Friday, April 10, 2026

Seven months to go

Tonight, I'm just going to dream of a better US via Dems sweeping the midterms this November.  It's April.  It's spring.  I want to embrace hope. 


It really does look good for us in the midterms right now.  We could easily take control of both houses of Congress if the election were next week.  Alex Reimer (QUEERTY) reports: 


Could Texas fall?

For years, the Lone Star State has been a tease for Democrats. Buoyed by its diversity and influx of young people, the biggest Republican-led state in the country seems destined to turn blue. The political prophecy almost came true in 2018, when Ted Cruz narrowly edged Beto O’Rourke in a tight Senate race.
But since then, Texas has turned rightward. Tr*mp has won the state by greater margins each time he’s run.

In 2024. he garnered nearly 2 more million votes (6.375 million) than he did in 2016 (4.68). That’s why the ominous warnings from a top Texas GOP official should be heeded.
This week, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, the second-ranked official in the state, said Republicans may lose the Texas House for the first time since 2003.

He issued his warning as part of a plea for party activists to coalesce around the winner of the upcoming GOP Senate run-off between Sen. John Cronyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton.

“Get over it and come together as one,” he said at a conference, per the Texas Tribune. “We’re going to have a tough time holding the Texas House.”

Currently, Republicans hold an 88-62 advantage in the House, and a 20-11 advantage in the State Senate. In the House, Democrats would need to flip at least 14 seats to win a majority.

Overall, Dems have flipped more than two dozen seats in Republican or battleground states since 2025. Deliciously, one of those districts encompasses Mar-a-Lago.


And that's Texas.  Texas.  Let's look at Arizona.  Ja'han Jones (MS NOW) reports:

Conservative activist group Turning Point USA suffered an embarrassing defeat this week in a slate of elections involving a relatively obscure utilities board in Arizona.

Turning Point’s involvement in the elections for board members to oversee metropolitan Phoenix’s Salt River Project — the state’s largest public utility company and one of the largest in the nation — added an extra layer of controversy and brought national attention to local elections that, otherwise, may have centered solely on residents’ concerns about rising energy costs.
TPUSA and its sister organization, Turning Point Action, expended significant resources to try to help their preferred candidates win a majority of the board’s seats — and they failed mightily.

While Turning Point-backed candidates won the presidential and vice presidential seats, a group of candidates that campaigned as the “Clean Energy Team” emerged with an 8-6 majority on the board, which has the power to regulate energy costs. As The New York Times explained, the result means “proponents of renewable power will control the utility’s policymaking for the first time.”


It does not look good for the Republican Party in the upcoming midterms. And Chump is no help.  Ruth noted in "Chump loses power and support" yesterday that US House Rep. Thomas Massie is not suffering from Chump endorsing his opponent in a GOP primary.  Turns out Chump's powerless in Louisiana as well.  Tom Boggioni (Raw Story) reports:

Donald Trump’s attempt to rid himself of Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) for being a thorn in his side is not going according to plan, Politico is reporting.

Trump's endorsement has failed to deliver the knockout punch he expected after he endorsed Rep. Julia Letlow (R-LA). "The Trump endorsement has not had a close-out move. Cassidy was ready for her," said GOP state Rep. Mike Bayham. "They defined her before she introduced herself."

Seven months until the return of accountability and a check on powers.  


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


Friday, April 10, 2026.  Melania Trump steps into The Epstein Files, Pete Hegseth is accusedof misrepresenting an attack on US service members, speculation continues to grow that Hegseth my be the next Cabinet member fired, the White House made a not-so-veiled threat against Pope Leo, Kristi Noem caught in yet another lie, and much more. 


Justine Fernandez (BLUSHER ME) reports, "New data is raising concerns about the strength of the US labor market, delivering a stark warning for Donald Trump as confidence among workers continues to decline. Surveys and economic indicators suggest that Americans are growing increasingly uneasy about job security and future employment prospects."

And guess what?  That's about as close as Chump comes to good news.  

"Lies!" proclaimed First Lady Melania Chump from the White House yesterday.   "Lies!'   Donald Judd (CNN) reports:

First lady Melania Trump blasted “lies linking me to the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein” in remarks from the White House Thursday, attempting to distance herself from the convicted sex offender while calling on Congress to hold hearings allowing his victims to testify on Capitol Hill.
“I have never been friends with Epstein. Donald and I were invited to the same parties as Epstein from time to time, since overlapping in social circles is common in New York City and Palm Beach,” the first lady said in remarks to reporters. “To be clear, I never had a relationship with Epstein or his accomplice, [Ghislaine] Maxwell.”


Her call for allowing the survivors to testify?  A good call.  Would have been better to have called for Pam Bondi to honor her subpoena and appear before the House Oversight Committee.  As for her relationship with Epstein and Maxwell?  There are many photos of her with Epstein.  All have Donald in them as well.  So maybe she was the reluctant girlfriend going out on a foursome with someone she didn't care for and ignored during dinner.  Could be.  But she and Maxwell?  We do have the e-mail.  Where she wrote Maxwell a gushing note and called her "G."  And if she truly was avoiding Epstein, that would mean she'd be talking to Maxwell when the foursome was out on the town.

"Lies"?  It appears there are lies -- even at least one coming from Melania's mouth.


Trump also said “Epstein was not alone,” hinting at other potential abusers. She noted that several prominent executives resigned over their relationships with Epstein.
“Of course, this doesn’t amount to guilt,” Trump said. “But we still must work openly and transparently to uncover the truth.”








Melania's comments have given The Epstein Scandal more oxygen and has shifted the story into a new phase.  Was that her intent?



THE DAILY DIGEST notes, "On March 17th, The Telegraph reported that recent findings from the left-leaning, new media organization Zeteo found that over half of people in the United States believed that Trump started the war with Iran to distract the country from the Epstein files scandal."

Turning to the Iran War,  David Edwards (RAW STORY) reports:

U.S. military service members claimed the Pentagon was not telling the truth about Iran's deadliest attack on America's troops during President Donald Trump's most recent war.

CBS News reported that survivors of the attack that killed six and wounded 20 were "left dangerously exposed" when they were attacked in Kuwait.
According to the surviving members, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was wrong when he said they were attacked by a drone "squirter," which squirted through defense systems.

"Painting a picture that 'one squeaked through' is a falsehood," one injured soldier told the network. "I want people to know the unit … was unprepared to provide any defense for itself. It was not a fortified position."
Before the March 1 attack, soldiers said they received an all-clear alert declaring that there were no incoming attacks. Only 30 minutes later, "everything shook," one service member recalled.

Was Pete drunk?  Is he back on the sauce?  He promised, during his confirmation hearing, that he'd lay off the booze if confirmed.  Has he not done that?  Or is this just another example of him lying?  Treating the American people like one of his wives he cheated on?  




Adding to Pete's troubles -- and maybe to his return to drinking -- Filip Timotija (THE HILL) notes:

A simmering battle for influence between Pete Hegseth and the Army Secretary Dan Driscoll has reached new heights with the Defense secretary’s purge of senior Army officials last week. 
Tensions flared when Driscoll was picked last year by President Trump to negotiate with Ukrainian officials in hopes of ending the Russia-Ukraine war, according to two former U.S.  officials familiar with the dynamics. A current U.S. official said Hegseth’s “paranoia” has been heightened in recent weeks as the president has fired two Cabinet officials.
“He’s just really uncomfortable with anyone who could potentially be outshining him,” the current official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the internal dynamics, told The Hill about Hegseth.
[. . .]
Hegseth’s firing of Driscoll’s widely respected chief of staff, Gen. Randy George, along with two other senior military officials last week, stunned defense officials as the U.S. is engaged in a war against Iran, the current official said. The firing came on the heels of the Pentagon chief ending the suspension of the Army crew who flew a pair of military helicopters near Kid Rock’s house in Tennessee, undercutting an Army investigation into the incident.  
The ouster of George prompted some Republicans to rally behind the decorated general, who deployed in support of Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. On Capitol Hill, it has shaken some GOP lawmakers who have largely backed Hegseth despite a series of scandals during his tenure, according to the first former U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution. 

Or maybe Pete's panicking over the possibility that Chump just wants to fire him? Tom Boggioni (RAW STORY) notes:

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s continuing over-the-top press conferences about the Iran war are not doing Donald Trump any favors due to his childish behavior, leading MS NOW’s Joe Scarborough to suggest the president may want to put an end to Hegseth's "humiliating" antics.
Reacting to the Wednesday Pentagon press conference, where the former Fox News personality boasted about the president’s ceasefire agreement that was already in the process of falling apart, the “Morning Joe” host compared Hegseth repeatedly to a grossly immature elementary school student.
Speaking with co-hosts Willie Geist and Mika Brzezinski, Scarborough exclaimed, “To see [Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force General] Kaine have to stand there while Pete Hegseth is doing all of this, like third-grade chest thumping, like he's out on the back on the playground –– and then General Kaine having to say, ‘Well, you know, we're still still basically at war and Americans could still die here,’ it's just, again, I just, I'm just shocked.”
“I really am, that Donald Trump, at this late stage with Pete Hegseth humiliating him and the administration every day with his stupid routine,” he added. “Third-grade routine; I'm just shocked he's still allowed to go out there in front of a microphone because he just embarrasses himself and he sets Donald Trump and this administration and this country up for continued humiliation at the hands of the Iranians.”


He's still allowed to go out there in front of a microphone?  He just embarrasses himself?  He sets Donald Trump and this administration and this country up for continued humiliation?  Maybe not for much longer if he gets fired.  Christopher Sharp (THE MIRROR) reports on speculation as to who might be the next person Chump gives a pink slip to:


Michael J Montgomery, a former US diplomat and lecturer at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, identifies two potential candidates – United States Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, reports the Mirror.
This speculation emerged after Trump's threats to eliminate a "whole civilisation" on his Truth Social platform earlier this week, prior to agreeing to the ceasefire.
Explaining why these two officials could face termination next, Michael told Reach: "If this goes bad as I suspect it will, Tulsi Gabbard will be next out the door because Trump is much more prone to firing women than men
"Hegseth is likely to follow shortly thereafter - especially if the career military people don't implement each and every Trump order no matter how illegal or deranged."
While Trump ultimately didn't bring about the end of civilization, Michael maintained his belief that Hegseth and Gabbard would be the next to exit.
He elaborated: "Trump takes the blame for nothing himself and those two are the logical fall people in the event of poor intelligence or poor execution undermining his war on Iran."


Trump takes the blame for nothing himself?  True.   On MEIDASTOUCH NEWS this morning, Ben notes how Chump's cease-fire is crumbling and how Chump spent the night on social media attacking everyone he could.  




Chump is a terrorist.  And among those targeted outside this country?  The Pope.  Troy Matthews (MEIDASTOUCH NEWS) reports:

The Vatican has cancelled a papal visit to the U.S. for the 250th anniversary celebration after Pentagon officials appeared to threaten the leader of the Catholic Church for speaking out against Trump's foreign policy.

Pope Leo XIV—the first American Pope in history—strongly condemned U.S. actions in Iran though not by name in his Easter message, stating that God "does not listen" to world leaders who wage war. 
Leo had already criticized Trump's actions on Venezuela and his threats against Greenland and Canada in a speech on January 9th stating, "a diplomacy that promotes dialogue and seeks consensus among all parties is being replaced by a diplomacy based on force."

In response, Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby summoned Cardinal Christophe Pierre—the Vatican ambassador to the U.S.—to a meeting. In diplomatic parlance, an ambassador being summoned to meet with government officials for a lecture is the first stage in disciplinary action that can lead to a break off of diplomatic ties. 

It is being reported by The Free Press that in the meeting Colby told Pierre, "The United States has the military power to do whatever it wants in the world. The Catholic Church had better take its side."

Someone in the meeting then reportedly mentioned the Avignon Papacy to Pierre. This refers to a 14th century attack on the Vatican by the French king, in which Pope Boniface VIII was murdered by assassins and the Vatican was forced to relocate to Avignon where it could be controlled by the French crown for the next 67 years. 



The controversy surrounding the meeting is likely to further inflame religious pushback to an unusual wave of spiritual saber-rattling by President Donald Trump’s administration — particularly surrounding the U.S. government’s military actions in Iran, which the president himself has suggested are the will of God. Combined with his other incendiary remarks about the war, the increase in faith-filled militaristic rhetoric is pitting Trump and his administration against a growing list of faith leaders, ranging from local clergy to the pope.
Faith leaders have reacted with frustration to the administration’s penchant for invoking the divine when discussing the Iran war, which was on full display earlier Wednesday when Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth led a press briefing at the Pentagon on the five-week-long war with Iran. After insisting Tuesday evening’s fragile ceasefire deal between the U.S. and Iran was evidence of a broader military victory, the secretary intimated the pause in fighting was the result of divine intervention.


 Tom Boggioni (RAW STORY) notes that the story was addressed Thursday on MS NOW's MORNING JOE:




After MS NOW host Willie Geist reported on the exchange, contributor Mike Barnicle, a lifelong Catholic, made a compelling case that the president and his underlings created a massive and enduring problem for themselves.

“What do you make of what you're hearing here?” Geist prompted his guest.
“I make that they are once again clowning the atmosphere up, the Trump administration, the idea that they would try to intimidate Pope Leo, the first American-born pope, is just absurd,"the incensed Barnicle replied.“The idea that they would have anything to say critical of the Catholic church or the pope itself, the pope himself is absurd, especially given the Easter morning tweet from the president of the United States, which was so deeply offensive to any breathing, thinking human being that it's outrageous for the Trump administration to pose any problems they allege they have with the Vatican.”
“I went to parochial school for eight consecutive years, and I got thrown out nearly every year by the nuns. You know, every grade — you deserve early stuff like that,” he recalled. But the one thing that you get to, to hold on to when you're raised Catholic, born Catholic, raised Catholic, especially by my mother, we used to call her 'my mother, the nun.' The one thing you retain, I would think, is that the theory of the Catholic church is rooted in a simple phrase: the least among us.”

“So if you look at the Trump administration's behavior toward the least among us, it is almost criminal,” he accused. “It is certainly a sin because they don't care for the least among us, and that we should all care for the least among us. Because when we care for them, we care for ourselves.”


Graig Graziosi (INDEPENDENT) notes:

In the wake of the meeting, the Pope reportedly refused Trump's invitation to attend the nation's 250th anniversary events.

Instead of spending July 4th in the U.S., the Pope will instead visit Lampedusa, a small Mediterranean island that has become an entry point for African migrants attempting to reach Europe.

A Vatican official speaking to The Free Press said the Pope has no plans to visit the U.S. while Trump is in office.

“The Pope may well never visit the United States under this administration," the official reportedly said.



Pope Leo has called out the war on Iran and he has called out the US war on immigrants.   Earlier this week, we noted Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez:



The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in Sacramento was launching a probe Tuesday after a shooting involving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officers near San Jose, California.

KNTV reported that the Tuesday morning shooting shut down on- and off-ramps on Interstate 5 and Sperry Avenue in Patterson, California.  Lauren Mascarenhas (CNN) adds, "Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were involved in a shooting that sent one person to the hospital while they were conducting a targeted traffic stop in California’s Central Valley, the agency said Tuesday."  Uwa Ede-Osifo (GUARDIAN) reports that the man shot was Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez:


Hernandez was hospitalized after the shooting. A spokesperson for the Stanislaus county sheriff’s office, which has jurisdiction over Patterson, declined to comment on Hernandez’s condition.


We ignored the assertions made by DHS because DHS has a known history of lying.  And now the things DHS claimed?  Not seeming very accurate at all.   Terry Chea and Christopher Weber (AP) report:

An attorney for a man shot by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents during an arrest in central California said Wednesday that his client did not try to run over officers with his car and disputed claims that he has a warrant out for his arrest in El Salvador.
[. . .]
Attorney Patrick Kolasinski, who is representing Mendoza and his family, said during a news conference that his client has been stopped for minor traffic infractions but has no criminal record in the U.S. and is not the subject of an arrest warrant in El Salvador, where he was acquitted of murder.

Kolasinski said he has found no evidence his client was part of any street gang but he added he has not had the chance to talk to him to confirm that.
“If he was released after being acquitted, with no other holds on him, he cannot have a warrant,” Kolasinski said. “So that information must be either erroneous or completely made up. And only DHS knows what they’re looking at.”

According to a Oct. 25, 2019 court document from a judge in El Salvador, Mendoza, who was 29 at the time, was acquitted after being accused of murder and ordered immediately released. The document lists 10 others who were convicted of various crimes from aggravated robbery to murder, and mentions at least one of them was a member of the 18th Street Gang. But there is no mention of Mendoza belonging to a gang or being accused of carrying out gang activity in the document.


As we noted before, DHS has a history of lying to the public and to the courts.  This has taken place for over a year now.  We do not take DHS seriously in their statements as a result of their repeated lies.  Whether they will get honest under the new Secretary of Homeland Security Mark Mulllin remains to be seen but their reputation is bad and they earned it.  Matthew Chapman (RAW STORY) notes how 

A federal judge has paused the Trump administration's decision to terminate temporary protected status (TPS) for Ethiopians who came to the United States, ruling that former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem didn't follow the legal procedure for doing so.

U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy of Massachusetts penned a scathing analysis of the decision to eliminate TPS under the Trump administration, finding that it certainly wasn't appropriate in the case of Ethiopia, where people would still face substantial danger if forced to return there.
"As of the date of the executive order, entitled 'Protecting the American People Against Invasion,' seventeen countries had TPS designations. In the twelve months between the issuance of the order and filing of this suit, Secretary Noem announced the termination of twelve TPS countries — every single TPS country for which she conducted a periodic review during that period," wrote Murphy. "Perhaps it has been a banner year for disaster recovery and geopolitical stability worldwide. The evidence, and common sense, suggests otherwise."

Indeed, he wrote, "The administrative record is replete with evidence, including reports by DHS itself from as recent as August and September of 2025, that armed conflict and natural disasters continue to create dangerous conditions in Ethiopia."

So you get it? Kristi lied.  That's what the judge is saying.  Kristi, as Secretary of Homeland Security, lied.  As she did daily.  As her spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin did. 


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

ICYMI: Murray on Trump’s Budget Request: “Imagine how many families we could help if, instead of giving the Pentagon more money than they can even figure out what to do with, we cut people’s heating bills in half and made child care affordable for every family in America… Donald Trump might be happy to spend more money on bombs in the Middle East than on families here in America—but I am not.”

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement the day after a ceasefire deal was announced between the United States and Iran:

“The President of the United States cannot threaten genocide. That kind of brinksmanship is catastrophically dangerous and goes against everything we stand for as Americans.

“I am relieved that American servicemembers were not asked to commit war crimes in this President’s name, but none of us should forgive the unacceptable escalation and erratic behavior of this President—or the lasting damage he has already done to America’s standing across the globe. Nor should we assume he has fully abandoned his pattern of reckless escalation that puts our servicemembers—and millions of innocent civilians’—lives at risk. We have to put him in check, before he ever pushes us so close to the brink again.

“This President made the unilateral decision—without Congress or the American people—to plunge this country into a costly foreign war of choice. Trump’s actions have already cost us tens of billions in taxpayer dollars, left our international credibility in shreds, and left thirteen servicemembers dead with hundreds more wounded. America is poorer, weaker, and less respected thanks to Trump’s recklessness. Congress needs to immediately vote to put a permanent end to this war and rein in this president—and I will keep pushing to ensure that happens.  

“Where Congress should be a natural check on Trump’s every abuse of power—this Republican Congress is shamefully absent, even when he threatens to wipe out an entire country. Americans will vote in the fall, and our democracy is desperately counting on a new Congress that will hold this President accountable. Every American should recognize—your voice and your vote matter and that’s exactly why this administration wants you to believe you are powerless.

“As a voice for Washington state in the United States Senate, I intend to use my vote to oppose this President’s warmongering and destructive agenda every step of the way.”

###


And let's note this from THE BLACK COMMENTATOR:


BlackCommentator.com                    

           

April                     9, 2026 Issue 1082

         
           
New Issue of The BlackCommentator Cover Story: The Long-Overdue Termination of Pam Bondi              

The                       Black Commentator

             

 Issue                           #1082

             

             

 is                           now Online

              April 9, 2026
           

           
           

Read                         issue 1082

                       

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Thursday, April 09, 2026

Prince, Pretenders, Enya, Diana Ross, Bob Dylan, Erykah Badu

Are you a music trivia buff?  STARS INSIDER offers "Hit songs you didn't know were written by Prince" and they note:

Dearly beloved, we have gathered here today to celebrate the wonder that is Prince. He was the epitome of pop culture royalty, the pioneer of new music, a prolific singer and songwriter, a multi-instrumentalist, a record producer, an actor, and more. He was, as LA Times writers put it, “our first post-everything pop star,” a figure who transcended categories of genre, race, gender, and commercial appeal. Prince's career, spanning four decades, overflowed with iconic outfits, copious amounts of charm, unmissable stage presence, and bottomless talent. Guitar, drums, bass, keyboard—you name it, he played it. Add to that an impossibly wide vocal range reaching up to falsetto and down to baritone, and music was truly his plaything, which is perhaps how he so comfortably morphed, advanced, and pioneered genres, including the famous Minneapolis sound which mixes funk, rock, synth-pop, and new wave.

He wrote his first song when he was seven, and went platinum when he was just 18, racking up too many accolades to count throughout his life and selling over 100 million records worldwide. After releasing 39 studio albums, you'd think his career would be put to rest, but his life was taken too soon, and no one was ready.

The impact Prince has had on culture is obvious in his championing of androgynous (and extravagant) fashion, his prolific discography, and his eclectic work, but nothing proves just how embedded he is in our love of music as the songs he gave away. Prince is unlike most royalty in that he loved to share his wealth (apparently it wasn't enough to have inspired several generations and diversified the musical landscape). He also wrote numerous songs for his fellow artists and allowed his music to be covered by other performers as well—songs that climbed the charts, some for which he even used a pen name.

Check out the gallery to see the surprising hit songs you likely had no idea were written by Prince.

20 songs.  19 of which were written by Prince.  "Stand Back" was written by Stevie Nicks.  She sang it to "Little Red Corvette" when she was composing it.  She offered Prince co-writing credit on it but he didn't take it -- he did play a synth lick for her on the track.  

Next up, remember "Brass In Pocket"?  Victoria Miller (PARADE) reports:

In late 1979, the Pretenders released what would become their breakout hit. The song, “Brass in Pocket,” appeared on the English rock band’s self -titled debut album. Written by Chrissie Hynde and James Honeyman-Scott, “Brass in Pocket” featured a choppy guitar riff and empowering lyrics. It peaked at No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1980.
Rolling Stone ranked "Brass in Pocket” as one of the greatest songs of all time, describing it as “the first Number One U.K. hit of the Eighties, the eighth video played on MTV, and the song that launched the Pretenders into pop stardom.”

But the hit song almost didn’t happen at all.

In an interview with American Songwriter, Hynde admitted that she hated "Brass in Pocket" when it was first recorded at Wessex Studios in London, and didn’t want it on the album. She even told producer Chris Thomas, “This goes out over my dead body.”

“I did not like it at first,” the singer shared in the interview. “I said that would go out over my dead body. That was my famous quote.”

And she co-wrote the song.  Enya's someone who writes her own songs.  Luis Fernando Romo (EL MUNDO) reports: 

She has endured some surreal situations, like when a fan sneaked onto the property, tied up the housekeeper, and the artist had to hide.

While most artists have a gigantic ego that seeks a constant spotlight to cling to, in the case of Enya it is quite the opposite. For Eithne Pádraigín Ní Bhraonáin - her real name - being a hermit is a symbol of triumph and freedom after being one of the most important music stars of the nineties.

With over 80 million records sold and a nomination for an Oscar, a Golden Globe, and a Grammy for the song May It Be that she composed for The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), Enya lives secluded in a fairytale castle in Killiney, south of Dublin.
Purchased in 1997 for 3.8 million euros, it is a crenellated Victorian-style mansion built in 1840 in homage to Queen Victoria's ascension to the throne, and at one point had a secret tunnel connecting the property to the beach, surrounded by 1.4 hectares of gardens, she invested several million euros in restoration and reinforcing security.

And Kat Caudill (AMERICAN SONGWRITER) notes three artists who were singers more than they were songwriters -- Elvis, Frank Sinatra and . . . 

In 1997, dynamic performer Diana Ross told Rolling Stone, “I sing all the time. Music is a part of my being. Like when I’m walking, I walk with a rhythm. I carry myself as if there’s music inside.” A lot of the time, Ross just needed a songwriter or two to help her get that music from the inside out.

Among these writers were husband-and-wife songwriting duo Ashford and Simpson. The couple played a major role in the writing and production of Ross’ albums in the 70s and even cut hits like “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”for Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. The song would also become a No. 1 for Ross in 1970. It was also Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards of the disco band Chic who scored a major chart-topper with Ross’ “Upside Down”.


Yesterday, I noted of Bob Dylan and Diana Ross, "He and Diana Ross have been touring non-stop.  She kicked off her tour in June of 2022."  They're both going to be at Wolf Trap this summer.  Michelle Witte (PATCH) notes:

International stars and children's performers have been added to Wolf Trap's 2026 summer concert schedule, bringing R&B, Bollywood styles, classic Americana, symphonic adaptations and more to Virginia's performing arts park.

Newly announced performers Bob Dylan, Diana Ross, Erykah Badu, Shreya Ghoshal, The Reset, the National Symphony Orchestra featuring Lizzo and Kidz Bop join already scheduled artists Sting, Tori Amos, Chance the Rapper and dozens of others.

Tickets for these shows are on sale now at wolftrap.org, and you can explore the full lineup here.

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


Thursday, April 9, 2026. Pam Bondi disrespects the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein again as she refuses to be deposed by the House Oversight Committee, Chump demonstrates what a chump he actually is with his cease-fire with Iran, and much more.  


Yesterday afternoon, SCRIPPS NEWS GROUP reported, "Former Attorney General Pam Bondi will not appear next week for a scheduled deposition before the House Oversight Committee as part of its investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, Scripps News has confirmed. A committee spokeswoman said the Department of Justice informed lawmakers that Bondi will not appear for the April 14 deposition because she is no longer serving as attorney general and was subpoenaed in that capacity."  The Democrats on the House Oversight Committee issued the following: 


Washington, D.C. — Today, Rep. Robert Garcia, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, released the following statement after former Attorney General Pam Bondi refused to appear for her deposition before the Oversight Committee on April 14, despite the lawful bipartisan subpoena the Committee issued last month. This subpoena is binding, even after she was fired. The subpoena followed the Department of Justice’s botched release of the Epstein files and the continued White House cover-up.

“Now that Pam Bondi has been fired, she’s trying to get out of her legal obligation to testify before the Oversight Committee about the Epstein files and the White House cover-up.

Our bipartisan subpoena is to Pam Bondi, whether she is the Attorney General or not. She must come in to testify immediately, and if she defies the subpoena, we will begin contempt charges in the Congress. The survivors deserve justice,” said Ranking Member Robert Garcia.

###


The Department of Justice said Wednesday that Pam Bondi will not appear for her upcoming deposition in the House Oversight Committee’s Jeffrey Epstein investigation given that she is no longer serving as the US attorney general.

It marks the latest roadblock in Congress’ fight to secure Bondi’s sworn testimony related to the Justice Department’s public release of its investigative files into the late convicted sex offender.
The department argued that Bondi was subpoenaed in her official role as attorney general and not in a personal capacity. As such, she won’t appear on Capitol Hill on April 14 to discuss her role overseeing the release of the Epstein Files, Assistant Attorney General Patrick D. Davis wrote in a letter to House Oversight Chairman James Comer.

The Department of Justice says this?  DoJ is now the expert on Congressional subpoenas?  Congress subpoenas someone which makes them the 'decider' in this matter. The DoJ appears to be overstepping.  In addition, Pam's job has not been filled and she remains, per Chump's social media post announcing her firing, a government employee -- so still being paid her AG salary -- for the rest of the month as part of a "transitioning."  Therefore, she's still with the Justice Dept and she's still being paid her AG salary through the end of the month and April 14th is in the middle of the month so she could appear before the Committee as part of her "transitioning."











 




The DOJ’s position has drawn criticism from members of both parties on the Oversight Committee. Representative Nancy Mace (R-SC), who supported the subpoena alongside Democrats, said Bondi remains obligated to testify regardless of her current status.

“She was subpoenaed by name,” Mace said, arguing that leaving office does not remove the requirement to comply with congressional oversight. Several lawmakers have indicated they view the issue as a matter of institutional authority rather than a partisan dispute.
Representative Ro Khanna (D-Calif) also called for Bondi to appear, stating in a letter to Chairman James Comer that her status as a private citizen could allow for broader testimony.

Nancy Mace is correct, Bondi was subpoenaed by name.  She is compelled to testify or be held in contempt.  There was no "Unless you resign or are fired" exception to the subpoena.  So what happens now?  Alison Durkee (FORBES) ponders that:


What will happen next week. It’s unclear if the threat of contempt could lead Bondi to show up on April 14 as scheduled, and if any GOP lawmakers would support Democrats in bringing contempt charges against her. Republicans on the House Oversight Committee said Wednesday they planned to work with Bondi’s personal counsel to reschedule and have her testify in her personal capacity. It’s unclear when Bondi could testify, if it’s rescheduled, and if that would be enough to keep Democrats from trying to move forward with contempt charges.


Some Epstein victims expressed anger at Bondi’s intent not to appear. “Survivors have waited nearly three decades for answers – how much longer must we wait?” said Maria and Annie Farmer in a joint statement. “Any further delays only deepen survivors’ pain and weakens our confidence in the government’s willingness to hold accountable those who enabled and perpetrated Epstein’s heinous crimes.”

Bondi does not care about the survivors.  She made that clear in February when she appeared before the House Judiciary Committee and refused to turn around and look at the Epstein survivors who were attending the hearing.  The Democrats on the Committee noted this refusal in a press release they issued:


Washington, D.C. (February 12, 2026)—Rep. Jamie Raskin, Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, led Judiciary Committee Democrats in cross-examining Attorney General Pam Bondi for the damage done to the Department of Justice (DOJ) under her watch.

Seated in the audience were survivors and families of late survivors of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell’s sex trafficking ring, who were recognized, with their permission, at the start of the hearing: Theresa Helm; Jess Michaels; Lara Blume McGee; Dani Bensky; Liz Stein; Marina Lacerda; Sky and Amanda Roberts, who are the family of the late Virginia Giuffre; Sharlene Lund; and Lisa Phillips. Bondi ignored Members’ pleas for her to apologize directly to the survivors for the catastrophic harm Bondi’s DOJ caused by releasing their information and intimate details of their abuse. Rather than apologize, Bondi called the question “theatrics.” 

Bondi refused to confront the Trump DOJ’s botched handling of the Epstein files, which recklessly exposed survivors and shielded potential criminal co-conspirators. 

Rep. Pramila Jayapal pressed Bondi: “Will you turn to [the Epstein survivors] now and apologize for what your Department of Justice has put them through with the absolutely unacceptable release of the Epstein files and their information?” Bondi said: “I’m not going to get into the gutter with this woman doing theatrics.” 
 
Rep. Jayapal asked Epstein survivors to raise their hand if they still haven’t been invited to meet with Pam Bondi or the DOJ. Every single one raised their hand. 
 
Rep. Hank Johnson said: “We have the Epstein victim survivors here today. Rep. Jayapal asked a simple question. If you would be so kind and honorable as to turn around and face them and apologize to them for outing them. I mean, how many lives have been derailed because your Department was either sloppy and incompetent or willfully trying to intimidate and punish these ladies?” Bondi again refused to acknowledge the survivors, saying: “Your time is up.” 
 
Bondi obfuscated and filibustered when asked by Rep. Jerry Nadler how many of Epstein’s co-conspirators she has indicted. Rep. Nadler slammed her stonewalling: “The answer to my question of how many of Epstein’s co-conspirators has she indicted is zero. You have been the Attorney General for a whole year, and your DOJ fired the lead prosecutor of this case, sat on evidence this entire time, and claimed falsely last July that there were no more leads. It took an act of Congress for you to finally release part of the Epstein files. And when you did, you included personal information about the victims while protecting the names of abusers.” 
 
In response to a question from Rep. Ted Lieu on why she shut down the investigation into Epstein’s co-conspirators, the Attorney General deflected and made clear she is only here to defend Trump: “This is so ridiculous, that they are trying to deflect from all the great things Donald Trump has done.” Rep. Lieu slammed her non-response: “There are over 1,000 sex trafficking victims. And you have not held a single man accountable. Shame on you. If you had any decency, you would resign right after this hearing concludes.” 
 
Rep. Lou Correa blasted Bondi for redacting the names of powerful men in the Epstein files while dangerously exposing victims: “We have to make sure we tell those predators there is no place for them to hide. And if they commit the crime, they’re going to fry for it. It starts with showing us the names of the perpetrators in the Epstein files.” 
 
Bondi responded with personal attacks when Ranking Member Raskin asked her to “create a joint task force of the Department of Justice and governors and state attorneys general and district attorneys across the country to investigate the crimes that have taken place against [Epstein] victims.” 
 
In response to a question from Rep. Dan Goldman, Bondi refused to commit to providing key documents still missing from the Epstein files production: an 86-page prosecution memo from the Southern District of New York, and a draft indictment from Florida against Jeffrey Epstein’s co-conspirators. Bondi’s DOJ is violating the bipartisan Epstein Files Transparency Act compelling the unredacted release of these documents.  
 
Rep. Jared Moskowitz pointed out precisely why the DOJ has covered up the Epstein files: “Trump’s name appears more times in the Epstein file than Harry Potter’s name appears in the seven books about Harry Potter.” 
 
Rep. Deborah Ross probed the Trump Administration’s shameful transfer of sex offender Ghislaine Maxwell to a lower-security prison where she has been pampered: “Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein’s co-conspirator received perk after perk in prison. In July, she had a two-day interview with your deputy and President Trump’s former defense attorney, Todd Blanche. Just days after that, Maxwell was transferred from a federal correctional institution in Florida to a minimum-security camp in Texas, which she, as a sex offender, would normally be ineligible for at this new facility. We’ve heard reports that she’s been afforded special privileges: puppy time, private workouts, personal mail, secretarial services.” Bondi bizarrely claimed she didn’t know about the prison transfer that occurred under her watch and falsely claimed that Maxwell had not been transferred to a lower-security prison. 
 
Rep. Becca Balint said: “Now, I’ve seen some of the unredacted Epstein files. And obviously, as you know, President Trump’s name is all over them. But so are the names of other senior Trump officials. Howard Lutnick, Secretary of Commerce, John Phelan, the Secretary of the Navy, and Steven Feinberg, the Deputy Secretary of Defense. These men were appointed by President Trump to senior positions in his Administration. All of them have clear and confirmed ties to Jeffrey Epstein.” Bondi flailed when Rep. Balint pressed her on these ties and why they weren’t a dealbreaker for the President who hired them anyway. 
 
Amid all the lies and evasions, Bondi made a rare admission, saying that Trump’s name “appeared countless times” in the Epstein files.  




On Chump's pal Jeffrey Epstein, Shirsho Dasgupta (THE STATE COLUMBIA) reports:

In his attempts to position himself at the confluence of money and power, Jeffrey Epstein cultivated myriad relationships among the ruling elite of the Middle East, according to an extensive Miami Herald review of several million pages of documents recently released by the U.S. Justice Department.
From his Palm Beach and New York mansions and his luxurious apartment in Paris, Epstein enjoyed a remarkable level of access to sensitive information like the outcomes of political meetings and the itineraries of Gulf royals.

The disgraced financier, the Herald found, regularly corresponded with members of the ruling classes in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Yemen and the United Arab Emirates. He invited them to his properties and gave them business advice - even suggesting to Saudi palace officials that he tutor the crown prince about the ways of Wall Street.

He asked that he be given a “small palace” to live in while schooling the prince and demanded that the Saudis give him sweeping oversight over the kingdom’s fortunes.

When Qatar was accused of supporting Al Qaeda and the Islamic State, Epstein detailed to a Qatari royal a four-point campaign on how the country could clean up its image. Epstein also intervened on behalf of a Yemeni billionaire’s son to help him fight murder and rape allegations in Britain.


[. . .]

Epstein first got acquainted with Yemeni billionaire Shaher Abdulhak in the spring of 2012.

Abdulhak, at the time, was in a fix.

His son, Farouk, was a suspect in the rape and murder of 23-year-old Norwegian student Martine Vik Magnussen in London in 2008. According to the British press, British authorities wanted him for questioning, but Farouk had fled to Yemen.

Epstein, the records show, claimed to have facilitated an introduction with British attorney Lord Ken Macdonald, who had previously served as the top prosecutor in England and Wales.

Epstein told Abdulhak in a June 2012 email that he had spoken to Macdonald, who believed that Farouk could get a reduced charge and be granted bail, records show. Epstein advised Abdulhak to focus on “what punishment would be acceptable.”

“I think you are right, something like house arrest, plus charity work,” Abdulhak replied.



Let's move on over to the terrorist that is Donald Chump, the one who said he'd take a country back to "the stone age" and "obliterate" the people living there.  Chump sounded like a terrorist and like a lunatic.  He should be removed from office immediately.  Yes, Chump being Chump, he ended up chickening out at the last minute.  But that he took it that far goes to how severe the dementia has become.

He joined Netanyahu in starting a war of choice and he is now at a point where the US is much weaker and the government of Iran is much stronger.  Tom Boggioni (RAW STORY) reports:

Donald Trump claims to have reached a successful but still evolving ceasefire agreement with Iran, but National Review editor Jim Geraghty has a different assessment: the president has been completely outmaneuvered and is poised to capitulate on nearly every significant demand.
According to Geraghty's scathing analysis, Trump and Iran are describing fundamentally different agreements. The Iranian proposal includes concessions that represent a catastrophic setback for American national security interests.

The Iranian demands include: "Iran's continued control of the Strait of Hormuz," "Iran's uranium enrichment right should be accepted," and "Payment of compensation for damages inflicted on Iran."


Again, he lost.  Rex Huppke (USA TODAY) notes:

I don’t mean to sound controversial, but a president shouldn’t be able to walk away from threatening to wipe out an entire civilization ‒ even setting a deadline, as if Armageddon is a bloody reality show ‒ and then carry on like he’s a normal president. Even if Republicans want you to think it's normal.
In the sweep of less than 24 hours on April 7, Donald Trump went from threatening genocide to agreeing to a two-week ceasefire with Iran, a ceasefire that appears to give the Middle East nation a lot in return for nothing.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m damn glad he stepped away from mass murder. But let’s be honest: America can’t continue with this kind of “Look at me, I’m a crazy former reality show star, tune in to see what I’ll do next?!?” insanity.
The world just spent an entire day not knowing whether the American president was going to commit war crimes or drop a nuclear bomb on Iran as part of a war he started and was never authorized to conduct.




Donald Trump has lashed out at “fraudsters and charlatans” who he claims are circulating fake lists of Iran’s ceasefire plan as he tries to put a positive spin on the war.

In an angry Truth Social post on Wednesday, Trump claimed that “numerous agreements, lists and letters” were being sent out by people who had nothing to do with negotiations between the two countries.
“In many cases, they are total Fraudsters, Charlatans, and WORSE. They will be rapidly exposed after our Federal Investigation is completed,” he wrote, without providing any specifics.

“There is only one group of meaningful “POINTS” that are acceptable to the United States, and we will be discussing them behind closed doors during these Negotiations.”

The tirade came hours after Trump agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Iran—an abrupt climbdown from his earlier threat to unleash devastating military strikes if Tehran failed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.


Chump gets a revealed as a chump who needs someone to teach him THE ART OF THE DEAL and he lashes out at others.  Brad Bannon (THE HILL) offers:


“Trump Net Approval Drops to Record Low.” That’s the headline from the YouGov story about the new national survey it conducted last week for The Economist. His overall performance score comes in at net negative 23 percent, which puts him as deep underwater as the Great Marianas Trench in the Pacific Ocean. Trump’s ratings have been in intensive care for months but the controversy over starting a war against Iran a month ago have put them on life support.
Iran is a big problem for the president. You don’t need a meteorologist to know which way the wind is blowing. Americans oppose the war by a 2-to-1 margin. While Republicans still support the conflict, opposition to his misguided military misadventure is high in every demographic public subgroup.

Trump also suffers from a significant credibility gap. A clear majority of people believe he hasn’t provided accurate information about the progress of the war. Things could soon even get worse for the commander in chief if he decides to put U.S. troops on Iranian ground. Only one out of every six surveyed favor the use of U.S. ground forces against the Middle Eastern nation.

There are two reasons why the situation has gone from bad to worse for Trump. He failed to demonstrate at the onset that Iran was a serious threat to U.S. national security and the assault weaponized existing public concerns about his failure to reduce inflationary prices.


His reputation is in tatters on the world stage.  Need an example?  Sam Meredith (CNBC) reports:

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Wednesday joined a chorus of world leaders welcoming the announcement of a U.S.-Iran ceasefire but issued a thinly veiled swipe at the Trump administration for having initiated the hostilities.
"Ceasefires are always good news. Especially if they lead to a just and lasting peace. But this momentary relief cannot make us forget the chaos, the destruction, and the lives lost," Sánchez said in a social media post, according to a translation.
"The Government of Spain will not applaud those who set the world on fire just because they show up with a bucket."
Sánchez, who has emerged as one of the European Union's leading critics of U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran, called for "diplomacy, international law and PEACE" to prevail.

I can't imagine any US president in post-WWII era being insulted like that.  And from our ally Spain.  But this is what Chump has fostered with his attacks and his bullying.  He's treated the world as though it doesn't matter and now he's getting the same treatment back.  



But the two-week cease-fire leaves the Islamic Republic in place and still in command of the future of the Strait of Hormuz, with Iran’s nuclear stockpile and ballistic missile program unresolved. After Mr. Trump’s declaration of victory, however hollow, it is difficult to imagine a resumption of full-scale war.

For the rest of the world, the war “is starting to look like a military defeat, more serious than Iraq or Afghanistan,” said Bruno Maçães, former secretary of state for European affairs for Portugal.

“The myth of America as all-powerful is important,” he added, “and it’s the basic requirement of a global hegemon to keep the oil flowing, to open up the strait and keep it open. This belief in an all-powerful America that can solve anything is disappearing.”

Keeping sea lanes open for American goods and global trade is one of the few permanent interests the United States has in the Middle East, as well as in Asia.

The war in Iran shut down the strait. Now, the Iranian military is still in control of the passageway and is likely to demand large tolls. “The strategic rationale for the American military presence in the region has taken a huge hit,” said Stephen Wertheim, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment in Washington.


The US looks like a crazed lunatic and a loser thanks to Chump.  And Iran?  As Charles P. Pierce points out at ESQUIRE:

Iran walks away with more than it had in the previous agreement it struck with the Obama administration. Israel is still firing missiles into Iran, to say nothing of laying waste to half of Lebanon. Iran maintains control of the Strait of Hormuz. Indeed, the deal turns the strait into an Iranian tollbooth. I think we’re lucky that Iran doesn’t now own half of Montana. On the other hand, Pete Hegseth thinks the whole thing is/was a masterstroke:

This morning, a big day for world peace. Iran wants it to happen. They’ve had enough. Operation Epic Fury was a historic and overwhelming victory on the battlefield. A capital V.
And JD Vance, fresh off canoodling with Viktor Orbán and still cosplaying Urban II in Budapest, emphasized that the U.S. is not kidding around this time. No sir. Not us. Uh-uhhh. 


June 23rd, Jonathan Swan and Maggie Haberman's REGIME CHANGE is released.  It's about Chump's second term thus far.  The two reporters for THE NEW YORK TIMES have written "How Trump Took the U.S. to War With Iran" which is based on their book and which THE TIMES published Monday.  Interesting details in the piece.  Most interesting?  Tulsi Gabbard, the Director of National Intelligence, was not present when Netanyahu made his case for war.  We'll note this part because it's been repeated in the media and it was always wrong: 

The Israelis also raised the prospect of Iranian Kurdish fighters crossing the border from Iraq to open a ground front in the northwest, further stretching the regime’s forces and accelerating its collapse.
[. . .]
The intelligence officials had deep expertise in U.S. military capabilities, and they knew the Iranian system and its players inside out. They had broken down Mr. Netanyahu’s presentation into four parts. First was decapitation — killing the ayatollah. Second was crippling Iran’s capacity to project power and threaten its neighbors. Third was a popular uprising inside Iran. And fourth was regime change, with a secular leader installed to govern the country.

The U.S. officials assessed that the first two objectives were achievable with American intelligence and military power. They assessed that the third and fourth parts of Mr. Netanyahu’s pitch, which included the possibility of the Kurds mounting a ground invasion of Iran, were detached from reality.


The Kurds in Iraq were never going to mount an invasion.  As we noted here repeatedly -- often noting the Talabni's extreme closeness to the Iranian government -- that was not going to happen.  The two ruling dynasties in the Kurdistan are both close to the government of Iran and have been for years.  Many fools in the US media repeated this claim -- from US anonymice whispers or Israeli anonymice whispers, I don't know -- and it was never viable.  

Back to the article:

When Mr. Trump joined the meeting, Mr. Ratcliffe briefed him on the assessment. The C.I.A. director used one word to describe the Israeli prime minister’s regime change scenarios: “farcical.”
At that point, Mr. Rubio cut in. “In other words, it’s bullshit,” he said.

Mr. Ratcliffe added that given the unpredictability of events in any conflict, regime change could happen, but it should not be considered an achievable objective.

Several others jumped in, including Mr. Vance, just back from Azerbaijan, who also expressed strong skepticism about the prospect of regime change.

The president then turned to General Caine. “General, what do you think?”

General Caine replied: “Sir, this is, in my experience, standard operating procedure for the Israelis. They oversell, and their plans are not always well-developed. They know they need us, and that’s why they’re hard-selling.”

Mr. Trump quickly weighed the assessment. Regime change, he said, would be “their problem.” It was unclear whether he was referring to the Israelis or the Iranian people. But the bottom line was that his decision on whether to go to war against Iran would not hinge on whether Parts 3 and 4 of Mr. Netanyahu’s presentation were achievable.



Let's wind down with this from Senator Elizabeth Warren's office:

Text of Letter (PDF)

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), along with Representative Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.) and Representative Troy Carter (D-La.), pressed the Inspectors General of the Departments of Homeland Security (DHS) and State to open an investigation into the Trump administration’s attempts to deport people to countries they have no ties to.

“We request that your offices evaluate the Trump Administration’s unlawful and costly system of “third-country removals”...Congress and the public deserve answers to better understand the scale of legal violations within this system that was recently ruled unconstitutional,” wrote the lawmakers.

Since President Trump took office for a second time, his administration has deported hundreds of people, including children, long-time U.S. residents, and individuals with no criminal records, to countries they are not from and that were not designated for their removal, which U.S. immigration law only allows in rare circumstances. Deportees are being sent to these countries without proper due process, and in some cases without being provided an opportunity to voice concerns that their life or freedom would be in danger in that third country. To persuade countries to accept deportees, the Trump Administration has used a combination of threats and payments, including paying $32 million to El Salvador, Rwanda, Eswatini, Equatorial Guinea, and Palau.

In September 2025, Senator Warren led over 60 members of Congress in launching an investigation into these practices. Despite the serious implications of third-country removals, both State and Homeland Security have failed to comply with the requests made as part of that investigation.

On February 25, 2026, a federal court ruled that this third-country removal system violates the U.S. Constitution and immigration law. Even so, DHS’s 2025 guidance regarding third country removals — which do not appear to have been updated since the February 2026 court ruling — claim the Department can deport individuals to third countries with no individualized process whatsoever.

Many people first learn that they are being deported to a third country while on the flight overseas. Even when a country has not credibly promised to refrain from torture or persecution, DHS still generally gives individuals only 24 hours’ notice that they will be deported to a particular country, with no guaranteed opportunity to speak with an attorney. To make matters worse, some DHS attorneys have reportedly threatened asylum seekers that they may be deported to third countries in order to pressure them to abandon their asylum claims and accept deportation to their home countries.

Some people deported to third countries have reported torture, arbitrary detention, and forced return to their countries of origin where courts have found they are likely to face persecution, and other human rights violations.

“Such reports cast serious doubt on DoS’s process, if one exists, of verifying the reliability of countries’ assertions that they will not torture or persecute deportees, or transport them onward to other countries where they’re likely to face torture or persecution,” wrote the lawmakers.

Meanwhile, the Administration is continuing to execute third-country deportations. As of early March, ICE had over 500 people in its custody slated for third-country deportations, and DHS signaled that it had its sights on deporting over 8,000 people to third countries.

The lawmakers asked that Inspectors General’s investigation include the administration’s failure to follow due process, negotiations with foreign governments, evaluating the risk of torture and persecution, and the cost of third-country deportations.

Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Jackie Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) signed on to this letter.

Representatives Donald Beyer (D-Va.), Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.), Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), Dwight Evans (D-Pa.), John Garamendi (D-Calif.), Jesús García (D-Ill.), Sylvia Garcia (D-Texas), Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.), Jahana Hayes (D-Conn.), Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.), Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), and Adam Smith (D-Wash.) signed on to this letter.

###




The following sites updated:


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