Digby's Hullabaloo Posts

I’m not sure why I find this so shocking but I guess it’s just seeing the numbers. How can we possibly trust these people on the bench or anywhere in the government?

All 40 of [Trump’s] nominees to lifetime federal judgeships so far have given misleading or false responses to questions about the 2020 election in the Senate Judiciary Committee. Demand Justice, a progressive judicial advocacy group, has been analyzing judicial nominees’ written responses to questions from senators on the panel and found they are nearly identical in their strangely worded, evasive characterizations of the election.

All have been directly asked by the committee, “Did Donald Trump lose the 2020 election?” Instead of just saying yes, they have either pointed to Biden’s “certification” by Congress or said Biden “served” as president. Both responses allow them to skip the part about Biden actually winning the election and move on to him simply becoming president.

This is the same tactic Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill have long used to avoid publicly contradicting Trump’s lies about the 2020 election.

“Our theory from the beginning was that this was a litmus test for Trump,” Josh Orton, Demand Justice’s president, told HuffPost. “These district judges are announced on Truth Social; they know they could have their nominations pulled just as quickly on Truth Social.”

Orton is referring to Trump’s social media website, where he randomly makes major news or has full-blown meltdowns in the middle of the night.

Judicial nominees’ refusals to plainly state that Biden won in 2020 “is the show of their loyalty to Trump,” he added, “their willingness to continue this lie about losing the 2020 election and attempting to overthrow the government.”

Trump’s court picks have also been avoiding another basic question: “Was the U.S. Capitol attacked by a violent mob on January 6, 2021?” None of Trump’s 40 court picks have said yes, per Demand Justice’s analysis, with the vast majority characterizing the violence of that day as “a political debate” or “political issue.”

They either lied under oath or refuse to believe their own eyes, either of which renders them completely unfit to be a judge. It’s astonishing that they have actually been confirmed and I think they should all be impeached on that basis.

This is truly Orwellian and since it seems to have happened in slow motion we’re all just going along with it.

If he was a woman there would not be any question:

Speculation ramped up this week over which ranking administration chief will go next after Pentagon head Pete Hegseth ousted his Navy secretary — with President Donald Trump’s blessing. Now, a top White House official tells Dasha that Patel is likely the next Cabinet-level official to go.

“It’s only a matter of time,” the official, who was granted anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter, said of the FBI director.

There are several reasons, the official said, but top among them is the number of negative stories centered on the FBI director is “not a good look for a Cabinet secretary,” and Trump is fed up with the level of distraction.

Earlier this month, The Atlantic published a story recounting allegations that Patel had episodes of “conspicuous inebriation and unexplained absences.” Patel denied the allegations and sued The Atlantic for defamation. The New York Times reported in February that Patel instructed FBI agents to provide a full-time security detail for his girlfriend, Alexis Wilkins. The FBI told The Times she needed the protection because she faced death threats.

The FBI declined to comment on Patel’s future. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said: “Under President Trump and Director Patel’s leadership at the FBI, crime across the country has plummeted to the lowest level in more than 100 years and many high profile criminals have been put behind bars. Director Patel remains a critical player on the Administration’s law and order team.”

I suspect that Trump may be upset about the boozing. He doesn’t like drunks although he has tolerated quite a few of them in his orbit. But the bad press plus booze may be what tips the balance on Kash.

The word is that he’s “in a bad mood” and ready to start the purge. Whether it’s Kash or Tulsi or maybe even Lutnick. it looks like they all need to start setting up their own “cash out” plans. I’m sure it will be very lucrative for all of them.

This Frontline report made me want to cry. People are not getting their kids vaccinated for no good reason. They’re starting to get sick and some are going to end up disabled or dead. Again, for no good reason.

Just two years after a deadly outbreak of polio raged across the country, the children lined up in the basement gymnasium of a Pittsburgh elementary school for what became the largest medical experiment in America.

One by one, they were led to tables draped in white cloth and covered with vials, waiting for their turn to be injected with a vaccine newly created to combat the catastrophic disease.

One giggled. Others fidgeted. Some of the youngest shrieked as needles with the red liquid were inserted into their arms.

In less than two hours, it was over. Dr. Jonas Salk, the creator of the vaccine, injected 137 children before they were led to an area shrouded by curtains to rest.

Under the glare of news cameras, the first public trial of the vaccine at Arsenal Elementary School in 1954 was a turning point in the battle against an epidemic that had left thousands of people dead and even more sickened and paralyzed.

The shots would nearly eliminate the polio cases spreading across the country and help build a broad acceptance of childhood immunizations for decades to follow.

But the Pittsburgh school that helped launch one of medicine’s most towering achievements is now at high risk of another dangerous childhood disease: measles.

We are intentionally going backwards because we have allowed a political faction that is hostile to science for religious (evolution) and capitalistic (fossil fuel) reasons to dominate our society to such an extent that they have convinced people to reject the advances that made our country the most advanced in the world. Now we’re going to have to learn it all over again the hard way.

This is not an accident and it wasn’t not inevitable. I don’t want to hear anything about how people are threatened by modernity and losing their status and can’t help being racist or anything else. This was a concerted campaign to devalue science by very specific institutions in our society and a political party that exploited it for power. That’s what happened and we shouldn’t fool ourselves into thinking otherwise.

You can watch the whole thing at the link. It’s depressing but unsurprising.

They really need to find a way to get him to shut the fuck up. There is a stalemate and both sides are intransigent. But this isn’t helping. He doesn’t know what he’s saying and has no idea how to do any kind of diplomacy. I have no doubt that he’s making everything worse.

Update —

As I was saying:

If Trump would just devote his attention to the ballroom, I am highly confident that there is a career FSO or civil servant at State who could manage these negotiations more competently.

— Brian Finucane (@bcfinucane.bsky.social) 2026-04-25T19:37:24.893Z

I remember a decent United States

Some say you can’t legislate morality. Others push back saying that every piece of legislation reflects moral choices. “Budgets are moral documents” is often attributed to Rev. Martin Luther King. Over at Slate, Nicholas Enrich argues that if the U.S. wants to redeem its moral standing after the predations of the Trump era, it must begin with restoring USAID. Lawmakers stood by as Trump and DOGE “killed a congressionally mandated federal agency that had enjoyed broad bipartisan support for more than six decades.” That action left a stain:

The dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development has taken a devastating toll, with more than 750,000 lives already lost—most of them children—due to the cuts, and far worse yet to come. The reckless destruction of USAID stands out as one of the most costly decisions of the Trump administration to date. That decision, however, does not have to be a permanent one.

Candidates for president should make it a campaign pledge to rebuild USAID:

This should be an easy promise for anyone seeking office. The case for USAID is both unequivocal and overwhelmingly popular. The agency was one of the best investments across the entire government. On less than 1 percent of the federal budget, USAID saved 92 million lives around the world in the past two decades alone. And it made Americans safer too. The agency helped countries develop early warning systems to ensure that infectious disease outbreaks were rapidly detected and contained before they risked spreading to our borders. It projected American generosity and soft power in ways that built lasting alliances far more efficiently than could ever be achieved militarily.

But USAID didn’t make things go BOOM! Donald Trump like things that go boom.

“USAID worked well. It was dismantled to satisfy the ego of a billionaire at a cost of the suffering of millions,” Enrich writes. “It is not enough to decry the damage done by DOGE’s destruction. USAID can be rebuilt, and it must be.”

The agency’s logo—a handshake over the words From the American People—was a ubiquitous reminder that the U.S. was committed to making the world a healthier and safer place. That is why Congress created USAID as an independent agency in the first place, and now Congress must insist that it be reestablished.

One of my neighbors retired from USAID. Get him to talk about projects he worked on around the world and your pride in America swells. I’d like that feeling back. Wouldn’t you?

On the lack of human decency front, this announcement from the “goes boom” Trump administration that it will reinstate death by firing squad;

“The prior administration failed in its duty to protect the American people by refusing to pursue and carry out the ultimate punishment against the most dangerous criminals, including terrorists, child murderers, and cop killers,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.  “Under President Trump’s leadership, the Department of Justice is once again enforcing the law and standing with victims.”

Raw Story collected online response:

“So the government that can’t deliver mail reliably now gets to decide who dies and how?” Political commentator Joe Lowson wrote on X.

“Wealthy men in suits who have never seen up close or engaged in violence now seemingly obsessed by it,” television personality Damon Bennett wrote on X.

“Was anyone anywhere asking for this? The lack of focus on the real issues is frightening,” Peter Hopey, writer and former columnist for the Bleacher report, posted on X.

“Let’s see how this one plays out,” film critic April Wolfe wrote on Bluesky.

“I thought this was an Onion headline at first,” Cristóbal Muñoz, who self-identifies as a Southern California Business owner, wrote on Bluesky.

The death penalty as the “ultimate punishment” has been a talking point on the bloodthirsty right for as long as I can remember. Decades ago, I heard this topic debated on the radio. The right alleges without evidence that we need the the ultimate punishment (death) as a deterrent to vicious crime. But, the Opposed debater asked, what’s so ultimate about the death penalty?

“For every criminal you do not execute, you’re taking an innocent life,” Opposed said, mocking the right’s position. So what if you could demonstrate that a sentence to a life of torture was a better deterrent? Then would the right argue that for every criminal you do not execute, you’re taking an innocent life?

A moral society has limits and adheres to them, Opposed argued. The state should not practice behavior it legally condemns.

Opposed did not foresee the Trump administration.

He’s in. He’s out. He’s in….

A flagging economy isn’t the only thing Donald Trump has trouble propping up. Also, his own eyelids.

Trump is about to hit REM on camera during an Oval Office event. It's just incredible. pic.twitter.com/h0BwcHLURJ

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 23, 2026

The New Republic:

Our nearly 80-year-old president appears to have nodded off during a meeting, for the umpteenth time. 

President Trump’s eyes grew visibly heavy around the halfway point of his televised announcement of a deal with drug company Regeneron on Thursday afternoon, closing fully and reopening multiple times while suited Cabinet members and pharmaceutical executives stood behind him in the Oval Office. 

This is the same man who keeps calling former President Joe Biden “Sleepy Joe.” 

Bat-eared fox kits. Awwww…

We can’t wait for you to HEAR this news! We are thrilled to share that bat-eared foxes Jane and Chewbacca became parents on March 12 to three new kits, two males and one female.

This Wild Beginnings birth announcement is presented by @saintlukeskc. Stay tuned to our social… pic.twitter.com/fSAN04JkHQ

— Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium (@KansasCityZoo) April 22, 2026

They’re little canines!

This peculiar-looking canine lives in the open savannas and shrublands of Africa, where it burrows underground and uses its exceptional hearing to hunt for termites and beetles.

What does a bat-eared fox look like?

As members of the Canidae family, these animals resemble small, thin dogs. Notably, they have exceptionally large ears, making them look almost like giant bats. 

Their bodies are covered in a silvery-brown fur coat, with a distinctive raccoon-like mask covering their eyes, and black lower legs, feet, and tail tips. They usually weigh between 7 and 12 pounds, similar in size to a large house cat.

Bat-eared foxes are found in two distinct subpopulations in eastern and southern Africa. The animals are adapted to live in the grasslands and savannas of these regions, where wide-open vistas make it easy for them to spot predators and hunt for prey. 

These foxes are prolific diggers, excavating large dens and burrows with the aid of long claws on their forefeet. The dens serve as a shelter and a place to raise their young. The foxes typically sleep in these dens during the daytime and emerge around twilight, although this can vary based on the activity level of their preferred prey.

Bat-eared foxes can have several large dens in their territory. Multiple entrances and exits in each den help them slip by predators, including jackals, eagles, and hyenas. 

What do bat-eared foxes eat?

Primarily insects! Bat-eared foxes are the only member of the dog family that specializes in eating insects. Around 90 percent of their diet in the wild is made up of insects, particularly the harvester termite. 

The remaining part of their diet is just about anything else they can find — fruits, berries, seeds, lizards, eggs, rodents, grasshoppers, beetles, scorpions, crickets, and even some species of fungi. 

Bat eared foxes have the most teeth of any placental mammal — 46 to 50 in total — which scientists believe is an adaptation to help them crunch up insects. 

Bat eared foxes get their name from their ears—and it’s easy to see why. Their ears can reach 5 inches (13 centimeters) long, which helps explain their incredibly good hearing. 

Their hearing is so strong they can pick up on beetles and termites burrowing underground. 

Their ears also help them regulate heat, a handy adaptation for life on the African savanna. By pumping blood through their ears, they can cool themselves off when the weather gets too hot. 

After all the rending of garments and gnashing of teeth over the Virginia redistricting voter being “undemocratic” and “disenfranchising” rural voters, get a load of what Ron Desantis has up his sleeve:

Florida bans lawmakers from intentionally creating congressional seats to give their party an advantage. But Gov. Ron DeSantis quietly has launched a three-tiered power play to evade the ban — and create more GOP-friendly seats — in November.[…]

DeSantis rejected lawmakers’ calls to have an open process and draw the maps during the regular January lawmaking session. Instead, he’s embarked on a plan to have his office redraw Florida’s map, rush the plan through the legislature — and try to run out the clock on Democratic court challenges as the state gears up for the Nov. 3 elections. DeSantis’ clock-management strategy is rooted in three factors:

1. The “Purcell Principle” — Named after a 2006 U.S. Supreme Court case, this generally limits lower courts from overturning election laws too close to an election to avoid voter confusion.

• Critics have long complained that Purcell rewards lawmakers who manipulate the clock with late-breaking redistricting changes.

2. The Apex Doctrine and executive privilege — Because his employees are drafting the maps, DeSantis’ team is expected to argue in court that executive privilege shields them. His office argued that in a 2022 redistricting court challenge.

• In that case, top DeSantis officials involved in drafting those maps also fought to avoid depositions under the Apex Doctrine, which forces a plaintiff to first exhaust efforts to examine low-level employees before targeting high-level ones. That burns court time.

3. Secrecy — DeSantis’ office is drafting the maps in such secrecy that plaintiffs could have trouble finding whom to depose and what records to look for. That would cause more delays.

• In 2022, DeSantis became the first Florida governor in recent history to submit his own congressional maps that were drafted out of the public eye. Normally, the maps are drawn by legislators, providing a record that court challengers could use draw from to prove intent.
• DeSantis’ process is so clandestine that Florida legislators who are to vote on the new maps Tuesday hadn’t seen them as of Thursday night.

It’s pointless to call out GOP hypocrisy since they are completely shameless but this is so bad you have to almost admire their chutzpah. They really don’t give a damn about any kind of integrity anymore.

There’s another reason why they’ve been delaying doing this. It’s because they’re already about as gerrymandered as you can get with safe seats. If they do this they may regret it:

There’s a risk in creating more Republican seats in Florida, which requires breaking up Democratic districts or diluting them. That can make surrounding GOP-held seats vulnerable as they get more Democratic voters.

• And as gas prices climb and Trump’s poll numbers fall, Republicans could lose once-safe seats as Democrats and independents are added to a district.
• “It’s yin-and-yang: To make blue seats more purple, you have to make red seats more purple,” said one Florida legislative Republican.

Nevertheless, national Republicans who aren’t familiar with the vagaries of Florida’s political geography hope DeSantis will somehow carve out about four new GOP-leaning seats.

Go for it Ron.If it works you’re a hero. If not you’ll go out of office in a blaze of glory (hopefully set back so much that you won’t even have the nerve to run for president in 28. )

Trump on Joe Biden (2024): “He has an ability to fall asleep while on camera…in minutes, he’s stone-cold out, and he’s got cameras because he’s the president…You’ll never see me sleeping in front of a camera.” https://t.co/a6gmqaRTHv pic.twitter.com/5UdZuK4NIT

— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) April 23, 2026

Maybe if he didn’t stay up all night writing gibberish on Truth Social he wouldn’t be so tired.

TPM’s Kate Riga reviews Mollie Hemingway’s new book on the right wing firebrand Justice and it’s so revealing:

At first glance, Federalist Editor-in-Chief Mollie Hemingway’s Alito: The Justice Who Reshaped the Supreme Court and Restored the Constitution is certainly delusional, but not in a way that’s particularly interesting or insightful for a MAGA movement rooted in a cult of personality.

The hagiography of the Court’s most openly partisan archconservative, premised on insider access to the justices and those in their orbit, reads like the gushing raptures of a K-pop stan. 

“Years before the attacks on the Court intensified and conservative justices could still be seen in public, Justice Alito and his wife attempted to get brunch in New Haven, Connecticut, after a speaking event at Yale. Turned away because of a long line and lack of reservation, they ‘calmly walked away and went down the street,’” she writes, his not forcing himself into a packed restaurant apparent proof of a rare moral rectitude. 

But as I reread, the humor in her labored attempts to dredge up proof of the curmudgeonly justice’s humanity — his devotion to the Phillies does much of the heavy lifting — curdled into something much darker. 

Hemingway seeds her book with the omnipresent threat of leftist violence from its opening pages, where her treatment of anti-Kavanaugh protesters (with no mention of why they were protesting his nomination) puts them on par with the January 6 insurrectionists. 

“One woman scaled the gigantic statue Contemplation of Justice on the left side of the main steps and perched, first raised, on the marble lap of the seated female figure. The activist later justified her lawbreaking by declaring, ‘This is our court, these are our steps, these are our institutions!’” she writes. 

That harrowing anecdote, page 3, is around where her examples of left-wing violence untether from reality completely.

Right. A woman scaling a statue and claiming the court belongs to the people is far worse than beating up police, and storming the Capitol to stop the peaceful transfer of power, not to mention the chanting of “hang Mike Pence” with a gallows conveniently assembled outside on the lawn. Certainly the fact that the president of the United States invited them to do it no big deal compared to the alleged leftist violence that has Republicans terrified of being dragged from their beds and lynched on the spot.

Riga totally gets it:

Paeans to Alito’s brilliance and humility can only produce so much juice; this book, like the MAGA movement, needs at least the threat of violence to justify its sense of being under siege. 

In her telling, the still mysterious leak of Alito’s Dobbs opinion, which would overturn Roe v. Wade, is less a shocking piercing of the Court’s well-insulated bubble and more an open declaration of war on the conservative justices. 

“Abortion supporters had an incentive to kill one or more of the justices in the majority to change the outcome,” she writes, straight-faced. 

Fergawdsakes. Get over yourself Mollie.

She actually goes on to name the liberal clerks she suspects are the ones who leaked it. Nice.

Alito is a far right ideologues badly infected with Fox New brain rot, barely able to contain himself. His wife can’t. To paint him as the middle of the road, dispassionate jurist battling the forces of far-left extremism is kind of hilarious. But it’s a perfect example of how they think.