Today in Politics, Bulletin 479. 10/12/26

… US District Judge Ana Reyes was livid with DOJ attorneys at the emergency hearing she held during the federal holiday today over the Trump admin’s brazen defiance of her previous court order not to perform any major work at the East Potomac public golf course in DC.

… The following is a compilation of key parts of the hearing using live posts from the courtroom from Matthew Russell Lee with Inner City Press, Molly Roberts with Lawfare, and Scott Macfarlane with Meidas, who were all present in the courtroom:

Judge Reyes: I could not have been clearer, I have given the Govt the benefit of the doubt. Let me read what I ordered at the last hearing to show how the Govt has lost its credibility in this case. The transcript says I said cutting down the tree would be irretrievable harm, I think I should have said, irrevocable harm. I made myself entirely clear.

Trump lawyer Robertson: Yes, your Honor.

Judge Reyes: And now, at 4:55 pm on Friday - hundreds of trees cut down! When did counsel first become aware?

Robertson: I became aware it might happen, by Oct 8-

Judge Reyes: Ignorance is not an excuse here! You should have immediately told me. When did you know the plan for the trees to be toppled?

Robertson: Late Oct 8 or early Oct 9.

Judge Reyes: Why did you wait so long to notify the court?

Robertson: We were waiting for details.

Judge Reyes: Do you have email or a cellphone? What was preventing you from contacting us?

… Scott Macfarlane: “Court rules prohibit me from sharing audio of this hearing. But I’ve never heard a judge scream at full voice at a lawyer before. Not like this. Trump Admin lawyer is getting excoriated.”

Robertson: I don’t think there was a conscious decision not to tell the court-

Judge Reyes: There WAS a conscious decision! You didn’t tell the court. Do you know why I am furious right now? The plaintiffs said this could happen and I said, I trust the govt! I don’t know how I could have made it any plainer that I did not want what has happened to happen.

I have given the govt every single benefit of the doubt that it would not do precisely what it has done. I am just at a total loss to understand what has happened here, other than - Occam’s Razor time - that the govt intended to do precisely what it has done.

You know why I’m furious right now? I was hearing from everybody on plaintiffs’ side that this was going to happen and I said repeatedly, ‘no, I trust the govt.’ I trusted you all not to do precisely what you have done.

I’m at a total loss to understand what happened here - it’s been to intentionally not tell the Plaintiffs, and clear hundreds of trees. How many? I said, I don’t want TEN trees taken down. I said, the Govt won’t lie. And now they did. On what universe did anyone in your office think that was acceptable?

Robertson: Your honor, we did our best --

Judge Reyes: No, you did not do your best! You did your absolute worst. More than being upset and furious right now, I am just beyond disappointed in the govt. I have done everything humanly possible to give the govt the benefit of the doubt in this case. I have done it repeatedly. I have done it for months.

Judge Reyes: What are the plans going forward?

AUSA Piropato: The contractor is checking the conditions of the course-

Judge Reyes: If my order is violated by ONE SECOND I guarantee there will be contempt proceedings.

AUSA Piropato: I understand. But there has to be chipping of the wood.

Judge Reyes: Why did this have to happen on Saturday?

AUSA Piropato: I don’t know.

Judge Reyes: Anything else planned about further renovations of the golf course?

AUSA Piropato: I am not aware of anything requiring NEPA review.

… Kevin Griess from the National Park Service was then called to testify by the court:

Judge Reyes: Please put Mr. Griess under oath. Misstatements are a federal felony.

Plaintiff lawyer: Mr. Griess, as I understand your declaration, this happened because you got new resources - from where?

Griess: They are NPS personnel from all over, brought in.

Plaintiff’s lawyer: Who told them to do this on Saturday? When?

Griess: I can’t say-

Judge Reyes: Who notified them to start on Saturday?

Griess: Deputy Director Frank Lance.

Judge Reyes: Get Mr. Lance here. Ms. Piropato, this is an order. I want him here now. Proceed.

Plaintiffs’ lawyer: When were you contacted to create the declaration you filed on Friday?

Griess: We were completing the compliance and received notice.

Judge Reyes: But what approval did you receive on October 5?

Griess: I had requested a tree approval, a pre-management plan.

Judge Reyes: Including cutting down 100s of trees?

Griess: Yes.

Judge Reyes: Approval by email - from whom?

Griess: Jessica-

Judge Reyes: Do you have it?

Griess: Yes. When the money became available, I asked them to mark every single tree that could be cut - they GIS mapped that then I asked my architect how to achieve it for whatever leasee.

Plaintiffs’ lawyer: Are you saying you are not aware of the President’s plans?

Griess: Only from social media. Not professionally.

Plaintiffs’ lawyer: For the 700 trees, where in the CLR is there support for this?

Griess: First we do the inventory, then the report.

… Scott Macfarlane: “Looks like the plan is to cut down 729 trees at East Potomac Golf course. 430 have already been toppled, despite court order that the judge be sufficiently notified first.”

Griess: We look at each tree, and see when it is from-

Judge Reyes: When did you get funding authorization? Didn’t the WH cut NPS by 20% - are you aware?

Griess: Yes, your Honor.

Judge: Where did the money come from?

Griess: I don’t know. This plan isn’t just about safety, it’s about the restoration of the park to its initial form.

Judge Reyes: The trees removed Saturday, were they hazardous trees?

Griess: No.

Judge Reyes: I am ordering you to maintain all communication about this, for you and your staff to turn off all auto-delete functions, do you understand?

Griess: Yes, Your Honor.

Judge Reyes to DOJ: What are the plans moving forward?

Robertson: Today, NPS go with the contractor to see whether grounds are wet - I understand nothing can happen.

Judge Reyes: Is everyone else aware of that? Because I promise you if that order is violated by two seconds, there are gonna be contempt proceedings.”

… Deputy National Park Service Director Frank Lands was then called to testify:

Judge Reyes: When did you became aware of plan to take down trees on Oct 10?

Lands: October 5.

Judge Reyes: Who told you to do this?

Lands: Deputy chief of staff for the Dept of Interior.

Judge Reyes: I want him in here too. Why all the sudden urgency to take down trees?

Lands: I don’t know.

Judge Reyes: How much is this tree removal going to cost the taxpayers?

Lands: I can’t even ballpark it.

Judge Reyes: Why did this have to be done urgently?

Lands: I don’t know a reason.

Judge Reyes to DOJ: Did you track down the Dept of Interior Chief of Staff?

Piropato: I can’t reach him. It’s a holiday.

Judge Reyes: Oh, I’m well aware it’s a holiday.

Judge Reyes: This is totally beyond the pale. Someone is going to be under oath and explain what happened to me. There is no urgency to any of this tree work! I want Dept of Interior deputy chief of staff Gregory Wischer in here.

The question is: Have I been lied to about the timing of things. I’m beyond disappointed in the govt right now. I order a halt to all further work at East Potomac Golf Course until 2 PM tomorrow. I will decide whether to make a longer extension. I also want Wischer in here to testify tomorrow.”

… AP: “Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are considering firing Ambassador to Greece Kim Guilfoyle after a series of reports alleging she has engaged in improper and possibly illegal conduct before and during her tenure in Athens. A senior US official said that Trump and Rubio are ‘extremely pissed off’ by Guilfoyle’s reported conduct and would likely decide on what action to take this week.

… The official said Rubio had been particularly angry, not least because he visited Athens just last week and Guilfoyle attended most, if not all, of his events and greeted him on his arrival with a bear hug as the allegations swirled.

… Guilfoyle has not addressed the reports directly, but in a statement released late Sunday, her lawyers denied she had done anything wrong and claimed that the money she was seeking from the Trump donor was payment for services - public appearances and speaking engagements that predate her ambassadorial nomination - that had not been paid.”

… Ken LaCorte posted:

“I ran FoxNews.com for a decade, and this pains me to write. Kim Guilfoyle, former Fox employee and (as of today) ambassador to Greece, is in the midst of a serious scandal. If true, she faces not only the likelihood of removal - something she herself acknowledged - but also the distinct possibility of prison.

Fox has 0 reporting online about this. The most recent article at Fox mentioning her is dated Dec 10, 2024 - the day Trump announced her nomination as ambassador.
Fox’s sister company - the WSJ - has done a great job leading the reporting on this. The allegations are substantive, sourced, and paint a picture of a US diplomat wallowing like a pig in a trough.

To be clear, this isn’t a simple ‘mistake’ by Fox. It’s not a biased headline or muddled article. It’s a conscious choice to ignore a major story that has been reported worldwide by every major news outlet. Trump has spoken about it, as has Vance and Marco Rubio. It’s journalistic malpractice.

I don’t have knowledge of the details of Fox’s action, yet I doubt that there’s been an order from up top to ignore it. I suspect it’s instead a product of fear and inaction by middle management. Whatever the reason, though, it’s an increasing pattern I’ve seen at the network.

To those of you at Fox with any power - from Lachlan on down - know that things like this only harm the company’s reputation. Not among your enemies, who will hate you no matter what, but among your supporters, like me, who get pained when the hyperbolic attacks turn out to be true.”

… Daily Mail: “Fearing Don Jr’s reaction if he caught her drinking, Kim Guilfoyle reportedly recruited Eric Deters’ wife and her friend to sneak alcohol to her during a 2024 festival. Guilfoyle’s frustration with the event and the Trump family erupted when she reportedly candidly branded all Trump men as ‘narcissistic assholes’ during a fight that played out in real time.”

… She’s not wrong there.

I had to work at an extremely fast pace the entire day with no breaks right up until publishing, so I apologize if there are any mistakes/typos. We also recorded Ask the Editor today, which should be out a couple hours after this Bulletin. Lots of great questions as usual, these were the 5 that I picked to answer this week:

• What do you think Trump was hinting at when he said Russ Vought had a major October Surprise coming?

• Besides Mike Pence and Susie Wiles, who are some of the other prominent Republicans who follow you on social media?

• Can you give your take on the emergency court hearing to block more trees getting cut down in DC?

• How will the Kim Guilfoyle situation play out this week?

• Could Ukraine’s bombing of Russian data centers impact the midterms?

If you missed yesterday’s Bulletin recapping the weekend, you can find it here.

… Zelenskyy: “When we started responding to Russia’s operation against our data centers, and when our strikes reached Yandex’s data centers, it suddenly became a little easier to breathe on many social media platforms. A lot of people noticed it. There was less hate, less division, and fewer provocations. Because there were fewer bots. And it’s pretty clear where those bots were coming from – if they disappeared when Yandex went offline.”

… Dr. Nick Mark: “Huge drop in Google searches for various health disinformation topics following the Ukrainian strikes on Russian data centers. It makes you wonder how much of the ‘turbo cancer, ivermectin’ nonsense is really fueled by Russian bots, and how many Americans they’ve killed.”

… Zelenskyy also said that Russia has not agreed to or honored any ceasefire on energy infrastructure, despite Trump’s claims:

• “Our offer is honest and clear – we are ready to respect an energy ceasefire if Russia is ready to do the same – we agree if they agree. And we have already shown that we mean it.

• Last night, Russian oil refineries were not burning. But at midnight, a Russian jet-powered ‘shahed’ struck a gas-production facility in Ukraine. There was also a Russian strike on an ordinary gas station, involving several drones.

• So there were Russian violations of the energy ceasefire announced by Trump. And all morning today, more and more Russian jet-powered ‘shaheds’ have continued to enter our skies – over Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities.

• For now, this is Putin’s answer to Trump – Russian attacks. But we are waiting. We are waiting for the details of the conversation between the Americans and the Russians. We are waiting to see what specific steps the Americans are ready to take.”

… Zelenskyy on Fox: “Everybody understands that the global price of diesel is not dependent on our attacks on Russia. It is because Hormuz is blocked. Russia diesel is just 2.2% of the global supply.”

… He was then asked about Trump’s comment that “Ukraine needs a new president.” Zelenskyy continued to offer to hold elections if Russia will agree to a 60-day ceasefire, which they just refused to do again:

• “If Trump wants to change the leader in Ukraine, he has to know that only our people can change it. I’m ready for elections. We need 60 days. But now we have attacks each day. Each hour they attack us. We’re speaking about thousands of drones, ballistic missiles, cruise missiles. Each hour people go to bomb shelters. How can people vote?”

… Kobeissi Letter: “BREAKING: Brent crude oil prices surge above $107/barrel after President Zelenskyy accuses Russia of striking 6 Ukranian energy facilities today. Iran also said a third crude oil supertanker has been hit and caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz today.”

… CNN: “Trump admin has warned Ukraine and allies in Europe that the US could suspend intelligence sharing and European purchases of US weapons for Ukraine if Kyiv does not halt its deep strikes on Russian energy facilities.”

… Financial Times: The Trump admin is threatening to halt the PURL weapons procurement program and cut intelligence sharing to force Ukraine to stop striking Russian oil refineries.

…. National security reporter Michael Weiss responded to the report:

• “The Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List is how the US sells weapons to Europe, which are then provided for Ukraine’s defenses. The price tag for these weapons is in the billions of dollars (upwards of $6.7 billion to date), orders of magnitude higher than what the Russian diesel deal is worth.

• “Trump would be losing money - and costing the American defense industry revenue - for a sham deal with Russia that benefits none outside of Moscow and Miami. Just to give you a sense of his prioritized requirements.”

… FT reporter Christopher Miller: “Indeed. Trump’s threat of blocking PURL means he’d care more about harming Ukraine than allowing American companies business.”

… Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE): “The Admin’s silence on Russia’s bombing campaign of Ukrainian cities and the targeting of civilians is disgusting. The President has lost credibility here and abroad. Most Americans want to help the victim of Putin’s invasion defend their freedom and independence. We won’t stand on the side of the invader and pressure the victim to make concessions. Most reject buying fuel from Russia that funds the bombing of cities.

… WSJ: Saudi Arabia‘s terrified Crown Prince has been forced into hiding as Houthi rebels continue to hit Riyadh with deadly missile strikes, a report has claimed. Mohammed bin Salman has for the past 6 days been moving between heavily guarded palaces with bunkers.

… On Saturday, the Kingdom was struck by its deadliest attack in a decade when a projectile hit King Khalid Intl Airport, killing 13 and injuring hundreds. The Saudi capital’s airport was struck again yesterday, leaving one dead and 11 injured. As the Houthi strikes on Riyadh intensify the terrified crown prince has been closely guarded out of sight.

… The last time he was seen in public was on Tuesday, when he gave blood in a bid to support a national donation drive. According to Saudi officials: ‘The 41-year-old crown prince is shuttling between heavily guarded palaces equipped with bunkers and is guarded by a handpicked security team.’”

… Mediaite: “A spokesperson for TX Senate candidate James Talarico (D) raged at MAGA influencers for promoting the wild theory that instead of being off the campaign trail due to the flu, he was locked inside a mental hospital in OH. The hospital Talarico was accused of being at later confirmed the progressive lawmaker had never received treatment from the facility.

… Talarico’s opponent, AG Ken Paxton (R-TX) began sewing the seeds of doubt about Talarico’s illness, which was blown up earlier in the day by MAGA influencer Nick Sortor. Sortor posted Sunday, ‘Ohio mental hospital CONFIRMS James Talarico was discharged from the facility earlier this week The ‘flu’ thing was a BIG FAT LIE.’”

… Talarico spokesperson JT Ennis responded to Sortor, posting, “This is a lie designed to promote a pathetic conspiracy theory. Last week James Talarico was home in Austin, TX recovering from the flu.”

… Talarico responded to the nonsense on MS NOW: “I’ve heard credible reports that Ken Paxton has a serious medical condition that causes clinical levels of cowardice. He’s afraid to debate me. People are concerned. He has asked for proof of life from me. I’m asking for proof of spine from him.”

… Texas journalist Tony Ortiz: “Rhein Amacher, source of the Talarcio audio, says he initially shopped the story to Sara Gonzales of The Blaze and Daily Mail but it didn’t pass legal so they declined. Amacher says he gave it to an influencer instead because they have lower standards than journalists.”

… These were some of the posts from some large MAGA social media influencer accounts spreading the lie. Elon Musk was most prominent in the disinformation operation as he continued to amplify the lies with his own posts and with his X algorithm.

… Talarico’s opponent Ken Paxton on Fox: Q - “There have been now 5 audio leaks of you from a private fundraiser you attended. It raises some flags among some Republicans over your thoughts about the president. Paxton: I love Trump. Just because they were able to clip a few things doesn’t mean that’s actually what I meant.”

… NBC: “It’s been a brutal stretch for Ken Paxton. Damaging leaks of his private conversations. Details of his past romantic affairs. Jabs at his physical appearance. And at least some of his allies are convinced the sabotage is coming from within his own party.

… Wounds haven’t healed from the contentious primary in which Paxton defeated Sen. John Cornyn. Many in Paxton’s corner are convinced those aligned with Cornyn are trying to tank his chances. Others in the GOP say Paxton’s negatives are so high that few want to associate with him.

… Interviews with more than a dozen TX Republicans involved in the crossfire make it clear there’s no hope for a truce before Election Day - or perhaps ever. Some say the fissures threaten to sideline GOP efforts ahead of a critical election.”

… CNN pollster Harry Enten: “The GOP initially hoped that they could pick up 5 seats from the redistricting efforts in Texas. But now the most likely outcome is Republicans may in fact, pick up ZERO seats!”

… NYT: “Elon Musk has quietly funneled more than $276 million into Republican groups and his super PAC since the start of July, building a huge turnout operation to help the party battle headwinds in the midterm elections. The staggering amount of money makes Musk by far the largest known donor in the midterms.

… In an effort to save Republicans’ Senate majority, he gave a total of $158 million this summer to the Senate Leadership Fund, the main super PAC backing the party’s candidates for the chamber. In sum, that is one of the largest political donations in American history, and more than the group’s Democratic rival raised from all of its donors that quarter.

… Musk has already given far more money, about $366 million, to federal committees during the 2025-26 election cycle than he did during the 2024 election, when he laid out roughly $290 million to help return Trump and Republicans to power. He has given even more in undisclosed donations during both elections.

… The latest torrent of spending has helped give the Republican Party a financial advantage in the midterms, as well-funded outside groups like Trump’s powerful super PAC flood the airwaves with advertising in the final weeks. No Democratic billionaire is spending nearly as much as Musk, and money remains a central worry for the party in an otherwise favorable political environment.”

… NYT: “Democrats who have spent months emphasizing the high cost of living in their fight to win control of Congress are increasingly invoking corruption in Washington to sharpen that message in the closing weeks of the campaign, blaming self-dealing by politicians for driving up prices.

… Democrats claim is that rampant corruption in Congress and the admin is directly costing average citizens who are paying more for necessities like groceries, gas and medicine while those in power get rich through insider knowledge, pay-to-play schemes and the backing of billionaires and powerful corporations. That message is taking center stage in political ads, speeches and debates in some of the most competitive races in the country.

… Democrats are using the message in multiple competitive House and Senate contests, with candidates pointing to increases in the net worth of lawmakers and admin officials and vowing to embrace an anti-corruption agenda, including banning congressional stock trading and ending the revolving door between lawmakers on Capitol Hill and lobbyists on K Street.

… It is yet another way that Democratic leaders are trying to yoke Republican candidates to Trump. Multiple accounts have shown his family and others connected to the govt enriching themselves during his presidency through crypto trading, peddling influence, securing lucrative real estate deals with foreign entities and negotiating pardons.”

… Politico: “MAGA Inc. is planning to trim the map in a homestretch bid to cling to power in Nov. The push includes cutting off spending to a group of less attainable House races, piling in money to shore up others and training its focus on key Senate seats to salvage Republicans’ Senate majority.

… OH, AK and IA are the Senate races that Trump officials view as increasingly critical to keep their majority in the chamber. MAGA Inc. and a House GOP super PAC would pull spending out of MI’s 8th District by the middle of this week. The move effectively acknowledges Democratic Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet’s strength challenger Tom Smith. They have similar plans for a group of other House races in the coming days that are trending away from Republicans.”

… Semafor: “Democratic Senate Majority PAC says it’s scrapping its ads for NC this week, adding $7 million in OH and $2.5 million in Iowa. That’s in addition to $5 million investment in KS announced last week.”

… Roy Cooper has been such a strong candidate that he has enabled Democrats to shift badly needed cash to other races. A real hero of this election cycle.

… CNN: “Early voting figures suggest Democratic gains in OH’s most Trump-friendly counties. After the first days of early voting in OH, a state that could help determine control of the Senate, there are clear signs Democrats are more enthusiastic to vote.
So far, affiliated Democrats make up larger shares of pre-election voters than they did two years ago, even in the most Republican parts of the state.

… At this point in 2024, Republicans had a 30-percentage point lead over Democrats in counties that voted for Trump by 20 points or more. This year, that’s shrunk to just 5 points.”

… Republican nominee Darlene Graham, who knows nothing about anything, had a debate with Democratic nominee Dr. Annie Andrews in the SC senate race. Graham appeared to read every answer from a script she was given by her handlers:

• Graham: “You say I want to continue the war. Let's not forget how the war started under the Democrats with Iran almost having a nuclear weapon.”

• Andrews: “My opponent is the only one on this stage who had the opportunity to vote to end the war. But 3 times in a row, she voted to continue it. And several days after one of those votes, she had the audacity to walk out onto this stage and admit that national security isn't really her thing.”

• Andrews: “She’s been told to call me Bernie Ocasio Mamdani. That’s in her script. But the truth is my name is Annie Andrews. There should not be any confusion about that because unlike my opponent I have not changed my name recently.”

… She recently started using Graham instead of her married name so Republican voters in SC would know she is Lindsey’s sister.

• Graham on Diesel Prices: “The war is one reason, but that is not the only reason. Democrats regulate everything to death so you cannot build oil refineries. So even when the war ends, gas prices will be permanently high under the Democrats.”

• Andrews: “I think it is so important that this is not the only debate we have between now and November. I’m going to reissue the challenge that Graham shows up and debates me again.”

• Graham: “She keeps challenging me to a debate, but I want to spend my time going around and meeting with voters.”

… Kansas City Star: “While facing sharp criticism over the last month for his debt collection practices as an OB-GYN, Sen. Roger Marshall has forcefully defended himself, saying his methods were ‘very common.’ But an analysis of medical debt lawsuits in the KS court system found that although it’s not uncommon for hospitals and clinics across the state to sue patients, the 18% annual interest rate Marshall applied to unpaid bills was by far the highest of the roughly 150 medical practices whose public records were reviewed.

… Before voters sent him to Washington, the rural doctor-turned-Republican lawmaker sued more than 700 former patients while caring for new and expectant mothers across his more than 25-year career. The medical bills for which Marshall’s patients were taken to court ranged from several thousand dollars to as low as $101. Interest rates compounded the balance.

… Many debt cases dragged on for years, amid regular renewals by collections attorneys. In reviewing thousands of court documents, The Star found no other medical providers that charged annual interest at 18% or any other specified rate above 12%.

… The Star searched KS’ online district court database for other instances of hospitals, clinics, private practices and individual physicians who sent patients to collections in the last 30 years. In a sample of 35 medical practices that sued patients and obtained garnishments across 25 counties in every region of the state, records indicated that none charged more than 10% interest before a judge declared the patient to be in default.

… Besides Marshall’s 18% interest, 12% was the highest rate charged by medical providers included in The Star’s analysis.”

… AP: “Federal agents on Monday searched the home of Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar, a frequent target of Trump admin, as part of a criminal investigation. More details about the investigation were not immediately clear, though JD Vance has in the past accused Omar of committing immigration fraud and has said he and a top WH official were trying to figure out how to investigate the MN congresswoman.

… In a separate interview with conservative podcaster Benny Johnson, Vance said without offering evidence that ‘we actually think that Ilhan Omar definitely committed immigration fraud against the US.’ He said that he and deputy WH chief of staff Stephen Miller had been discussing it and ‘trying to look at what the remedies are.’

… Vance: “That’s the thing that we’re trying to figure out. What are the legal remedies now that we know that she’s committed immigration fraud. How do you go after her? How do you investigate her? How do you actually do the thing? How do you build the case necessary to get some justice for the American people?”

… Omar’s chief of staff Connor McNutt: “This is rich coming from someone who literally said they were willing to ‘create stories’ to redirect the media. This is a ridiculous lie and desperate attempt to distract from the pedophile protection party’s unpopular war of choice, increasing gas prices, and rapidly dropping polling numbers.”

… Omar posted after the raid: “I’m ok. Make no mistake: this is an attempt to target political enemies and weaponize federal law enforcement. For 10 years, Trump has targeted me with baseless lies and smear campaigns. This is just the latest escalation in his campaign of political intimidation. I will not be silenced.”

… Axios: “Trump has privately shared misgivings about livestreaming the firing-squad execution of a former Army major who murdered 13 people at Fort Hood in TX. Trump has been deluged with ‘negative input’ about the idea from a bipartisan chorus of lawmakers as well as advisers inside and outside of his WH.”

… Bloomberg energy analyst Javier Blas: “Secretary of Energy Chris Wright says Middle East (ex-Iran) crude flows are back to 80%-90% of pre-war. ‘That doesn't make us comfortable, but make a viable, reasonable price today,’ he says. But Persian Gulf refined products flows are only up to 25%-30% of pre-war levels.”

… Kobeissi Letter: “BREAKING: Brent crude oil prices surge above $107/barrel after President Zelenskyy accuses Russia of striking 6 Ukranian energy facilities today. Iran also said a third crude oil supertanker has been hit and caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz today.”

… Market analyst Charlie Bilello: “US home sellers are now estimated to outnumber homebuyers by over 560k (58%), the largest gap on record with data going back to 2013.”

… Philadelphia Inquirer: “6 days after I-95 collapsed in Philadelphia, Sen. John Fetterman grabbed a lectern emblazoned with the presidential seal and began what would be his last public remarks in Philadelphia for the next 3 years. With President Joe Biden on his right and Gov. Josh Shapiro on his left, Fetterman spent two minutes praising the president while largely ignoring the governor leading the response.

… It was a pleasure to be there, he said publicly while among his peers. Privately, he never wanted to be there at all. ‘He didn’t want to go,’ recalled a former Fetterman staffer who was involved in getting him to appear at the site of one of the largest calamities in Philadelphia in recent years. ‘The fight leading up to that was, ‘I don’t want to be in the same room with Josh.’

… But his initial refusal to attend an event with the governor just a few months into his term in 2023 was indicative of what many in his orbit would later recognize as a larger trend - one of Fetterman actively trying to avoid the routine elements of his job as a senator.

… An analysis of Fetterman’s record and public appearances shows he has accomplished little legislatively while also doing less - in bills introduced, public appearances made, and committee hearings attended - as time has gone on. He has attended just 16% of his own committee meetings in the last two years and had only 31 public appearances or publicized meetings in his home state in nearly 4 years.

… Interviews with former Fetterman staffers with close knowledge of his day-to-day activities, meanwhile, describe a senator who is almost entirely disengaged from the work. Repeatedly and consistently, they describe Fetterman as a ‘lazy’ lawmaker who declines to meet with constituents or colleagues and is dismissive of criticism. He sometimes leaves Washington in the middle of session weeks.

… Asking him to do ‘the bare minimum of being a senator’ often involves ‘begging’ him to take meetings, one former staffer said, sharing a sentiment echoed by several others. ‘It was like arguing with a toddler every day - arguing with him nonstop to pretty much get out of bed in the morning and tie his shoes.”

… The Mirror: “Trump’s attempt to bully the BBC into submission has backfired spectacularly after a US judge cleared the way for his own children to be dragged into his £7.5billion defamation battle.

… In a humiliating setback for the president, Donald Trump Jr, Ivanka and Jared Kushner now face subpoenas demanding documents and testimony about the events surrounding the January 6 Capitol riots. They are to be called by BBC lawyers after Trump sued the corporation for billions of dollars over an episode of Panorama detailing the January 6 riots.

… It is a devastating twist in a lawsuit Trump launched, expecting to put the broadcaster on the defensive, after watching some of America’s biggest media organizations hand over millions to settle legal disputes with him.”

… An insider: ‌“Whereas Trump and his team thought the BBC would roll over much as US TV bosses have, nothing could be further from the truth. They are fighting it all the way. ‌Not only is he on the hook for a subpoena, but now his kids and Kushner are too. Trump has tried to amend his claims to limit the scope of what info they can access, but after opening up a can of worms, he has failed miserably to put the top back. This case is running away from the president at an alarming rate.

… The BBC’s attempts to physically serve Don Jr., Ivanka and Kushner with papers have been repeatedly blocked by the Secret Service. Now, lawyers have been told they can bypass their close protection agents, delivering the legal demands by registered mail to home and business addresses and through lawyers.

‌… The BBC is now pursuing an expanding circle of people with potentially valuable knowledge of Trump’s conduct during one of the darkest episodes in modern American history. It stems from a legal action the President himself chose to launch.”

… Hugely popular rock star Hayley Williams at her show last night in New Orleans: “Please fucking vote in November. Fuck all these people man, God damn. Fucking MAGA pieces of shit. The KKK look different now but they will not win.”