“Spheres of influence stem from the very nature of states and international relations. States will always seek to secure their interests by exerting influence over their neighbors, and the more powerful the state, the greater the influence that it will seek. That said, sphere of influence strategies vary greatly, on spectrums between relative moderation and excess, humanity and cruelty, discreet pressure and open intimidation, and intelligence and stupidity; and the present policies of the Trump administration in the Western Hemisphere show disturbing signs of inclining towards the latter.” (01/08/26)
“President Donald Trump’s military invasion of Venezuela to capture its president, Nicolás Maduro, was illegal and unconstitutional. There is no legal authority, in American or international law, for the United States, in Trump’s words, to be ‘running’ another country. And it is chilling that rather than acknowledging these legal issues, the president is instead talking about possible blatantly illegal military actions against Colombia, Cuba, Greenland, and Mexico. The fact that the United States has the ability to overpower other nations does not make its actions legal or just.” (01/08/26)
“The Trump administration believes you don’t have the right to record Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in public. This stance is both factually wrong and an attempt to chill free speech by conflating it with violence. … Recording government agents is one of the few tools citizens have to hold state power accountable. Any attempt to redefine observation as ‘violence’ is not only unconstitutional — it’s authoritarian gaslighting. When a government fears cameras more than crimes, it isn’t protecting the rule of law. It’s protecting itself.” (for publication 02/26)
“The president ordered a successful kidnapping of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, and he seems to be feeling his oats. After months of apparently forgetting about his deranged idea to conquer Greenland by force, it is now back under discussion, and Trump seems to be actually serious this time. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that ‘a range of options’ are under consideration, including ‘utilizing the U.S. military.’ Last summer, I spent over a month reporting on Greenland, including visiting its capital, Nuuk, for over a week, where I talked to all kinds of folks. When I asked about Trump’s annexation threats, the overwhelming reaction was bafflement. What on earth could the point possibly be? What could America possibly get from invasion and annexation that it does not already have? The answer on any grounds (morality, self-interest, national security, or plain common sense) is: nothing.” (01/08/25)
“After months of speculation, threats, and periodic bombings of Trinidadian fishermen, the Trump administration finally took direct military action against Venezuela, culminating in the kidnapping of the country’s sitting president Nicolas Maduro. The justifications for this action were eerily familiar. This extraordinary operation had nothing to do with seizing the assets of a country that, coincidentally, sits on the largest proven reserves of oil in the world. Instead, the White House Claims, this was an effort carried out with strict deference to American national security imperatives, for Maduro and his ‘illegitimate’ regime presided over one of the biggest drug-trafficking networks of any country on Earth, shipping industrial quantities of illegal narcotics to U.S. soil each year.” (01/08/26)
“George Pappas talks about how Trump ended due process for immigrants, and how to fight back. ‘The law has failed us,’ he says. ‘So now we have to turn to politics.'” (01/08/26)
“January 8, 1790. George Washington walked into the Senate Chamber of Federal Hall in New York City and delivered his first annual message to a joint session of Congress. Today, we call it the State of the Union. In his speech, Washington set the standard for how a president should act. From the clothes he wore to how he approached the separation of powers in the Constitution, to his support for an educated and armed people, ready to defend their own constitution and liberty. Once you read just what he said and did, it’s pretty obvious this blueprint has been betrayed for a long, long time.” (01/07/26)
“The WSJ reports: ‘President Trump said he will ban large investors from buying single-family homes, the administration’s first significant move to address the country’s severe housing shortage.’ … I tell folks all the time that Trump is not a freaking free-marketeer. This is yet more evidence. His proposal is right out of the failed Progressive-Socialist playbook on housing.” (01/07/26)
“If the regime of Nicolás Maduro is illegitimate, as President Trump repeatedly declared before ousting Maduro, why is the administration now in bed with Maduro’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez? Four days after the extraordinary capture of Maduro by US special forces, reports of life under Rodríguez are grim for Venezuelans who hoped for change. On Tuesday, pro-regime armed colectivos were roaming Carácas searching for anyone who might have been celebrating Maduro’s downfall. Journalists were getting hauled in and later let go. Political prisoners remain locked up — despite some holiday releases before Maduro got nabbed. The unfortunate decision to work through the existing power structure reflects the unique situation Trump now faces in Venezuela. Most leaders would have concluded the post-Maduro challenges were insurmountable — and never attempted the operation. Trump’s bold move succeeded tactically, but now comes the far more difficult strategic test.” (01/08/25)
