SICKOFITRADLZ

Saturday, October 10, 2026

Chump's a loser

Donald Trump's IQ has been evaluated by seven different AI models, and some of the results are harsh. Trump frequently touts his intelligence, famously declaring on Twitter in 2018 that he was "like, really smart" and "a very stable genius", and more recently asserting he had "aced" three cognitive tests.

His most recent assertion came during a mid-term election rally in Vandalia, Ohio, on Saturday (October 3). Trump - whose marriage to Melania is at its "lowest point" for a disturbing reason - told the audience that he was "very intelligent" and a "high-IQ person" unlike "some other people". In fact, he even claimed that his was "among the highest IQs anywhere in the world". But now, utilizing the capabilities of AI, YouTuber David has put the president's bold assertions to the test, comparing him across seven different AI models.

[. . .]

He started with Grok, an AI chatbot and assistant created by xAI - Elon Musk's company - and integrated into X (formerly Twitter). Some of the instructions used included "be clear, straightforward, unbiased" and "no sugarcoating".

It responded: "From these transcripts alone, he sounds like someone in the low average to average range, roughly 95 to 110. The speech is simple, repetitive, and concrete.

"He loops the same handful of claims, dodges the actual question, and treats insistence as proof. He rarely builds a multi-step argument or handles a contradiction without sliding into a story about himself or a number he will not explain.

"That is not how higher verbal intelligence usually shows up under pressure. What he does have is sales instinct. He knows which line lands, when to pivot, and how to make a messy situation sound like a win. That is real skill. It is not the same thing as being sharp."

All the AIs said Chump was not a genius. They all found him on the low end. Because he is.

He's also a loser.

Greta Bjornson (People) reports:

Donald Trump once again lost the Nobel Peace Prize, but the winner made his defeat a bit more bitter by sneaking in a dig at the president in an impromptu acceptance speech.

South African jurist and former U.N. human rights chief Navi Pillay was named the recipient of the award on Friday, Oct. 9, The Associated Press reported. Pillay, 85, was given the honor in recognition of her work upholding international law.

[. . .]

Trump, 80, has made it no secret that he’s vying for his own Nobel Peace Prize. In July, while on his way back from a NATO summit in Turkey, the president proclaimed that he was more deserving of the prize than anyone else.

“I would say I should have won that award more than anybody that ever received the Nobel Peace Prize,” he told reporters aboard Air Force One on July 8. “Because nobody settled wars. I settled eight of them. Because I have a certain type of personality, I was able to settle them.”

Despite his claim, Trump did not settle eight wars; he and his administration have frequently cited conflicts that have not ended or were not violent to begin with.

Chump's a loser.

Here's C.I.'s "The Snapshot:"

Friday, October 9, 2026. ICE terrorizes a New York residential neighborhood, a move in Congress attempts to get members of the House of Representatives to agree to abide by the election results, the Federal Reserve finds that Chump's tariffs led to price increases in the US, and much more.

The midterms loom. Early voting is taking place in many states across the country. The last day to vote is November 3rd. That is 25 days away. Polling right now favors the Democrats. Louise Radnofsky (WALL STREET JOURNAL) reports:

Democrats and anti-Trump Republicans have grown increasingly anxious that the current GOP-controlled Congress could thwart the seating of Democrats in January. A bipartisan group of lawmakers is trying to take the tactic off the table.

Reps. Don Bacon, a Nebraska Republican, and Josh Gottheimer, a New Jersey Democrat, are seeking written pledges from their colleagues to accept the midterm-election results. The effort follows months of claims by President Trump that some states’ voting practices are vulnerable to fraud.

They are asking lawmakers to sign a public letter “opposing efforts to undermine free and fair elections or override the will of the voters, including any attempt to refuse or delay the seating of any Member-elect who presents a validly issued election certificate.”

The goal, they say, is to get enough signatories to head off any prospect that the current House of Representatives would even contemplate parliamentary maneuvers to block their successors from taking over.

A rational fear. Shouldn't be. But that's what happens when Chump is in the White House and Speaker of the Closet Mike Johnson will do anything to please him. That is what happens when Chump encouraged the January 6th insurrection back in 2021 and when he returns to the White House in January 2025, he issues a blanket pardon for all insurrectionists. Even those who assaulted the police, please note, got pardoned. Thugs. And Chump tried to set up a slush fund for them.

With all of that disrespect for democracy and for the law, it is a rational fear that Chump and his lackey Johnson will pull nonsense following the election if they don't like the results.

Addressing this fear was covered yesterday on ALL THINGS CONSIDERED (NPR):

AILSA CHANG, HOST:

All right, let's talk about January 3, 2027, or what could happen on January 3. That's when the new House of Representatives will elect a new speaker and all House members will take their oaths of office, unless - well, unless one unlikely scenario happens. Say members of the current Republican-controlled Congress use procedural delays to avoid seating some Democrats in office, especially if Democrats are elected to a majority in the House. Well, then what happens in that case?

This possibility may be unlikely, but it is concerning enough to one Democrat and one Republican lawmaker that they are seeking signed pledges from their colleagues to oppose any such effort. The Republican is Don Bacon of Nebraska, and the Democrat is Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey, who is with us now. Welcome, Congressman.

JOSH GOTTHEIMER: Thanks for having me.

CHANG: So what does this public pledge entail exactly?

GOTTHEIMER: Well, and I know this could seem crazy given that since 1789, every two years, the people's choices take their seats when the state certifies an election, and a member of Congress gets elected, and they send it to Washington. And the clerk of the House puts your name on the rolls, meaning you can vote. The oath shouldn't come with an asterik (ph), but after living through January 6, you got to actually watch the rules.

And there's been some chatter out there, which is why we are writing this pledge and have circulated it with our colleagues, that what will happen is, instead of allowing a name to be added to the rolls and to vote as the members of Congress, that you will have a member actually object, which they can do. And then there can be a vote in the House to say that we're not going to recognize what the state sent us - the state-certified election - and we're going to kick it back for investigation, either in the House or back to the state.

That's allowed in the rules, and given that there's a lot of chatter out there, and given some of the other stuff the president's been saying about sending ICE to polling locations or utilizing the Insurrection Act, which would send military out into our country for Election Day, I think you want to get ahead of these things. And this is our attempt to make sure people can feel strong confidence in our elections and that the will of the people will find their way on January 3.

CHANG: OK, so the pledge, in essence, basically requires that no Democrat and no Republican object through any kind of parliamentary procedure whatsoever to seating a fellow member of the House. Something like that?

GOTTHEIMER: Exactly right.

CHANG: OK.

GOTTHEIMER: We're asking the speaker and the minority leader to commit to actually recognizing the state certification process, to not interfere with it and - with illegitimate challenges and to recognize the winners that each state certifies.

CHANG: And do you have any Republicans so far signed on to this pledge?

GOTTHEIMER: Well, so Don Bacon and I led it.

CHANG: I mean, beyond Don Bacon.

GOTTHEIMER: Well, yes, along with Brian Fitzpatrick and Mike Lawler, two Republicans and two Democrats joined along with me. And then we just did a briefing with our staffs, with more than 50 members of Congress where their staffs joined in the briefing, and we just started circulating this pledge around. So I'm hoping next time I talk to you, we're going to have, if not every member of Congress, but nearly everyone.

CHANG: What about Speaker Mike Johnson? Has he said anything about this pledge or about this concern in general?

GOTTHEIMER: No, but I'd love you to ask him.

CHANG: (Laughter).

GOTTHEIMER: Because I know where Leader Jeffries is about this. And, you know, everyone believes - that I've spoken to - that we should recognize the will of the people and not interfere with elections.

CHANG: Yeah. Well, let's just tease this out a little bit because one of the reasons this scenario we're talking about is thought to be unlikely is because if Democrats were to retake the House majority, Republicans would, of course, be in the minority and would presumably have to orchestrate this maneuver we're describing through some unelected administrator, like the clerk of the House. Is that coordination all that realistic, you think?

GOTTHEIMER: I mean, again, I'm hoping this is a possibility that we never have to face.

Again, polling right now favors the Democrats. Ryan Mancini (THE HILL) notes:

Fewer voters who backed President Trump in 2024 than those who voted for former Vice President Kamala Harris say they are "very enthusiastic" to cast ballots in November, according to new polling.

The latest Reuters/Ipsos survey, released Thursday, found 30 percent of Trump voters said they are "very enthusiastic" to vote in the midterms, while 21 percent shared a moderate rate of excitement. Just less than 10 percent were lukewarm about voting, and 10 percent said they are "very" unenthusiastic. Another 30 percent said they are neither enthusiastic nor unenthusiastic or skipped the question.

By comparison, 48 percent of Harris voters said they are "very enthusiastic" to vote in November, followed by 18 percent who were just enthusiastic. Fewer Harris voters were unenthusiastic to vote, with 7 percent lukewarm and 6 percent "very" unenthusiastic. About 20 percent said they are neither or did not answer.

These results came days after the pollsters found Trump's approval rating remained steady at 32 percent since its September poll, with 65 percent saying they do not approve of his handling of the presidency.

So those who voted Democrat in 2024 are significantly more motivated to vote in the midterm elections than are those who voted Repbulican in 2024. Scott Clement (THE WASHINGTON POST) writes:

Polls show Democrats are in a strong position less than one month before Election Day.

Democrats lead by about eight percentage points in national support for Congress, above the 3.5-point margin they probably need to win a House majority. Democratic Senate candidates hold at least narrow leads in races for seven Republican-held seats, more than the four they need to win control of the chamber.

But is it a mirage? Republicans are hoping that polls are overestimating Democratic support, as they have done in the last three presidential elections.

The problem with the 2016 polling was -- and we noted it here in real time ahead of the elections -- respondents were in the closet. Respondents didn't want to be considered, for example, racists. Because that's who Chump appealed to at his base. He appealed to more than that but the strongest Chump supporters were racists.

And in 2016, a number of people didn't want to be considered that. His supporters stopped caring after the 2016 election. But prior to that election, a number of his supporters did not want to answer honestly. Again, today, they're thrilled to parade their racism through the streets and into the public square. They want to put up Confederate statues and name military bases after Confederate crooks. That's what the Confederacy was -- a bunch of crooks who tried to destroy this nation and they lost.

And let's be clear, it's not just from Chump.

It's also from the mainstream media of late. But the point is, Chumpies don't care if their racism is seen anymore. They flaunt it.

They're not held accountable by anyone except really the NAACP and the NAACP gets very little press coverage these days.

Hegseth gets some clucking over his racism. Not that much. And when it is noted in the press, no one's trying to shine a light on how disgusting and repulsive his racism is. It's treated as just a physical characteristic. Some people might have green eyes, others are racists.

So, no, it's not 2016 and the Chumpies aren't afraid of giving answers indicating that they are Trumpsters which does mean you're a racist at this point in time.

Tariffs. Chump never understood how they worked and repeatedly insisted it would create a tax paid by foreign companies. That's not how it worked but it is how Chump first began to destroy the US economy. Alex Harring (CNBC) reports:

The cost of many everyday items would have declined last year and early this year without President Donald Trump's tariffs, according to the New York Federal Reserve.

The cost of 67 categories of goods was 2.9 percentage points higher as of February thanks to tariffs, according to a paper from a team of researchers at the central bank's New York arm.

Without the levies, the team found that prices for the products they studied would have pulled back by almost 1%.

The New York Fed's report offers the clearest evidence yet of the impact of Trump's tariffs — a core policy of his most recent campaign and second term in the White House — on consumers' wallets. Economists had widely expected his levies to push up prices, though the precise effects had been hard to estimate due to the changing nature of the policy and the lack of transparency on how companies set their prices.

The researchers didn't say which 67 types of goods they evaluated.

For each percentage point increase in the average tariff, the team said that consumer goods prices were higher by roughly a quarter of a percent a year later.

And that's what happens when you elect a moron. In other bad news for our economically stunted convict in chief, Steven John (FORTUNE) reports:

If you’d never heard of red-dyed diesel before it suddenly entered the news cycle this week, you’re not alone. Even President Donald Trump said he was unfamiliar with the fuel at a campaign rally in Grand Island, Neb., on Monday, Oct. 5. “I don’t know what the hell it is, but whatever it is, it’s supposed to be very good,” he told the crowd.

Moments later, Trump signed an executive order onstage that temporarily allows red-dyed diesel on public roads and defers the federal excise tax normally owed on highway fuel through Dec. 31. Despite Trump calling the fuel “tax-free,” the tax hasn’t gone away—at least not yet. The order directs the Treasury Department to defer payment without interest or penalties, and to explore ways to eliminate the deferred bill entirely.

[. . .]

That federal tax is 24.4 cents per gallon: a 24.3-cent excise tax plus a 0.1-cent “Leaking Underground Storage Tank” fee, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. On a 250-gallon fill-up for an 18-wheeler, that works out to about $61. The White House’s claim that truckers will save more than $100 per fill-up assumes states suspend their own diesel taxes as well, which the order encourages but can’t require.

Measured against the pump price, the federal tax is a sliver. Diesel averaged about $6.20 a gallon nationally the week of Oct. 5, per the EIA, down from a peak of roughly $6.53 in late September. Before the U.S. and Israel launched their war against Iran in late February, the national average was about $3.76, according to AAA. A 24.4-cent break amounts to about 4% of today’s price—a modest savings for everyday motorists, and perhaps not much more for heavier users in trucking, farming, and other industries.

The bigger problem is that a small cut in per-gallon costs does nothing to change the basics of supply and demand. Metcalf sees little potential for the executive order to have any meaningful impact.

“I don’t see this having really any impact on supply … On the supply side, it’s not going to lead to any more diesel coming online, all it does is change some of the diesel that’s out there [to be] usable by anyone,” Metcalf said. “But that doesn’t change the total amount of diesel that’s out there. And if you look at U.S. refineries, they’re operating at near record capacity levels. There’s no ability to process more or create more diesel. That’s the supply side.”

“On the demand side,” Metcalf continued, “if we shift some of that diesel into road use, what does that mean? It means that the diesel is going to be more expensive for farmers and other off-road use, like construction.”

In other words, opening red-dyed diesel to highway drivers may slightly reduce on-road fuel costs while actually raising the effective price paid by the off-road users the fuel was meant to help. Farmers who already burn red-dyed diesel in their tractors and combines don’t gain a new tax break from the order.

That's Chump, proving Ronald Reagan correct when he noted the nine most terrifying words: "I'm from the Government, and I'm here to help." Chump destroys everything. He did that his first term as president and he's really doing it in his second term. Sarah Raza and Mae Anderson (LOS ANGELES TIMES) report:

Farmers, truckers and economists say a move to cut taxes on diesel will provide little relief from record-high fuel prices that have soared since the U.S. attacked Iran months ago.

Industry groups said they appreciate President Donald Trump’s executive order expanding the use of a diesel now reserved for off-road work, but farmers already have access to the fuel and many have already wrapped up harvest. Truckers will struggle to navigate differing state rules.

“In the context of diesel prices that are over two dollars more than they were last year, it just doesn’t come close to closing that wound,” said Matt Perdue, president of the North Dakota Farmers Union.

ICE? Kristi Noem is gone as the Secretary of Homeland Security but there doesn't seem to be much difference in the department with Markwayne Mullin now heading it. In fact, another ICE shooting took place yesterday.

Ed Shanahan, Luis Ferré-Sadurní and Hamed Aleaziz (NEW YORK TIMES) report:

A federal immigration agent shot and wounded a man in a largely residential section of New York City on Thursday, eliciting swift rebukes from Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who accused the Trump administration of “terrorizing our city.”

The shooting happened about 4 p.m. in the Marble Hill neighborhood, as agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, tried to arrest the man while he was in a car with a 5-year-old boy believed to be his son in the back seat, Jessica Tisch, the police commissioner, said at a news conference late Thursday night.

Ms. Tisch said that a preliminary investigation had determined that at least one ICE agent had fired seven rounds at the car, striking the man, whom she identified as Oscar Belgal, 28, in the neck below the left ear. The child was not injured and was in the care of a family member late Thursday, she said.

Seven rounds. Fired in a residential neighborhood. One of the shots went through the guy's neck. So it's not as though they really knew where the bullets were going to go. A five-year-old child was in the car. That's outrageous. And it's outrageous that ICE turned a regular day into SHOOT OUT IN A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD. These are not motion pictures being filmed. These are real guns, these are real bullets and they're being fired by ICE in a residential neighborhood.

ICE was not returning fire. They went into a residential neighborhood and treated it as though it were a gun range.

This goes to the lack of oversight and to the lack of training.

On the lack of training -- a problem that's existed with ICE since 2025 when they started doing their mass hirings -- Edith Olmsted (THE NEW REPUBLIC) notes:

The Department of Homeland Security radically reduced training requirements for local law enforcement officers whose departments had agreed to help Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

In an email obtained by American Oversight, an ICE official whose name was redacted explained that the training had been reduced from four weeks of in-person instruction to just 40 hours of virtual courses, The Washington Post reported Tuesday. Additionally, training on real-world scenarios that officers might encounter in the field was eliminated entirely.

The email addressed to former ICE Director Todd Lyons and adviser David Venturella explained how the training had been “truncated” to meet demands that the course be shortened. Lyons resigned in May, and Venturella now leads the agency.

ICE agents are put on the streets of cities and towns across America. They are armed. That demands increased training, not less. That demands that these agents know this isn't a game and that there are real lives at stake.

Lauren Hartley (DAILY BEAST) adds:

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have been instructed to increase immigration arrests by 1,000 more people a day.

The new directive is a return to a previous goal of 3,000 daily arrests, a target the agency has struggled to meet in the past.

Leadership also set a weekly goal of 19,000 arrests for agents, accounting for fewer officers working over the weekend.

If met, the new goal would be the highest weekly arrest total ICE has made under the Trump administration.

In June, weekly immigration arrests reached a new high of 12,500, according to the Deportation Data project.

The agency is urging officers to maximize arrests of people it can deport, a source told CNN.

Increase the amount arrested? ICE agents are being told to increase the numbers. And this at a time when they can't even behave lawfully and safely in residential neighborhoods.

In other ICE news, Conrad Hoyt (LAW & CRIME) reports:

A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to halt its policy telling immigration authorities they will not take biometric data — such as fingerprints and photographs — from detainees that is necessary for them to move forward in their applications for lawful status.

The policy from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) must be stayed, U.S. District Judge Amir Ali declared on Wednesday, finding that it likely violates the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), the federal statute governing how agencies may make decisions.

The Joe Biden appointee wrote in his 23-page order that the detainees have sufficiently shown that the policy "is preventing them from pursuing immigration applications that, if granted, would preclude their detention and deportation."

[. . .]

"It is undisputed that most of the plaintiffs could not be detained and would not be deported if USCIS determines they are entitled to the immigration statuses they have applied for," he wrote. "It is also undisputed that for some plaintiffs, the submission of a complete application and satisfactory completion of background checks, which requires the collection of biometrics, can itself be enough to stay deportation or allow deferred action—even before USCIS's adjudication of their application."

More and more, ICE is losing in court. They are being called out for lying to the courts -- called out by judges. They are no longer reliable witness in a court of law. There has been too many lies told in too many cases that have come before the judges.

Ted Hesson (WASHINGTON POST) reports:

The family of a Mexican immigrant shot and killed during the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement surge in Chicago last year filed a wrongful-death lawsuit Thursday accusing a federal immigration officer of “effectively executing” him at close range.

Silverio Villegas Gonzalez was the first immigrant fatally shot during the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. He had just dropped off his two young sons at school before he was stopped in Franklin Park, Illinois, by two immigration officers on Sept. 12, 2025.

The family’s attorneys say what happened next has become part of a “larger pattern of killings by the federal government,” in which officers have repeatedly fired at people in their vehicles. The lawsuit alleges that officers violated the Department of Homeland Security’s use-of-force policy and were encouraged to act recklessly by senior officials who imposed high arrest quotas and told agents they had broad federal immunity for their actions.

Ann covered one of the big stories in the news cycle with "Con Woman Kimberly Guilfoyle." We'll not some video coverage of the story.

Let's wind down with this from Senator Patty Murray's office:

Senator Murray: “We can’t afford to regulate AI with nothing but a pinky promise. We cannot just wait for the worst risks of this technology to become reality before we take action.”

Murray has opposed the Trump administration’s efforts to stamp out state-level regulations of AI

ICYMI: In Seattle, Murray Highlights Urgent Need to Deploy AI Safely, Transparently, and to Benefit Working People; Murray Says Pro-Worker, Pro-Family Policies Don’t Have to Wait

***VIDEO HERE***

Olympia, WA — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, held a roundtable discussion with state leaders on Washington state’s latest efforts to regulate AI and underscored the need for a strong federal floor to ensure AI is deployed safely, transparently, and benefits working people.

Joining Senator Murray for the discussion today were: Beau Perschbacher, Senior Policy Advisor to Governor Bob Ferguson; Yuki Ishizuka, Senior Policy Analyst and Technology Policy Manager at the Washington State Office of the Attorney General; Gretchen Peri, Chief Technology Officer at Washington Technology Solutions (WaTech); and Rob Eleveld, Chief Executive Officer at the Transparency Coalition.

“I’m not an expert in AI, I’m a former preschool teacher. But I’ll tell you what: I ran for office exactly because I believe regular people deserve a say in how their government is run—the exact same is true for the development of this technology. There are real opportunities with AI—in medicine, in discovery. But this technology will also likely mean disruption and it poses real challenges and threats. And right now regulation of AI is virtually nonexistent at the federal level. I want America to develop and deploy this technology in a way that is transparent and safe—and we have got to make sure the benefits of AI are for everyone, not just billionaires and giant corporations. And we have to stay ahead of the risks too,” said Senator Murray. “I recently spoke with the so-called godfather of AI, Geoffrey Hinton, he made it absolutely clear that there are real safety risks that require urgent action. When the stakes are this high, we cannot take safety for granted. That’s just common sense. No one would say nuclear plants can regulate themselves—or drug companies. Why would we ignore something as powerful and potentially dangerous as AI?”

“At minimum, over in Congress, we need to think about a floor of basic, bipartisan guardrails the entire country can get behind: for that to happen, we need hearings, briefings, testimony from industry leaders, markups, debate, and more. So far the Republican majority has done nothing. Trump wants to call AI risks a ‘hoax’ and call it a day. His most significant AI policies to date? He tried to rename it, and threatened states’ funding if they dare to regulate it. Trump shaking hands with billionaires and saying they can regulate themselves is not going to cut it,” continued Senator Murray. “We can’t afford to regulate AI with nothing but a pinky promise. We cannot just wait for the worst risks of this technology to become reality before we take action.”

“In Congress, we need to think about a floor of basic, bipartisan guardrails the entire country can get behind. There’s no time to delay AI safety. When it comes to the economy, I absolutely want to explore big ideas. But we already know what working families need: paid leave, universal health care and child care, and stronger unions. If we’re expecting major economic disruption, we should write that safety net into law now, not after workers have already been left behind,” said Senator Murray in closing. “Washington state has been leading on these questions, and I came to Olympia to hear directly from state leaders about what they’ve done and what they’re considering next. I’m taking what I heard back to the other Washington, because the people of this state, and this country, deserve a government that is ready for what’s coming.”

Senator Murray made clear that while policymakers can’t yet predict exactly how AI will change our economy and how we work, there is no reason for Congress to delay in passing so many of Murray’s longstanding legislative priorities that would benefit working people like stronger labor laws and enforcement, national paid leave, universal health care, the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, affordable child care for every working family, and much more.

“We need guardrails to ensure that AI development does not infringe on our rights, harm our families, or pose an existential risk to our country,” said Attorney General Nick Brown. “Congress should act swiftly to put these protections in place, and I appreciate Senator Murray’s leadership on this issue.”

“Artificial intelligence is reshaping how we work and serve the public, so Washington is approaching this moment with intention,” said WaTech’s Gretchen Peri, the State Chief Technology Officer for Washington. “The statewide AI strategy we’ve developed is committed to human‑focused, trustworthy innovation, and gives state agencies the tools, guardrails, and shared platforms they need to deploy AI safely and transparently. Backed by new state laws that reinforce accountability and public trust, we’re proving that government can lead AI adoption with responsibility, foresight, humanity, and dignity.”

“We at Transparency Coalition want to thank Senator Murray for pulling together the AI Safety and Transparency roundtable today. We have been honored to work closely with Attorney General Nick Brown’s office, Governor Ferguson’s office and a number of legislators starting with Representative Callan on some key AI laws passed in 2026 including protecting minors from addictive and manipulative AI chatbots,” said Rob Eleveld, CEO and Co-founder, Transparency Coalition. “Looking forward, our position across many states is the best way to hold AI companies accountable is to use existing product liability laws, the reason we all trust the brakes in our cars, to require a duty of care to not harm customers with AI products.”

Earlier this year, Senator Murray met with leading AI experts in Seattle about the challenges and opportunities associated with AI to discuss how leaders can work to deploy AI safely, transparently, and in a way that benefits working people—not just giant corporations and billionaires.

As vice chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Murray negotiated the Commerce‑Justice‑Science (CJS) Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year 2026, which is currently the largest federal investment in AI standards and testing ever passed through a CJS bill. The CJS bill includes $1.8 billion for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) overall, an increase of $690 million over last year’s funding level. This includes no less than $55 million for AI research, an increase of $20 million, and up to $10 million for NIST’s Center for AI Standards and Innovation to advance AI research, standards, and testing. Senator Murray fiercely defended science agencies from President Trump’s proposed reductions, which threatened to cut NIST by more than 28 percent.

Senator Murray also played a key role in helping to pass the bipartisan Chips and Science Act which makes historic investments in American manufacturing, and research and development. The bill included AI scholarships through NSF, funding for the Department of Energy’s research and development on AI and machine learning, support for NIST’s work on AI and quantum information science, and resources for the creation of a NSF Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships which will focus on domestic development of AI and other quantum computing.

Senator Murray has called for Congress to regulate AI and been outspoken against President Trump’s efforts to ban states from regulating AI. As President Trump called AI safety concerns a “hoax” and rolled out the red carpet for Xi Jinping, Senator Murray sent a letter urging him to take the threat seriously and work out real AI safeguards with China. She recently introduced legislation to halt the A.I.-Driven Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction (WISeR) model which is overruling doctors and delaying care for Medicare beneficiaries.

###

The following sites updated:

Thursday, October 8, 2026

Chump farted

Chump done did it. In public. In front of everyone. He cut one. Katie-Ann Gupwell (Irish Star) reports:

The President of the United States is alleged to have "let off a huge fart" on live television, with claims that a bystander "struggled to breathe" following the alleged incident. On October 7, Donald Trump delivered an announcement broadcast by the White House and multiple news outlets, but viewers became fixated on a specific detail during his remarks, with many believing he appeared to have an unfortunate mishap.

While he was speaking, audiences noticed the woman positioned near him, with many believing her facial expression revealed what may have been unfolding as he spoke. Many have since made the same sort of comment.

This comes after worries were raised about Trump. Previously, speculation grew after a concerning video emerged.

This week George Conway reshared a clip of Trump speaking, but focused on one specific moment, drawn to the woman positioned beside Trump. She was later identified as Susan Dell, and her facial expression has since generated widespread debate online.

Alongside a photo of Susan, George posted: "This poor woman looks like she is struggling to breathe." A screenshot then shows her positioned near Trump, with observers believing she appeared visibly uncomfortable.

Her expression is notably serious, and appears almost as if she's attempting to avoid inhaling the air around her. The moment ignited extensive online commentary.

One person remarked: "Well she is standing directly behind poopy pants!" Another commented: "Loaded Diaper Don strikes again."

Chump, probably wearing another dirty diaper, cut one. And then he tried to play it cool and act like he couldn't smell it because if he registered that he smelled it, everyone would know he farted by the He Who Dealt It Smelt It factor. Oh my. Meanwhile Matthew Davies (The Mirror) reports:

Donald Trump allegedly forgot that "time moves forward" as he appeared to make a baffling claim at a "deranged rally". Trump found himself in Baltimore, Maryland, on Tuesday to announce the opening of a new $6.6bn shipbuilding factory, partly funded by the US Government but owned by defense firm Anduril Industries.

It seems that Trump - whose marriage is at its "lowest point" for a disturbing reason - was unable to resist veering slightly off topic as he described to the crowd a conversation with Mexico's President, Claudia Sheinbaum, and called her a "beautiful woman" with a "beautiful voice".

He then moved on to the US war with Iran and what vocal Trump critic David Pakman labeled the "time travel portion" of his speech, in which he allegedly "forgot that time moves forward". Pakman said: "Donald Trump forgot that time moves forward and proposed things that would only be possible with time travel at a completely deranged rally." It comes just days after a lip reader spotted Ivanka Trump's 3-word order to JD Vance as they whispered at the White House.

He's nuts. Completely demented out. Some comments on the article:

Mark Edwards

1 hour ago

The man has some serious medical and mental issues and needs to be removed from office. He has already caused possibly irreparable harm to the world and the US. His "speeches" seem to often have turned into streams of consciousness babble sessions. 2547

Michael Kastl

55 minutes ago

How long is our country going to suffer with a president that is mentally NOT fit for office? Our country is hurting under the trump administration. trump's mental breakdowns in front of audiences are getting more and more frequent. We need help from Congress! This is even MORE REASON TO VOTE BLUE ON NOVEMBER 3!

Pam Polythene

3 hours ago

Trump is having a series of mental episodes in public and I’m not sure how much longer MAGA can pretend it’s not happening.

Here's C.I.'s "The Snapshot:"

Thursday, October 8, 2026. Hegseth fails in his public attempt to work out with the troops, Chump visits Texas for a fourth time in six weeks, Chump goes from cursing THE NEW YORK TIMES as liars to trying to fix an issue they exposed, ICE remains a joke and so does its leader, and much, much more.

Chump took is Desperation Tour back to Texas, this time to San Antonio. Shawn McCreesh (THE NEW YORK TIMES) reports:

Mr. Trump was in fighting form, tossing out red meat reminders to Texans about why they voted for him in 2024. He was interrupted nearly a dozen times by protesters, several of whom were led out in handcuffs. He talked a lot about the border, and Democrats, and himself.

What he didn’t talk a lot about was Ken Paxton.

Mr. Trump called the scandal-plagued Texas attorney general one of the best in the country and brought him up onstage briefly, but that was about it. When Mr. Trump first came onstage, it wasn’t even Mr. Paxton who introduced him. It was the baseball player Roger Clemens.

In San Antonio, Mr. Trump wasn’t trying to get people excited about Ken Paxton so much as he was trying to get them excited about Donald Trump. The question animating this race, and so many of the others this season: Is that still enough for Republicans to win these days?

Chump's Desperation Tour has now spent four days in Texas. There were the two days for his TrumpIsABigLoosah convention in September, last week he was in Denton and yesterday he was in San Antonio. The state's governor, Greg Abbott skipped Chump's event yesterday.

Ben (MEIDASTOUCH NEWS) notes that Chump was repeatedly heckled in San Antonio.

Sabrina Tavernise (NEW YORK TIMES) observes:

If Democrats make big gains in the midterm elections in four weeks, it may not only be because their most loyal voters come out in force, or because their candidates have converted Republican voters to their cause.

Instead, the Democrats’ dream blue wave could come from Republicans who sour on President Trump and stay home. It already has a name: the red undertow.

Across the country, signs are emerging of an enthusiasm gap between Democrats and Republicans, even among those who consider themselves likely to vote. A stretch of rural southwest Michigan — long a Republican stronghold — illustrates the point, with more signs for blueberries and eggs than for political candidates. Volunteers are not showing up to door-knock. And many voters say they are tuning this election out.

“People are just more focused on everyday life,” said Lindsay Kronemeyer, 35, a conservative Christian mother of two who works in the construction industry. “I don’t hear the chatter on the Republican side of ‘Trump this, Trump that.’ He’s just not there in my head anymore.”

As Chump continues his Desperation Tour, Fernando Cervantes Jr. (USA TODAY) notes:

With less than a month until Election Day, Democrats are seeing some of their strongest signs yet that the Senate majority is within reach.

A new batch of YouGov polls released Oct. 6 shows Democratic candidates, or an independent who caucuses against Republicans, leading in six of seven closely watched Senate races. The surveys suggest several GOP-held seats in states considered Republican strongholds, including Texas, Ohio, Kansas and Nebraska, have become competitive as Republicans work to defend their 53-47 majority.

Democrats need a net gain of four seats to reclaim control of the chamber. While many of the contests remain within the margin of error, the latest polling points to multiple potential pickup opportunities for a party trying to overcome a difficult Senate map.

It's harder for Republicans, with midterm voting ending in 26 days, to pretend that Chump isn't a drag on the ticket and elected Republicans are moving further and further away from him in hopes of holding on to their offices. AP reports:

Republicans are increasingly anxious that the $1 billion at their disposal may not be enough to fend off sweeping midterm election losses as the party reckons with President Donald Trump’s unpopularity, persistent cost concerns and the fallout from the war in Iran. Despite their cash advantage, the spending is coming in late, forcing MAGA Inc. to pay much higher rates because of the shrinking availability of air time.

They're sinking $5 million into Darline Graham's nepo campaign in South Carolina. Mattie Hayworth, meanwhile, is doling out the stupidity in an attempt to get her father Ken Paxton into the Senate. She tells the camera that inflation is effecting us all and it's those liberal politicians. This despite the fact that inflation was caused by Chump and his tariffs and his war on Iran and his war on immigrants. Don Jr. has also taped a messy, nonsense ad. They're just wasting money all over the place.

Andrew Howard, Erin Doherty and Lisa Kashinsky (POLITICO) note that money is being cut off to some Republican candidates:

After abandoning a GOP-held Senate seat in North Carolina — a state President Donald Trump won three times — the outside groups began spending money to defend a seat in South Carolina. And they’re intensifying their advertising in Kansas, where Democrats haven't won a Senate race in nearly a century.

In the battle for control of the House, national Republicans gave up on defending a blue-leaning seat in Nebraska held for a decade by retiring GOP Rep. Don Bacon.

Those dispiriting setbacks signal that the party's defensive position is weakening with a month still left in the campaign.

One national Republican strategist, granted anonymity to speak freely about the party’s predicament, said the GOP could wind up facing even worse losses than in President George W. Bush’s disastrous second term.

“If the bottom continues falling out like it has been,” this operative said, “this will be worse than 2006.”

As Trump’s approval continues to sag amid soaring gas and diesel prices driven by the war with Iran, Democrats are bullish that the map will continue to grow for them. And while Republicans still maintain a big outside money advantage, the recent moves show it’s not unlimited — with more tough decisions likely before Election Day.

Wasting money on ads while blowing the money of the American voters with inflation. Mike Crisolago (MONEYWISE) observes:

American drivers are forgiven if they don’t take comfort from President Trump’s latest assertion that oil prices “will drop precipitously” at the end of the Iran war, with gas prices falling to “three dollars a gallon, but ultimately, below two dollars … it will all happen quickly.”

The prediction came via Truth Social on September 7, the same day that notched the most expensive Labor Day gas prices in history at $4.15 a gallon nationally. Prices remained at that level the next day, marking a roughly 30% year-over-year jump as the conflict in the Middle East continues. The national average cost for gas is currently at $4.36.

Trump’s latest promise, meanwhile, follows a $2 per gallon pledge in October, which didn’t come to pass, as well as his February State of the Union declaration that gas “is now below $2.30 a gallon in most states and in some places $1.99 a gallon.”

And Chump's attempts to intimidate voters? That's not going very well either. Adam Gabbatt (GUARDIAN) reports:

The Trump administration has been sued over its plans to deploy “a historic number” of election monitors to polling stations during next month’s midterm elections.

The bid “stands to jeopardize” the elections and could “interfere with the right of voters to participate in the election free from intimidation”, according to the NAACP, which filed a lawsuit against Harmeet Dhillon, head of the justice department’s civil rights division, who has said she hopes to send 1,000 monitors to midterm polling sites in November.

“To be clear, there is no federal statute that gives the US Department of Justice [DoJ] the right to send their so-called ‘election monitors’ to polling sites across the country, and this administration has made clear its intent to disrupt and interfere with the way elections are run in our country,” said Kristen Clarke, the NAACP’s general counsel, who served in Dhillon’s role under Joe Biden.

The NAACP lawsuit seeks to force the Trump administration to release records regarding the deployment of the monitors. The NAACP said it requested such records under the Freedom of Information Act on 1 September, but said the Department of Justice had failed to comply.

A new problem has emerged for Chump.

Tuesday, Kenneth P. Vogel (NEW YORK TIMES) reported:

As President Trump crisscrossed the country last week trying to help his party avoid a blowout in next month’s midterm elections, two of his top political advisers were in the Balkans helping a pro-Russian government looking to tighten its grip on power.

James Blair and Chris LaCivita, who are leading a big-money midterm advertising campaign for the Trump political operation, spent some of the past few days in a small self-governing territory in Bosnia and Herzegovina called Republika Srpska ahead of elections there on Sunday, according to four people familiar with their travels who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the Balkan work.

The engagement is the latest example of Trump advisers profiting from far-right politicians abroad who have sought favor from the U.S. president while bucking the international community.

Mr. Blair and Mr. LaCivita were paid hundreds of thousands of dollars each through a Washington-based law firm that was retained by Republika Srpska’s government to provide counsel on voting issues, according to two of the people familiar with the engagement. They said the work was for the government and not the nationalist party that controls it, though they are essentially one and the same.

Chump, who this week announced on his social media that THE NEW YORK TIMES was "going to hell" for a photo they published of his Trump National Doral golf resort in Miami, responded to THE TIMES article yesterday. Steven Nelson (NEW YORK POST) reports:

President Trump threatened Wednesday to “terminate” two key advisers after they were revealed to have raked in “hundreds of thousands of dollars each” advising a pro-Russian political party in Bosnia as Republicans brace for a potential bloodbath in the Nov. 3 midterm elections.

“Chris LaCivita and James Blair are outside consultants. They do not work for me, other than as outside consultants. They most likely have numerous clients, but for that, you would have to ask them,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

“They are allowed to do work for others, just like all consultants in Washington, D.C. I do not have any idea who else they work for but will, on reflection, ask them and, if there’s a conflict, I will terminate them, immediately!”

Blair formerly worked as Trump’s White House deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs, leaving in May to lead Republican midterm efforts at the pro-Trump MAGA Inc. super PAC.

LaCivita led Trump’s 2024 campaign alongside Susie Wiles, who is now White House chief of staff, and remains an important outside ally.

Alex Woodward (THE INDEPENDENT) notes:

LaCivita, who served as Trump’s 2024 co-campaign manager, and Blair, who until recently was Trump’s White House deputy chief of staff, were reportedly paid hundreds of thousands of dollars through a Washington, D.C.-based law firm retained by Republika Srpska’s government ahead of Sunday’s elections in the small self-governing territory in Bosnia and Herzegovina, according to The New York Times.

They reportedly defended their work for the far-right government, not the nationalist party that controls it, despite being largely the same. Under that party’s control, Republika Srpska has aligned itself with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

After leaving the White House earlier this year, Blair now leads the Trump-connected super PAC MAGA Inc..

LaCivita works as a senior adviser to the group.

Loser Chump has not won the Nobel Peace Prize and is not going to win it. Barack Obama did but Chump has not and will not. AFP notes:

Donald Trump's chances of winning the Nobel Peace Prize are seen as minimal, but his "spectre" will cast its shadow over Friday's announcement of the winner in Oslo, experts say.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee knows it will be under close scrutiny: since his return to the White House in January 2025, the billionaire Republican has campaigned intensively for the prize and hasn't hidden his disappointment at not winning it yet.

The chances of him getting the nod are however undermined by his war against Iran, his territorial ambitions -- sometimes at the expense of allies, as in Greenland -- and his attacks on international cooperation institutions and the media.

Even though he has not been lobbying as openly for the Nobel in recent weeks, Trump remains on everyone's minds, with strong chances that the committee's pick will, regardless of who they choose, be interpreted as direct or indirect criticism of the US president.

And yet yesterday Chump began harping on the topic yet again. AP notes:

Ahead of the Nobel Peace Prize being announced, Trump said he deserved the award from the Norwegian Nobel Committee but, “They have a reputation for maybe not giving it to people like me.”

Trump, who launched a war in Iran this year, went through his accomplishments for which believed qualified him for the Nobel. He also noted that the 2025 winner, Venezuela’s María Corina Machado, gave him her award.

“Whether I get it or not, I have done far more,” Trump said. “And I think it would be a great discredit to them” if he goes unrecognized.

Whine on, Chump, whine on. John Bowden (INDEPENDENT) notes:

The 47th president said on Wednesday that he was more deserving of the prize than Obama.

“Look, Obama got it, and he didn’t do anything-- he still doesn’t know what he got it for,” said Trump. “He got it when he was elected, right? Right at the beginning.”

“Whether I get it or not, I have done far more [than anyone else],” the president said.

Ah, listen to the little whiny, cry baby. Tell us again about tariffs were paid by foreign countries. Remember that lie? Remember the lie that tariffs would fix everything? Sasha Rogelberg (FORTUNE) explains:

During President Donald Trump’s announcement of “Liberation Day” in April 2025, which would bring with it a raft of aggressive tariffs, Trump claimed the import taxes would slash the U.S.’s stubborn trade deficit, or when a country buys more goods from overseas than sells.

“They’re a national emergency that threatens our security and our very way of life,” he said at the time. “It’s a very great threat to our country.”

But 17 months later, the administration’s import taxes haven’t closed that deficit at all. In fact, the trade deficit is now the largest it’s been since Trump implemented tariffs, and economists are pouring cold water on the very idea that a widening trade gap is even a threat.

The trade deficit grew by 13.7% to $105.6 billion from July to August, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the highest it’s been since March 2025’s $140 billion. While imports increased by 4.3% to $420.8 billion, exports increased, but at a slower rate, growing 2.2% to $205.7 billion.

He's a failure. Every attempt he makes ends up failing. He's a failure.

Turning to the Iran War, Jack Brook and Julie Watson (THE INDEPENDENT) report:

The vast majority of relatives of six service members killed in the deadliest strike of the Iran war will be absent from a major White House reception hosted by President Donald Trump for Gold Star families.

Only one family member of those killed during the March 1 Iranian drone attack on Port Shuaiba in Kuwait confirmed plans to attend Tuesday's gathering with Trump and the First Lady.

Meanwhile, surviving troops from the attack have questioned why they were stationed at a location that lacked sufficient air defenses despite being identified as a likely target.

Since commencing on Feb. 28, the conflict has resulted in the deaths of 19 U.S. troops and injured more than 800 others. The annual gathering marks Gold Star Mother’s and Family’s Day, which takes place on the final weekend of September.

According to the White House, this year’s reception recognizes nearly 40 fallen troops from operations dating back to the Vietnam War. Trump was scheduled to deliver an address, followed by a candle-lighting ceremony and a musical presentation featuring a rendition of "America the Beautiful."

Many Gold Star relatives continue to express frustration regarding the lack of details released by the Pentagon concerning the strike in Kuwait.

"There are questions about what happened before the attack, what information was available, what decisions were made, and what happened in the moments leading up to six American soldiers losing their lives," Joey Amor — whose 39-year-old wife, Master Sgt. Nicole M. Amor, was among those killed — said in a public Facebook statement Monday.

"I am done asking quietly. Today, I am asking the American people to stand with these six families and demand transparency."

Injured soldiers recounted unheeded warnings raised prior to the attack and described feeling let down by the military medical system in the weeks that followed. The account of the March 1 assault relies on interviews conducted with 13 service members.

A US senator has accused Hegseth of attempting to hide the realities of the war from Congress. Namrata Sen (BENZINGA) reports:

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) says the Pentagon blocked his access to a key U.S. military installation in Qatar, alleging officials sought to limit congressional scrutiny of damage from Iranian attacks.

Murphy, also a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was denied entry to Al Udeid Air Base during a Middle East trip with a congressional delegation. He said the trip was intended to inspect potential damage at U.S. facilities and evaluate the conflict’s effect on regional partnerships.

"Something unprecedented happened during my visit to the Gulf. For the first time in 20 years in Congress, I was denied entry to U.S. military facilities and even meetings with military leaders," Murphy wrote on X.

According to Murphy, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued an order that applies to both parties in a bid to “hide the cost of the war.”

Priss Pot Hegseth is a weirdo as Amanda Marcotte (SALON) notes:

Pete Hegseth is odd. This isn’t just a personal opinion, though there’s no doubt that he gets widely mocked for his carefully cultivated public persona, which is a mix of megachurch preacher, gym rat and Robert Duvall’s napalm-huffing character in “Apocalypse Now.” The fact that the defense secretary is different is simply a statistical reality.

It’s not just that he’s a white evangelical Christian, a group that, according to PRRI, makes up only 13% of the population. Hegseth’s church, the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches, is extreme even for the right, with a leader who argues against women’s suffrage and teaches that slavery was the height of “mutual intimacy and harmony” between the races. Even within MAGA, those remain fringe positions, despite great efforts by some Christian nationalists to reignite “debate” on such long-resolved issues.

All this means it’s hard not to laugh when Hegseth pontificates about his hatred of “weirdos.” Although he has a war to fight in Iran, somehow he finds time to focus his attention on what he clearly sees as the greater battle: remaking the military according to the demands of his very white, very male, very right-wing vision.

“No fatties, no t******s, no beardos, no weirdos, no wimps, no radicals,” Hegseth said during a Sept. 30 speech at the U.S. Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia. He didn’t explicitly say “no women,” but his kicker — “with testosterone testing on top” — made the implication plain. The “no beardos” demand may seem strange, but as Jamelle Bouie of the New York Times explained, it’s coded racism. Hegseth ended medical exemptions that allowed beards for people, mostly Black men, with certain skin conditions. This may explain why he has no problem when white men have beards, as seen on his church leader, Doug Wilson, or the many celebrities the defense secretary likes to take photos with. (Hegseth himself sported a beard in 2018.)

Priss Pot Hegseth couldn't handle a workout.

Turning to ICE, a September FOX "NEWS" poll finds 51% of Americans believe ICE deportations have gone too far. Alexander Bolton (THE HILL) notes some Republicans who agree with that finding:

Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), who’s running for reelection this year, said most Americans want Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to target migrants who have committed crimes other than crossing the border illegally.

“Most Americans are saying we are a nation of laws, but with as many people here illegally as we’ve got, let’s make darn sure that our focus is on getting those individuals that have violated our laws with regard to other things other than being here illegally,” he said.

Rounds advised the Trump administration to ease off on immigrants who “are here and that have a court determination that [says] they can be here.”

He suggested “we not go after them” and instead “refocus on those individuals that are actually causing harm within society today.”

“Most Americans will tell you that just in terms of their sense of fairness, they would prefer to go after individuals who have been violating our [criminal] laws,” he said.

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) said he agrees with his Senate GOP colleagues that Trump’s mass deportations have gone too far.

“I would rather have 100 illegally present people go free than have that innocent person caught,” he said. “They’re right."

“If you’re going to put somebody through that, you better be damn sure you have a justified basis for doing it,” he said of immigration enforcement sweeps that have caught up citizens and green-card holders.

An investigation by ProPublica found that more than 170 U.S. citizens have been held by immigration agents, including some Americans who have been tackled, beaten and shocked with Tasers by federal immigration enforcement officers.

Markwayne Mullins can't address that reality but he can air his conspiracy crackpot fantasies publicly. Erik De La Garza (RAW STORY) reports:

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin sparked outrage Wednesday after accusing “socialists” of trying to “vandalize the demographics of America” to seize political power.

“Socialists want to vandalize the demographics of America to gain political power,” Mullin wrote on his official government account. “We will never allow amnesty, illegal alien voting, or any other scheme to disenfranchise Americans.”

The unusual phrase quickly set off alarm bells among immigration experts and historians, including Cato Institute Director of Immigration Studies David J. Bier.

“What the actual insane garbage is this? Vandalize the demographics? Gross,” Bier wrote on X. Bier argued that President Donald Trump “didn't have to ‘vandalize the demographics’ to win Republican support for his policies" — before taking aim at the MAGA administration’s agenda.

“The only demographic ‘vandals’ here are DHS officials trying to carry out ‘100 million deportations,’” he added.

Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, a senior fellow at the American Immigration Council, called Mullin’s language “chilling” and questioned what exactly the Trump cabinet official meant.

“‘Vandalize the demographics of America’” is either a chilling phrase suggesting that Mullin is a white nationalist or an absurdly meaningless bit of pablum which ignores 250 years of the constantly shifting demographics of a nation of immigrants,” Reichlin-Melnick posted Wednesday.

Let's wind down with this from Senator Patty Murray's office:

Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray, Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement on a Government Accountability Office (GAO) decision issued today, which concludes that President Trump and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. illegally impounded fiscal year 2025 funding for health research conducted by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) in violation of the Impoundment Control Act (ICA):

“This decision confirms what we’ve long known: President Trump lit health research funding on fire last year, and it’s clear as day he’s just done the same again this year. In fact, President Trump announced to the world just a few days ago that he was illegally cutting nearly $30 million more, and HHS has failed to detail to the Committee exactly how it has spent down AHRQ funding for fiscal year 2026.

“This is research that has saved tens of thousands of lives and saved billions of dollars in health care costs—but President Trump and Secretary Kennedy are intent on breaking the law to cut it off, and Republicans in Congress have all but let them do it. It’s past time Congress imposes real consequences on this administration for killing lifesaving health research—I’ll keep fighting to do just that.”

In its decision today, GAO concluded:

“Congress appropriated lump-sum amounts to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) to carry out various research initiatives for fiscal year 2025. .… We conclude that HHS withheld funds when it declined to obligate or expend more than $78 million of its FY 2025 appropriation before the close of the fiscal year. We further conclude that this withholding constituted an impoundment under the ICA rather than a programmatic delay. Because HHS did not submit a special message proposing to rescind AHRQ funds, HHS’s actions violated the ICA.”

GAO’s decision examines how the Trump administration illegally impounded fiscal year 2025 funding provided to AHRQ for health research after the Trump administration sabotaged the agency, pushing out 80% of all staff and cancelling grants en masse. It’s clear, however, that this administration has once again illegally withheld and misspent AHRQ funding provided by Congress for fiscal year 2026, as well. Senator Murray and Senator Tammy Baldwin, Ranking Member of the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Subcommittee, raised alarm bells about the fate of fiscal year 2026 AHRQ funds several weeks ago. Then, just days after HHS Deputy Secretary Nominee Chris Klomp vowed to senators that virtually all of the agency’s funding would be spent—while failing to provide details to back up that assertion—President Trump moved to permanently impound nearly $30 million in AHRQ funding in his “pocket rescission.” Republicans have repeatedly blocked Democrats’ efforts to prevent presidents from attempting to use “pocket rescissions.”

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The following sites updated: