Saturday, April 19, 2025

I'm collecting links to news that I find noteworthy and am sharing them here periodically. You can also subscribe to receive these posts via email as they are published. I hope you find it helpful, and please feel free to let me know what you think.

Pick One: Rule of Law or Dictatorship

While Senator Chris Van Hollen's meeting with Kilmar Abrego Garcia--addressed below--has deservedly gotten a lot of attention, I think this tweet from the official Whitehouse account is bigger news. This appears to be the Trump administration telling the United States Supreme Court to fuck off, that Trump will not even be attempting to facilitate Abrego Garcia's return as the Court had ordered. Will SCOTUS stand up for itself? And if Trump won't back down, will Congress impeach is unambiguously necessary if the Constitution is to mean anything? It is absurd and horrible that we're even asking these questions.

Concentration Camp Update: Abrego Garcia Edition

Senator Chris Van Hollen met with Kilmar Abrego Garcia in El Salvador. Van Hollen was initially stopped by the El Salvadoran military from approaching the concentration camp where Abrego Garcia had been held, but the Senator was later permitted to talk with him in a staged setting, with Abrego Garcia given street clothes and the table set to make it look like they were drinking tropical cocktails. Apparently, the intent was to make it look like they were meeting poolside at a luxury hotel. Van Hollen said Abrego Garcia told him he has been moved to a different facility with somewhat better conditions in the days before the Senator visited.

This skeet thread by Greg Sargent touching on the Abrego Garcia case and discussing JD Vance's repudiation of the Constitution yesterday is worth a look. (Yes, on Bluesky they're called "skeets." AOC is on board.)

I'm not going to go back and find the links, but the Trump administration is really going all out in trying to smear Abrego Garcia. Roger Parloff of Lawfare discusses what is known about the evidence of Abrego Garcia's ties to MS-13. In short, it's pretty weak stuff. And it's beside the point: Even MS-13 members get due process and cannot be housed in inhumane conditions.

The Economy

Foreign travel to the US is collapsing, likely resulting in billions of dollars in lost tourism revenue.

Trump's trade policies are isolating the US while the rest of the world moves on, to China's benefit:

Even if Trump’s protectionist policies lead to more American companies’ building factories in the U.S. — already a big if, as he creates economic uncertainty and cuts them off from foreign customers — it won’t stop other countries from seeking prosperity in free trade and security in alliances. . . . Instead of containing China’s rise, Trump cleared its path.

Lesson: Don't Collaborate With Fascists

You might think that you can co-opt fascists and use them to your advantage, but you would be wrong. I don't care if you think you can find isolated patches of common ground, fascists must be defeated.

Just ask Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who ended up with this possibly career-ending photo after she was ushered into the Oval Office for the signing of executive orders, including orders targeting Trump's perceived enemies, when she was at the Whitehouse to discuss tariffs that she favored:

Or you could ask Mitt Romney about this career low point:

Miscellanea

Wired tells you how to protect yourself from government surveillance.