NBC: Judge strikes down DOGE takeover of the U.S. Institute of Peace
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U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell ruled that “the removal of USIP’s president, his replacement by officials affiliated with DOGE, the termination of nearly all of USIP’s staff, and the transfer of USIP property to the General Services Administration” were “effectuated by illegitimately-installed leaders who lacked legal authority to take these actions, which must therefore be declared null and void.”
The decision came two months after a dramatic showdown at the building’s headquarters in Washington, when the acting head of the Institute of Peace issued a statement saying that “DOGE has broken into out building.” After members of the DOGE team took over the building with the help of law enforcement. most institute employees were subsequently laid off.
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The Institute of Peace was founded under President Ronald Reagan, and Howell wrote that it is “unique in its structure and function” because it was neither a “traditional Executive branch agency nor an entirely private nonprofit corporation.”
(NBC more…)
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Waging Nonviolence: Greenpeace remains determined to fight the corporate silencing of dissent
As Greenpeace prepares to appeal a devastating verdict in a lawsuit brought by a pipeline company, the environmental group is not only defending itself — but the very right to protest.
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The next step in the unfolding court case will be a May 27 district court hearing on whether to reduce the size of the jury’s award to Energy Transfer, which Greenpeace says is larger than that allowed by state law. Once a final district court judgement is entered, Greenpeace plans to appeal the jury’s decision to North Dakota’s highest court.“We believe very strongly in our case,” Carter said. “At the North Dakota Supreme Court, it will be considered by a panel of people who have studied state law for a very long time, and we’re hopeful they will rule in our favor. If that doesn’t happen, we’ve already said that’s not going to be the end.”
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Fast Company: Netflix’s Sesame Street deal is a PR coup for the ages
Netflix saved the beloved children’s show from an uncertain fate in a way that creates goodwill for the company—and bad publicity for one of its rivals.
(Fast Company more…)
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Heather Cox Richardson: Letters from an American – May 19, 2025
The House Rules Committee will take up the Republicans’ omnibus bill this week. Illustrating their confidence that the American people support this 1,116-page measure enacting much of MAGA’s wish list, the committee has set its meeting for Wednesday, May 21, 2025…at 1:00 in the morning (not a typo). The Republicans are trying to advance Trump’s entire agenda—from massive logging on public lands to slashing Medicaid—in one giant bill under a process known as “budget reconciliation,” which means it cannot be filibustered in the Senate. That means it needs only Republican votes to pass.
But even Republicans are deeply divided over the measure. …
(Heather Cox Richardson more…)Jennifer Rubin: Words & Phrases We Can Do Without
Even from across the globe, it’s evident that the “big, beautiful” bill is hideous
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Robert Reich: Stop asking about a Biden “cover-up”
It’s an irrelevant, contemptible distraction from what’s threatening America
I’m truly sorry that Joe Biden has an aggressive form of prostate cancer.
…Can we get back to reality? If one of our major parties is to rot in political hell for harboring “people who knew and said nothing,” it’s the party that now controls Congress.
John Pavlovitz: President Biden’s Health Announcement and the Cancer of Tribalism
There are moments when you’re reminded just how far people around you have drifted from the plot of humanity, when you realize how poisoned by politics your family members, friends, and neighbors have become; the capacity for cruelty of those you share a country with.
Borowitz: Biden Covered Up Health Woes with Four Years of Booming Economy
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TNR: Trump’s Angry Walmart Tirade Backfires, Wrecking His Own Tariff Scam
As Trump’s war with Walmart intensifies over its truth-telling about his tariffs, an economist explains how this exposes the fraudulence of his rationale for them—and exposes the political weakness of his position.
President Donald Trump’s feud with Walmart is intensifying. After the retail giant warned that its prices will go up due to Trump’s tariffs, he erupted on Truth Social and even threatened Walmart to get it to “eat” the costs of his levies. Then White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt reiterated the threat to reporters. Amusingly enough, all this constitutes an admission that other countries don’t pay the costs of the tariffs, as he keeps claiming—we do.
(TNR more…)
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Paul Waldman: Donald Trump and the power of the big (fake) number
Don’t believe the hype about his “deals.”
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Bloomberg: Trump Hands Putin Win With Retreat From Ukraine Peace Talks
WSJ: Zelensky’s Attempt to Get Trump on His Side Falls Flat
Ukraine’s leader has agreed to almost everything President Trump wants but the approach has brought him next to nothing
Mary Geddry: Trump’s Peace Plan, Parade Dreams, and Robo-Fantasy Rides
From forgetting Ukraine peace talks already started to letting cartel families waltz in while staging a $45M military birthday bash, it’s cosplay with consequences
As Ukraine bleeds and allies brace for a summer of escalated war, President Donald Trump has finally found a way to broker peace: by forgetting it was already happening. In a now-infamous call with President Zelensky and European leaders, Trump proudly announced that Vladimir Putin had agreed to begin ceasefire negotiations, only for Zelensky to gently point out that, actually, the first round had already taken place in Istanbul days earlier. Sources say the line went quiet, possibly from the weight of international disbelief. Trump, unfazed, offered no reply.
It gets worse. That call, and Trump’s subsequent tête-à-tête with Putin, effectively gutted U.S. support for an immediate ceasefire and torpedoed plans for joint U.S.-EU sanctions against Moscow. Instead of pressing Putin, Trump nodded along as the Kremlin proposed a drawn-out “memorandum” process with no time frame, no binding commitments, and plenty of room for fresh Russian offensives. European officials were left scrambling to apply pressure on their own, with one diplomat noting that Putin “got everything he wanted, time, leverage, and no consequences, without giving up a damn thing.”
(Mary Geddry more…)
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Reuters: Trump’s mass layoff threat drives US government workers to resign
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Popular Information: Verizon said it was “fiercely committed to diversity and inclusion.” Verizon lied.
“Verizon is fiercely committed to diversity and inclusion across all spectrums because it makes us and the world better.”
That is what Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg said on June 6, 2020. But Verizon’s commitment to diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI) was less fierce than advertised. Vestberg’s statement has been removed from the company’s website.
In a letter dated May 15, 2025, Verizon Executive Vice President & Chief Legal Officer Vandana Venkatesh informed Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr that the company was “ending its DEI-related policies…effective immediately.” Verizon said that:
The company “will no longer have a team or any individual roles focused on DEI.”
“Verizon is removing references to DEI or ‘diversity, equity and inclusion’ from its employee training materials.”
Verizon has “eliminated supplier diversity programs.”
Verizon “will no longer maintain any workforce diversity goals.”
“Verizon is removing its ‘Diversity and Inclusion’ website.”In the letter, Verizon said these changes were required by the “Supreme Court, the President’s Executive Orders, and federal mandates.” This is false; there is no Supreme Court ruling that prohibits using the words “diversity” and “inclusion” on a website or in employee training materials. Similarly, companies are still legally permitted to have “workforce diversity goals” and “supplier diversity programs.” These kinds of initiatives are not inherently discriminatory. Rather, they often involve making sure more candidates and businesses know about opportunities. President Trump signed an executive order declaring DEI programs “illegal,” but presidents are not empowered to create new laws by fiat.
(Popular Information more…)
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Allison Gill: The Head of Trump’s Gestapo Thinks Habeas Corpus is a Presidential Power
Today, DHS Secretary and Secret Police Czar Kristi Noem was asked by Senator Hassan – who hails from the “Live Free or Die” state of New Hampshire – “What is Habeas Corpus?”
Noem replied that Habeas Corpus is the PRESIDENT’S RIGHT to detain and remove people without due process.
The senator corrected her, but the writing is on the wall.
(Allison Gill more…)
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NY Times: In Reversal, Trump Officials Will Allow Huge Offshore N.Y. Wind Farm to Proceed
The Trump administration had issued a highly unusual stop-work order on the Empire Wind project last month, leading to intense pushback from officials in New York.
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LAWdork: SCOTUS allows one big anti-immigrant Trump policy to take effect
More than 600,000 Venezuelans in America could have their legal status cut by Sec. Noem’s decision. And: Lower courts face improprieties in Trump admin deportations.
President Donald Trump is seeking to implement a lawless, heartless, process-free anti-immigration system with racist underpinnings — guided by Stephen Miller and helped along by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and others. The Republican congressional leadership has essentially acceded to Trump on this front. Within our constitutional structure, then, that leaves the courts.On Monday, we saw — for better or worse — the current judicial system in action.
(LAWdork more…)
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Egberto Willies: Conservative David Frum nails tariffs: A shift of the cost of government from the rich to the poor
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EEAGLI: The best selling books in history
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404 Media: Chicago Sun-Times Prints AI-Generated Summer Reading List With Books That Don’t Exist
“I can’t believe I missed it because it’s so obvious. No excuses,” the writer said. “I’m completely embarrassed.”
(404 Media more…)
Tracking the Lawsuits Against Trump’s Agenda