Indecent Exposure

America's Photo Op, Weekend Whats

The face of the nation keeps changing and changing. The face of the nation, I don't recognize it no more.—John Mellencamp

The Trump administration just asked the Supreme Court for permission to resume its trial-less deportations of Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador's notorious terrorism confinement center under the 18th century Alien Enemies Act. And next month, Trump will reportedly welcome El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele as the first leader from the Western Hemisphere to get a formal White House visit. Why would America be leaning into a policy that makes us look like the bad guy? Do I have to paint a picture for you? No, I don't. Kristi Noem already did that. This week, she staged a photo-op at El Salvador’s CECOT mega-prison. Jonathan V. Last sets the scene in The Bulwark: "In the background are a few dozen men, crammed into a cell. Their bunks are stacked four-high. Their heads are freshly shaved. They wear identical white shorts. They are all shirtless. Their poses are similar. Three rows of prisoners stand still in the front as Noem speaks, their hands either at their sides or clasped in front of them. The rest of them are arrayed on the bunks so as to create a visual for Noem’s use. None of these men is speaking. Or moving. Or making any facial expressions. They have clearly been posed by the jailers, forced to hold position so that they can be useful props for the American woman so that she can manufacture propaganda for her regime. We have seen this kind of thing before. Just not from America. I want to be deadly serious about this: We are now the bad guys." This Is the Land of Wolves Now.

+ "Noem wanted it known that the 'tools in our tool kit' include a hellhole that might terrify every immigrant, but should definitely shame every American. And then, the optics. I am sorry for returning to the optics. Honestly, who among us ever knows what to wear on a propaganda visit to an extrajudicial foreign prison?" Monica Hesse in WaPo: Real Housewives of Gitmo.

+ In today's America, it would be pretty difficult to get a lot of political support for protecting violent criminals who have illegally entered the country. But what if all the people being sent to CECOT prison aren't actually criminals? MoJo: You’re Here Because of Your Tattoos. "Alvarado’s older sister, María, stressed in a call from Venezuela that her brother has no connection to Tren de Aragua. She said her brother was deeply devoted to helping Nelyerson—explaining that one of his three tattoos is an autism awareness ribbon with his brother’s name on it and that he used to teach swimming classes for children with developmental disabilities." Are these claims of misidentification correct? How would we know without due process?

+ "An ICE official said in a sworn statement that 'many' individuals deported under the AEA did not have a criminal record in the U.S. or Venezuela, so it’s not clear that they 'perpetuated' anything in their communities. Also, several of the individuals deported were lawfully awaiting asylum determinations and were not in the U.S. illegally." Homeland Security Secretary’s El Salvador Stunt Just Got Worse.

+ The images of Noem in front of shirtless prisoners is juxtaposed against the images of masked federal agents arresting students for their protesting activities. Will Bunch: The disappearing of Rumeysa Ozturk is something I never thought I’d see in America. Like me, you may not like Ozturk's politics. But what happens when the administration decides it doesn't like yours? Consider the pace at which this stuff is moving. Trump is even trying to thought-control the friggin zoo. "US President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday to remove 'improper ideology' from the famed Smithsonian Museums -- and the National Zoo -- expanding his conservative clampdown on cultural institutions."

+ "Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday the State Department has revoked 300 or more student visas, as the White House increasingly targets foreign-born students whose main transgression seems to be activism." Trump takes aim at foreign-born college students, with 300 visas revoked. From Rubio: "If you invite me into your home because I say, ‘Oh, I want to go to your house for dinner,’ and I come into your house and I start putting mud on your couch and spray-painting your kitchen, I bet you you’re going to kick me out." (Me inviting Marco Rubio to my house for dinner? Now that's a photo-op you'll never see.)

2

Breaking the Law?

While several continue to disappoint, not all law firms are folding under the administration's efforts to control them. Two major law firms sue Trump administration over executive orders targeting them. Joyce Vance: Big Law Fights Back.

+ As I said about Jeffrey Goldberg and The Atlantic's coverage of Signalgate: "Don’t just call out the individuals and institutions that let you down, celebrate and support those that hold you up."

+ Some of the holding up is coming from unlikely places. Dana Milbank in WaPo (Gift Article): As Trump mayhem spreads, MAGA unity cracks. (Full disclosure: These are tiny cracks.)

3

Sign of the Times

"A recent survey shows that 45 per cent of Canadians between 18 and 34 either 'definitely or probably' believe in astrology. That’s pretty staggering, but it fails to capture the full momentum of the modern movement, where the irony is baked right in. 'I don’t believe in astrology, but…' goes the in-joke. The point is not what you “believe,” but what you’re getting out of it. Here the possibilities abound: it’s self help, but more cheerful; meditation, but more social; a productivity hack but sexy; adult colouring, but less likely to lose its appeal before your markers dry up. Life is hard, but therapy is expensive. And unavailable. And, let’s face it, a lot less fun. Enter astrology X technology, the ultimate collaboration for our troubled times: tiny slivers of transcendence, coming in faster and spicier than whatever you just ordered on Uber Eats." Macleans: How Astrology Became the New Therapy. (My sign is stop.)

4

Weekend Whats

What to Watch: The much anticipated Seth Rogen led comedy The Studio on Apple TV is getting excellent reviews. The first two episodes are out.

+ What to Doc: I mentioned this one a few months ago, but with America targeting resources in Greenland, Ukraine, and Canada, it couldn't be more timely. It's also interesting and riveting. The Grab is on Hulu.

+ What to Book: Talk about a timely book. Shattering the Glass: The Remarkable History of Women's Basketball.

5

Extra, Extra

Myanmar Quake: "At least 144 people were killed and more than 730 injured after a 7.7-magnitude quake struck Myanmar near the city of Mandalay ... The quake triggered the collapse of buildings hundreds of miles away in Thailand." These numbers are preliminary as journalists are just beginning to understand the scope of the damage. Here's the latest from CNN and BBC.

+ Scold Sore: Is there any way Greenland could hate America any more than they already do at this point? Well, this should do the trick: JD Vance is visiting. Vance scolds Denmark during Greenland trip as Trump says US must have island.

+ Ehs Just Not That Into You: Did Canada's PM just show world leaders the way to deal with Trump? "Donald Trump pulled a 180-degree turn Friday when speaking about Canada, after Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that the country’s relationship with the U.S. was 'over.'"

+ Dumb's the Word: "Don’t let the swagger fool you. Mr. Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (of group chat fame) are apparently more focused on performative fights over wokeness than preparing for real fights with America’s adversaries. Does anyone really think deleting tributes to the Tuskegee Airmen makes us more safe? The Trump Pentagon purged images of the plane that dropped the atomic bomb that ended World War II because its name is the Enola Gay. Dumb." Hillary Clinton in the NYT (Gift Article): How Much Dumber Will This Get? "If there’s a grand strategy at work here, I don’t know what it is. Maybe Mr. Trump wants to return to 19th-century spheres of influence. Maybe he’s just driven by personal grudges and is in way over his head. As a businessman, he bankrupted his Atlantic City casinos. Now he’s gambling with the national security of the United States. If this continues, a group chat foul will be the least of our concerns, and all the fist and flag emojis in the world won’t save us."

+ Brain Drain: "The massive changes in US research brought about by the new administration of President Donald Trump are causing many scientists in the country to rethink their lives and careers. More than 1,200 scientists who responded to a Nature poll — three-quarters of the total respondents — are considering leaving the United States following the disruptions prompted by Trump. Europe and Canada were among the top choices for relocation."

+ Finish with Photos: "World Press Photo has announced the winners of the 2025 photo contest, showcasing some of the world’s best photojournalism and documentary photography." And here's a deep dive into one of the winners. When hungry elephants and people clash in a village — see the award-winning photos.

6

Feel Good Friday

These scientists are building a cat database to understand why they act like that. (This will go poorly but will make for an incredible SciFi limited series on Netflix in a couple years.)

+ Paralysed man stands again after receiving ‘reprogrammed’ stem cells.

+ Massachusetts eighth-grader creates seizure detection device, earns national honor.

+ Paris residents vote in favor of making 500 more streets pedestrian.

+ Webb Space Telescope captures a star in the making.

+ Stir stick to detect if your drink is spiked developed by UBC researchers.

+ FDA approves first new antibiotic for UTIs in nearly 30 years.

+ How an old school photo helped reunite childhood sweethearts after 85 years.