04/14/25
Good morning! It’s Tuesday, April 15th.
Tax Day! Happy Tax Day to all who celebrate.
And now, the news.
El Salvador’s President Visits
-via AP News, AP News, USA Today
Starting again with the story of Abrego Garcia - a man who the government accidentally, on a clerical error, sent back to El Salvador. Garcia is a legal permanent resident who a judge actually said, years earlier, could stay in America over fears of what could happen to him if he went back to El Salvador.
But because we have the government we have now, Garcia was scooped up and sent to a nightmare of a prison back in El Salvador. And, again because we have the government we have now, they are refusing to bring him back.
This has gone all the way to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court said he needs to come home… and they are still ignoring the order by purposefully misinterpreting the court’s ruling.
On Monday, this became even worse, somehow, because Trump met with the president of El Salvador and now both of them are saying Garcia will not be returned.
Stuck in a prison, in a country we promised him he would never have to return to, because we elected a cruel fraction of a human for whom cruelty is the point.
Well, that and white nationalism.
Chillingly, in that same meeting, Trump said, "Homegrown criminals are next. I said homegrowns are next, the homegrowns. You've got to build about five more places."
Homegrown criminals.
I… I’m speechless. I’m speechless.
These are gulags. Literal gulags. That’s what he’s asking him to make. And be clear, be crystal clear about what he’s asking this man to build.
Because who does he consider homegrown criminals? The January 6th insurrectionists who ran a confederate flag through the capitol for the first time in our country’s history? Who hunted, aiming to kill, members of Congress?
Of course not! Those people all got presidential pardons on his first day in office. Top of mind, for that guy.
No, he is telling the president of El Salvador that soon he’ll be building more torture prisons for people who speak out against him.
I’m sorry, I’m not trying to scare you. But we do need to be clear about where we are. What this moment holds.
Because we can’t fight what we don’t know.
The monster in the movie is always scarier before you know what it is.
This one’s pretty scary.
But if we decide not to face it head-on, it’s scarier because it grows.
Donald Trump does what he does out of fear. He is a small, scared, man. Of what? Who knows? His own shadow.
Right now we have to decide… are we braver than Donald Trump? Are we going to be braver than this fraction of a human being and fight back?
Call your representative and demand they do something, something, to compel the White House to return Abrego Garcia.
Columbia Student
-via NY Times
In that same vein… on Monday, one of the organizers of last year’s pro-Palestine protests at Columbia University arrived at his appointment at immigration for what he thought would be one of his last steps towards becoming a US citizen. He was doing everything legally. Above board.
Except, of course, he’d had the audacity to use his First Amendment right.
And so when he showed up to that appointment, he was instead arrested by ICE. He has not been accused of a crime, but it appears the Trump administration is going to use the same rarely used law they’re using on Mahmoud Khalil to detain and likely try to deport this student as well. That’s the one that claims that Khalil’s presence in this country is a threat to foreign policy and national security.
For using his First Amendment right in a way this administration doesn’t like.
No comment yet from the administration. Obviously.
Attack on Ukraine
-via ABC News
On Sunday, a Russian ballistic missile strike killed at least 34 people, injuring at least 117 others, who were celebrating Palm Sunday.
And how did the leader of the ceasefire react to what Germany has called a war crime? President Trump blamed Ukraine’s President Zelensky, saying he "did an absolutely horrible job in allowing this travesty to begin." Adding, "The War between Russia and Ukraine is Biden's war, not mine.”
Maybe I’m just tired. Maybe I’m just reacting to those last two stories but this guy… he’s a chump. He’s an absolute chump.
Harvard
-via NY Times
But let’s talk about someone fighting back.
Harvard.
After the Trump administration told Harvard that it needed to comply with a whole list of demands including cutting all DEI and allowing the administration to mettle in how the University operates and teaches, and threatened to freeze billions in grants if the University didn’t comply.
And after they did the same to other schools, who complied only to see the administration say “okay but we’re still not done screwing with you…”
On Monday, Harvard University told the Trump administration to shove it. But like, probably in Latin.
They refused to comply.
Not in advance. Not after the ask. Not at all.
In reaction, the administration said they would freeze $2.2 billion in multiyear grants, as well as a $60 million contract.
How about this from Harvard: “The university will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights. Neither Harvard nor any other private university can allow itself to be taken over by the federal government.”
Way to go.
Earthquake in San Diego
-via NBC7
And finally – don’t worry, my mom and Jim are okay!
There was a 5.2 earthquake that rattled them (and others in San Diego), but there are no known injuries. Everyone’s okay.
Just a little shakin!
And that’s it. That’s the news.
I’m proud of Harvard. Someone’s gonna stand up to that putz!
Also my parents. And Indy. That’s their cat. She probably didn’t really care at all. She cares about two things: getting fed on time, and hanging out with me as long as I didn’t bring Ruth me when I’m there.
But more than… taxes, because you’re the best yearround, I’m proud of you.