08/13/25
Good morning! It’s Wednesday, August 13th.
National Prosecco Day. Yet another reason to be extra bubbly (so lame. Such a lame joke.)
And now, the news.
LA v Trump Suit
-via CBS News, NBC News, and Cornell Law School
Let’s start in Los Angeles, where arguments have begun over whether President Trump violated the law when he sent federal troops to Los Angeles. The state is asking a judge to order the administration to return control of the remaining troops to the governor and stop using military, “to execute or assist in the execution of federal law.”
Meanwhile, the administration is arguing that the deployment was to support immigration officials, since they were impeded by protests.
While is wild.
Because I remember specifically being told they were here since we were a lawless society. The worst of the worst, with our oatmilk chai lattes and disregard for human decency. I remember being specifically told that they were here to quell the riots as Trump called people protesting the kidnapping of our neighbors violent mobsters.
That’s why he sent federal troops to protect federal personnel and property, after all.
But who am I, but a Kim?
One key piece of testimony of the day came from Major General Scott Sherman, who was deployed at one point as the commanding general of the National Guard task force and said he never heard the term “rebellion” used to description the situation in Los Angeles.
Here’s why that’s important: the executive order that called up the National Guard used a law called Title 10 US Code Section 12406 which deals with the role the National Guard plays in federal service. They can’t just go all whilly nilly, ya know? What if we, as a country, went wild and elected a twice impeached grifted who’s been found liable for sexual assault, and suddenly that man started going around trying to just post up the National Guard anywhere he wanted simply because he’s obsessed with being an authoritarian because his dad never said he loved him? We gotta have barriers, ya know?
So that section of the US code specifically says the President can federalize the National Guard when: “The United States, or any of the Commonwealths or possessions, is invaded or is in danger of invasion by a foreign nation; there is a rebellion or danger of a rebellion against the authority of the Government of the United States; or the President is unable with the regular forces to execute the laws of the United States.”
It's not our fault that the President is so weak and Los Angeles is so powerful. But he didn’t say the magic world He didn’t say “rebellion.”
This is a three-day trial. Let’s see what fun tomorrow brings.
Trump’s DC Takeover
-via AP News, CNN, NY Times, and Washington Post
Moving from Trump’s test case to his current next phase – some of the 800, or so, National Guard troops have arrived in DC.
May I suggest the Crown and Crow? It’s a very cool bar.
I make that suggestion because they’re going to have some free time. Because, again, crime in DC is down. Violent crime is at a 30 year low!
The last time I was out there was when Roe fell, and I walked around at night alone – felt totally safe. I was there in June of 2020 – during the BLM protests. I wasn’t there for the protests but I obviously made it a point to head over there. Totally safe.
I’m not saying every corner of every place is safe. But I’m saying that the president is lying when he says it’s more dangerous than war torn cities. He is literally calling it lawless. Because he wants an excuse to be the big brave boy.
And now our bravest boy is sending the National Guard to DC. And probably to a city near you soon. Those are some expensive daddy issues! All I did was get really into Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.
Oh! Wait! I can’t believe I didn’t talk about this!
ICE raised their age limits, I guess because not enough people want to be brown shirts, and Dean Cain, star of Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (though one could argue the real star with the magic, wit, and romance of the classic DC characters) has joined ICE.
My first love, now my first heart break.
What a lesson.
Anyway, while this is going on, internal Pentagon documents that have been reviewed by the Washington Post have revealed that the Trump is working to create a “Domestic Civil Disturbance Quick Reaction Force” which would put hundreds of National Guard troops on constant standby in two groups of 300, stationed in Alabama and Arizona, on ready alert to jump into action any and all times should there even be a whisper, a sniff, a hint, of a protest.
All for the low low cost of hundreds of millions of dollars, should military aircraft and crew be needed around the clock.
Also the low low cost of normalizing military doing law enforcement.
Not the vibe. Not good!
How About Them Cowboys?
-via Texas Tribune and Texas Tribune
And moving to Texas… while Texas House Democrats are still staying out of state to prevent the state’s House Republicans from seizing power from voters, the Texas state Senate Republicans… just passed their own bad map!
Resourcefulness! Resourcefulness for bad!
It now heads to the House which will need to approve it, but obviously it’ll be stalled there because there aren’t enough Dems to let the House vote.
Governor Abbott has of course said he’ll call another special session, which will include the terrible map within the agenda. Literally tying legislation about the deadly July 4th floods to these horrific gerrymandered maps.
This new Senate approved map is the same as the House map and was approved on party lines.
Meanwhile, running out of options because Ken Paxton has asked the state Supreme Court to formally call the democrats seat vacant but that’s expected to take weeks and there’s nothing else to be done until the dems come home, Paxton now wants to put Beto O’Rourke in jail because his PAC, Powered by People fundraised the walkout.
This is because there was a temporary injunction to stop him from paying for the dems, or further fundraising for them, but social media posts, as well as a Fort Worth event, encouraged continued donations.
Beto’s response to the court was that Paxton was, "knowingly taking a statement entirely out of context to intentionally misrepresent the statement to this Court."
Last Friday he also filed his own suit against Paxton in EL Paso, alleging the AG was engaging in a, “fishing expedition, constitutional rights be damned,” and asked the judge to block Paxton’s investigation’s into Beto’s PAC’s practices.
I, personally, would like to file my own additional suit, asking AG Paxton to not be so annoying and please go away.
Hey, remember when Ken Paxton’s wife filed for a divorce last month by saying, “in light of recent discoveries, I do not believe that it honors God or is loving to myself, my children, or Ken to remain in the marriage.”
What do we think those recent discoveries were? We already know he’s done some dishonest stuff, but what are the recent discoveries?
Russia Russia Russia
And in Russia, well actually in America, investigators have uncovered evidence pointing to Russia as the culprit, at least partially, for a hack into federal court documents that could include people charged with national security crimes and sources.
You know, things are probably totally no worries if they have them.
It’s unclear if it’s Russia-Russia, or just someone in Russia, that is responsible for the hack.
The timing of this info is really something special, though, because on Friday, Trump and Russia’s Vladimir Putin are supposed to meet in Alaska to discuss the end of his invasion of Ukraine. Notably, no one from Ukraine is invited. So I’m sure this is going to go great. Great news Ukraine, we’ve solved it. Remember the time you came to the White House and the guy who wears ties that touch the ground lectured you about your clothes? He’s going to negotiate on your behalf so don’t even worry about the fact that you’re not invited.
Fear not, it’s being framed as a “listening exercise,” something, frankly, both of them need practice in.
Anyway, this is all just preparation until it happens but the timing of the hacking info is interesting.
And that’s it. That’s the news.
I’m proud of prosecco. You can drink it when you don’t feel like celebrating. Just so you know. Just in case you’re curious.
But more than that – because you’re more fun than bubbles, I’m proud of you.