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President Donald Trump has signed a wave of pardons for people convicted of fraud, including a Virginia sheriff who took tens of thousands of dollars in bribes and a reality TV couple who evaded millions in taxes after defrauding banks. Last month, Trump pardoned a Florida healthcare executive convicted of tax evasion for stealing nearly $11 million in payroll taxes from the paychecks of doctors and nurses. Many of Trump’s pardons have gone to supporters of his or those who made political donations to the president. “These pardons are not indiscriminate,” says constitutional lawyer Bruce Fein. “They’re targeted to help people who are politically his supporters, raise money for him or otherwise.”

President Donald Trump has vowed to go to the Supreme Court to keep his tariffs in place after a whirlwind 24 hours that saw a court temporarily reinstate the measures, soon after two courts blocked most of the tariffs, saying Trump overstepped his presidential authority. Trump has been infuriated by the legal challenges and lashed out on social media against the Federalist Society and conservative legal activist Leonard Leo. We get an update from Elizabeth Goitein, co-director of the Liberty and National Security Program at the Brennan Center for Justice and an expert on the International Emergency Economic Powers Act that Trump has invoked to justify his global tariffs. She says the fate of Trump’s tariffs remain uncertain, given that the powers available under the IEEPA “have to be used to deal with an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy or economy of the United States, and they cannot be used for any other reason.”

Well, that escalated quickly... ...NEXT WEEK!... * * * As The BRAD BLOG's former longtime toon sherpa PDiddie always reminded us: "With editorial cartooning increasingly an endangered species, please consider supporting them if you possibly can." * * * The BRAD BLOG is looking for someone --- other than me --- who [...]

...CONGRATS... ...to editorial cartoonist Lalo Alcaraz for winning the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights organization's 2025 Book and Journalism Award for his important and indefatigable cartoonery. Here's a few recent samples... ...MEMORIAL DAY... ...NEXT WEEK!... * * * As The BRAD BLOG's former longtime toon sherpa PDiddie always reminded us: "With editorial cartooning increasingly an endangered [...]

A new book makes the compelling case that most social media feeds are now filled with content that’s been created using the same marketing tactics as cults do.

A new book makes the compelling case that most social media feeds are now filled with content that’s been created using the same marketing tactics as cults do. This is an EXTENDED CUT of the interview.