@fdrtoday
Attorney, active in politics & public policy half a century starting with JFK & civil rights movement, Ex Publisher California Progress Report & Legal Counsel to Speaker of CA Assembly. Trying to enjoy life in difficult times with music, photography travel
The Unbearable Lightness of Signalgate
The Pete Hegseth Exception
by Jeffrey Goldberg
Atlantic Gift article
A good Saturday tell all by the man in the middle
A year after a national-security scandal erupted on my iPhone, no one in the Trump administration has faced consequences
bit.ly/4bJnl3W
A Trump-appointed judge used a vulgar term to attack trans women. His colleagues hit back
San Francisco Chronicle
An unusual and scathing rebuke from 27 of the 9th Circuit’s 51 judges
I won't repeat the words. Read the article for them. This is disgusting.
Trump should be ashamed
bit.ly/4sbo7wE
If they need the money, could they put CNN up for sale and maybe the new owner would see fit to leave it as is with the audience it now has? If they change it to the right they will lose viewers, but if they sell it Mr. T could be angry.
The Trump War Glossary: What He *Really* Means About Iran
Keep up with Mr. ‘I Have the Best Words’ as he twists the English language.
by Will Saletan
Many foreign people learned English before Trump came to power and are confused. Trump’s words no longer mean what they used to mean
bit.ly/40q6aOJ
France, Italy open talks with Iran over Hormuz passage; Italy denies Financial Times report
Reuters
Italy says they favor a general military de-escalation but there is no under-the-table negotiation
An anonymous French official said they have open communications
What's up?
bit.ly/4sOgGvo
He Sells Strength. America Gets Anxiety
by Don Perata
More war rhetoric, more domestic unease, more gas-price pain — and still no endgame
Trump says, “we’ve got this under control.” Then adds that “most” threats have been identified
Most?
What are we missing?
bit.ly/40viopa
The Trump Administration Floats a New Way to Humiliate the Legal Profession
NYT Gift Article
Proposal to restrain state bars who license lawyers from disciplining DOJ attorneys for lying in court and violating professional ethics
This violates federal law
They don't want guardrails
bit.ly/4saZDnl
The Pentagon’s Lawyers Are Now Under Review
The Atlantic
New Hegseth initiative to consolidate ranks of JAGs targeting those who act as guardrails
One of his first actions was to fire top lawyers—senior officers who he said functioned as “roadblocks” to the president’s orders
bit.ly/4bj2cMI
Trump Removes Sanctions on Russia to Help Oil Flow Amid Iran Conflict
NYT Gift Article
Exemptions issued by the Treasury Department will be in place until April 11
A significant turning point in America’s effort to punish Russia for its war in Ukraine
Putin's win, Ukraine's loss
bit.ly/4bj2cMI
Felon trash talking women bsky.app/profile/chri...
‘Oh, boy’: Oil industry frets over Trump's profit-minded Iran post
Politico
Trump’s social-media post is a potential public relations hurdle for an industry that has a complicated relationship with the president
"When oil prices go up, we make a lot of money“
See my earlier post!
bit.ly/4sG40GB
This is the poll of California voters about Hollywood actors, directors, and other high-profile figures and whether they should express political opinions and how they are viewed
Probably different from the viewers
Hollywood is considered too liberal and is not a good influence
bit.ly/4bDiYrf
The Oscars’ political balancing act
California Playbook
HOLLYWOOD TIGHTROPE If ever there were a year for the Academy Awards to make a political statement it’s this one
But a new poll of Californians suggests they’ll be walking a fine line
51% they should be more vocal 49% not
bit.ly/3PiV7nX
Rally Around the Flag?
by G. Elliott Morris
From World War II to Trump's bombing of Iran only a handful of historical conflicts produced clear jumps in presidential approval
The Iran strikes look like the latest case of a non-bump
Interesting and important read with charts
bit.ly/4sGnPgS
Get ready for California’s 2026 primary. Your questions about voting, answered
CalMatters
Make sure you are registered to vote, buckle up for the election
Make sure your friends vote
I am so proud at how my home state handles elections and empowers people to vote
A national model
bit.ly/3NBQRj1
Scoop: Trump claimed in G7 call that Iran is "about to surrender"
Axios
Trump told G7 leaders in a virtual meeting Wednesday that Iran is "about to surrender"
24 hours later, Iran's new supreme leader issued his first public statement vowing to keep fighting
Credibility gap?
bit.ly/4loM8O2
Hegseth Blasts CNN: ‘The sooner David Ellison takes over that network, the better’
The Hill
In front of a friendly "press" pool at the Pentagon, with CNN of course excluded, this is the big news: These guys don't respect us and don't think we deserve a free press, what's left of it
bit.ly/4lqRnwJ
Pete Hegseth on Strait of Hormuz: ‘Don’t need to worry about it’
CNBC
Woke up to the strange "press" conference at the Pentagon.
Hegseth said Ellison will change fake news CNN, first question was asked by One America "news" & WSJ did not get a real response to their question
Read
bit.ly/4sAJibg
Majority (60%) of Americans Continue to Say Abortion Should Be Legal in All or Most Cases
Pew Research Center
Share saying it is ‘difficult’ to get an abortion in their area ticks up to 45% and varies by area
Wide partisan gap: 36% of Reeps, 84% of Dems say it should be legal
bit.ly/4sby79c
Dow tumbles more than 700 points as oil jumps closing at new 2026 low under 47,000
CNBC
The 3 major averages finished with sizable losses
The benchmark 10-year Treasury barometer for mortgage rates is up
Nothing about this war is making life more affordable for average Americans
bit.ly/40pAbhF
Poll: Hilton’s rise could spare Dems from disaster in California gov’s race
Politico
Steve Hilton consolidating GOP support decreasing the likelihood of a Dem lockout according to new poll
In our weird jungle primary he goes up and and other R goes down so top 2 would include a D
bit.ly/4lrxPbH
Newsom opens commanding lead over Harris in 2028 California primary poll
The California governor was leading the former vice president by 14 percentage points in their home state, according to a poll by POLITICO and its partners
"A widening advantage" for Newsom
Links to poll
bit.ly/46X5PGU
Shot by Border Patrol Then Called a “Domestic Terrorist”
The New Yorker
by Ruby Cramer
Marimar Martinez, a U.S. citizen shot by an officer in Chicago, offers a rare window into recent spate of D.H.S. shootings—and the smear campaigns that often follow
A preschool teaching assistant
bit.ly/3PzxwPW
It took U.S. years to lose a war in Vietnam. Trump lost one in days
by Will Bunch
PA Inquirer Gift
Can this president learn to cut his losses and avoid an endless pointless conflict?
Spot on: Read his thoughtful historical analysis
He asks the right question from 50 years ago
bit.ly/4brRlAl
Epstein and His Co-Conspirators’ New York Crimes: What NY Officials Can Now Do
News on Epstein and Trump continues to come out but is obscured by the Iran War
An important piece goes through New York’s options and the 2019 New Mexico “Stand Down” Directive from Trump FBI
Read it
bit.ly/4urV6hw
A Third of Americans Have Cut Spending or Borrowed Money for Health Care
NYT Gift article
As medical costs rise more than 80 million people have made sacrifices like skipping meals and driving less a new survey finds
Affordability looms over the midterms including health care
bit.ly/3NljAZ9
A Police Report About a House Candidate Surprised the White House
by Michael Scherer
A woman’s allegations of rape against a Republican House candidate have put Trump in a bind
"Three days after President Trump announced his “Complete and Total Endorsement”
Takes one to know one
bit.ly/3N2KaX8
The Billionaires’ War
The ultrawealthy put Trump in power but other people will pay the price
by Paul Krugman
The people who took us to war have no idea what they’re doing. They’re adolescents playing video games while thousands die and the world careens toward economic crisis
bit.ly/4ur30YA
UFC Fighters to Train FBI Agents in ‘Historic Seminar’ This Week: We’ll ‘Be Even Better Prepared to Protect the American People,’ Kash Patel Says
Variety
This reads like a headline from the Onion
Next they'll be training ICE and border patrol
Kash has Hegseth's warrior disease
bit.ly/4lt061u
White House outraged over new CBS News hire: Jeremy Adler, a communications executive who previously worked for former Rep. Liz Cheney
Axios
Mind you, Cheney is a Republican and Adler worked for the Republican super PAC America Rising and Marco Rubio
The ghost of January 6 is back!
bit.ly/4seuKOS