation, which reportedly included investigators searching the offices of one Homeland Security official who had been placed in a job at the agency by Noem and Lewandowski.

That investigation came after NBC News reported on March 19 that Lewandowski reportedly sought multimillion-dollar payments from companies contracting with Homeland Security, including companies that operate immigration prisons.

Yesterday, Senator Elizabeth Warren's office issued the following:

ICE Director intent on building warehouse system like “[Amazon] Prime, but with human beings”

“Cramming tens of thousands of people into warehouses meant for packages, without the ventilation, temperature control, plumbing, or sanitation systems necessary for human habitation, would almost certainly exacerbate…deaths in custody, assaults, and infectious disease outbreaks.”

Letter to CoreCivic (PDF) | Letter to GEO Group (PDF) | Letter to GardaWorld Federal Services (PDF)

Letter to Newmark Group (PDF) | Letter to KVG LLC (PDF) | Letter to PNK Group (PDF)

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Representative Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, led 52 members of Congress in a new investigation into whether government contractors, real estate brokers, and property owners are corruptly profiting from the White House’s fast-tracked expansion of inhumane warehouse-based immigration detention facilities. The lawmakers wrote to six companies, pressing them to explain how much they expect to earn from the new detention warehouses, their lobbying efforts to land these lucrative government contracts, and more.

“These warehouses were built to hold products, not people…Given the public’s grave concerns about this warehouse system, we request prompt answers to questions about your involvement in the system,” wrote the lawmakers.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is working at breakneck speed to implement its “Detention Reengineering Initiative,” a warehouse system to hold nearly 100,000 people by November 2026. Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons has described the vision as “[Amazon] Prime, but with human beings.”

Experts have warned that because of the speed of the operation, it will be nearly impossible for ICE to build the infrastructure necessary for human habitation in warehouses. Immigrants in existing detention centers suffer from inhumane conditions, including lack of access to adequate medical care and poor-quality food.

“Placing thousands of people in warehouses that were never intended to house human beings will only exacerbate these problems,” wrote the lawmakers.

With the Trump administration planning to spend $38.3 billion on the warehouse system, the project promises to be extremely profitable for vendors, property owners, and real estate brokers. And for many of the warehouse contracts, ICE appears to be circumventing the normal competitive bidding processes.

ICE is using a Navy’s contracting program, diverting DoD resources to avoid a competitive bidding process and avoid disclosing contract details that would typically be made public, triggering concerns of unnecessary costs and corruption.

For example, ICE paid $129 million for a facility in Georgia — nearly five times the amount it was assessed for last year. The details of some of these transactions have been kept secret, including through the use of non-disclosure agreements.

Additionally, some senior Trump officials have close ties to immigration contractors that could profit from the warehouse system. For example, David Venturella, who recently joined ICE after leaving the GEO Group — a top ICE detention contractor — is leading the ICE division that oversees detention contracts even though his former employer is competing for lucrative warehouse contracts. Attorney General Pam Bondi is also a former lobbyist for the GEO Group. Tom Homan, the “Border Czar,” and Corey Lewandowski, a former Homeland Security official, have reportedly helped contractors secure contracts to line their own pockets.

The lawmakers asked the contractors and real estate firms to provide clarity on: their roles in the warehouse expansions; their expected profit margins from the project; whether they’ve donated to the Trump campaign or cabinet officials; and whether they will commit to not allowing their work to be used to facilitate inhumane conditions at these detention centers, by April 13, 2026.

Senators Edward Markey (D-MA), Bernard Sanders (D-VT), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), and Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) joined in signing the letters.

Representatives Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.), Becca Balint (D-Vt.), Julia Brownley (D-Calif.), Sean Casten (D-Ill.), Joaquin Castro (D-Texas), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Fla.), Judy Chu (D-Calif.), Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas), Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.), Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), Maxine Dexter (D-Ore.), Veronica Escobar (D-Texas), Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.), Jesus García (D-Ill.), Sylvia Garcia (D-Texas), Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.), Glenn Ivey (D-Md.), Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), Hank Johnson (D-Ga.), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Calif.), Robin Kelly (D-Ill.), Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), April McClain Delaney (D-Md.), Jennifer McClellan (D-Va.), Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), Joe Neguse (D-Colo.), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), Ilhan Omar (D-M.N.), Deborah Ross (D-N.C.), Patrick Ryan (D-N.Y.), Andrea Salinas (D-Ore.), Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Pa.), Jan Shakowsky (D-Ill.), Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Lauren Underwood (D-Ill.), Delia Ramirez (D-Ill), Donald Beyer (D-V.A.), and James Walkinshaw (D-Va.) joined in signing the letter.

###

Staying with Kristi Noem, William Vaillancourt (DAILY BEAST) reports:

Kristi Noem admitted months ago that her husband, who reportedly crossdresses while paying and chatting with adult performers, was gay.

Noem’s 56-year-old husband, Bryon, allegedly shelled out thousands of dollars while dressing up as the opposite sex, the Daily Mail reported Tuesday. The former Homeland Security secretary, whom President Donald Trump fired earlier this month, was “devastated,” her spokesperson said, adding that “the family was blindsided by this.”

However, Noem, 54, apparently told a reporter last year that there was one aspect of her marriage that wasn’t conventional.

On the Aug. 25, 2025, episode of conservative political commentator Ryan James Girdusky’s podcast It’s a Numbers Game, the host talked about a “fascinating” piece of “D.C. gossip.”

“There is a member of Trump’s Cabinet. I’m not going to name names until this comes out publicly, but you guys put two and two together and you’ll know what I’m talking about,” he began. “There is a member of the Cabinet who’s well known, and it’s well known that this member—it’s a woman—is having an affair, a very semi-public affair, and if you’re in political circles, you know."

Noem was long rumored to be having an affair with her top aide, Corey Lewandowski, who is also married with children. Both of them have denied it.

If Kristi did say it, that doesn't make her husband gay. He may be gay, he may not be. What's been said is that he likes to dress up as a woman. And Kristi knew that for years. Matthew Rozsa adds:

“The Daily Mail reports that it has reviewed hundreds of messages involving Byron and three women ...” Steve Schmidt, a former Republican strategist who consulted the last GOP president before Trump, said in his recent Substack post.

Schmidt went on to describe the litany of controversies surrounding the Noems, including Kristi Noem’s alleged affair with her unqualified adviser Corey Lewandowski and her bragging about murdering a puppy after it did not properly hunt despite inadequate training. He particularly singled out Noem spending millions in taxpayer dollars on glorified photo opportunities for herself.

“Over and over again, Kristi Noem wanted attention on herself,” Lewandowski said. “Look at the photographs. Look at the pictures. Here's Kristi Noem in the Coast Guard. Here's Kristi Noem in a fire costume. Here's Kristi Noem. Look at me. Look at me. Look at me.” Yet despite these moral offenses, as well as “signing contracts on dozens of warehouses across the country, paying five times their value, eight times their value, to turn them into concentration camps, to turn them into prisons,” Schmidt remarked that Noem now wants Americans’ prayers after her husband’s photographs leaked.

“There is no official who has abused more people, broken more laws, or engaged in more corrupt acts — besides Trump himself,” Schmidt said. And Bryon Noem, despite leaving his wife’s side when she refused to deny her alleged affair with Lewandowski, did not seem to object to his wife’s violence and murdering toward innocent people while Secretary of Homeland Security.

“The simple truth is: Kristi Noem, when American citizens were murdered, she called them terrorists,” Schmidt said, playing a clip in which she used that term.

“And you know what?” Schmidt concluded. “She doesn't deserve any sympathy. She doesn't deserve any respect. And she absolutely doesn't deserve any of our restraint. Byron Noem and Kristi Noem were up to no good.”

I don't know what Byron Noem was up to but I can agree with Schmidt that Kristi was up to no good. That's why she was part of this administration.

Tom Holman is part of the corrupt administration. He is the guy Chump assigned to swoop in and save Homeland Security and ICE. Good thing Tom's bribe from 2024 didn't prevent him from holding office. Colin Kalmbacher (LAW & CRIME) reports:

Two Trump administration agencies are violating the Freedom of Information Act by refusing to release information about some $50,000 worth of "bribes" accepted by Border Czar Tom Homan, according to a double whammy of federal lawsuits filed Monday.

In a 15-page complaint filed against the Department of Justice and a 14-page complaint filed against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Democracy Defenders Fund accuses both agencies of violating statutory deadlines and unlawfully withholding records.

The lawsuits stem from a September 2025 report by MS Now that Homan was recorded the year before accepting a $50,000 bag of cash from undercover FBI agents, who were pretending to be business executives looking to secure sweetheart government contracts in the event Donald Trump returned to the White House.

"[T]he investigation into Mr. Homan began during the end of the Biden Administration, when a target in a different investigation disclosed that Mr. Homan, who expected an appointment by President Trump, was accepting bribes in exchange for future contracts," one of the lawsuits explains. "[T]he FBI planned to wait to see whether Mr. Homan would deliver on the promised contracts once he was appointed by President Trump."

The FBI's "investigation against Tom Homan was dropped without explanation after the Trump Administration assumed control of the Department of Justice," one of the lawsuits notes.

As Law&Crime previously reported, once Kash Patel's FBI and Attorney General Pam Bondi's DOJ took the reins of the corruption probe, the agencies said "no credible evidence of any criminal wrongdoing" was uncovered and the Homan case was closed.

In both lawsuits, the nonprofit group says the agencies have simply taken too long to respond to the FOIA requests.

But that's not all.

The DOJ-focused lawsuit also claims the agency has "failed to produce responsive records" or explain why such records "cannot be produced because of exemptions" under the FOIA statute — suggesting the agency has such records in its possession but refuses to give them up for one reason or another and refuses to explain why.

The corruption in this administration never ends. Just when you think you've absorbed it all, you learn more ways and learn of more corruption.

Let's turn to Chump's friend Jeffrey Epstein. Henry Giardina (QUEERTY) reports:

One of the most damning accusations concerned Tr*mp, a girl between 13 and 15 years old, and a bitten member. That story showed up in the files and was proved credible by FBI during a 2021 interview.

For a time, files concerning an Epstein victim—who claimed to have been forced by Tr*mp to perform oral sex on him and then bit him in response—were logged and available to view. Then, they mysteriously… disappeared.

While some of the files reappeared again later on, others went missing despite remaining logged on the site. The apparent cover-up was quite sloppy, and mainstream outlets were quick to take notice.

Now, everyone’s taking notice after someone printed out king-sized banners of the documents in question and plastered them all over New York and Miami. Now that’s protest art!

[. . .]

Since the scandal first broke in late February, however, the White House has been desperately angling to keep citizens distracted by the pointless, nonsensical war in Iran. They’re counting on Americans forgetting what we already know about Tr*mp’s predatory past with young women and girls and memory-holeing the whole incident. Thanks to these posters—which are likely to show up in other major cities across the US—that’s not looking likely.

“Put it all over Florida!” wrote one thrilled commenter. “So his family can’t miss it!”

“This is good,” another said. “But tbh, it needs to go up on BILLBOARDS and the Times Square MEGA SCREEN.”

Let's wind down with this from Senator Alex Padilla's office:

SAN JOSE, CA — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) toured the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center with frontline physicians to highlight the real-world, devastating consequences of health care cuts from Republicans’ billionaire-first reconciliation bill, which was signed into law last summer.

Santa Clara Valley Medical Center — a county-run hospital that serves 2 million residents — is already feeling the strain. Health care spending accounts for roughly one-third of the county’s total budget. Because of the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill,” new federal cuts are deepening a projected $1 billion deficit, threatening patient care, hospital services, and access to critical treatment for working families.

As Republicans continue to slash funding, doctors are warning of longer wait times, reduced access to care, and fewer resources for working families, seniors, and vulnerable patients who rely on the county system to survive. Padilla’s visit alongside Santa Clara County Medical Physicians and the Valley Physicians Group comes as communities across California feel the devastating consequences of Washington Republicans’ decision to cut health care to pay for tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy — shifting the burden to local hospitals and the patients they serve.

“Republicans would rather spend trillions on tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy, bankroll Trump’s unauthorized war in Iran, and fuel ICE’s cruelty than ensure Americans can access lifesaving health care,” said Senator Padilla. “Thanks to Donald Trump and Republicans’ not so beautiful bill, hospitals in the Bay Area and across the country are now facing massive budget shortfalls, driving up wait times, restricting access to critical treatment, and raising costs for hardworking families, seniors, and at-risk patients. I’ll continue supporting physicians on the front lines working tirelessly to address Trump’s manufactured health care crisis.”

“Medically, I can prescribe medication for the reflux. I can prescribe laxatives for constipation. I can alert social work and direct patients to food banks to help with food access. But I cannot prescribe safety. And until our children feel safe — until the threat of sudden, traumatic separation is removed — their bodies will continue to bear the burden of that fear,” said Rachel Ruiz, MD, Pediatric Gastroenterologist, Chair of VPG.

“Public healthcare is our safety net to help maintain quality care for all patients, allowing them to return to their lives and jobs at full capacity. Protecting it is important for all of us to help maintain a functioning society and economy. Critical services such as trauma and stroke are utilized by everyone, and increased wait times for patients at public systems will spill into each and every hospital, regardless of zip code. The effects of HR1 will be felt by everyone, even the wealthy,” said Praveen Anchala, MD, Chair of Radiology, Vice Chair of VPG.

“Access to affordable, life-saving HIV antiretroviral therapy is paramount to ending the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Antiretroviral therapy helps keep patients living with HIV/AIDS healthy as well as the community. HR-1 directly threatens insurance coverage and enrollment, putting more pressure on federal programs such as the Ryan White HIV/AIDS program to fill the gap which is already stretched thin. These events taken together will lead to increased morbidity and mortality for people living with HIV/AIDS, new infections and overall a decline in the health of our population,” said Joseph Cooper III, MD, Infectious Disease Physician, Secretary of VPG.

“A 60-year-old breast cancer survivor, mid-reconstruction, rushed her surgery in December — not because she was ready, but because she was afraid. Afraid that after December 31st, she couldn’t afford to be insured. She had a port in her chest and a tissue expander in her breast — devices that require surgery to remove — and she needed them out while she still had coverage. She has not been able to follow since. She should be on maintenance chemotherapy. We don’t know if she is,” said Jennifer Cheeseborough, MD.

“Santa Clara Valley Healthcare is one of the largest healthcare systems in Santa Clara County and Northern California. Our physicians, hospitals, and clinical systems have helped patients throughout the County, regardless of geography, income, insurance status or ability to pay. We have taken care of elderly patients on commercial Medicare plans admitted for acute illnesses such as stroke, heart attack, heart failure to name a few, because other healthcare systems did not have capacity, were too far away, or did not accept the patient’s insurance. We have helped patients seeking substance use and behavioral health treatment not available in other partner healthcare systems, such as for adult and pediatric opioid use disorder, serving as the safety net for all residents with acute substance and mental health crises. H.R.1 will have devastating impacts on our public healthcare system, with even more detrimental effects on hundreds of thousands of people that rely on public coverage. Our healthcare systems collectively will see more high-cost emergency utilization for preventable illness, higher justice-involvement and incarceration for preventable substance use and mental health crises, and worse, it would exacerbate strain on already inundated systems — thus not being able to effectively ensure all our County residents have timely, equitable access to the highest standards of care that all people deserve. Imaging taking your mother to the nearest emergency room only to learn the wait-time is several hours until she can be seen. Imagine searching for months for a substance treatment program when you fear your child may overdose at any time. These impacts will be felt by every county resident, and most tragically, with disproportionate harm to our most underserved, vulnerable patients and communities. H.R.1 will make applying for and renewing healthcare coverage administratively more complicated and challenging that many will simply not be able to keep up despite eligibility. Furthermore, many community members are weighing risks to seek care because of active, ongoing ICE activity and surveillance. We hope that by working together we can ensure the viability of our public safety net hospital and clinical systems, and ultimately, ensure all people — our families, our neighbors, our communities — have access to healthcare,” said Annie Chang, MD.

“My experience, over twenty plus years as a hospital pediatrician, is that families always want to do the right thing for their child. But now, they’re not sure what the right thing is. Should they bring their sick child to the hospital to get medical treatment? Or should they stay home to avoid the risk of deportation? This is a heartbreaking choice I wish no family had to face,” said Monica Stemmle, MD, Pediatric Hospitalist.

“I recently launched a food referral program at our clinic because hunger isn’t a social problem — it’s a medical one. H.R. 1 doesn’t just cut a budget line; it cuts into the health of real children. I see it in my exam room every day: kids without enough food struggle in school, carry the weight of depression and anxiety, and fall further behind with every missed meal. Feeding children isn’t a political position — it’s a moral baseline,” said Iliana Harrysson, MD, General Pediatrician.

“Trauma patients are uniquely vulnerable to catastrophic health expenditures because traumatic injuries are unpredictable, often require expensive and complex care, and disproportionately affect poor patients of racial and ethnic minorities. I wrote a paper in 2020 detailing catastrophic expenditures in California trauma patients before and after the Affordable Care Act. We found that of over 7,500 trauma patients, more than 20% experienced catastrophic health expenditures (out-of-pocket (OOP) expenditures exceeding 40% of post-subsistence income), including 89% of uninsured patients. However, the implementation of the ACA was associated with a 74% lower risk of catastrophic spending by trauma patients, with greater decreases among Black and Hispanic patients. The HR1 bill, which will cause 10-17 million people to lose healthcare coverage, will significantly increase the number of patients experiencing catastrophic health expenditures — not just trauma patients, but also anyone suffering from an unexpected health emergency,” said Tiffany Chao, MD, Trauma Surgeon.

Additional photos and b-roll footage from today’s event are available here.

Padilla has consistently fought against Trump and Republicans’ reckless cuts to health care to hand out tax cuts to billionaires. Last July, Padilla blasted Senate Republicans’ passage of their tax bill that that is gutting critical health care and nutrition assistance programs while devastating families in California and across the country. Last June, Padilla joined the entire Senate Democratic Caucus in calling on Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) to reverse course on Republicans’ plan to take health care and food assistance away from millions of Americans — including seniors, children, people with disabilities, and veterans — to pay for tax breaks for ultra-wealthy Americans.

Padilla also consistently slammed President Trump and Senate Republicans for rejecting Democrats’ bill to protect health care coverage for millions of Americans. In December, Padilla called on Republicans to pass Senate Democrats’ proposal to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits for three years before they expired. After Senate Republicans voted against Democrats’ plan to prevent millions of Americans’ health care costs from skyrocketing, Padilla also hosted a virtual press conference to sound the alarm on the looming Republican health care crisis. In September, Padilla joined California health care leaders in Los Angeles to call on Congressional Republicans to work with Democrats to protect health care coverage for nearly 2 million California residents and avoid a Republican-caused government shutdown.

###

The following sites updated:

Wednesday, April 01, 2026

Journey, Chrissie Hynde, Carly Simon, Bruce Springsteen

If I say "Don't Stop Believing"? You say: Journey! Journey was a major bad in the 80s. These days? It's on a farewell tour and suffering from one liar. Devon Ivie (VULTURE) reports:

For a band that once advised its listeners to love, touch, and squeeze each other, Journey has endured some ridiculous drama over the past few years, insofar that two of its founding members, Neal Schon and Jonathan Cain, are sharing the stage every night on the band’s current farewell tour despite having active lawsuits filed against each other. Septuagenarian fights about management and overspending aren’t new to the rock industry, but if sullying the name of Steve Perry comes into play, we’ll need to defend our man posthaste. In a new Rolling Stone article, Cain admitted that he purposely lied about Perry’s interest in reuniting with Journey for the band’s tour, which he set into motion with a February interview with Ultimate Classic Rock. “I just kind of planted a little seed out,” Cain now told Rolling Stone. “I was trying to fish a little bit, and say, ‘Well, he’s thinking about it.’ He came immediately out and said, ‘No, I’m not.’ I kind of did that on purpose, because there’s just so much fake AI stuff going on. You just look at it and go, ‘Wait a minute, no, that’s not true. None of this is true.’” Cain — who identifies as MAGA — got his wish for a 24-hour news cycle to rile up fans, as Perry had to refute the rumors and “gently put them to rest.” Seems like a great use of everyone’s time.

Cain presents himself as a Christian but he lies to the public? On Journey, Zara Irshad (SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE) reports:

Journey keyboardist Jonathan Cain is defending his outspoken Christian faith and conservative values amid ongoing tensions within the Bay Area rock group, which recently set out on its Final Frontier farewell tour.

Cain and his bandmates each spoke separately with Rolling Stone ahead of opening night of their tour at the Giant Center in Hershey, Pa. While the band's conversations bounced from Journey's decades-long legal drama, including with former frontman Steve Perry, and hesitation to return to the road, Cain's portion of the interview also touched on his religious beliefs and support of President Donald Trump.

[. . .]

The comments come after a period of internal friction among the six-member group, with Journey co-founder and lead guitarist Neal Schon blaming Cain for the chasms that have formed in recent years between its current lineup. He claims that Cain's advocacy of Trump's MAGA agenda and right-wing, evangelical causes has compromised the group's apolitical origins.

"We were never going to affiliate politics with our music, and we're never going to affiliate any one religion … Why attach yourself into one portion of something," Schon said. "You're going to lose half your fans when you do that. It's everybody's music. I just don't agree with it. I still don't. And it's probably one of the reasons that things are still a bit shaky."

Jonathan Cain apparently wants to be the new Pat Boone. That's what he is and that's as cultured as he isn't. Go away, Cain, go away.

The Pretenders are a band that tours and records to this day. Chrissie Hynde is the front person. Paul Brannigan (LOUDER SOUND) notes:

Chrissie Hynde arrived in London in May 1973, aged 21, knowing almost no-one in the English capital. Within a year, she had a freelance gig writing for Britain's best-known music magazine, the New Musical Express, and a side hustle working at SEX, the Kings Road boutique run by designer Vivienne Westwood and her then-partner (and future Sex Pistols manager) Malcolm McLaren. Both gigs gave her a front row seat for the birth of punk rock in England, but Hynde was never going to be satisfied with being merely an observer or bit-part player in this new movement. And she credits Lemmy from Motorhead for his piviotal role in her move to centre stage with her own band, The Pretenders.

"Without him, the Pretenders wouldn't have happened," she stated plainly to podcaster Marc Maron in 2014.

"The first time I clapped eyes on him was in a shop on the King’s Road," Hynde wrote in her 2015 memoir Reckless: My Life as a Pretender . "We exchanged no words at all. He eyed me up and down, moved in close, dipped the silver tube he wore on a chain around his neck into a plastic bag of white powder, shoved it up my snout, then turned around and walked out. I was up for three days."

Carly Simon is in the news as well. CRACKED does a photo essay on her. At least two shots are dated from the 1970s when they are from the 80s -- one is when she's singing on Martha's Vineyard -- her HBO concert to promote her album COMING AROUND AGAIN. If you have CARLY SIMON COMPLETE (a book of sheet music covering the songs she wrote for her five albums), then you have a lot of the photos in the essay.

And Bruce Springsteen's in the news with his new tour. Ed Mazza (HUFFINGTON POST) notes:

Rock icon Bruce Springsteen delivered a blunt message to President Donald Trump and his administration on Tuesday night during a politically charged tour opener in Minneapolis.

“The America that I love, the America that I’ve written about for 50 years, that’s been a beacon of hope and liberty around the world, is currently in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent, racist, reckless and treasonous administration,” Springsteen said at the start of the show to cheers from the audience.

Scarlett O'Toole (THE MIRROR) adds:

The 76-year-old took to the stage at Minneapolis' Target Center on Tuesday, March 31, directing his criticism at the president, Pam Bondi and the "richest men in America." Springsteen began the evening by delivering a pointed message to Trump, opening with Edwin Starr's classic War before launching into Born in the U.S.A.

However, it was midway through Springsteen's performance that he unleashed his most forceful critique of the 79-year-old Trump. "We are living through some very dark times. Our American values that have sustained us for 250 years are being challenged as never before," Springsteen declared as he began his address. He had also recently condemned the president during his appearance at the No Kings protest in Minnesota.

During his on-stage remarks, the Thunder Road singer took aim at the current conflict in Iran. "We've got our young men and women's lives at risk In an unconstitutional and illegal war. This is happening now," he stated.

Turning his attention to Trump's immigration agenda, Springsteen declared, "There are immigrants being held in detention centers around the country and being deported without due process of law to alien countries and foreign gulags. This is happening now."

Closing with C.I.'s "The Snapshot:"

Wednesday, April 1, 2026. Chump due to address the nation tonight regarding his Iran War, federal judge rules against him in his attack on NPR and PBS, Kristi Noem gets some attention, Secretary of Education Linda McMahon deserves some attention for being named in a pedo lawsuit, and much more.

This morning, in THE NEW YORK TIMES, Chuck Hagel and Leon E. Panetta write:

As former secretaries of defense, we understand the profound responsibility of deploying our men and women in uniform into harm’s way. It is critical that there be a clear objective, a strategy to achieve the objective and an endgame to bring our forces back home. The president, Congress and the American people should be unified when a country goes to war.

There are now over 50,000 troops stationed in the Middle East, with President Trump reportedly considering sending forces on missions to extract Iran’s uranium or to occupy Kharg Island. Both operations are very risky and could result in heavy casualties and prolong the war.

Because their lives are on the line, we owe it to these committed American service members and their families to be truthful about the risks involved and why we are at war. There was a case to be made that Iran had a history of threatening the stability of the United States, Israel and other nations in the Middle East. Its leaders’ support for terrorism, arming dangerous proxy forces, developing large numbers of missiles that could strike regional targets and efforts to develop nuclear capability represented a genuine threat to peace and stability in the region.

But it is also true that the 12-day war waged by Israel and the United States against Iran in June weakened Tehran and its proxies, damaged missile and airstrike capabilities and set back the project to develop a nuclear bomb. By July, Iran was no longer an imminent threat — a conclusion supported by our intelligence agencies.

This morning, NPR reports:

President Trump is set to address the nation on the Iran war at 9 p.m. Eastern time on Wednesday night, with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt saying he would be providing "an important update," without providing further details.

On Tuesday, Trump said he expected the conflict to be over in two to three weeks, adding, "we'll be leaving very soon," and promising gas prices would then "come tumbling down."

Trump shrugged off what would happen to the blockaded Strait of Hormuz – which has cut off one fifth of the world's oil supply – saying, "we're not going to have anything to do with it." He said that it wouldn't affect the U.S. and would be something for other countries to deal with.

"They'll be able to fend for themselves," he said, having previously told European allies who have refused to enter the war to "go get your own oil!"

The assertion to wrap up the war quickly comes just days after Trump threatened to up the ante if there was no deal and Tehran didn't reopen the strait. He said he could seize Iran's oil and blow up all of their Electric Generating Plants and desalinization plants. He also said he was considering an invasion of Iran's key oil export terminal, Kharg Island.

So will Chump announce that tonight? If so, will he stick to it or will it just be more disposable words about this war of choice? Will it happen or will he TACO again? At least 13 American service members have died in Chump's war of choice, over 3000 more have been left injured, between 1,500 and 3,4000 Iranians are estimated to have been killed.

And after four weeks, Chump's finally going to address the nation about this war of choice he started.

Immigration? Maria Sacchetti (WASHINGTON POST) reports:

The Department of Homeland Security permitted a Mexican woman to return Monday to the United States after a judge found her deportation was unlawful, a rare reprieve at a time when growing numbers of immigrants who arrived as children are being targeted for removal.

A federal judge had ordered DHS to facilitate Maria de Jesus Estrada Juarez’s return to the United States, after immigration officers deported her to Mexico even though she is actively enrolled in an Obama administration program that prohibits her removal because she arrived in the U.S. as a child.

Stacy Tolchin, her immigration attorney, and Ivonne Rodriguez, an advocate, confirmed Estrada had returned to California.

“This has been one of the most painful experiences of my life,” Estrada said after arriving in California. “I followed the rules. I trusted the system. And for that, I was ripped away from my daughter, Damaris, without warning. I’m home now — but what happened to me is wrong, and it should never happen to anyone.”

Estrada, 42, is one of dozens, if not hundreds, of immigrants enrolled in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program who have been arrested and, in some cases, deported, since President Donald Trump started his second term. Former DHS secretary Kristi L. Noem, who was ousted this month, alleged that most had criminal histories and were therefore eligible for removal. But congressional Democrats say Trump is targeting a group that had cleared background checks and been promised to be shielded from deportation.

Maria is just one of the many harmed by Kristi Noem. The freak. Some of her victims are dead. Some are being tortured in other countries. She has a lot of blood on her hands. And she has a lot of nerve asking for privacy. Yes, there's her alleged years long affair with Corey Lewandowski who is married. And Kristi's married. But that's not what she's asking for privacy over Do we go there? Let's. Ahmad Austin Jr. (MEDIAITE) covers it:

Former Homeland Security secretary Kristi Noem was reportedly “devastated” by the bombshell allegations of her husband’s double life involving crossdressing.

On Tuesday morning, Daily Mail published a explosive report alleging that Noem’s husband, Bryon Noem, liked to cross-dress and regularly contacted fetish models. Included in the report were numerous photos of Bryon dressed in women’s clothing, with what appeared to be two balloons under the shirts to imitate breasts. Daily Mail also claimed that Bryon “lavished praise on their surgically-enhanced bodies” and “confessed his lust for ‘huge, huge ridiculous boobs.'”

THE DAILY MAIL published photos and texts. TMZ adds:

The statement reads, "Ms. Noem is devastated. The family was blindsided by this, and they ask for privacy and prayers at the time."

According to The Daily Mail, Bryon snapped photos of himself wearing oversized fake breasts and chatted with adult performers from the "bimbofication" fetish scene about their massively augmented boobs.

Josh Ackley (THE ADVOCATE) notes:

Kristi Noem has made a career out of policing identity. She has pushed laws targeting transgender people, restricted access to care, and framed those decisions as moral clarity about who people are allowed to be. What began as political noise quickly became policy, enforced by the state, often against children. So when a scandal breaks inside her own family, and her response is to ask for privacy, the contradiction is not subtle. It is the system working exactly as designed.

Privacy has never been extended to the people her politics target. Transgender people, and the broader LGBTQ+ community, live under a level of scrutiny that most Americans will never experience. Our identities are debated in legislatures, dissected on television, and reduced to talking points in political campaigns.

Transgender people’s bodies, their health care, their families, and their very existence are treated as public questions to be answered repeatedly, often by people with no stake in the outcome. There is no off switch. No private lane. Just a constant demand to explain, justify, and defend the simple act of being alive.

This would be easier to dismiss as a personal scandal if it were not happening in the middle of a coordinated political project. In 2026 alone, hundreds of anti-LGBTQ bills have already been introduced across the country, with hundreds more specifically targeting transgender people, restricting health care, policing schools, and inserting the state into the most private parts of people’s lives. The same politicians driving that effort are the ones now asking for privacy when the scrutiny turns toward them.

So maybe this is a moment to reconsider the rules. If privacy matters, it should matter for everyone. If identity is complex, it should be treated that way in law. And if living honestly is something worth protecting, there are already people doing that work every day, often in the face of the very policies Kristi Noem has championed.

In other Kristi Noem news, Robert Davis (RAW STORY) notes:

Another ally of former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has found herself in legal jeopardy over delays in responding to a natural disaster, according to a new report.

Bloomberg reported on Monday that Kara Voorhies, who was installed at the Federal Emergency Management Agency by Noem's top advisor, Corey Lewandowski, is facing a DHS Inspector General probe into her role in responding to the deadly floods in Texas last year. Voorhies retained outsized influence on agency contracting and spending decisions while she worked at DHS, according to the report.

Davis notes that this ally of Kristi's is "the second Noem ally to come under legal scrutiny" and that "Tricia McLaughlin, a former DHS spokesperson, and her husband have also faced allegations of benefitting from a massive $220 million advertising contract from DHS, according to reports." Actually Voorhies is the third. It would go Tricia, Corey and now Kara. That's three, not two. And there will no doubt be many more. (And I may have forgotten one that's already known.)

Let's stay with corruption in the administration. Secretary of Defense Pete Looselips Hegseth. Joe Sommerlad (DAILY BEAST) reports:

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s personal broker allegedly approached a major asset manager about making a multimillion dollar investment in defense companies in the weeks leading up to the airstrikes on Iran, according to a report.

The Financial Times, citing three people familiar with the matter, has alleged that Hegseth’s broker at Morgan Stanley reached out to BlackRock in February to inquire about making a significant investment in its Defense Industrials Active ETF.

The inquiry from such a high-profile client was flagged internally at the asset manager, the FT writes, and the investment was ultimately never made as the $3.2 billion equity fund in question was not at that time available for Morgan Stanley clients to buy.

Catherine Bouris (DAILY BEAST) adds, "The Financial Times notes that it is unclear whether the broker representing Hegseth found an alternative defense-focused fund to invest in."

Turning to Chump's friend, the late Jeffrey Epstein. The sex trafficker remains in the news. Erkki Forster (DAILY BEAST) notes:

MAGA Rep. James Comer has admitted that President Donald Trump’s Justice Department has “botched” the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files.

The Kentucky Republican was asked on CNN’s The Lead with Jake Tapper on Monday if he had “confidence” in the DOJ’s handling of the Epstein case, with Tapper noting that Attorney General Pam Bondi’s department has not been in compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act.

The DOJ identified 6 million Epstein files for potential release, but has only disclosed about 3.5 million.

“Well, I think the Justice Department has botched this,” said Comer, who once described himself as a “Trump man” shortly after the Jan 6. Capitol attack.

[. . .]

He said Bondi blamed the slow release on ongoing class-action lawsuits involving victims, which he said make it difficult for the DOJ to turn over some documents.

It’s unclear what lawsuits Comer or Bondi are referring to. A group of Epstein survivors filed a class-action lawsuit against the DOJ last week over its failure to redact victims’ personal information in the documents, but it’s unclear how that would affect the millions of files still to be released.

Richard Kahn was deposed by the House Oversight Committee last month. After stating that Jane Doe number four received a payout from an Epstein fund for victims, he then disowned his testimony. Jane Doe number four is the woman who accused Epstein and Chump of assault. María Teresita Armstrong-Matta (RAW STORY) reports US House Rep Ro Khanna appeared on Jen Psaki's MS NOW program on Sunday and they discussed this issue:

During an appearance on MS NOW, Khanna told Jen Psaki that the FBI interviewed Jane Doe 4 four times, suggesting credibility.

Khanna proposed that Kahn retracted his statement due to fear of Trump directing Attorney General Pam Bondi to prosecute him or take retaliatory action. Khanna questioned why Kahn's representatives claimed they could "neither confirm nor deny" payment of a settlement, stating they would definitively know whether funds were disbursed.

Today, the US Supreme Court hears arguments in Chump's efforts to overturn the Constitution and strip people of birth right citizenship. Chump is said to be planning to attend the hearing. If so, expect plenty of photos of him sleeping through the arguments.

Janna Brancolini (DAILY BEAST) notes:

A disgraced attorney who tried to help President Donald Trump overturn the 2020 election has been revealed as the secret driving force behind the administration’s effort to end birthright citizenship.

John Eastman has been working for decades to convince the Supreme Court to take up his fringe legal theory that the Constitution doesn’t automatically confer citizenship on virtually all people born in the U.S., despite the 14th Amendment’s explicit guarantees.

The justices will hear oral arguments on the subject Wednesday in a case challenging a Trump executive order that seeks to end birthright citizenship.

But the administration has apparently sought to obscure Eastman’s influence on the topic, even as it has embraced his legal theories, according to Politico.

Trump did not mention Eastman—who has been barred from practicing law over his effort to subvert Joe Biden’s election victory—when he signed his executive order, even though Eastman had been pushing Trump to try to end birthright citizenship since the president’s first term in office.

The Justice Department’s briefs also don’t cite any of Eastman’s 100-plus op-eds, interviews, law review articles, debates, speeches, or legislative hearings, despite adhering closely to Eastman’s legal arguments, Politico noted.

Alexander Willis (RAW STORY) reported Monday on a new lawsuit:

The Trump administration was hit Thursday with a new lawsuit from survivors of Jeffrey Epstein over what they say was a “deliberate” oversight from the Justice Department (DOJ).

“The United States, acting through the DOJ, made a deliberate policy choice to prioritize rapid, large-volume disclosure over protection of Epstein survivors’ privacy,” the plaintiffs in the lawsuit said, according to a report from NBC Los Angeles.

“[The DOJ] outed approximately 100 survivors of the convicted sexual predator, publishing their private information and identifying them to the world. Survivors now face renewed trauma. Strangers call them, email them, threaten their physical safety, and accuse them of conspiring with Epstein when they are, in reality, Epstein’s victims.”

We can't talk Epstein and Chump without noting the accusations of sexual misconduct against the Secretary of Education. From Ann's "Linda McMahon -- grifter and accused of being involved in a pedo ring:"

She's just a con artist and she knows nothing about education. (She served less than a year on that board.) She also has an Epstein like connection with the other creeps in Chump's administration per Wikipedia:

In October 2024, McMahon was named as a defendant in a lawsuit accusing her, her husband, and the WWE of negligence regarding the ring boy scandal, in which multiple WWE personnel, including ring announcer Mel Phillips and executives Pat Patterson and Terry Garvin, either resigned or were dismissed in 1992 after being accused of sexually assaulting young boys.^[80]^[81] The lawsuit alleged that the McMahons fostered a culture of sexual abuse within the WWE.^[82] The lawsuit was paused by a federal judge in December 2024, pending the outcome of a legal challenge to a state law that could impact the case.^[83] The lawsuit was allowed to proceed in February 2025; in April 2025, McMahon filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit. She has denied the claims in the lawsuit.^[84]^[85]

Didn't know that until today. She's accused of being part of a pedophile ring. I don't think she should be allowed to serve in our government while she's accused of that. It doesn't look right.

It's not a good time to be Chump as the corruption is exposed and as court verdicts go against him. Such as? Benjamin Mullin (NEW YORK TIMES) notes:

A federal judge ruled on Tuesday that President Trump’s executive order barring the federal funding of NPR and PBS violated the First Amendment.

Randolph Moss, a judge in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, said in his ruling that Mr. Trump’s order, signed last May, was unlawful because it instructed federal agencies to refrain from funding NPR and PBS because the president believed their news coverage had a liberal viewpoint.

“The message is clear: NPR and PBS need not apply for any federal benefit because the president disapproves of their ‘left-wing’ coverage of the news,” Judge Moss wrote. But the First Amendment, he said, “does not tolerate viewpoint discrimination and retaliation of this type.”

The ruling will likely have minimal effect on the federal funding of public media. Two months after the executive order, Congress voted to claw back roughly $500 million in annual funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the organization that distributes federal money to NPR and PBS. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting has since shut down, and public radio and TV stations across the country have sought alternate forms of revenue.

Let's wind down with this from Senator Patty Murray's office:

ICYMI: Murray, Booker, Lieu Reintroduce Legislation to Ban Conversion Therapy

ICYMI: Murray, Congressional Democrats File Amicus Brief Urging Supreme Court to Support Conversion Therapy Bans

Seattle, WA – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, released the following statement in response to the Supreme Court’s decision in Chiles v. Salazar. The decision rejected a Colorado law that protects children from the harmful practice of conversion therapy, putting at risk the safety and wellbeing of children in Colorado and 23 states around the country—including Washington state—with similar restrictions.

“Conversion therapy is a dangerous practice based on the hateful idea that being part of the LGBTQ+ community is an illness that requires treatment—it’s child abuse. Conversion therapy should be banned nationwide, and I have a bill to do just that because there is no real debate in the medical community—the overwhelming majority of mental health care providers know how harmful this practice is. I’m not going to stop fighting for a world where every person, no matter their gender or sexual orientation, can live with dignity and without fear.”

Senator Murray has consistently fought to ban conversion therapy and ensure that LGBTQ+ people have access to high-quality health care. Last year, Senator Murray, joined by Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Congressman Ted W. Lieu (D-CA-36), reintroduced her Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act legislation that would ban conversion therapy—a practice that has been recognized by the national community of professionals in health, education, social work, and counseling as being both dangerous and useless. Senator Murray first introduced the legislation in the 114^th Congress and has pushed to pass it every Congress since.

In addition to Senators Murray and Booker, the Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act was cosponsored by Senators Baldwin, Bennet, Blumenthal, Cantwell, Coons, Cortez-Masto, Duckworth, Durbin, Fetterman, Gillibrand, Hassan, Heinrich, Hickenlooper, Hirono, Kaine, Kelly, Kim, King, Klobuchar, Luján, Markey, Merkley, Murphy, Padilla, Reed, Rosen, Sanders, Schiff, Shaheen, Slotkin, Smith, Van Hollen, Warren, Welch, Whitehouse, and Wyden.

The legislation was introduced in the House with 70 original cosponsors. The Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act is endorsed by the Congressional Equality Caucus, Human Rights Campaign, PFLAG, American Academy of Pediatrics, Equality California, National Association of School Psychologists, Christopher Street Project, and Advocates for Trans Equality.

Also last year, Senator Murray joined Democratic colleagues in the House and Senate in filing an amicus brief urging the United States Supreme Court to uphold the constitutionality of Colorado’s ban on mental health professionals engaging in conversion therapy for minors in this case, Chiles v. Salazar.

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