How It Ends

This week’s top story is in the Atlantic, entitled “The End of Rule of Law in America,” by former federal judge J. Michael Luttig. 

Judge Luttig makes the following points:

• Thus far, Trump’s presidency has been a reign of lawless aggression by a tyrannical wannabe king, a rampage of presidential lawlessness in which Trump has proudly wielded the powers of the office and the federal government to persecute his enemies, while at the same time pardoning, glorifying, and favoring his political allies and friend.

• For the almost 250 years since the founding of this nation, America has been the beacon of freedom to the world because of its democracy and rule of law. Our system of checks and balances has been strained before, but democracy—government by the people—and the rule of law have always won the day. Until now, that is. America will never again be that same beacon to the world, because the president of the United States has subverted America’s democracy and corrupted its rule of law.

• Order after order issued by this tyrannical president has been blatantly unconstitutional or otherwise illegal. Trump has provoked a global economic crisis with his usurious tariffs, for which he does not have authority under the Constitution and laws of the United States, and he has provoked a constitutional crisis with his defiance of a direct order from the Supreme Court—to return Kilmar Abrego Garcia to America—and orders from other lower federal courts that he is bound by the Constitution to follow and enforce. 

• He has viciously attacked judges, putting their safety and that of their families at risk, and he has already called for the impeachment of a federal judge who ruled against him and his administration, drawing rebuke from the chief justice of the United States (Trump’s sidekick, Elon Musk, has called for the impeachment of many more).

• Only the Supreme Court is left now to rein in this president’s lawlessness, and although the Court is making some limited efforts in that direction, it is already apparent that not even that institution can stop Donald Trump. He will ignore even the Supreme Court whenever he wants.

• From across the ages, Frederick Douglass is crying out that we Americans never forget: “The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress.”

There is much, much more in this important article, but that’s the gist.

The question now is what can be done to stop Trump from destroying our nation?

HEADLINES:

• The End of Rule of Law in America (Atlantic)

• Trump’s Crypto Dealings Push the Bounds of Corruption (New Yorker)

• Trump meets Syrian president, urges him to establish ties with Israel (Reuters)

• Trump’s Middle East visit comes as his family deepens its business, crypto ties in the region (AP)

• Oklahoma education standards say students must identify 2020 election 'discrepancies' (NPR)

• Tech titans join president in Saudi Arabia seeking investments (WP)

• What’s in Trump’s big bill? Trillions in tax cuts, changes to Medicaid and more (AP)

• White House eased China tariffs after warnings of harm to ‘Trump’s people’ (WP)

• What has Elon Musk’s Doge actually achieved? (Financial Times)

• Hegseth’s plan to cut senior military jobs could hit more than 120 high-ranking officers (AP)

• NOAA scrambles to fill forecasting jobs as hurricane season looms (WP)

• President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he would attend peace talks this week only if Vladimir Putin was also there, and goaded him by saying the Russian leader was scared to meet him face-to-face. (Reuters)

• Poland prepares for war (NPR)

• Iran Proposes Novel Path to Nuclear Deal With U.S. (NYT)

• The wild, comic, self-deflating, volcanic genius of Mark Twain (WP)

• Qatar Airways signs deal for 160 Boeing jets during Trump visit (Reuters)

• The EPA plans to weaken a rule curbing “forever chemicals” in drinking water. (WP)

• Chan Zuckerberg Is Reportedly Killing Funding for Non-Profits Associated With ‘DEI’ (Gizmodo)

• Democrats are deeply pessimistic about the future of their party, an AP-NORC poll finds (AP)

• MLB reinstates Pete Rose and others, paving way for Hall of Fame consideration (WP)

• Guardian agents: New approach could reduce AI hallucinations to below 1% (VentureBeat)

• DeepMind claims its newest AI tool is a whiz at math and science problems (TechCrunch)

• Texas Bans Being Different Around Children (The Onion)

LESLIE’s LINKS:

We Study Fascism, and We're Leaving the U.S.

Due Process Is a Right, Not a Privilege You Get for Being Good

This is Trump’s ‘most crass, inexplicable and senseless firing’

Planned Russia-Ukraine talks upend European push for U.S. sanctions on Moscow

‘What the holy hell?’ MAGA has a meltdown over House GOP post written in Spanish

Due Process Is a Right, Not a Privilege You Get for Being Good

Mike Johnson Has Bonkers Defense of Trump’s Open Corruption

Trump’s Third-Term Ambitions Are Very Revealing

This program should make a DOGE bro swoon. It’s imperiled instead.

Mexican security chief confirms cartel family members entered US in a deal with Trump administration