Trump’s terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day—in court. Intelligencer is tracking the ways judges are blocking the president’s agenda …
■ … including a ruling yesterday that the “Department of Government Efficiency” dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development probably violated the Constitution.
■ Norm Eisen, who chairs the State Democracy Defenders Fund, which brought the case, calls the ruling “a milestone in pushing back on … DOGE’s illegality.”
■ Trump told Fox News last night he will never defy the courts—but also undercut that pledge: “You have to start looking at what do you do when you have a rogue judge?”
■ MSNBC’s Steve Benen: “Republican lawmakers have launched impeachment efforts targeting sitting members of the federal judiciary for ruling in ways that Trump didn’t like. And there is no precedent for that.” (Cartoon: Jack Ohman, whose free newsletter you should certainly be getting.)
■ New York Times columnist Jamelle Bouie (gift link): “Trump has gone from unconstitutional to anti-constitutional.”
■ ProPublica: Emails reveal a top IRS lawyer warned that Trump administration dismissals constituted a “fraud” on the courts.
‘John Roberts is increasingly unnerved by the leopard eating his face.’ That’s Discourse blogger Rafi Schwartz’s characterization of the Supreme Court chief’s rejection of Trump’s call to impeach a judge who ruled against his deportation plans.
■ Public Notice columnist Lyz Dye: “When the attorney general is promising to defy a court order, the nation is in grave trouble.”
■ Axios: Trump’s running “a multipronged, methodically planned strategy to push the Supreme Court to bless his power to deport vastly more people with vastly fewer judicial restraints.”
■ In a letter from a federal immigration detention center, Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil declares, “I am a political prisoner.”
■ Read the letter here.
■ Washington Post columnist Karen Attiah (gift link, courtesy of Chicago Public Square supporters): “What happened to him should chill all Americans.”
■ The Onion: “New Federal Law Mandates Women Talk With Baby Voice.”
‘An armed assault on the U.S. government.’ Rachel Maddow recaps the DOGE takeover of the U.S. Institute of Peace.
■ The Revolving Door Project: “DOGE’s onslaught against the federal workforce … will soon be responsible for the premature deaths of people throughout the United States.”
■ Economist Paul Krugman: Why Elon Musk has it in for Social Security.
‘The latest in a string of firings at agencies designed to be insulated from the White House.’ That’s how Politico sees Trump’s dumping of the Federal Trade Commission’s Democratic members.
■ Columnist and former Labor Secretary (under Bill Clinton) Robert Reich calls those firings illegal: “One result … will be higher prices for American consumers because the FTC cop is now off the beat” …
■ … aaaaaand, as of this morning, Wired reports, the FTC has dumped posts critical of Amazon, Microsoft and AI companies.
■ … aaaaaand, as of this morning, Wired reports, the FTC has dumped posts critical of Amazon, Microsoft and AI companies.
Does AI qualify for First Amendment protection? As Illinois lawmakers consider rules governing artificial intelligence tech in elections, the American Civil Liberties Union is raising free-speech concerns.
■ Platformer’s Casey Newton characterizes the Trump administration’s AI policies as “let’s see what happens.”
■ A Tribune headline on a story about Northwestern Medicine’s trial of new tech: “Would you let a robot draw your blood?”
Talk about derangement. A Minnesota Republican pushing a bill to designate “Trump Derangement Syndrome” a mental illness category for critics obsessed with Trump has been arrested on charges of soliciting a minor for prostitution.
■ The sheriff police chief of the town filing the charges has declared it an “Orange Jumpsuit District.”
■ Jimmy Kimmel: “Trump Derangement Syndrome … is a very serious condition. But many people who suffer from it can lead happy, productive lives. Some even host their own late-night talk shows.”
‘Good-ish’ news. Columnist and former Illinois Rep. Marie Newman sees reasons for Democrats to be at least a little cheerful.
■ Pod Save America co-host Dan Pfeiffer: After “a hellish past few weeks,” they may be nearing “their Tea Party moment.”
■ Gov. Pritzker’s targeting Trump’s impact here with a “Standing Up for Illinois Tour” beginning today in Champaign-Urbana.
Journalism in jeopardy. WBEZ’s under investigation from the newly Trump-compliant FCC for airing “underwriting” messages in possible violation of a federal ban on public-broadcasting commercials.
■ WBEZ’s nonprofit corporate sibling, the Sun-Times, is losing 20% of its staff under a buyout offer.
■ A member of Politico parent Axel Springer’s board accuses its reporters of being “woke,” and led by management that “does not dare to fire them.”
■ The Wrap’s Brian Lowry sees a trend: Media figures attacked by Trump have increasingly “chosen not to engage, either fearing Trump’s vindictiveness … or simply seeing little percentage in getting drawn into the sort of dispute that will trigger the ire of the MAGA faithful.”
■ But the AP’s David Bauder says that, even as CBS corporate leaders consider Trump’s $20 billion lawsuit against 60 Minutes, the show’s been unflinching in its Trump coverage.
Weather watch. Severe thunderstorms could target Chicago this afternoon and evening.
■ And maybe a tornado.
Ready to vote early? The Chicago Public Square Voter Guide Guide’s been corrected: Haven’t registered yet? Too late to do so online for this go-round, but you can do it in person up to and including Election Day.
■ Thanks to reader—and former Oak Park village clerk—Terri Powell for the catch.
‘Thank you for doing what you do! I look forward to your email every day.’ — Those kind words yesterday accompanied a reader’s support for Square. You can join her for as little as $1, once.
■ And you can use PayPal if you prefer.
■ Chris Koenig made this edition better.
