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25-04-2025
- Politics
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Unpacking the State Department Overhaul
From the The Morning Dispatch on The Dispatch Happy Friday! In case you missed it, we're offering $50 off Dispatch Premium memberships with the promo code SCOTUSBLOG. Join today! Pakistani and Indian troops exchanged fire along the line of control separating the two countries overnight, three days after separatist gunmen killed 26 people in Indian-ruled Kashmir. The cross-border fire, which Indian military officials accused Pakistan of initiating, came as both countries moved to revoke visas for one another's citizens, ordering them to leave in the coming days. Also this week, India closed a primary border crossing and terminated a 65-year-old water-sharing treaty with Pakistan. A separatist group known as the Resistance Front took credit for the Tuesday terrorist attack, which India alleged contained 'Pakistani elements.' New Delhi has long accused Pakistan of arming militants to carry out terrorist attacks—charges Islamabad denies. President Donald Trump said Thursday that he was 'not happy' with Russia's overnight missile and drone barrage on Kyiv, which killed at least 12 people and injured more than 90 others to become the most fatal airstrike on Ukraine's capital since July 2024. 'Vladimir, STOP!' Trump wrote on Truth Social, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin. '5000 soldiers a week are dying. Lets [sic] get the Peace Deal DONE!' A day earlier, Trump criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for his refusal to recognize Russia's occupation and annexation of the Crimean peninsula, saying his insistence 'will do nothing but prolong the 'killing field.'' A Russian military court on Thursday sentenced Ivan Popov—a former Russian commander who criticized senior military leaders after he was removed from his post—to five years in a penal colony after finding him guilty of large-scale fraud. After his dismissal in July 2023, Popov sent a voice memo to his troops claiming he had been pushed out for highlighting the military's poor reconnaissance capabilities and the high number of casualties—remarks that were later made public. Speaking to Russian state media, Popov's lawyer indicated plans to appeal the ruling, which supporters denounced as politically motivated. U.S. District Court Judge Stephanie Gallagher ruled on Thursday that the Trump administration must issue a 'good faith request' to the El Salvadoran government for the return of a 20-year-old Venezuelan man, identified only under the pseudonym 'Cristian,' who the White House deported to the El Salvador's megaprison last month over his alleged involvement in the Tren de Aragua gang. Cristian initially entered the U.S. illegally as an unaccompanied minor, and, in 2019, was one of four plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit against the government seeking temporary protection from deportation. A settlement reached in 2024 established that all four could not be removed until their asylum applications were processed. The White House argued that Cristian's alleged gang connection breached the settlement, but Gallagher ruled that the settlement's text made no such stipulation and that all four were protected from deportation. U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly ruled on Thursday that Trump's executive order on securing election integrity cannot require voters to present documentary proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections. 'Our Constitution entrusts Congress and the states—not the president—with the authority to regulate federal elections,' Kollar-Kotelly wrote in a 120-page opinion, adding that 'Congress is currently debating legislation that would effect many of the changes the president purports to order,' a reference to the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, which recently passed the House but reportedly faces an uphill battle in the Senate. Other provisions in Trump's March 25 executive order on elections, including increasing oversight into the security of electronic voting tabulators and prosecution of election law violations, are allowed to remain in effect. In his first speech from the State Department's Washington, D.C., headquarters in January, Secretary of State Marco Rubio praised the distinguished work of its employees. 'This is an extraordinary honor and a privilege to serve in this role,' he said. 'To oversee the greatest, the most effective, the most talented, the most experienced diplomatic corps in the history of the world.' But just three months later, he's striking an altogether different tone. 'We will drain the bloated, bureaucratic swamp, empowering the Department from the ground up,' Rubio wrote on State's official Substack on Tuesday, announcing plans to overhaul the agency. He outlined a significant consolidation of several departments and bureaus, singling out offices—including the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, and the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration—that he accused of '[pushing] through their own agenda.' 'The American people deserve a State Department willing and able to advance their safety, security, and prosperity around the world, one respectful of their tax dollars and the sacred trust of government service,' Rubio concluded. Reorganizing the State Department is not an unusual step for a new secretary of state to take—most previous secretaries have sought to put their stamp, and the president's, on their department. But Rubio's move may be part of the battle taking place behind the scenes of the administration in dozens of different areas: the clash between the cost-cutting ambitions of the Department of Government Efficiency and career politicians like Rubio who generally want to reshape, not just radically reduce, the size and scope of the federal government. Rubio's announcement was only the first part of the plan, and weeks or months will pass before the full details emerge. But the main thrust of the initiative, as shown in the announcement statement and an organizational chart posted to the State Department's official website, is clear: a leaner, meaner, and markedly less 'woke' agency. There are two main structural components of Rubio's plan. Firstly, the secretary is looking to take a side in a longstanding State Department balancing act between regional and 'functional' bureaus. Regional bureaus are exactly what they sound like, focusing on geographical areas—take the Bureau of African Affairs and the Bureau of Near East Affairs, for example. Functional bureaus focus on specific policy areas, like the Bureau of Global Health Diplomacy and Security. Rubio aims to concentrate more policymaking power in the heads of regional bureaus, which 'will now have the tools necessary to advance America's interests abroad because region-specific functions will be streamlined to increase functionality.' In non-bureaucratic language, that means that different bureaus will, at least in theory, be less likely to step on each other's toes. For example, the secretary announced that all non-security foreign assistance, such as food aid and democracy promotion, will be 'consolidated' under regional bureaus, rather than functional ones. For many foreign policy experts, efforts to streamline some of the State Department's functions are a welcome change. 'State has always had the geographic bureaus as its center of gravity,' Kori Schake, the director of foreign and defense policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute and a former official in the State Department, National Security Council, and Department of Defense, told TMD. 'The functional bureaus often don't think regionally enough,' she added. But others argue that Rubio could be too optimistic about the ability of regional bureaus to quickly adapt to their new role. 'They primarily focus on the business of the embassies,' said Frederick Barton, a lecturer at Princeton's School of Public and International Affairs and the first assistant secretary of state for conflict and stabilization operations under President Barack Obama (a position which is slated to be eliminated). Dealing with emergent situations like ethnic conflict or corruption, which are often handled by functional bureaus, might be difficult for diplomats used to working closely with foreign governments to handle. 'Those are awkward issues to raise in a country, and so striking that balance has always been sought by a secretary of state,' Barton told TMD. But Rubio appears convinced that paring down the department is the best strategy. The Bureaus of Conflict and Stabilization Operations, the Office of Global Women's Issues, and the Office of Global Criminal Justice will all be eliminated. And offices dedicated to arms control, energy, and human trafficking will be merged with existing bureaus. It's clear, however, that the move isn't solely about cutting down on bureaucratic turf wars. This is where the second goal of the plan, eliminating entrenched progressivism, comes in. Many of the offices that were eliminated or downgraded in status were those overseen by the under secretary for civilian security, human rights, and democracy. This 'expansive domain,' Rubio said, 'provided a fertile environment for activists to redefine 'human rights' and 'democracy.'' The secretary claimed that the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, for example, had pursued 'vendettas' against ''anti-woke'' politicians in Hungary, Brazil, and Poland. Meanwhile, he accused the Bureau of Population, Human Rights, and Migration of funnelling 'millions of taxpayer dollars' to groups that 'facilitated mass migration around the world.' Democratic members of Congress, meanwhile, characterized the reforms as another example of executive overreach. Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York, the ranking Democratic member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, condemned the 'potentially sweeping changes' and called for Rubio to testify immediately before Congress. 'Secretary Rubio's proposed reorganization of the State Department, developed with zero consultation with Congress, raises significant concerns about the future of American diplomacy,' Meeks said in a Tuesday statement, arguing that the State Department was abandoning the defense of human rights and democracy and 'eviscerating American soft power.' Meeks may be right that Congress will eventually have to be consulted on the moves. According to some former State officials, the cuts risk eliminating positions and departments that are mandated by Congress. In order to get rid of these programs, Rubio may have to seek congressional approval, although there are no indications as of yet that he intends to do so. Earlier this year, Rubio oversaw the effective dismantling of the United States Agency for Aid and International Development, which was codified by Congress in 1998. Schake, however, noted that it was 'fair' for a secretary of state to attempt to ensure that the federal department's operations reflect a president's agenda. There is sometimes 'a belief at State that they are the guardians of American foreign policy,' she told TMD. 'We would never tolerate that [view] from the Pentagon.' And a pared-down version of proposals to reform the department appears to have won out. Last week, the New York Times reported on leaked internal memos from the State Department, which outlined plans to potentially cut the agency's budget by nearly half, with a particular target on funds earmarked for humanitarian assistance. Another draft executive order, also reported on by the Times, envisioned shutting down almost all of the State Department's operations in Africa. The flurry of conflicting proposals may represent fluid and shifting debates within the State Department and the White House, driven in large part by the Department of Government Efficiency's drive to drastically reduce the size of the federal workforce. Rubio's plan would close or consolidate more than 100 of the State Department's roughly 700 offices and bureaus and cut about 700 positions of a total departmental workforce of nearly 80,000. It's not nearly as drastic as early leaks, although embassy closures and further firings are not off the table as the reorganization proceeds. Rubio, who has sought to defend his department from the more extreme reforms of Elon Musk, DOGE's leader, appears to have won at least a temporary reprieve. But as the secretary of state attempts to leave his mark on his department while also managing brewing and existing crises in Ukraine, the Middle East, and Asia, he will need to lean on the institutional knowledge of existing staffers. Working with, rather than against, the State Department will be how Rubio ensures that his reforms are effective and lasting, analysts noted. Too often, 'they [administration officials] act like the government is working against them, instead of using people who actually know the system' and genuinely 'want positive change,' Schake said. 'I've seen people waste all of their energy on reorganizations,' Barton cautioned. 'It totally destabilizes institutions, and then you can't get anything done.' Rubio, like much of the rest of the Trump administration, is betting that his reorganization will revitalize, rather than hamstring, the State Department. He wrote Tuesday that the American people deserve a State Department 'prepared to meet the immense challenges of the 21st Century.' We will see if he can deliver one. Michael Warren It was a long and winding road after losing a primary bid for a U.S. Senate seat from Minnesota in 2012, but Pete Hegseth has (for now at least) leapfrogged back into politics after being denied all those years ago. He's not alone. Hegseth is only one member of the second Trump administration to have been plucked from the pantheon of electoral duds and given a second lease on political life. From the Cabinet all the way to high-profile White House aides, there are failed candidates for major office who might have otherwise toiled for years in obscurity or, even worse, local politics if not for Trump's magnanimity. Contrary to the president's boasted affection for winners, it's loyalty to Trump, sometimes even in the face of defeat, that remains the most valuable characteristic for a Republican looking to get ahead these days. Policy April 24, 2025 Nick Catoggio How Trump's Ukraine peace plan resembles his trade war. Politics April 25, 2025 Kevin D. Williamson This moment is what all that money is for. Politics April 25, 2025 Matthew J. Franck If nominated, I will consent to be elected, but don't expect me to do much else. Politics April 25, 2025 Charles Hilu To reach its spending cut requirements, the GOP must target a popular social program. Fact Check April 24, 2025 Peter Gattuso The drug is approved only for treating parasitic diseases. Podcast April 25, 2025 Jonah Goldberg, Steve Hayes, Sarah Isgur, and David French 'A lot of people in politics don't believe in anything.' Podcast April 24, 2025 Sarah Isgur and David French The Dispatch is well-positioned to become the definitive source for authoritative reporting and analysis of the Supreme Court. Yesterday, as the world observed Holocaust Remembrance Day, the Times of Israel's Zev Stub interviewed 99-year-old Michael Smuss, the last known living fighter from the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. 'On the first day of the uprising, the Jewish resistance caught the Germans completely off guard. 'We had some Polish Jews who had previously fought in the army against Germany, and they thought of everything,' Smuss said. 'They were shooting from the balconies with the Italian Berettas, protected by helmets and beds they had set up as shields. When the Germans spread out over the ghetto, they were sitting ducks. Their leaders had no idea what to do. It was a perfect ambush,'' Stub wrote. 'Smuss continues to speak to groups about the horrors he saw during the Holocaust and to serve as an inspiration for others. 'I've dedicated my life to helping to make sure this never happens again,' he said. 'I've gone to Poland with students many times, and I continue to speak about it.' … 'During the Shoah, we didn't have an army of our own. Today, we have a country with God watching over us and an air force protecting us. I'm very grateful for that.'' For Public Books, Harry Stecopoulos profiled America's literary Mecca: Iowa City, Iowa. 'Iowa City is the place where contemporary English literature matters more than anywhere else on earth. The home of arguably the world's most famous MFA program, Iowa City has authors' plaques embedded in the sidewalk (yes, our streets are paved in literary gold), over 100 literary readings per year, and roughly 1,000 writers—young and old, town and gown—in a community of 75,000. No surprise, then, that in 2008 Iowa City was named a UNESCO City of Literature,' he wrote. 'If we want to keep these communities dynamic, we should work hard to keep them weird. Places like Iowa City often have scandalous reputations, particularly when embedded in red states. Yet that reputation sometimes stems not from bacchanalian excess, but rather from a refusal to accept the status quo. Ensuring that our college towns remain places of real not rote learning, of innovative education not AI simulation, means encouraging their residents, within and without the university, to forge ahead, push the limit, break through.' New York Times: [Former New York GOP Rep.] George Santos, Facing a Possible 87 Months in Prison, Is Out of Jokes 'Right now, my expectation is I'm going to prison for 87 months,' he said flatly when reached by phone on Wednesday. 'I'm totally resigned.' Gone was the pugnacious rhetoric and quick wit that became part of his mystique as he lied his way to Congress, his deceits leading to criminal fraud and a guilty plea. Instead, Mr. Santos was disconsolate and bitter. 'I came to this world alone. I will deal with it alone, and I will go out alone,' he said. ABC News: DOJ Accidentally Files Document Outlining Flaws With Trump Administration's Plan To Kill NYC Congestion Pricing Lawyers with the Department of Justice accidentally filed a document overnight that outlined a series of legal flaws with the Trump administration's plan to kill New York City's congestion pricing tolls. In an 11-page letter to the Department of Transportation, lawyers with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York wrote that Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy's attempt to terminate congestion pricing faces 'considerable litigation risk' and is 'unlikely' to be accepted by the court. NBC News: 'Trump 2028' Apparel on Sale at the Trump Organization's Online Store Comedian Nathan Fielder's latest project, HBO's The Rehearsal, debuted its second season this week. The show's premise? Stage meticulously planned 'rehearsal' scenarios of real-life events, and have real people act them out as practice for the real thing. Do you think the United States needs more or less presence overseas?
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Legal Challenges Brew for Trump's Tariffs
From the The Morning Dispatch on The Dispatch Happy Wednesday! Attention Dispatch Premium members: We're hosting our Dispatch Premium Town Hall tonight at 8 p.m. ET to preview our forthcoming staff editorial. If you'd like to attend this special live town hall, be sure to join Dispatch Premium before tonight's event! Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed Monday that Ukrainian troops were fighting in the Belgorod region of Russia, which borders Ukraine. 'We continue to carry out active operations in the border areas on enemy territory,' he said, adding that the operations were aimed at easing pressure on other parts of the front line. Zelensky's statement marked his first public acknowledgment of the limited offensive, which began in late March. Russian state sources had previously claimed that attempted Ukrainian advances in the region had been repelled. Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Zelensky said Ukrainian forces had captured two Chinese nationals fighting on behalf of Russia in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region. Stocks continued to fall Tuesday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average down 0.8 percent, the S&P 5oo declining by 1.6 percent, and the Nasdaq Composite dropping 2.2 percent. Short-lived gains in the morning were dashed as the administration doubled down on its tariff rollout. Appearing before the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the duties would take effect Wednesday despite ongoing negotiations with trading partners. Meanwhile, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed plans to impose 104 percent levies on all Chinese goods effective today. President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed four executive orders aimed at reviving coal production in the United States. The orders directed the federal government to allow coal leasing on public land, keep some coal plants that had been set for retirement open, and order agencies to assess how coal could be used to meet rising energy demands from artificial intelligence data centers. As a percentage of U.S. power generation, coal—the most polluting fossil fuel—has declined from nearly 50 percent in 2011 to 15 percent in 2024. The Trump administration froze $1 billion in federal funding to Cornell University and $790 million to Northwestern University on Tuesday, a month after launching civil rights investigations into both schools. Speaking to the New York Times, two unnamed U.S. officials said the pause comes mostly from grants and contracts with the Departments of Health and Human Services, Education, Defense, and Agriculture. The Justice Department is investigating both universities—along with several other schools, including Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, and Brown—over allegations of widespread antisemitism on campus. U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden, a Trump appointee, ruled Tuesday that the White House must fully reinstate the Associated Press to its press pool. The Trump administration began barring AP reporters from press events in February, after the news agency refused to change its style guide to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the 'Gulf of America.' In a 41-page decision, McFadden wrote that the AP's ban constituted a 'brazen' violation of the First Amendment: 'Under the First Amendment, if the Government opens its doors to some journalists—be it to the Oval Office, the East Room, or elsewhere—it cannot then shut those doors to other journalists because of their viewpoints. The Constitution requires no less.' The Supreme Court on Tuesday halted an order from U.S. District Judge William Alsup that would have required the White House to reinstate 16,000 probationary workers fired across multiple federal agencies. In an unsigned order, seven justices said that the environmental groups and nonprofits that brought the lawsuit lacked the legal standing to sue. Justices Ketanji Brown Jackson and Sonia Sotomayor declined to join in the order, which did not address the broader legal questions surrounding the Trump administration's sweeping layoffs. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Tuesday announced plans to launch a primary challenge against Republican Sen. John Cornyn, who has served in the upper chamber since 2002. Paxton was impeached by the Texas House of Representatives in 2023 but later acquitted by the state Senate. A securities fraud case against him was dismissed in 2024 after he agreed to pay restitution and perform community service. 'I'm announcing that I'm running for U.S. Senate against John Cornyn, who apparently is running again for his fifth term, which would put him there three decades,' he told Fox News Tuesday. 'It's definitely time for a change in Texas.' The markets have continued to sour on President Donald Trump's tariffs on nearly all imports to the United States. Major stock indices have been on successive roller coasters of daily trading, reacting positively to indications the president might relent but then quickly falling after Trump signals he plans to stay his course. Wall Street CEOs have begun publicly voicing criticisms. Even Elon Musk reportedly urged Trump over the weekend to reverse the duties, and he's begun using Peter Navarro—the senior counselor for trade and manufacturing to the president—as an online punching bag. But the president has forged ahead with a tariff regime that, if continued, could constitute the largest tax increase in more than 40 years. Trump threatened Monday to bring tariffs on imports from China up to a whopping 104 percent, a threat the White House followed through on as of 12:01 this morning. During a speech at a National Republican Congressional Committee dinner last night, the president also said he would soon levy additional tariffs on pharmaceuticals. Now, court challenges backed by some conservative legal groups are gaining steam. On Thursday, the New Civil Liberties Alliance (NCLA), a nonprofit legal advocacy group supported by Federalist Society co-chairman Leonard Leo, filed a lawsuit on behalf of a Florida-based stationary company, Simplified, that relies on materials imported from China. The lawsuit alleges the Trump administration's earlier batch of tariffs in February—which imposed a 10 percent duty on all Chinese imports and 25 percent tariffs on Mexican and Canadian imports—were unconstitutional. For that first round of tariffs, as well as last week's 'Liberation Day' measures, Trump relied on the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA)—a 1977 law empowering the president to scrutinize foreign entities and financial transactions, including by imposing sanctions, when dealing with a national emergency. The president cited the synthetic opioid supply chain from China as the national emergency justifying across-the-board tariffs on Chinese imports. But the NCLA argues that IEEPA does not delegate any tariff power to the executive. 'That is a statute that authorizes presidents to order sanctions as a rapid response to international emergencies,' the group noted in its filing. 'It does not allow a president to impose tariffs on the American people.' The lawsuit may have a point: Nowhere in IEEPA is tariff or taxation power mentioned, though presidents have used the law to impose sanctions on countries or freeze financial assets. Former President Joe Biden used IEEPA authority to institute a sweeping sanctions regime on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine. And during his first term, Trump used IEEPA to freeze the assets of a Venezuelan state-owned oil company providing funds to the Maduro regime. Before February, however, no president had ever used the act to impose tariffs. According to Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution, Congress holds the tariff power, which it has partially delegated to the president in a handful of laws. Trump took advantage of this delegated authority to implement tariffs on things like steel, aluminum, solar panels, and washing machines during his first term. But those laws circumscribe the president's exercise of tariff power, limiting the scope and criteria of allowable duties imposed by the executive branch. For example, the Trade Act of 1974 allows the executive to impose tariffs on imports that threaten national security, while the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 allows for tariffs in response to other countries' violation of trade agreements. 'In each of these instances, the Congress has required that various procedures be followed, that investigations into the specific products, practices or countries be conducted, and that certain factual findings be made before tariffs can be imposed,' Jennifer Hillman, a Georgetown law professor who focuses on international trade, explained in a February brief on Trump's tariffs. Under these laws, duties can't be imposed in a day simply at the whim of the president—it took the better part of the year to follow the statutorily designated processes and fact-finding required for the first Trump administration's tariffs. The Simplified lawsuit argues that Trump's novel interpretation of IEEPA threatens all of Congress' tariff authority: 'If the president is permitted to use the IEEPA to bypass the statutory scheme for tariffs, the president will have nearly unlimited authority to commandeer Congress's power over tariffs.' NCLA also argues that even if IEEPA authorizes some tariffs, Trump's measures would still exceed the restrictions of the law since it limits presidential actions to those 'necessary' to address the emergency. 'The means of an across-the-board tariff does not fit the end of stopping an influx of opioids, and is in no sense 'necessary' to that stated purpose,' NCLA stated, noting that Trump has said publicly the tariffs' purposes involve unrelated policy goals like generating revenue for the federal government. Legal observers see the administration's interpretation of IEEPA as such a stretch that it could run afoul of the Supreme Court's major questions doctrine. The doctrine holds that if the executive is seeking to use congressionally delegated power on an issue of major national significance, then that power must be clearly specified in the authorizing statute. And if tariffs on the hundreds of billions of dollars in annual U.S. imports from China are an issue of national significance, Trump's subsequent tariffs on nearly all imports are exponentially so. 'Here, there is no question that this is a major question,' Ilya Somin, a law professor at George Mason University, told TMD. 'It's more of a massive thing than any of the other measures the Supreme Court has struck down because they're major questions, like Biden's student loan forgiveness program. That was pretty big, but this is even bigger.' Somin is working with the Justice Liberty Center, a conservative nonprofit law firm, to recruit plaintiffs to file a challenge to Trump's 'Liberation Day' bevy of tariffs. 'We are still in the stage of recruiting plaintiffs and making agreements with them, but it is likely we will be done with that soon,' he said, 'and at that point, we will bring our case.' While Somin said he believes the China tariffs at issue in the Simplified suit are also illegal, he argued the broader tariffs that he plans to challenge are even more glaringly unconstitutional. 'The 'Liberation Day' declaration is not about fentanyl,' Somin said. 'Rather, it's about the idea that bilateral trade deficits are somehow a national emergency.' 'We say there's no actual emergency because bilateral trade deficits are not some kind of unexpected crisis,' he added. 'There's no extraordinary or unusual threat.' Beyond the legal arguments, Somin also emphasized the practical significance of the president's use of IEEPA going unchallenged: 'If he can tariff any country to any degree he wants for any reason, any time he wants, then effectively, the word of the United States and a trade agreement is no good.' John McCormack When Gavin Newsom was waging his primary bid to be California's governor, he promised voters on the campaign trail in December 2017: 'You're going to have the opportunity to elect the next head of the resistance.' After steamrolling his Democratic and Republican opponents in 2018, Newsom governed with exactly that vision in mind. Politics April 8, 2025 Nick Catoggio Chris Sununu and 2028. World Events April 9, 2025 Cliff Smith USAID cuts hinder Ukrainian efforts to facilitate media coverage and counter propaganda. Politics April 9, 2025 Jonah Goldberg The markets don't lie. Podcast April 9, 2025 Jonah Goldberg That Scott Lincicome is so hot right now! Podcast April 8, 2025 Sarah Isgur and David French Plus: Can the president fire federal probationary employees? Writing for The Atlantic, Jonathan Chait took Democrats to task for their reluctance to attack President Donald Trump's tariff policies head-on. 'At some point, Trump might backtrack on his trade war or pivot to a completely different set of policy obsessions. Perhaps by 2028, Democratic voters will be focused on bringing back Social Security or ending the war in Greenland. But to the extent that the tariffs define Trump's economic mismanagement, a modulated stance on tariffs is going to become awkward for Democrats,' he wrote. 'Not long ago, the political logic of rejecting free trade made a certain degree of sense for Democrats. But events have a way of changing political logic. A trade-skeptical message that worked perfectly well five or 10 years ago is going to sound awfully out of touch after Trump is done turning tariffs into a synonym for catastrophic ineptitude.' The Economist examined the emerging face-off between Israel and Turkey in Syria, as the two powers seek to expand their influence in the war-shattered country: 'Israel is worried by the scale of Turkey's involvement in Syria, including its plans to set up military bases and supply the new government's fledgling army with weapons. Turkey fears that Israel wants to see Syria implode, or break apart. Each accuses the other of preparing to wage war by proxy. … Israel and Turkey also disagree about governance. Israeli officials have openly suggested a federal model for Syria, whereby different minorities, including the Kurds and the Alawites (a Muslim sect from which the Assads hail), would enjoy extensive autonomy. The recent massacres of hundreds of Alawite civilians by armed groups loyal to Syria's new rulers, they argue, show that [Ahmed al-Sharaa] cannot be trusted. Mr Sharaa and his Turkish allies have had a wholly different system in mind: a strong central government headed by a president with sweeping executive powers.' New York Times: Chinese Intelligence May Be Trying to Recruit Fired U.S. Officials The National Counterintelligence and Security Center warned on Tuesday that China's intelligence services were using deceptive efforts to recruit current and former U.S. government employees. … The American government has long said that China uses social networks to secretly recruit people. But former U.S. officials say China now sees an opportunity as the Trump administration shuts down agencies, fires probationary employees and pushes out people who had worked on diversity issues. NewsNation: Stephen A. Smith Considering 2028 Presidential Run Florida beat Houston in the NCAA Championship Monday night in an instant classic, ending with the heartbreaking conclusion we've come to expect from March Madness. Gators fans went to bed happy. Cougars fans? Well, you can probably guess from that last possession. Do you think the groups challenging the Trump administration's tariffs have a strong case?
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Turmoil in the Big Apple
From the The Morning Dispatch on The Dispatch Happy Friday! It's safe to say it's been a busy month in Washington. As we seek to cover the turbulent early days of the new administration, we encourage you to check out Dispatch Premium. Premium members unlock our best perks—uninterrupted access to our reporting and podcasts, deeper reporting and analysis, and exclusive ways to engage with our team of reporters and editors. Dispatch Premium includes three annual memberships, ad-free reading and listening, VIP access to events, and more. You can click here to join! The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed Friday morning that the group of murdered hostages Hamas handed over earlier this week included Oded Lifshitz and brothers Ariel and Kfir Bibas. However, forensic scientists were not able to identify a fourth body, which Hamas had claimed was Shiri Bibas, the children's mother. The IDF described the revelation as a 'very serious violation' of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Palestinian terrorist organization. Israeli authorities also concluded that Ariel and Kfir—just 4 years old and 9 months old at the time of their abduction from their Nir Oz home—were 'brutally murdered' by terrorists in November 2023, not killed in an Israeli airstrike as Hamas claimed. Israel halted public transportation nationwide on Thursday after three buses across the Tel Aviv area exploded in a suspected terrorist attack. No injuries were reported as a result of the bombs, which detonated in empty vehicles. Police later recovered two unexploded devices on buses nearby. Responding to the apparent coordinated attacks on Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu directed the IDF to carry out a 'massive operation' in the West Bank, where Israeli troops have in recent weeks been conducting frequent raids against terrorist cells. The Department of Homeland Security on Thursday revoked Temporary Protected Status for Haitians living in the U.S., putting an estimated 520,000 immigrants—many of whom fled rampant gang violence in their home country—at risk of deportation in August. The move reversed the Biden administration's effort last year to extend the protections until February 2026. In a statement announcing the change, a DHS spokeswoman said the status had been 'abused and exploited' by illegal immigrants for decades. The administration is 'returning TPS to its original status: temporary,' she added. A federal judge determined on Thursday that the Trump administration had not fully complied with his court order pausing a 90-day freeze on the disbursement of foreign aid. In the ruling, U.S. District Judge Amir Ali directed the State Department and Office of Management and Budget to 'immediately cease' its continuation of the blanket suspension of foreign assistance but stopped short of holding Trump officials in contempt for violating the temporary restraining order. A federal judge on Thursday denied an effort by five labor unions to block the Trump administration from ordering mass firings across the federal government. In the ruling, U.S. District Judge Christopher R. Cooper, who was appointed by former President Barack Obama, indicated that while he sympathized with the unions' argument, the court 'likely lack[ed] the subject matter jurisdiction' to halt the executive order calling for 'large-scale reductions' in the federal workforce. The judge said the case should be taken to the Federal Labor Relations Authority, which handles federal labor disputes. The Senate voted 51-49 on Thursday to confirm Kash Patel as director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with Republican Sens. Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski joining Democrats to oppose his bid. A Trump loyalist, Patel will lead the FBI amid the administration's efforts to purge the federal agency. His nomination raised concerns among Democratic lawmakers, who argued Patel's past embrace of 'deep state' conspiracy theories could lead him to wield his authority as FBI director—a position theoretically shielded from political considerations—to seek retribution against Trump's perceived rivals. Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky—the upper chamber's longest-serving party leader in history—announced on Thursday that he won't seek reelection next year, capping off a 40-year career in Congress. McConnell, 83, stepped down from his leadership position last year and has recently suffered several health challenges. His announcement set off early Republican jockeying for the seat in solidly red Kentucky; Rep. Andy Barr, former state Attorney General Daniel Cameron, and businessman Nate Morris have all signaled their interest in a Senate run. Speaking before Maranatha Baptist Church in Queens on Sunday, embattled New York City Mayor Eric Adams likened himself to the biblical figure of Lazarus, whom Jesus brought back from the dead in the Gospel of John. 'I've got a mission to finish,' he said. 'I am going nowhere.' But while Adams has (somewhat miraculously) survived his fair share of corruption scandals and legal challenges, we'd hardly consider President Donald Trump a messianic figure. Last week, acting U.S. Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove ordered prosecutors to drop federal corruption charges against the Democratic mayor—a move that plunged New York City Hall into chaos and set off a nearly unprecedented power struggle at the Department of Justice. And he appears determined to plow ahead despite bipartisan opposition to the order, which would allow Adams to effectively sidestep charges of conspiracy, wire fraud, and soliciting and accepting a bribe. Bove has repeatedly said that the federal judge overseeing the case, Dale C. Ho, has little power to stop the Justice Department from dropping the case, while New York Governor Kathy Hochul has signaled that she's currently unwilling to use her authority to remove Adams. And although state and local authorities may step in to continue the corruption investigation, experts warn that the DOJ's push to drop the high-profile case—which detractors said amounted to quid pro quo—could have far-reaching repercussions for the rule of law. Adams, who once declared himself 'the future of the Democratic Party,' took office in 2021. And it's been a bumpy ride ever since. The mayor and his administration are now facing a series of corruption scandals dating back years. Several members of his administration have already resigned as the result of the allegations—which range from running straw donor rings to selling access to city contracts and extorting money from restaurant owners facing noise complaints—and because of the alleged quid pro quo. But the federal corruption case against Adams lies at the center of the storm facing City Hall: Investigators allege that he has accepted more than $100,000 in benefits from the Turkish government, including international flights and stays at luxury hotels, in exchange for pressuring the New York City Fire Department to skip a building inspection at the new Turkish consulate in Manhattan. Adams' staffers also allegedly created fake receipts for the flights gifted to Adams, telling Turkish Airlines staff to bill 'somewhat real' amounts in an effort to cover his tracks. Prosecutors indicted Adams in September, and initially, his defense looked shaky at best. When the mayor met with President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago and attended the inauguration in January, most observers assumed it was a fairly transparent attempt to secure a presidential pardon. But on February 10, Bove directed federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York to request a dismissal of the case. 'It cannot be ignored that Mayor Adams criticized the prior Administration's immigration policies before the charges were filed,' Bove wrote in a memo alleging that the mayor's past criticism of Joe Biden's border policy had motivated attorneys to open an investigation. Bove also argued that the probe disrupted Adams' ability to carry out his mayoral duties: 'The pending prosecution has unduly restricted Mayor Adams' ability to devote full attention and resources to the illegal immigration and violent crime that escalated under the policies of the prior administration.' The decision came as a shock to outside observers—but it surprised many in the Justice Department, as well. On February 12, Danielle Sassoon—the Trump-appointed acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York—emailed a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi, writing that she could not 'in good faith' ask a judge to dismiss the case on the grounds that Bove outlined. Even though Bove 'disclaimed any intention to exchange leniency in this case for Adams's assistance in enforcing federal law,' she declared, 'that is the nature of the bargain laid bare in Mr. Bove's memo.' Sassoon also claimed that Adams' legal team attempted to offer cooperation with the Trump administration in exchange for dropping the case. 'Adams's attorneys repeatedly urged what amounted to a quid pro quo,' by indicating that Adams would only be able to enforce immigration law if he was not facing an investigation, she wrote. Sassoon also recounted that Bove 'admonished' a DOJ employee for taking notes at the meeting and demanded that they be handed over. 'I remain baffled by the rushed and superficial process by which this decision was reached, in seeming collaboration with Adam's counsel and without my direct input,' Sassoon concluded. She then resigned the day after. In a letter accepting her resignation, Bove accused Sassoon of having 'lost sight' of her oath and promised to open internal investigations into her conduct. He then transferred the case from the Southern District of New York to the DOJ's Public Integrity Section in Washington in an attempt to find a prosecutor who would sign the order. But there, five additional attorneys stepped down in protest of the order. A veteran lawyer finally signed a motion to dismiss the charges last week in a reported effort to protect the career of younger attorneys. But one more resignation letter was coming: that of Hagan Scotten, an assistant U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York who had worked under Sassoon on the Adams case. 'Our laws and traditions do not allow using the prosecutorial power to influence other citizens, much less elected officials, in this way,' he wrote in a letter that, like Sassoon's, was made public. 'If no lawyer within earshot of the President is willing to give him that advice, then I expect that you will eventually find someone who is enough of a fool, or enough of a coward, to file your motion. But it was never going to be me.' The decision leaves the DOJ in somewhat uncharted territory. Bennett Gershman, a law professor at Pace University and an expert in prosecutorial misconduct and corruption, said that there's little precedent for the federal government to suddenly drop such a high-profile case. 'I can't think of a case anywhere even close to this,' he told TMD. The DOJ's reasons for requesting the dismissal have also changed. Bove's initial memo stated that he was not considering the legal merits of the case, but wanted it dropped for reasons of policy. But during an interview at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Thursday, Attorney General Pam Bondi told Sen. Ted Cruz that the case against Adams was 'incredibly weak' and politically motivated, echoing arguments made by her chief of staff on X the day before. The shifting justifications indicate problematic legal reasoning, David Lat, a lawyer, journalist, and former assistant U.S. attorney, told TMD. 'It is a good thing for the government to dismiss cases that it believes are factually or legally weak,' he said. 'But to say you're dismissing for reason X, and then to change and say you're dismissing for reason Y, that sets off alarm bells for a lot of people.' When asked whether the DOJ's case was, in fact, abnormally weak, Gershman was blunter than Lat: 'That's baloney.' But both experts agreed that while what the DOJ is doing may be unwise, it is within the administration's authority to drop a case. The two people most positioned to intervene–Judge Ho and Gov. Hochul–appear to agree. While the judge overseeing a federal trial is technically able to deny the prosecution's request to dismiss the case, it's unclear how Ho could enforce such a decision. Some outside observers have called for the judge to reject the request and appoint an independent prosecutor. But with a Supreme Court that, according to Lat, is sympathetic to a strong view of executive power, the successful creation of an independent official within the executive branch by the judiciary would be an unlikely proposition. 'I will tell you that under this Supreme Court, that will not fly,' said Lat. During a hearing on Wednesday, Ho seemed to be leaning toward that assessment. When questioning Bove, who was representing the DOJ in court by himself, the judge noted that the request for dismissal represented a 'complicated situation' but gave no obvious sign that he was leaning toward granting Bove's request. He did, however, closely question Bove and Adams, asking the mayor repeatedly if he felt pressure in any way by the DOJ. Adams, under oath, repeatedly said no. At the end of the hearing, Ho said that he would not rule from the bench, but would issue a written ruling in the near future. At the time of publication, the ruling is still pending. Ho, however, could still make one significant intervention, even while granting the request for dismissal: rejecting Bove's request to dismiss the case 'without prejudice,' and opting for a dismissal 'with prejudice.' In this scenario, federal prosecutors would be unable to re-open the case against Adams, removing the threat of prosecution as a potential weapon in the DOJ's arsenal going forward. The other major potential player in Adams' case, Hochul, technically has the ability to remove any mayor in New York due to a Progressive-era state constitutional amendment. But such a power is very rarely exercised—it has never been fully enacted against a mayor of New York City and Hochul appears reluctant to become the first to do so. On Thursday, she announced that would not initiate the removal process against Adams. 'I cannot deny the people of this great city the power to make this decision for themselves,' Hochul said. With a June Democratic primary and a November general election for the mayorship within sight, Hochul is likely hoping that New York voters remove Adams themselves, sparing her from taking a difficult step. But she did propose a package of reforms to increase oversight over the mayor, including the creation of a special investigator general for New York City affairs in the state government. But in the coming months, there's one more New York politician who has the potential to threaten Adams' position: District Attorney Alvin Bragg. Bragg, who has already indicted a top Adams aide, could step in to charge Adams under New York state law. 'If these charges get dismissed federally, I feel pretty darn confident that Bragg will take them over,' Gershman told TMD. Finally, Adams could simply be pushed out by internal pressure. On Monday, four deputy mayors—officials tasked with heading administration efforts in sectors like public safety and health and human services—announced that they would resign. 'Due to the extraordinary events of the last few weeks and to stay faithful to the oaths we swore to New Yorkers and our families, we have come to the difficult decision to step down from our roles,' Deputy Mayors Maria Torres-Springer, Anne Williams-Isom, and Meera Joshi wrote in a joint statement. Chauncey Parker, another deputy mayor, also announced his departure later that day. Following a round of resignations by top Adams officials in October set off by his initial indictment, it appears quite possible that his administration could continue to bleed personnel. Adams, however, has projected confidence throughout the saga, vowing to 'never surrender.' But whatever Adams' eventual fate, the consequences for the legal profession are likely already being felt. ' There will be a lot of lawyers, including conservative lawyers, who will think long and hard before joining this administration, and some of them will decide not to,' Lat told TMD. Writing for Persuasion, Francis Fukuyama argued that Donald Trump's betrayal of Ukraine is a betrayal of the U.S.-led liberal world order. 'We are in the midst of a global fight between Western liberal democracy and authoritarian government, and in this fight, the United States has just switched sides and signed up with the authoritarian camp,' he wrote. 'The United States since 1945 has supported a liberal world order built around norms like not using military force to change borders, and formal agreements for mutual defense like NATO and the security treaties with Japan and South Korea. This system has been spectacularly successful at promoting peace, prosperity, and democracy. The United States has used its soft power through instruments like the National Endowment for Democracy to support like-minded democracy proponents to resist authoritarian power from countries like China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. The United States under Donald Trump is not retreating into isolationism. It is actively joining the authoritarian camp, supporting right-wing authoritarians around the world from Vladimir Putin to Viktor Orbán to Nayib Bukele to Narendra Modi.' New York Times: U.S. Objects to Calling Russia 'Aggressor' in G7 Statement on Invasion The Hill: Former 'Squad' Members Launching 'Bowman and Bush' YouTube Show The Screen Actors Guild is hosting its annual award show early next week, and while there are many strong contenders for best female actor in a leading role, we have a hunch it might be Demi Moore's year after her chilling performance in The Substance. In the newsletters: Nick Catoggio considered how Twitter is becoming real life in the form of the U.S. government. On the podcasts: On The Dispatch Podcast roundtable, Sarah Isgur, Jonah Goldberg, Mike Warren, and Steve Hayes discuss DOGE, entitlement reform, and more. On the site: Mike Warren unpacks Donald Trump's Ukraine fixation, Kevin Williamson pushes back against a National Review editorial in defense of DOGE, and Mara Rudman makes the case for reforming, not gutting, USAID. Do you think Gov. Kathy Hochul will eventually remove Mayor Eric Adams?
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump's Cabinet Picks Face Roadblocks Ahead
From the The Morning Dispatch on The Dispatch Happy Friday! Attention Dispatch Premium members: we're hosting the next Dispatch Premium Town Hall with Steve Hayes and Jonah Goldberg on Tuesday, February 4, at 8 p.m. ET, where members can interact directly with our co-founders in a Zoom discussion on the first few weeks of the Trump administration. How are the confirmation hearings going for Trump's nominees? What is in all of those executive orders? How has Washington, D.C. changed since Trump's inauguration? And most importantly, how does all of this impact your life? If you'd like to attend this special live town hall, be sure to join Dispatch Premium before next Tuesday! Officials announced Thursday that there were no survivors from the collision of a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter and a passenger jet approaching D.C.'s Reagan National Airport on Wednesday night. A total of 67 people were killed, making it the deadliest crash in America since 2001. The D.C. fire and EMS chief said Thursday morning that rescue operations were switching to a recovery effort to retrieve the victims, and, as of 5:30 p.m. ET, first responders had pulled 40 bodies from the Potomac River. An investigation into the crash remains ongoing and there are no confirmed details as to the causes of the incident. Multiple outlets obtained copies of a preliminary internal Federal Aviation Administration report on the accident that said staffing at the airport's air traffic control tower during the time of the collision was 'not normal for the time of day and volume of traffic.' One air traffic controller was working both with helicopters and planes, a job typically split between two people. Eight more hostages returned to Israel on Thursday after 482 days in Hamas captivity. The individuals released included three Israelis—Agam Berger, Arbel Yehoud, and Gadi Mozes—and five Thai nationals—Thenna Pongsak, Sathian Suwannakham, Sriaoun Watchara, Seathao Bannawat, and Rumnao Surasak—who were abducted by the terrorist group on October 7, 2023. Before Yehoud and Mozes were handed over to the Red Cross, Hamas gunmen paraded them through swarming and chaotic crowds in the southern city of Khan Younis, leading the Israeli government to delay the latest release of Palestinian prisoners. Israel later freed 110 prisoners on Thursday after the two sides reached an agreement to ensure the safe passage of Israeli abductees in future exchanges. The Justice Department filed a lawsuit on Thursday to block Hewlett Packard Enterprise's planned $14 billion acquisition of Juniper Enterprises, a wireless local area network (WLAN) products and services company. The department said the tie-up would bring 70 percent of the WLAN suppliers market under the control of just two companies, the Hewlett and Juniper umbrella and the market leader, Cisco Systems. 'This proposed merger would significantly reduce competition and weaken innovation, resulting in large segments of the American economy paying more for less from wireless technology providers,' said Omeed Assefi, the acting assistant attorney general of the Justice Department's Antitrust Division. President Donald Trump said Thursday that he intends to follow through on his threat to impose 25 percent tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico beginning on Saturday, February 1st. But the president told reporters that the tariffs could include exemptions on oil imports, in keeping with his promises to reduce energy costs for Americans. Trump has also indicated possible plans to impose a 10 percent duty on Chinese-made goods as soon as Saturday—a move, like the tariffs on Canada and Mexico, ostensibly aimed at curbing the flow of fentanyl into the United States. Kash Patel, Tulsi Gabbard, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.—President Trump's picks to lead the FBI, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and the Department of Health and Human Services, respectively—all appeared before Senate committees for confirmation hearings on Thursday. The trio faced grillings from Democratic and some Republican lawmakers on their past statements, and, in some instances, endeavored to distance themselves from views and policies they've endorsed in the past. While Patel appeared to have garnered unified Republican support in the Senate Judiciary Committee, Gabbard and Kennedy still face uphill battles in advancing beyond their respective committee votes. The Bureau of Economic Analysis reported Thursday that real gross domestic product (GDP) grew at an annual rate of 2.3 percent in the fourth quarter of 2024, down from 3.1 percent growth in the third quarter and slightly below economists' expectations. For all of 2024, GDP growth was 2.8 percent. The bulk of fourth-quarter growth came from consumer spending, with spending on goods and services growing 6.6 percent and 3.1 percent, respectively, both up from the third quarter. 'Bobby! Bobby!' Supporters decked out in MAHA ('Make America Healthy Again') pins and hats chanted this as Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Donald Trump's nominee for health secretary, entered a packed room for his Senate Finance Committee confirmation hearing on Wednesday. But the enthusiasm of his cheerleaders belied the uphill battle Kennedy now faces in advancing beyond a committee vote and, if he gets there, winning enough support in the full Senate. Senators also grilled Tulsi Gabbard and Kash Patel—Trump's nominees for director of national intelligence and FBI director, respectively—this week, signaling the first serious congressional pushback against the president's picks after his first batch of Cabinet nominees sailed through the Senate with relative ease. As expected, Democrats questioned Kennedy—who appeared before the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday and the Senate Health Committee on Thursday—on his previous advocacy against vaccinations, stance on abortion, and qualifications to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. Republicans, meanwhile, appeared eager to get through the hearing as quickly as possible. Of the three M.D.s on the Senate Finance Committee, all Republicans, only one seemed to be particularly skeptical of Kennedy: Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who practiced as a gastroenterologist for more than two decades and has been a public critic of the nominee. 'Some of the things he said were just not true. For example, for hepatitis B vaccines there's no safety trials. I have actually performed hepatitis B vaccination safety trials many years ago,' he told reporters Tuesday, after meeting with Kennedy privately. Cassidy's lines of questioning generated perhaps the most damaging moment of Kennedy's first day of testimony. When the Republican senator probed the nominee on his knowledge of public healthcare financing, Kennedy failed to demonstrate an understanding of important differences between Medicare and Medicaid, and incorrectly stated that the federal government was Medicaid's sole funder. And Cassidy, chairman of the Senate Health Committee, was even clearer about his concerns during the nominee's next hearing on Thursday, as John McCormack reports on the site today: At the end of Thursday's hearing, Cassidy recounted the story of an 18-year-old woman he treated who had to be flown by helicopter for an emergency liver transplant due to a case of Hepatitis B, a disease easily prevented by a vaccine. Cassidy said if someone dies because she was 'not vaccinated because of policies or attitudes you bring to the department,' the 'greatest tragedy will be her death.' An 'associated tragedy,' Cassidy continued, is that it 'will cast a shadow over President Trump's legacy, which I want to be the absolute best legacy it can be. So that's my dilemma, man, and you may be hearing from me over the weekend.' Meanwhile, Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, a Democrat, narrowed in on Kennedy's financial interests. As part of his anti-vaccine campaigning, Kennedy has received fees from law firms suing drug manufacturers. Warren noted that as HHS Secretary, he would have many tools to influence future drug-related lawsuits and asked to commit to not suing drug companies 'while you are secretary and for four years after.' Kennedy refused: 'You're asking me to not sue drug companies, and I am not going to agree to that,' he said, to cheers from many in the audience. With Democrats uniform in their opposition, a 'no' vote from Cassidy would block Kennedy from advancing out of the finance committee and make it extremely unlikely that he would get a vote on the Senate floor. But at least three more GOP senators would need to flip to doom his nomination in a full Senate vote. Moderate Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska also expressed skepticism about Kennedy's views on Thursday. And Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, himself a polio survivor (the vaccine for which Kennedy has criticized), could be the final 'no' vote. 'I have never flinched from confronting specious disinformation that threatens the advance of lifesaving medical progress, and I will not today,' the former majority leader said last month. The audience for Gabbard's hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee was notably more subdued than Kennedy's, mostly filled with reporters, Congressional staffers, and family members and friends of the nominee. Gabbard, however, was at least as defiant and almost as controversial as the health secretary pick. Lawmakers entered the hearing with serious questions about Gabbard's views and qualifications. An eight-year Democratic congresswoman and a National Guard member for more than two decades, the Hawaiian-born Gabbard has no intelligence experience beyond a one-year stint on the House Committee on Homeland Security and two years on the House Armed Services Committee on Intelligence and Readiness. She's also demonstrated some questionable political judgment, to say the least. Gabbard has praised whistleblower Edward Snowden and requested his pardon, made comments suggesting that the U.S. is to blame for Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and cast doubt on whether recently ousted Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad used chemical weapons against his own people during the country's civil war—evidence of which is well-documented. In 2017, while serving as a member of Congress, Gabbard visited Syria on a diplomatic trip paid for by two Arab-American activists with ties to a Syrian nationalist party. Unbeknownst to her staffers, she also used the trip to set up and attend a three-hour meeting with Assad, only admitting to the sit-down after she returned to the U.S. Given Republicans' narrow 9-8 majority in the committee, any one of these issues could sink Gabbard's candidacy. By TMD's count, the nominee was asked ten times—by Republicans and Democrats—if Edward Snowden was a traitor. She declined to answer yes or no, stating simply, 'I believe Edward Snowden broke the law.' The topic is particularly resonant given Gabbard's access to highly sensitive information if confirmed, potentially creating Republican holdouts ahead of a narrow committee vote. 'It would befit you and be helpful to the way you are perceived by members of the intelligence community if you would at least acknowledge that the greatest whistleblower in American history, so-called, harmed American security,' GOP Sen. Todd Young of Indiana said during the hearing, visibly grimacing. 'I think there are a lot of questions after. Yeah,' GOP Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma told reporters when asked about Gabbard's answers on Snowden after the hearing. Senators also pressed Gabbard on her recent flip-flop on section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, a program that allows the FBI to query some Americans' emails. A vocal opponent of the program during her time in the House, Gabbard introduced a bill to repeal it in 2020. But on Thursday, she appeared to change her tune. 'My actions and legislation in Congress were done to draw attention to the egregious civil liberties violations that were occurring at that time,' she said, adding that later reforms had assuaged her concerns. 'Ms. Gabbard, what are the reforms that have led you to now support 702?,' Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, the committee's top-ranking Democrat, asked Thursday. After Gabbard mentioned reforms passed last April, Warner noted that she had criticized them as making an 'already bad' problem 'many times worse' on Joe Rogan's podcast. 'I just don't believe, on your judgment and credibility issues, that this is the appropriate role you should take going forward,' he said. Patel's hearing rounded out the contentious trio, but Democrats' fixation on highlighting their previous criticisms about the candidate may have undermined their efforts to derail his confirmation. Despite his extensive resume—Patel has served as a former public defender and Justice Department attorney, a staffer for the House Intelligence Committee, a National Security Council official, and chief of staff to the defense secretary—the nominee is less known for his professional career than for his enthusiastic embrace of conspiracy theories about the 'deep state.' Widely described as the most loyal hanger-on in Trump's orbit, Patel has even authored a children's book about the plot against 'King Donald.' If confirmed, lawmakers worry this conspiratorial mindset would cloud Patel's judgment as head of the FBI—an agency he seems to believe is complicit in alleged Democratic efforts to commandeer the federal government. The nominee has advocated for restricting the FBI's intelligence-gathering activities and threatened to 'come after' Trump's purported enemies within the media. Democrats were, predictably, alarmed by Patel's nomination. But, as The Dispatch's Charles Hilu reported from the hearing, their rage was often channeled into scoring partisan points rather than eliciting truly damaging testimony from Patel: Rather than putting Patel on the defensive, Democrats used much of their time during the five-hour hearing reciting incendiary comments Patel has made in the past and asking him to justify certain actions from Trump. They inflicted little damage, if any, on his confirmation prospects, likely missing the opportunity to deter enough Republicans from voting for him once his nomination reaches the full Senate. At one point Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island lobbed several questions at Patel regarding social media posts and podcast appearances he had made. A Whitehouse staff member held up a poster that depicted Patel saying it was 'beyond a reasonable doubt' that members of federal law enforcement were involved in starting the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Patel called that characterization 'completely incorrect' and was about to respond to the charge, but Whitehouse would not let him. 'I'll give you the opportunity in writing, but this is my time now,' Whitehouse replied, sparing Patel from needing to defend the remark. For now, it appears that Republican senators are more likely to expend political capital on opposing Kennedy and Gabbard than on putting up a fight over Patel's bid. Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Chuck Grassley of Iowa, both senior members of the Judiciary Committee, signaled their support for Patel as early as last month. Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina also backed Patel's confirmation in an introduction before the committee. 'In my 10 years in the Senate, I hope I have established a reputation for being fair, doing my homework, and taking tough positions that have been met with harsh criticism,' he said. 'Heck, I've been censured by my party for taking tough positions, and I stand by those positions today and my position to support Kash Patel.' Patel, somewhat surprisingly, appears to be the exception in a week where Trump's top nominees at times struggled. Heading into committee votes, it appears quite possible that Gabbard and Kennedy will not receive committee recommendations—or at the very least face a tight vote on the Senate floor. Writing for the New York Times, Alex Vadukul revisited the Luddite Club—a group of Brooklyn high schoolers he profiled in 2022 who formed a club dedicated to engaging with one another free from technology. With the original group now in college, Vadukul wanted to see how their Luddism has fared. 'Two years later, I'm still asked about them. People want to know: Did they stay on the Luddite path? Or were they dragged back into the tech abyss?' he wrote. 'I put those questions to three of the original members—Ms. Watling, Jameson Butler and Logan Lane, the club's founder–when they took some time from their winter school breaks to gather at one of their old hangouts, Central Library in Brooklyn's Grand Army Plaza. They said they still had disdain for social media platforms and the way they ensnare young people, pushing them to create picture-perfect online identities that have little [to] do with their authentic selves. They said they still relied on flip phones and laptops, rather than smartphones, as their main concessions to an increasingly digital world. And they reported that their movement was growing, with offshoots at high schools and colleges in Seattle, West Palm Beach, Fla., Richmond, Va., South Bend, Ind., and Washington, D.C.' President Donald Trump had the following exchange with a reporter during a briefing yesterday on the D.C. airport crash. Reporter: Today, you have blamed the diversity element, but then told us you weren't sure the controllers made any mistake. You then said perhaps the helicopter pilots were the ones that made the mistake. Trump: Yeah, it's all under investigation. Reporter: I understand that, that's why I'm trying to figure out how you can come to the conclusion, right now, that diversity had something to do with this crash. Trump: Because I have common sense. Bloomberg: Romania's Far-Right Candidate [Calin Georgescu] Dismisses Ukraine as 'Invented' Romania's far-right presidential frontrunner called Ukraine an 'invented state' that will be dismembered after losing the war with Russia–and proceeded to make territorial claims of his own. … Georgescu said Romania should seek to benefit from a peace settlement ending the war—and reclaim territories that were once part of Romania. He mentioned several traditional regions—northern Bukovina and Maramures, as well as Budjak—that are currently part of Ukraine. 'Everybody is interested' in border changes, Georgescu said. 'We are interested.' New York Times: U.S. Funding Freeze Threatens Security at ISIS Camps in Syria After a 34-year run involving more than 82,000 gallons of paint, the Blue Man Group will hold its final Off-Broadway performance on Sunday. In the newsletters: Will Rinehart explored how AI development is moving faster than regulators and Nick Catoggio unpacked (🔒) the woes of trying to cover the second Trump term. On the site: Mike Warren details the Trump administration's rift with Catholics, John McCormack reports on RFK Jr.'s tough road ahead, Charles Hilu considers Kash Patel's confirmation odds, and Kevin Williamson argues that you can't run government like a Silicon Valley startup. Do you think any of the three nominees before the Senate this week are suited to the Cabinet positions?
