Week 57
By This is the week we lost Jesse Jackson. I loved hearing him speak. Here’s his speech at the 1988 Democratic Convention.
None of our current politicians speak this way. I think that some of this could fire up voters, but it may be something from an earlier time, when most of us had heard Black preaching, even if we weren’t churchgoers. Does this not stir the youts? What does?
Mike Johnson refused a request to let Jackson lie in honor in the Capital. He will be in the PUSH headquarters instead.
The Supreme Court once again made the pocketbook exception to their support for Donald Trump and struck down his tariffs. Today he is talking about raising a general tariff, which is still allowed, to 15%. Once again, he is using his Truth Social account for official pronouncements. Governor J.B. Pritzker sent Trump an invoice on behalf of the people of Illinois for a return of $1700 per family. The downside for Trump of his new way to impose tariffs is that they run out in July, when Congress will have to consider renewing them.
Speaking of arbitrary, there were at least three attacks on small boats off South America which killed several people. They continue to be unlawful.
And the arbitrary massing of war machinery around Iran. Trump’s negotiation strategy is to tell nobody what he’s planning. The casus belli seems to be, as I read between the lines, that Iran was willing to sign an agreement with Obama but not with Trump. The UK I can’t imagine how Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff are dealing with the necessary technical side of the negotiations. Maybe they can cut and paste from the JCPOA. The UK has refused to allow US planes to use its Diego Garcia airbase for attacks on Iran. Here’s a summary of Trump’s illegality.
Trump convened his “Board of Peace.” I’ve been glad to see most outlets putting quotes around that name, or appending “so-called.” Not a single member has come up with the billion dollars required for membership and subject to Trump’s will alone. Trump “pledged” $10 billion toward reconstructing Gaza as Miami Beach without saying where that money will come from.
His energy secretary, Chris Wright, said this week that several tankers full of Venezuelan oil has been sold for several billion dollars, which apparently is going into an account in Qatar that doesn’t have the government’s title on it.
The Epstein saga rolls along. The former Prince Andrew has been accused of leaking trade secrets to Epstein. The New York Times has an article this morning about Professor Dan Ariely, scholar of the psychology of dishonesty and accused of the same, and his doings with Epstein. So much material.
Don’t forget that ICE and CBP are still in Minnesota. I haven’t seen any reports from on the ground that indicate that anything is letting up beyond the provocations that got so much notice.
Was this the week that Pam Bondi threw her shit fit in Congress? Monday seems like a long time ago.
Alysa Liu’s gold medal performance is sheer joy.
Follow the court-watchers for the details of the lawsuits. Chris Geidner (LawDork, Bluesky), Roger Parloff (Lawfare, Bluesky), and the Just Security tracker.
As usual, keep it to things that have actually happened, not hypotheticals. What is actually happening is plenty.
Caring for yourself and loved ones is resistance too. Post your pets.
151 more weeks to go. What are you doing? As Jane Goodall often put it: Do what you can, where you are, when you are able. It’s getting more important to participate.
Previous weeks: Week 10, Week 20, Week 30, Week 40, Week 50, Week 51, Week 52, Week 53, Week 54, Week 55, Week 56