Thursday, August 27, 2026

TODAY'S TOP MADDOWBLOG POSTS

‘Mission Accomplished’: 6 months into the war with Iran, Trump embraces the wrong phrase

For a generation, the two-word phrase has served as a warning to presidents, tempted by hubris. It’s a lesson Trump has chosen not to learn.

Jeanine Pirro faces bar complaint and congressional probe as her troubles intensify

Fifteen months after Pirro left Fox News for the Trump administration, it’s hard not to wonder whether she regrets her choice.

Fresh evidence discredits the idea that ICE is only targeting the ‘worst of the worst’

Trump insisted that federal immigration agents are “totally focused on ... really bad criminals.” The administration’s own data proves otherwise.

Why the new head of the National Capital Planning Commission matters to the White House

Mark Paoletta will effectively serve as a rubber stamp for Trump on the NCPC. The broader concern is how often this rubber stamp will be used.

OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

"Newly obtained documents indicate that the US health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, lied during two congressional hearings last year, when he told lawmakers who held the key to his confirmation that a 2019 visit to Samoa had “nothing to do with vaccines”."
(The Guardian)
"Despite a lack of criminal charges, the report pointed fingers at key DeSantis officials, who had been at the center of a scandal that centered on Hope Florida, a charity championed by First Lady Casey DeSantis. It became embroiled in controversy last year, once it became public that the charity had served as conduit for the $10 million that landed in political committees but should have to paid for medical expenses for needy Floridians."

Hope Florida grand jury describes public money ‘misused for political purposes’
(South Florida Sun Sentinel -gift link)
ICE Arrests Soar as People With No Criminal Record Are Increasingly Targeted
(New York Times)
"The profit Trump reaps from crypto, however, does not come out of thin air. It comes from foreign governments. It comes from pardon seekers, corporate interests, and targets of government investigations. It comes from retirement funds. It comes from MAGA supporters and other Americans, just looking to make some money and following the advice of our billionaire president."

‘Thin Air,’ Real Money: Donald Trump’s Crypto Products Have Left Investors at Least $4.7 Billion Underwater
(Public Citizen)
"Mr. Trump, the president’s eldest son, has repeatedly promised to keep his family’s business interests separate from the work of the administration. But at the closed-door event, he stepped into the middle of a ferocious legal battle over whether states or federal agencies should police prediction markets, a booming new industry in which the Trumps have a financial stake."
(New York Times)
Postal Officials Say Trump’s Mail-Ballot Push Will Create Widespread Errors — USPS has just weeks to implement a rule ahead of the November midterms.
(NOTUS)
Rep. Ashley Hinson’s Husband ‘Arranged’ a Meeting Between Lobbyists and Iowa Lawmakers — Including His Wife
(NOTUS)
A former Mike Collins staffer posted KKK and Nazi images. Some Republicans see a pattern. — Rep. Mike Collins (R-Georgia) is challenging Sen. Jon Ossoff (D). The former Collins staffer posted a swastika and shared an image of himself in what appear to be KKK robes.
(Washington Post)
"On Wednesday night, the Department of Education posted a video to X comparing President Trump to Adolf Hitler, and then deleted it following massive backlash."
(New Republic)
"Fultz’s abuse of Flock is just one piece of a much larger investigation into his behavior. In an image provided by his ex, he “had shaved your mustache to resemble Adolf Hitler and [was] demonstrating a Nazi salute,” the investigation said."

Florida ‘Deputy of the Year’ Used Flock to Stalk Ex, Held Gun in Her Mouth, Did a Nazi Salute
(404 Media)
“At the end of the day, we obviously saw over the last couple of months, there were things that were coming out with other agencies where people were misusing them and they were finding sort of irregularities in some of their audits,” Woods said.

Tempe turns off Flock cameras, ends contract with company
(AZ Family)
"The U.S. military is experiencing a “beyond critical” shortage of advanced missile interceptors in Europe largely driven by President Donald Trump’s war with Iran, a U.S. defense official in Europe and a NATO official told The Associated Press, raising concerns about vulnerabilities in NATO countries to a potential Russian attack."
(Associated Press)
"A coalition of more than 600 historic preservation groups, architectural associations, Tribal governments and other organizations is urging Congress to block President Donald Trump’s efforts to weaken or evade laws intended to protect historic sites.
Members of the new coalition say they are seeking to safeguard sites in every congressional district — and that they intend to pursue legal action if Congress does not act."
(Washington Post)

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GOING BACK ON THE ROAD

We're taking a family trip to Texas!

Rachel and the gang are getting out of the studio heading to Arlington, Texas on Saturday, September 26th to hang out with the MS NOW audience.

This forthcoming Membership experience will bring MS NOW fans closer to our hosts and to each other, with real-time connections and exclusive content you can't get on-air.

Each ticket, with prices starting as low as $30, includes a special offer for one year of free access to MS NOW's new membership experience.

PRE-ORDER NOW!

Rachel has a new book!

"Department of Fate: The Promise, the Power, and the Collapse of America’s Most Consequential Institution"

comes out November 10 but you can pre-order now.

See MS.NOW/DepartmentOfFate for links and options to pre-order.