Kat's Korner (of The Common Ills)

Tuesday, May 13, 2025

I answer BILLBOARD's question for them

That's Isaiah's THE WORLD TODAY JUST NUTS "Fake Ass Waleed Shahid"

BILLBOARD asks, "Why Does Morgan Wallen Dominate the Charts But Get Shut Out at Awards Shows?"

Because he's a rip-off artist?

I heard his biggest hit in the car the other day.

I listened. I thought, "I like that song."

Because I did.

Back in 2011. Back when Gotye was all over the radio singing it and it was called "Someone That I Used To Know."

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

Tuesday, May 13, 2025. Saggy ass and saggy MOOBS notwithstanding, Donald Chump intends to 'work it, girl' in the MidEast as he goes trolling for dollars and social diseases.

The "I Don't Know" presidency?

I don't know? Is he AWOL on his own presidency?

Ellie Abraham (INDY 100) notes:

Donald Trump’s much-utilised deflection tactic has been expertly exposed in a damning supercut as people slam his three-worded cop-out.

The second term of US president Trump has been dotted with a series of controversial moments, including a recent interview in which he claimed he “didn’t know” if he had to uphold the US constitution as president.

It was an interview that saw Trump use the phrase “I don’t know” several times, as he has done repeatedly throughout his current term in office, to try and distance himself from controversial points when questioned on them by the press.

Steve Bennen (MADDOW BLOG) reports:

Among the many problems with Kash Patel’s embarrassing tenure as FBI director is his willful ignorance. NBC News reported last week that while FBI directors have, for decades, attended a daily 8:30 a.m. “director’s brief,” but Patel is receiving these briefings only twice a week — in part because he kept failing to show up for work on time. He has also apparently abandoned a Wednesday afternoon teleconference meeting with bureau leaders in field offices.

Two current FBI officials told NBC News that Patel’s intelligence briefers have struggled to craft a briefing “that captures his attention.”

This is not, evidently, limited to the hapless FBI chief. Politico reported:

Politico’s report, which has not been independently verified by MSNBC or NBC News, added that the low number of briefings “is troubling to many in and around the intelligence community, who were already concerned about Trump’s act-first-evaluate-after approach to governing.”

It’s worth emphasizing that different presidents have approached these briefings in different ways. George W. Bush received intelligence briefings on a nearly daily basis. Barack Obama received briefings roughly every other day, but he was known to be a voracious reader of the written President’s Daily Brief (often referred to as the PDB). Joe Biden received an in-person briefing once or twice a week, but like Obama, he was also known to read the PDB briefing book.

Trump, meanwhile, reportedly doesn’t read the PDB, and if the Politico report is accurate, he’s receiving in-person briefings roughly once every 10 days.

Kash Patel? Let's take a brief detour to note that Dancing Queen.

It was earlier this month that Leigh Kimmins (THE DAILY BEAST) reported on Dancing Queen Kash Patel:

A former FBI boss has claimed that the bureau’s director Kash Patel has been spotted in nightclubs more regularly than he has been seen at work.

Former counter-intelligence official Frank Figliuzzi said on Morning Joe Friday that President Donald Trump’s man is a bit of an anomaly in the J. Edgar Hoover Building in Washington, D.C.

He has however been spotted elsewhere, according to Figliuzzi, who was appointed as assistant director of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division by Robert Mueller in 2011.

“Reportedly, he’s been visible at nightclubs far more than he has been on the seventh floor of the Hoover building,” Figliuzzi told Morning Joe co-host Jonathan Lemaire.

“And there are reports that daily briefings to him have been changed from every day to maybe twice weekly.”

Since Bennen noted Dancing Queen Kash Patel who can't stop clubbing, let's note this from Liam Prenderville and Rory Robinson (IRISH STAR):

FBI officials are reportedly fuming over Kash Patel's handling of his role as FBI Director, with sources claiming he has reduced standard authorized meetings while being spotted at high-profile sports events and celebrity gatherings.

Since stepping in as Acting Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in February and ascending to the FBI's top position, Patel has been seen making a series of public appearances at NHL games and UFC fights. In early April, he attended two NHL games, including one where Alex Ovechkin matched Wayne Gretzky's record of 894 goals at a Washington Capitals game.

Be sure to check out the photo with the article, Kash and Matthew Barzal of the New York Islanders -- as Rickie Lee Jones put it, "It Must Be Love."

And let's note Janna Brancolini (THE DAILY BEAST) on the topic:

Two current FBI officials said Patel sometimes seems uninterested in the materials, forcing them to try to create briefs that will hold his attention.

Patel also ended a long-standing practice of holding secure weekly video conferences with field office leaders across the country, according to NBC. The meetings were considered a crucial way to share information and priorities across the bureau.

That is repeating what was already noted, I know. But it is important.

Why?

Chump's unqualified security appointees have left the country at risk. They don't know what they're doing. Heaven forbid another 9/11 happens; however, if it does, we need to all grasp that Chump wasn't interested in security briefings nor was Kash. Let's hope Tulsi at least is regularly briefed. If some preventable tragedy takes place under Chump's watch, heads need to roll.

Another tragedy? The American people are really going to register the fact that Chump and Kash elected to ignore briefings and had 'more important' things to do then address national security.

Another tragedy and, when confronted, what is Chump going to say to how did this happen?

"I don't know."

Back to Chump, at NATIONAL SECURITY JOURNAL, Andrew Latham makes the argument for Chump being worse than even Richard Nixon:

And that’s the problem with the comparison still whispered across editorial pages and shouted from political pulpits: that Trump is the new Nixon.

He isn’t. He’s far more radical.

Nixon’s presidency ended in disgrace and resignation. Trump’s first term ended in defiance and denial, and now his second term begins with a movement more emboldened than ever. Nixon feared being caught. Trump made being caught the point—and being punished the proof of righteousness.

Yes, the two men share some superficial traits: deep paranoia, a hatred of elites, a knack for channeling grievance. Both campaigned as outsiders and governed with chips on their shoulders. But Nixon still played within the rules, even when he bent or broke them. He sought to control the system. Trump wants to break it and dance on the ruins.

Nixon believed in the Cold War order. He understood power, respected its limits, and wielded it through diplomacy, secrecy, and calculation. He opened China, split the Soviet bloc, and pursued détente to avoid catastrophe. Trump, by contrast, governs by instinct and spectacle. His foreign policy is a mix of gut reactions and cable news monologues. Nixon read books. Trump rewatches his rallies.

Nixon tried to shift the global balance of power. Trump wants to shake the whole system until the screws fall out. He’s not recalibrating American grand strategy. He’s torching it. His disdain for NATO is not rooted in realist critique but in crude transactionalism: if allies don’t “pay up,” he threatens to walk away. Nixon tried to reweight burdens among allies. Trump treats them like delinquent tenants.

This isn’t restraint. It’s retribution.

Chump's drive by retribution and by greed. It's the latter that has Chump scurrying off on his Middle East tour during which he'll go to Qatar and present himself on hands and knees before

Sheikh Tamim ibn Hamad Al Thani where he will no doubt be singing Dallas Dixon's "Good Lookin'" to the Sheikh.

He's bouncing off my booty cheeks, I love the way he ridesI can hardly breathe when he's pumping deep insideI kiss him on his neck and then he kisses on my bussyCall him "Daddy" while I holler Man, that Sheikh's so damn good looking (looking, looking)

Remember to douche, Chump, before and after.

Yes, our American Whore's headed off to Qatar to claim his jet.

Henry James is turning over in his grave thinking all he got was Daisy Miller and what he could have done with a character like Donald Chump instead.

Lawrence O'Donnell addressed the vast corruption last night, noting how greedy Chump was lecturing little girls that they could only have two dolls for Christmas while Chump was getting a four hundred million dollar plane as his own personal bribe.

As did Rachel Maddow.

The whole world's talking about how Chump has a price tag on his ass and he's for sale and he's selling out the United States while he works that saggy ass of his.

Meanwhile, the editorial board of THE BLACK COMMENTATOR observes:

Since the January inauguration, the administration has acted like sociopaths and lunatics. They have acted recklessly and lawlessly, destroying everything in their wake. It is time to invoke Amendment 25 because clearly the president is mentally incompetent for this position. He’s aiding and abetting a potential global economic meltdown. He’s stoking the domestic anger and worldwide fury that makes the U.S. a target of homegrown violence and international terrorism.

We'll wind down with this from Senator Chuck Schumer's office. Remember his $400 million plane as you read over his attack on American children:

Already 8,000 Cases Of Food For FeedMore WNY Have Already Been Canceled Due To Trump’s Cruel USDA Cuts - Now GOP Wants To Steal Up To $230 Billion From SNAP To Fund Trump’s Tax Breaks For Corporations & Billionaires

Schumer, With Church Leaders & Advocates, Say This Double Whammy Could Hurtle Families To A Hunger Crisis, Impacting 208,000+ In WNY, Millions Nationwide; Demands GOP Block Cruel Cut To SNAP And Protect Anti-Hunger Programs

Schumer: No Child Should Go To Bed Hungry. This Is Not A Partisan Issue; This Is A Moral Issue

As Congressional Republicans look to advance the largest potential cut to the anti-hunger program SNAP in American history this week, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer stood with Western NY religious leaders, food banks, & farmers to issue a stark warning and demand action against the devastating proposed $230 billion SNAP cut to fund Trump’s tax cuts for corporations & billionaires, that would leave thousands of seniors, families and children hungry. The senator joined with church leaders and hunger advocates to say how this is a moral issue that we should all unite to stop, and Schumer called on the administration to reverse its hunger program cuts and for the NY House Republicans to stand against stealing from SNAP, which over 208,000 in Western NY rely on for food.

“No child should ever go to bed hungry. But Trump’s slashing of anti-hunger programs at the USDA has already cancelled 8,000 cases of food for FeedMore Western NY. Now, House Republicans are trying to rush through the budget process and make the largest cut to SNAP in history. With food insecurity on the rise, this is a double whammy that could hurtle families to a hunger crisis,” said Senator Schumer. “Stealing from SNAP to pay for Trump’s tax breaks for corporations & billionaires is as backwards as it gets, and will result in thousands of kids, seniors, and families going hungry. It is not a partisan issue, it is a moral issue. That is why I am here to show what these cuts mean for the nuns, priests, and food banks on the frontlines of fighting against hunger. Together we are demanding a stop to this all-out assault on our federal anti-hunger programs and to protect SNAP for our children, veterans, seniors, and families.”

"We need to recognize that food insecurity is not just a problem for someone else—it’s our problem. Catholic Charities of Buffalo, alongside FeedMore WNY and others, is committed to addressing it. But we cannot do it alone and we are grateful for the efforts of Senator Schumer and those of his colleagues who truly understand this problem," said Deacon Steve Schumer, president and CEO of Catholic Charities of Buffalo.

Schumer added, “It only takes a few NY House Republicans to join us to stop this cruel cut to SNAP. We need NY Republicans to show us which side they are on with their actions. For feeding corporate & billionaires’ greed or for feeding hungry families here in Western NY. We need them to join us in demanding the USDA reverse all of Trump’s cuts to our farmers, food banks, and anti-hunger programs and keep their hands off SNAP to fund Trump’s tax breaks.”

Schumer explained how Trump’s USDA has already cruelly canceled $1 billion in food assistance, hurting Western New York’s FeedMore WNY, and if these SNAP cuts move forward it would be a double whammy, hurtling us to a hunger crisis. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a lifeline for nearly 3 million NY seniors, veterans and families who rely on the critical funding to purchase groceries. Schumer said that we should be investing more not less in anti-hunger programs, but under the Republican proposal, the average family would be reduced to just $5.00 per day per person. A breakdown of SNAP recipients in Western NY from the Center for American Progress can be found below:

County	SNAP Recipients	% of County on SNAP
Cattaraugus	10,959	14.4%
Chautauqua	23,926	19.1%
Erie	147,427	15.5%
Niagara	26,650	12.7%
TOTAL	208,962

Schumer explained the Republican proposal to cut up to $230 billion from SNAP would inevitably mean costs of feeding families shift to states, who simply do not have the capacity to absorb this massive increase in expenses, risking families going hungry. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, mandating New York State to cover even a modest share of SNAP benefits would shift astronomical costs to the state with even just 5% increasing New York State’s costs by nearly $3.5 billion from FY2026 to FY2034. The senator said it is impossible to cut this much from federal SNAP funding without ripping food away from hungry children, seniors, veterans, people with disabilities, and more.

These agonizing decisions would be amplified even further at the local level, with non-profits, many of whom have already had their funding cut, unable to fill in the gap. Counties could even be forced to shoulder the burden of increased costs in SNAP, using more local dollars to provide coverage because less federal funding will be coming in.

According to New York’s Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, in New York’s 26^th Congressional District – which represents parts of Erie and Niagara counties – nearly 77,000 households receive an estimated $337 million in annual benefits. 35% of SNAP recipients are children, 14% are elderly, and 10% are people with disabilities. In New York’s 23^rd Congressional District over 51,000 households receive an estimated $200 million in annual benefits. 31% of SNAP recipients are children, 17% are elderly, and 12% are people with disabilities.

Schumer said, “SNAP is a lifeline that helps uplift everyone, from the NY farms who get direct assistance from the program to Western NY families’ kitchen tables. NY Republicans are tying themselves in knots to try to justify these SNAP cuts, but the math shows you cannot make the massive cuts the House’s tax bill proposes without risking the food security for thousands of families. I’m all for reducing any waste or fraud to make the program more efficient, but rushing to pass these massive damaging cuts with no plan while they slash our food banks is a recipe for disaster.”

The proposed SNAP cuts would be a blow to Western NY food banks which have already been hit hard by Trump’s funding freezes and canceled payments. Earlier this year, the USDA canceled $1 billion in food assistance for organizations to purchase locally grown food. USDA programs provide food banks, schools, and other organizations with federal support to purchase local food products from NY farms.

FeedMore WNY is facing a projected $3.5M loss in food for 2025, as 12 critical orders of protein, dairy, and produce scheduled for delivery between May and August have already been canceled, resulting in the loss of over 8,000 cases of food, including thousands of dozens of eggs. In 2024, TEFAP CCC purchases accounted for 13% of all food distributed by FeedMore WNY. This loss comes as hunger continues to surge across the region, with FeedMore experiencing a 46% increase in demand since 2021, serving tens of thousands of children, seniors, and working families each year.

Schumer said these proposed cuts will limit food banks’ ability to keep shelves stocked as more people have been forced to rely on food banks to feed their families. Food bank workers and religious leaders across Upstate New York are concerned about the impact of potential cuts to SNAP on the people they serve, and farmers are worried there will be nowhere to sell their food if SNAP funding levels drop.

“No matter which way you slice it, this Congressional Republican plan will screw Western New York families, food banks and farmers from farm to table. We need everyone to stand up to these cuts that would take away food from our neighbors in need,” added Schumer.

“Deeply embedded in many religious traditions is the call to care for the vulnerable, forgotten, and poor in our midst. Offering them as we do, not just charity, but also justice that upholds their dignity and worth as human beings. And what is more basic in providing human dignity and worth for people, than providing them with the food they need? For 16 years I have pastored in WNY, and during that time I have witnessed over and over again the injustices that exist around our food system. I have seen people who depend on programs like SNAP for their survival, especially the elderly and the children in my congregation, torn down and made to feel like they are unworthy because they cannot afford to eat. We cannot let the people we call our neighbors, our family, and our friends, go hungry in order to save those who already have more than what they need. That is why I am proud to stand with Senator Schumer, and other leaders in our community, to demand justice. To demand that our leaders uphold the dignity of all people, instead of choosing to take the food off their plates,” said Pastor Rebecca Mentzer, Prince of Peace Lutheran Church.

"As the director of Primera's Food Pantry, I see firsthand how many of our neighbors have to make impossible choices—between paying bills or putting food on the table,” said Pastor Cesar Galarza, Community Church Jehovah Jireh. “In recent months, we have seen a 50% increase in individuals who come to our pantry because they can no longer afford groceries. We are grateful to Senator Schumer for being here today and hearing about the nutritional insecurity that many people in our community face, and we urge more lawmakers to follow his lead. Our communities are struggling—not in theory, but in real life—and they need meaningful support to access the basic nutrition every person deserves."

“We hope for a day when we do not need millions of dollars in funding because the need in the community is lower – but that day is not today. Food insecurity remains a massive and growing problem across the country, including Western New York. Last year alone, more than 165,700 individuals relied on FeedMore WNY for food assistance, which was a 46 percent increase in just three years' time. The federal government plays a critical role in alleviating food insecurity, and we appreciate the work Senator Chuck Schumer is doing to fight for this mission critical funding. In 2024, FeedMore WNY received more than $14.9 million in federal funding to purchase food for our food bank distribution network, offer community outreach with SNAP assistance, and provide prepared meals for our community dining sites and home-delivered meal clients. It is imperative that the federal government continue to fund and support food assistance programs including SNAP, TEFAP and Meals on Wheels. Any reduction or elimination of these vital funds would has a devastating effect on the charitable food assistance network and further exacerbate the already massive problem of hunger in WNY and throughout the nation,” said Collin Bishop, Chief Communications Officer FeedMore WNY.

Proposed rollbacks to the country’s most widely utilized nutrition assistance program would strain budgets for Western NY families. Schumer said decimating funding for SNAP right as costs at grocery stores across the country are skyrocketing will hit the Western NY hard. According to the New York State Community Action Association, more than 14% of people in Erie County live in poverty, including more than 20% of children. According to No Kid Hungry, over half of New Yorkers reported going into debt in the past year due to rising food costs, with over 60% of families with children.

SNAP not only supplements families’ food budgets, it has also generated great economic benefits for New York State and NY-26 specifically. According to the National Grocers Association, grocery stores across New York State sold over $2.1 billion in groceries to people using SNAP benefits, including $146.1 million in NY-26. This created more than 18,500 New York jobs in the grocery industry, including 1,288 in NY-26, and generated more than $820.8 million in grocery industry wages, including $356.9 million in NY-26.

Schumer has been a strong advocate for addressing food insecurity in Western New York. Schumer last year secured $3 million for FeedMore WNY to build a new, 197,700-square-foot facility in the fiscal year (FY) 2024 spending bill. The senator secured $2 million to expand FeedMore WNY’s facility in the omnibus end-of-year spending package for FY2023. Additionally, in November 2023, Schumer announced over $40 million for food organizations across the state through the USDA funded New York Food for New York Families program with Governor Hochul, including $2 million for FeedMore and millions more for other Western NY food organizations and school districts.

###

The following sites updated:

Monday, May 12, 2025

Pope Leo

Trina covers the Church. But we do have a new pope, Pope Leo, and I was reading this and found it interesting. (I am Catholic.) Kim Hjelmgaard (USA TODAY) reports:

Pope Leo XIV held his first public audience with members of the media on May 12, saying the church stood in solidarity with them for "seeking the truth" and calling for imprisoned journalists around the world to be released.

More than 1,000 media members assembled in a hall at the Vatican for the pope's address as part of a tradition that can sometimes offer clues on how the new head of the Roman Catholic Church intends to lead.

Leo, who was elected the 267th leader of the Catholic Church on May 8, called for "the precious gift of free speech" to be protected and an end to a divisive "war of words" filled with prejudice and ideological attacks. "We do not need loud forceful communication but rather communication capable of listening and of gathering the voices of the weak who have no voice," he said.

"Let us disarm words and we will help to disarm the world," he added.

The pope also said that the press needed to use artificial intelligence with "responsibility and discernment."

The Committee to Protect Journalists estimates that 361 journalists remain imprisoned around the world, as of Dec. 1, 2024, as a consequence of their reporting. China, Israel and Myanmar emerged as the world’s three worst offenders over the last year, according to the committee. Belarus and Russia rounded out the top five.

At VATICAN NEWS, Devin Watkins reports on the above story and notes:

Fostering peace

The newly-elected Pope began his remarks with a call for communication to foster peace by caring for how people and events are presented.

He invited media professionals to promote a different kind of communication, one that “does not seek consensus at all costs, does not use aggressive words, does not follow the culture of competition, and never separates the search for truth from the love with which we must humbly seek it.”

“The way we communicate is of fundamental importance,” he said. “We must say ‘no’ to the war of words and images; we must reject the paradigm of war.”

Solidarity with persecuted journalists

The Pope went on to reaffirm the Church’s solidarity with journalists who are imprisoned for reporting the truth, and he called for their release.

He said their suffering reminds the world of the importance of the freedom of expression and the press, adding that “only informed individuals can make free choices.”

Service to the truth

Pope Leo XIV then thanked reporters for their service to the truth, especially their work to present the Church in the “beauty of Christ’s love” during the recent interregnum period.

He commended their work to put aside stereotypes and clichés, in order to share with the world “the essence of who we are”.

Good for Pope Leo. I miss Pope Francis. As Trina reminded while he was still alive, he was The People's Pope. I hope Pope Leo will be as well. Here is CBS NEWS speaking with an old friend of Pope Leo's.

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

Monday, May 12, 2025. Chump wants to suspend habeas corpus, he's not arresting mayors, and threatening to arrest members of Congress, he's taking a multi-million dollar gift from a foreign government, and so much more.

Just a reminder to start the day, "According to a recent ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll, 45% of respondents give him a failing grade, while only 23% view his presidency positively."

Donald Chump is a failure. A corrupt and crooked failure. Yesterday, the world was rocked by the news of just what a whore Donald Chump actually is. Peter Wade (ROLLING STONE) reports:

The Trump administration is getting ready to accept a super luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet from the royal family of Qatar to replace Air Force One until Donald Trump's second term ends, when ownership of the plane will be shifted to his presidential library foundation, ABC News reported, citing sources familiar with the agreement.

Trump is scheduled to visit Qatar next week where the gifted plane - which has been described as "a flying palace" worth $400 million - is anticipated to be announced. If the deal goes through, it would be the most expensive gift ever offered to the United States by a foreign government. Trump personally toured the plane in February when it was at West Palm Beach International Airport.

The emoluments clause of the Constitution bars federal officeholders from "accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State" without approval from Congress. But administration lawyers have given the gift the green light.

That's what happens when someone slaps a ten cents sticker on Chump's saggy, fat ass.

No real president has ever done that, nor would they. Because in the past, we've never had such a cheap, dirty whore in the Oval Office. He degrades the country with his very presence. His greed knows no bounds. Everything is for sale with this whore.

Yasmeen Hamadeh (THE DAILY BEAST) notes both Dems and Republicans in Congress are outraged by the Slut In Chief and Chump paused in the midst of his Walk of Shame to to ran and rave but whatever he had to say was ignored as everyone noticed the semen leaking out of his ass.

Chump responded with nonsensical anger that no one could understand. That might have been in part due to Pam Bondi and Pete Hegseth douching him at the time in an effort to thwart a pregnancy after Chump spread for Qatar. Maybe Karoline Levitt can update us all on that this afternoon?

In the meantime, Sarah Fortinsky (THE HILL) quotes US House Rep Jamie Raskin stating, "Trump must seek Congress’ consent to take this $300 million gift from Qatar." Yamiche Alcindor, Gordon Lubold, Vaughn Hillyard and Garrett Haake (NBC NEWS) quote US House Rep Richie Torres, "Rather than enforcing ethics, the Attorney General has affixed the Department of Justice’s seal of approval to a transaction that flagrantly violates both the letter and the spirit of the Constitution’s Emoluments Clause." Franco Ordoñez (NPR) quotes Senator Chris Murphy, "This isn't a good idea even if the plane was being donated to the U.S. government. But Trump GET TO KEEP THE PLANE??? It's simply a cash payment to Trump in exchange for favors. Just wildly illegal." Julianne McShane (MOTHER JONES) adds:

Obviously, despite the administration’s apparent self-delusion that they are not running afoul of any laws or ethics guidelines, questions abound about the ethics of the gift of the new plane—and what Qataris will expect in return. The Emoluments Clause of the Constitution, for example, prohibits any person holding elected office from accepting gifts “from any King, Prince, or foreign State.” Several Democrats—including those on the House Judiciary Committee, Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.), and Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.)—pointed to that rule as evidence that accepting the gift would be illegal. Kathleen Clark, a law professor at the Washington University School of Law, told the Associated Press the news is “outrageous,” adding that the gift is the “logical, inevitable, unfortunate consequence of Congress and the Supreme Court refusing to enforce” the Emoluments Clause.

But as we well know by now, the possibility of breaking laws does not seem to deter the president—who was found guilty on 34 felony counts in the hush-money case in which he covered up payments to Stormy Daniels—from doing whatever he wants.

The Democratic National Committee issued the following:

Donald Trump is preparing to accept a $400 million luxury jet from Qatar — possibly “the most valuable gift” ever extended to a U.S. president. While working families brace for higher costs and empty shelves, Trump is still focusing on enriching himself and his billionaire backers.

NEW: Donald Trump is set to receive a luxury jet from Qatar — which may be the “biggest foreign gift ever.”

ABC News: “In what may be the most valuable gift ever extended to the United States from a foreign government, the Trump administration is preparing to accept a super luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet from the royal family of Qatar — a gift that is to be available for use by President Donald Trump as the new Air Force One until shortly before he leaves office, at which time ownership of the plane will be transferred to the Trump presidential library foundation, sources familiar with the proposed arrangement told ABC News.

“The highly unusual — unprecedented — arrangement is sure to raise questions about whether it is legal for the Trump administration, and ultimately, the Trump presidential library foundation, to accept such a valuable gift from a foreign power. …

“According to aviation industry experts, the estimated value of the aircraft Trump will inherit is about $400 million …”

Trump gutted anti-corruption enforcement on Day One and installed a loyalist in key oversight positions, while enriching himself and his billionaire Cabinet.

Associated Press: “[Trump is] opening his second term by rolling back prohibitions on executive branch employees accepting major gifts from lobbyists, and ditching bans on lobbyists seeking executive branch jobs or vice versa …

“Trump issued a Day 1 executive order that rescinded one on ethics that former President Joe Biden signed when he took office in January 2021.”

CBS News: “President Trump on Monday removed the director of the Office of Government Ethics, the independent agency responsible for overseeing ethics rules and financial disclosures for the executive branch. …

“Mr. Trump [tapped] Doug Collins, a Republican former member of Congress and current Department of Veterans Affairs secretary, to be the acting director of OGE.”

Vox: “Trump’s for-profit presidency”

New York Times: “The move by Mr. Trump and his family was immediately condemned by ethics lawyers who said they could not recall a more explicit profiteering effort by an incoming president.

“‘It is literally cashing in on the presidency — creating a financial instrument so people can transfer money to the president’s family in connection with his office’ said Adav Noti, executive director of Campaign Legal Center, a nonprofit ethics group. ‘It is beyond unprecedented.’”

Many Americans who bought Trump’s meme coin are losing money — while Trump and his billionaire friends profit off them.

Washington Post: “At least 67,000 new or small-time crypto investors like Davis have bet on Trump’s meme coin, pouring $15 million into the volatile venture endorsed by Trump and benefiting his personal wealth, a Washington Post analysis found.

“But virtually all of them bought near the coin’s peak, just before the inauguration, and 80 percent of them have seen the value of their holdings nosedive, The Post’s analysis shows. One buyer who spent $10,000 has already lost, on paper, more than $8,000. …

“The firm [Chainalysis] told The Post that 58 investors have so far made more than $10 million each in profits from the coin, for a total of roughly $1.1 billion — but that 764,000 other investors, most of whom had small holdings, have lost money on the coin. …

“Three Trump-affiliated wallets have received about $43 million in fees since the coin’s debut, according to a Post analysis of data from Flipside. Those wallets have also made roughly $312 million in crypto sales.”

When he whored as a private citizen, that was one thing. When Chump whores as president of the United States, it turns the entire country into a whore house. He's disgusting. Simon Tisdall (GUARDIAN) explains:

Donald Trump is accustomed to getting his own way. That could change next week when he’s confronted by the mess he’s making in the Middle East. As he begins a three-day trip to Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar, the US president is promising great things. As ever, he’s delusional. The reality is that reckless, incoherent and neglectful US regional policies are failing across the board. A fundamental course correction is urgently required.

Gulf leaders have the leverage to set Trump straight, if they decide to use it. He relies on them to an unprecedented degree – far more than on Europe – as diplomatic interlocutors, security partners and financial backers. His approach to Palestine, which is on the brink of a second Nakba (catastrophe), is a mix of prejudice, cruelty and sheer ignorance. Without Arab help, the US and Israel may remain trapped indefinitely in a destructive policy cul-de-sac.

Trump knows he cannot afford to ignore the views of the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, and his Gulf counterparts on Gaza, Syria and Yemen. They oppose war with Iran, as previously threatened by the US and Israel. Trump needs them as allies in his trade and tariff feud with China. Gulf diplomats hosted the Ukraine-Russia peace talks he personally promoted. He is desperate to keep oil prices low. And he covets multibillion dollar Middle East investment deals and arms sales.

Remember, Gulf leaders, Chump puts out!

For foreign leaders, anyway. Not for the American people. He just screws them over. Peter Aitken (NEWSWEEK) notes, "Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick hit the Sunday morning talk shows to reassure Americans that President Donald Trump's tariff plan is going to work out in the long term as dock workers and truckers report job cuts due to falling imports. [. . .] Lutnick dismissed concerns about lost jobs and long-term economic outlook and pointed to a recent agreement with the United Kingdom as proof that Trump's plan is working -- slowly, but surely." That deal was already in place. And is Lutnick or Chump going to cover your bills while you wait for the economy to turn around -- while you wait for the economy Chump destroyed to turn around?

Christopher Bucktin (IRISH STAR) observes:

Donald Trump has decided to cease his trade war with China following warnings from American business leaders that US store shelves could be empty within weeks. This reversal comes as the White House is increasingly pressured over the economic impact of its tariffs.

Trump's assault on foreign trade had nearly halted activity at major US ports and left retailers scrambling to secure goods for the crucial summer season. In a joint statement today, the US and China declared a 90-day suspension of mutual tariffs while negotiators attempt to reach a more comprehensive deal.

As part of this agreement, America will lower tariffs on Chinese goods from 145 per cent to 30 per cent, and China will reduce its duties on American imports from 125 per cent to 10 per cent. This action follows urgent pleas from US CEOs, who have recently warned Trump that supply chains are freezing up and that store shelves could start going empty within a month.

Kaitlan Collins, Samantha Waldenberg and Tierney Sneed (CNN) report:

President Donald Trump has been personally involved in discussions inside the administration over potentially suspending habeas corpus, a legal procedure that allows people to challenge their detention in court, two people familiar with the consideration told CNN.

One of Trump’s top aides, Stephen Miller, confirmed publicly Friday that the administration was “actively looking at” suspending habeas corpus, adding that it “depends on whether the courts do the right thing or not.”

Both the private discussions and Miller’s public comments show this is under serious consideration inside the West Wing.

Shania Shelton (CNN) explains:

Lee Kovarsky, law professor at the University of Texas and expert on habeas corpus, said it would be a “national historical disaster.”

“The executive could just detain you, and there would be no recourse,” he said. “Obviously they would do it to try to detain certain non citizens, but there’s no reason why it’s limited to them.”

White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller said Friday the administration was “actively looking at” suspending habeas corpus and it “depends on whether the courts do the right thing or not.”

But the Constitution allows habeas corpus to be suspended only when “in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it.”

“The Constitution makes clear that suspension of habeas corpus is to be reserved for actual rebellion or invasion posing the most dire threats to public safety. And Congress has never passed a law authorizing deportations without any court involvement, as Miller suggests,” CNN senior legal analyst and former federal prosecutor Elie Honig said.

Kovarsky said the reason why suspension of habeas corpus is so restricted “is precisely because it’s so severe.”

“You have no right, to a court, to say that you’re being unlawfully detained. So in a way, the cash value of your substantive rights is zero if you don’t have a judge to evaluate them,” he said.

In other news, Donald Chump's no longer just arresting judges, he's now arresting mayors. Former US Attorney General Eric Holder addressed the latest crisis on MSNBC.

And here is Mayor Ras Baraka speaking on his arrest.

Not only did they arrest the mayor, they are threatening to arrest members of Congress. Tom Boggioni (RAW STORY) reports:

During an appearance on CNN Saturday morning where she was tasked with defendingthe questionable arrest of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka by a mob of armed ICE agents outside of an DHS facility, a spokesperson for the agency stated there are plans to arrest more lawmakers in the coming days.

Speaking with host Victor Blackwell, Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at DHS and former advisor to failed GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, kept insisting that Mayor Baraka was arrested for "storming" the facility despite video showing him being taken into custody outside the chain-link gate.

After she grimly recited that the mayor and members of Congress who were also in attendance "put law enforcement at risk, this actually put the detainees, as well, at risk," she added more arrests would be forthcoming.

This is Chump Land where Alien Musk's Nazi salute becomes a little more common with each day.

Meanwhile, meet the Enemy? As we asked Saturday, exactly what outlet on the left is for Democrats? We know it's not JACOBIN, we know it's not THE NATION, we know it's not IN THESE TIMES, we know it's not THE PROGRESSIVE, we know it's not COMMON DREAMS. Those are all Socialists outlets.

So what does that leave us?

THE NEW REPUBLIC?

Good guess but there's a name on the masthead that's DSA. And despite being DSA, before he joined THE NEW REPUBLIC, he worked for SLATE where, unknown to his editors, he was also DSA. That matters because? He took money to write about DSA and did so without ever disclosing he himself was DSA. In fact, he pretends he's not DSA in the 'report' he wrote for SLATE.

Well that's just one person. Right?

Right?

You know as a feminist, I try to be supportive women but I've never liked women who are overgrown girls that fall in love with their much older professor and marry them.

Wait! Did someone just say Liza Featherstone!

That Democratic Socialist of America has already been deployed for 2028.

Liza's a curious satellite of her more famous husband Doug Henwood. Professor Doug Henwood. A professional scold who's had a very little listened to PACIFICA RADIO program for decades.

If you don't know Liza, consider yourself lucky. She's a 'feminist.' She says she is, anyway.

But she's only deployed to attack women.

THE NEW REPUBLIC has her attacking Kamala Harris.

When you read her column -- no link to trash -- you may recall THE YOUNG TURKS' Ana going off on the same rant. Again, what all the people -- all of them -- covering THE YOUNG TURKS never tell you in all the hours they spend covering TYT is the Ana and Cenk were Socialists. That's why Ana was the host of the JACOBIN podcast.

MAGA is not a hard transition for DSAers. Which is why John Fetterman might just be the next to transition.

Liza wants you to know -- as Ana did before -- that it's a 'hell no!' to a second run for Kamala.

As a feminist, you understand, Liza's against her.

All she does is attack women. That's her whole con job. She's Alan Colmes on FOX "NEWS" but her act is to attack women. She was never more cited and published than in 2016 when she was used non-stop to attack Hillary Clinton.

Read her column in vain for the part where she discloses that she's not a Democrat, she's a Socialist.

Ask yourself why THE NEW REPUBLIC is publishing a Socialist attack on Kamala that's presented as a Democratic attack on Kamala?

Ask yourself why?

Who benefits from that?

Readers?

No, readers are lied to yet again.

And Liza pops up yet again to start attacking women so that the men she serves can then hide behind her and lie with something like, "As feminist Liza Featherstone has noted . . ."

She's a con artist.