Talking Points Memo

Morning Memo comes to you today from Chicago, where Josh Marshall and Kate Riga did their podcast in front of a live audience last night. Thanks to everyone who came out for the first TPM event outside of NYC and DC. Sign up for the email version of Morning … Trump Exacts New Retribution Against His ProsecutorsRead more

The Supreme Court is hearing arguments this morning on what’s outwardly a case about President Donald Trump’s attempt to restrict birthright citizenship. But on the substance, the arguments will delve into a different topic: the power of district courts to issue orders that take effect nationally, halting federal … SCOTUS Hears Oral Arguments In Birthright Citizenship Case, With Consequences For Courts’ Ability To Check TrumpRead more

The Trump administration is genuinely committed to finding as many sources of leverage as possible and using it to coerce various actors — mostly state and local governments but others too — into cooperating with the immigration crackdown.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee finished their budget markup hearing Wednesday afternoon, advancing the health care portion of the legislation — which includes massive cuts to Medicaid — in a party line 30-24 vote after more than a day of debate.

Just before the onset of the pandemic I’d started researching a longer project about the personalization of global politics which was accelerated by but not started by Trump. In a way personalization is the inevitable companion of authoritarianism and autocracy. If there’s one guy who runs the show … Personalization, The Vastly Bigger Story Behind the Pimpmobile Jet BribeRead more

A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things. This is TPM’s Morning Memo. Sign up for the email version. Name And Shame! I don’t recall an outgoing interim U.S. attorney holding a press conference at the end of their brief tenure, but then no one else has … Ed Martin Announces He Will Abuse The Powers Of His Next Office, TooRead more

The House Energy and Commerce Committee met Tuesday afternoon to begin discussing committee Republicans’ budget markup that will enact sweeping cuts to Medicaid as they try to slash $880 billion over 10 years to programs under their jurisdiction. While little of the proposed Medicaid slashing had been discussed … Ten Hours In: Raucous Protests, Forced Removals And No Serious Discussion Of Republicans’ Proposed Cuts To MedicaidRead more

For the first time, a federal judge looked at Trump’s invocation of the Alien Enemies Act to remove Venezuelans, and found a way to (kind of, sort of) agree.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) said Democrats will be looking into President Donald Trump’s decision to fire Librarian of Congress Carla D. Hayden, saying “litigation will be evaluated strongly.” 

This article is part of TPM Cafe, TPM’s home for opinion and news analysis. It was originally published at The Conversation. Republicans in Congress intend to cut about $880 billion in federal health care spending. One of their primary targets is Medicaid. That government program covers 82 million Americans with … The Cost Of Medicaid Cuts For Elderly AmericansRead more

They’re already calling him “BinderKapow” Edwards. But Ashville police have now announced that they will not be filing charges against the North Carolina Rep. Chuck Edwards over the alleged binder whack incident at a Rotary Club conference over the weekend in Ashville.

A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things. This is TPM’s Morning Memo. Sign up for the email version. Two Months And Counting We’re coming up on two months since Kilmar Abrego Garcia was wrongfully removed from the United States, despite an immigration judge order barring it, … Trump DOJ Uses State Secrets Claim To Stonewall Abrego GarciaRead more

From TPM Reader DB … My feeling about Qatar gifting Trump a 747 is simply that it is just embarrassing for the United States. The US can afford and can build its own state-of-the-art Air Force One. The US doesn’t need a gift from a little country of … A Sad SpectacleRead more

This article was co-published by TPM and The Assembly, which publishes deep reporting on power and place in North Carolina. A regional Rotary conference in Asheville on Saturday night appears to have ended with a confrontation between Western North Carolina’s U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards (R) and an unknown … Rep. Chuck Edwards Accused Of Hitting Man At Rotary Club EventRead more

The top Democrat on the congressional committee that oversees the Library of Congress, Rep. Joe Morelle (D-NY), is calling for an investigation into the White House’s recent actions involving the library and the U.S. Copyright Office.

A $2 billion Trump-branded crypto deal. Access to the President auctioned off to top holders of $TRUMP coin. Businesses bragging about spending $20 million on the President’s branded crypto coin in a bid to gain influence.

Since late in Donald Trump’s first term as President something called “Schedule F” has figured high in his plans to gut and/or make the federal workforce personally loyal to him as opposed to the constitution. The gist of is that Schedule F would allow Trump to redefine large … A Novel Concept: Will Judges Start Enforcing the Law With DOGE?Read more

A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things. This is TPM’s Morning Memo. Sign up for the email version. Who’s Conning Whom Exactly? Before jumping ahead to the constitutionality of President Trump accepting as a “gift” from Qatar a $400 million 747 jumbo jet as short-term replacement … Don’t Get Conned By Trump’s Big, Beautiful Air Force One BoondoggleRead more

The Post has a good piece up about all the hidden ways the Trump White House is trying to break different parts of the government — through non-payment of grants (different from cancelations), arbitrary limits on purchase authority, etc. They note something very similar to the funds-ghosting I’ve … Funds-Ghosting At EPA TooRead more

Fascinating details emerging with the Qatari royal family giving Donald Trump the personal gift of a fully blinged out 747. Yes, they’re giving him a plane. When I first heard this story a few days ago it at least sounded like Trump had finally lost patience with Boeing … Qatari Royals Give Trump a PlaneRead more

Hello, it’s the weekend. This is The Weekender ☕️ The Supreme Court on Thursday will hear arguments related to President Trump’s executive order that purports to white out the guarantee of birthright citizenship from the Constitution.

The true extent of the confusion between the Trump White House and Republicans in Congress on Trump’s fiscal agenda came crashing out into the open this week.  Amid brutal intraparty tensions over how exactly they will enact sweeping cuts to Medicaid, far-right members of the House Republican conference … The Wheels Come Off Trump’s Attempt To Pass A ‘Big, Beautiful’ BillRead more

A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things. This is TPM’s Morning Memo. Sign up for the email version. The Trump II Cancer Metastasizes At DOJ I hate to break it to you, but the failure of Ed Martin’s nomination to be D.C. U.S. attorney has not … In The Trump II Presidency, Things Can Always Get Worse … And Often DoRead more

As the white smoke cleared, Robert Prevost of Chicago became Pope Leo XIV, the first ever American pope.

Two days ago I wrote about a pattern operating largely under the radar in the President’s war against higher education. We know about the general grant freezes on about half a dozen elite universities. Then there are countless other grant terminations across a much larger group of universities. … The NIH Funds-Ghosting, A Follow Up ReportRead more

A new episode of The Josh Marshall Podcast is live! This week, Kate and Josh discuss the Trump administration’s muteness on abortion (so far), their losses in recent Alien Enemies Act cases and the sweet, sweet downfall of eagle Ed Martin.

A short time ago, President Trump announced in the Oval Office that he is pulling the nomination of Ed Martin as U.S. attorney for D.C. Saying he was “disappointed” that Martin’s nomination foundered in the Senate, Trump floated the possibility of bringing Martin into the administration – and … BREAKING: Trump Yanks Ed Martin NominationRead more

The way attorney Jamie Diez describes it, visiting the El Valle Detention Center was usually straightforward. After making the 50-minute drive from Brownsville, he told TPM, he would usually stroll in unannounced. Officials would, after a wait, bring Diez, an immigration attorney, whichever client he was seeing that … Inside One Venezuelan’s Last-Minute Escape From a Flight to CECOTRead more

From an anonymous TPM Reader … As a former OPM appointee, this seems suspect for numerous reasons. Going through the Federal News Network article, the first thing that doesn’t make sense is in the second paragraph. Leading with retirement applications and RIFs is really odd, since the federal … Very Interesting Follow Up About that OPM ContractRead more

After firing much of its staff, the Office of Personal Management, under Elon Musk’s effective control since late January, has handed out a no bid contract to cloud-AI-based HR company Workday to help handle the mountain of terminations, retirements and layoffs built up over the first three months … Elon’s OPM Hands Out No Bid Contract to Cloud-Based AI HR CompanyRead more