Joseph R. Goodwin, United States District Court judge. 2/19/26

In brief, the smoochy romance between Drek and SCOTUS is over. They’ve broken up, which will be very helpful in cases that haven’t reached the Court yet.

In lashing out at the Supreme Court Trump accused justices of being "swayed by foreign interests” and that the majority opinion was "not written by smart people." He added that “they are just fools and lapdogs for the RINOS and radical left Democrats."

In brief, soak the middle class and poor to benefit the very wealthy.

Being slapped down by SCOTUS is not enough to stop a man lost in his stupidity and stubbornness. In reimposing his tariffs under the authority of a different law, Drek shows that he remains determined to effectively substitute a regressive sales tax (tariffs) for progressive income taxes.

Well this didn’t take long. News item with minor edit:

“Trump said that in response to the Supreme Court striking down his sweeping tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, he will impose new global tariffs under different statutes.”

Stupid is as stupid does.

The irony is that, while it’s a stinging defeat for him, it will benefit him by giving the economy a much needed boost. This benefit will be short-lived, though, because in his unfathomable stupidity and stubbornness he will reimpose them using a different law for legal authority.

The Supreme Court strikes down Trump’s tariffs because in imposing them he acted on a law that does not give him the authority to do so.

Getting shown up in the arena of elite impunity by *the British monarchy* is an incredible “America at 250!” achievement

Last night Heather Cox Richardson reported on JB Pritzker’s State of the State address in Illinois. Pritzker had many memorable lines. I particularly like this one, referring to Trump and his administration, “the people who say the only way to love America is to hate Americans.”

🔥🔥🔥🔥

Re ICE leaving Minneapolis: Two people were murdered out right by government agents. Hundreds more had their lives shattered, if not their skulls. No one has yet been held accountable for this brutality.

Two people were murdered out right by government agents. Hundreds more had their lives shattered, if not their skulls. No one has yet been held accountable for this brutality.

The paradox of human nature, that the same species capable of creating exquisite beauty is also capable of creating unfathomable cruelty and ugliness.

Decency is dead in the U.S. government but we took comfort in knowing that it is not dead everywhere. We took comfort in knowing that it’s not dead in Canada. The awful shooting in a rural community in BC shakes that belief. Still, good that Canadian leaders could come together in shared grief. 🇨🇦

If that were to happen, I would prefer to think of them as converts rather than traitors. Congress would no longer be a rubber stamp for a corrupt president. We would have accountability. I’d welcome converts.

Trump admits to posting a vile racist meme yet refuses to say it was a mistake. There are four Black Congressmen in the House. If just two of them, in protest against Trump’s unapologetic racism, were to change party, the Democrats would have the majority.

Also, he had endorsed the losing candidate.

His defining personality trait is that he’s a bully. Hence, he sees governing simply as bullying writ large, as an extension of himself.

The thrust of Trump’s philosophy is the opposite, that power is derived from force, coercion and intimidation. The result is domination, not cooperation.

The key idea of the United States is found in the 2nd paragraph of the Declaration of Independence: that governments “deriv[e] their just powers from the consent of the governed.”

He is being stopped right now. In Minneapolis the hammer of tyranny struck the anvil of democracy. The anvil held.

I read an article today on Tesla stock and how far out-of-whack the price is right now relative to earnings. In brief, Tesla sales continue to underperform while stock prices overperform. Tesla investors are not just running on fumes. They’re running on the hope of fumes.

Cartoon by @andertoon.bsky.social

Minnesota: where the hammer of authoritarianism struck the anvil of democracy. The anvil is stronger.

John Mitnick: “I helped to establish DHS in 2002 and 2003 and later had the homeland security portfolio as a White House Counsel and served as General Counsel of the Department [in Trump 1.0]. I am enraged and embarrassed by DHS’s lawlessness, fascism, and cruelty. Impeach and remove Trump—now."

MAGA doesn’t mean Make America Great Again. In reality it means Make America White Again. The recent murders of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis show its utter ruthlessness in doing that.

When you’ve lost Oklahoma….

I weep for the immediate victims in Minneapolis, but I also weep for our country. I weep for our young people and children who deserve the same birthright of freedom that we elders had.

Just a gloss on the “created equal” clause. In the 18th century, a system of social classes prevailed in England and its colonies. Jefferson meant that regardless of one’s class, or station in society, all persons are equal before the law. Jefferson passed over the implications for slavery.