Battles in an Uncivil War
We’re not having debates over policy differences; we’re seeing direct attacks on parts of America itself.
If you’d like these posts delivered directly to you, subscribe to the Decisions newsletter now!
Battleground: USIP
One of the first casualties in the undeclared uncivil war was the illegal tearing down of the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP). President Trump issued an executive order in February, declaring “the non-statutory components and functions [of the U.S. Institute of Peace, the Presidio Trust, the Inter-American Foundation, and the United States African Development Foundation] shall be eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law.” [1]
The U.S. Institute of Peace was established in 1984 as an independent nonprofit organization “by the two political branches to advance a safer, more peaceful world with the specific tasks of conducting research, providing training on peacemaking techniques, and promoting peaceful conflict resolution abroad—without formally involving the U.S. government in foreign disputes.” [2][3]
Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) team took the organization over in March “through blunt force, backed up by law enforcement officers from three separate local and federal agencies.” [4]
Judge Beryl Howell ruled that the administration’s actions “including the removal of USIP’s president, his replacement by officials affiliated with DOGE, the termination of nearly all of USIP’s staff, and the transfer of USIP property to the General Services Administration (“GSA”)” were illegal and “must therefore be declared null and void.” [5]
U.S. Institute of Peace - Photo from https://www.facebook.com/usinstituteofpeace/
Further, Judge Howell detailed: [6]
The President and his subordinates then used brute force and threats of criminal process to take over USIP’s headquarters, despite being cautioned that this organization did not fall within the Executive branch and its leadership was not subject to the President’s unilateral Executive branch removal power. This Administration then went even further, taking severe actions to dissemble USIP, including terminating its appointed Board members, its expert management, its dedicated staff and contractors located in both Washington, D.C. and around the world, and dispersing its assets and headquarters building. These actions against USIP were unlawful.
The President’s efforts here to take over an organization outside of [his constitutional authority], contrary to statute established by Congress and by acts of force and threat using local and federal law enforcement officers, represented a gross usurpation of power and a way of conducting government affairs that unnecessarily traumatized the committed leadership and employees of USIP, who deserved better.
Upon regaining access to their headquarters, USIP leaders stated in a sworn statement that there was “evidence of rats and roaches” and “water damage” in the building. “Vermin were not a problem prior to March 17, 2025, when USIP was actively using and maintaining the building” and “the building has been essentially abandoned for many weeks.” [7][8] If you’re interested, a concise overview of the U.S. Institute of Peace battle can be found from ABC News reporting here. [9].
Much damage has been done with this attack, but this battle was eventually won through our constitutional checks and balances.
Battleground: Kilmar Abrego Garcia
Two months ago, a unanimous Supreme Court ordered the Trump administration to “‘facilitate’ Abrego Garcia’s release from custody in El Salvador and to ensure that his case is handled as it would have been had he not been improperly sent to El Salvador.” [10] I wrote about this ruling in an earlier newsletter [11] and about the statement of clarification from Justice Sonya Sotomayor, joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson, regarding the perils of the administration’s actions. [12]
The administration spent months claiming that nothing could be done to bring Abrego Garcia back to the United States, but this week, that all changed; the administration discovered it actually could bring someone back.
Abrego Garcia is now back in the country to face criminal charges; Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that he will face two criminal counts in the Middle District of Tennessee: conspiracy to unlawfully transport illegal aliens for financial gain and unlawful transportation of illegal aliens for financial gain. [13]
However, observers note that the indictment deserves serious scrutiny. From historian Heather Cox Richardson: [14]
The indictment has issues. Abrego Garcia is the only person named in the “conspiracy,” and the investigation into it began only in April, after the courts ordered the administration to bring Abrego Garcia back to the U.S. The indictment is based on a 2022 incident in which Abrego Garcia was stopped in Tennessee for speeding with eight passengers in his vehicle. He told police they were construction workers and was neither ticketed nor charged. While the indictment alleges that Abrego Garcia lied to the officer by not revealing he was coming from Texas, the referral report says he told the officer he was coming from Houston, Texas.
Philip Bump of the Washington Post also observed that he “wrote about the contrived, retconned allegations against Abrego Garcia in April. There is absolutely no reason to think that the government is charging him based on anything other than the administration trying to save face.” [15][16]
LinkedIn post from Ben Schrader, Former Chief, Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Tennessee
Lastly, the indictment [17] was under seal until Friday afternoon and was signed by Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee; the acting U.S. Attorney appears to be one authorizing the indictment, since the chief of Justice Department’s criminal division in Nashville, Ben Schrader, resigned over the decision to charge Abrego Garcia. From CNN reporting: [18]
The Justice Department’s push to pursue human trafficking charges against Abrego Garcia had caused some disagreement among prosecutors in the Nashville US attorney’s office, sources said.
Ben Schrader, the chief of the criminal division in the US Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee, resigned the same week of the grand jury indictment last month.
He posted a message on LinkedIn, which did not mention the Abrego Garcia case, saying he had resigned after nearly 15 years. Schrader added, “It has been an incredible privilege to serve as a prosecutor with the Department of Justice, where the only job description I’ve ever known is to do the right thing, in the right way, for the right reasons.”
Schrader, the Nashville US attorney’s office and the Justice Department headquarters declined comment to CNN.
A US official pointed CNN to the seriousness of the allegations in the indictment and said the administration’s priority to pursue immigration enforcement means that anyone who didn’t want to be a part of the use priorities can leave.
This battle for the rule of law continues with the courts holding firm - presidents and their administrations need to work within the law.
Battleground: Nationwide Injunctions
District courts have been hearing cases resulting from Trump administration actions throughout this year, resulting in an unprecedented number of nationwide injunctions against Trump in both of his terms.
I wrote about this discussion at the Supreme Court [19] in the context of birthright citizenship, although that argument entailed whether district courts should have the authority to declare an injunction nationwide instead of only within their own district.
Nicholas Bagley, law professor at the University of Michigan and a former chief legal counsel to Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, was interviewed on NPR’s All Things Considered about the controversy related to nationwide injunctions: [20]
We have a system that allows the hard legal questions to percolate in a bunch of different circuits before we get a conclusive resolution of the question. Nationwide injunctions short circuit that regular process. What they do is they say, the first judge to enter a nationwide injunction - that's the only decision that matters. And immediately, the federal government then has to take an appeal up to the Court of Appeals and, if it loses there, immediately up to the Supreme Court. So really important questions - questions that are hard, questions that divide legal scholars, that divide judges - those questions can be rocketed up to the Supreme Court on really thin briefing very quickly.
While the Supreme Court arguments were on the legal merits of nationwide injunctions, the discussion became political in the Senate this week, when Missouri Senator Josh Hawley engaged witnesses in a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.
Senator Hawley questioned University of Pennsylvania law professor Kate Shaw over her stance on federal judges issuing nationwide injunctions. Hawley repeatedly asked Shaw to provide a principle under which she thinks it’s reasonable for judges to issue nationwide injunctions.
“I think if the Constitution is committed to a single principle, it is limits on power,” Shaw said. “I worry that we are on a path toward few, if any, meaningful limits on the president.” [21]
Hawley displayed a graph [22] showing the far higher number of nationwide injunctions issued during the Trump administration relative to other administrations. [23]
“You don’t think this is a little bit anomalous?” Hawley asked Professor Shaw.
“A very plausible explanation, senator, you have to consider is that he [Trump] is engaged in much more lawless activity than other presidents, right,” Shaw said. “You must concede that as a possibility.”
Here is video of the portion of the committee hearing between Hawley and Shaw. [24]
Battleground: Higher Education
I wrote in a previous newsletter [25] about Harvard University standing up to the Trump administration’s attempt to block the admission of foreign students; within a day, federal courts blocked Trump’s order against Harvard. Harvard filed an amended lawsuit this week, asking the judge to pause Trump’s Wednesday proclamation that prevents the school from having its new students come into the U.S., calling it unlawful. [26]
Two months ago, 170 colleges and universities signed a letter condemning the administration’s ongoing threats to withhold federal funding from colleges and universities. [27]. This week, several universities joined the fight with Harvard to protect federal research funding. 18 universities including all of Harvard’s Ivy League peers (except Columbia and Cornell) “asked for approval to file a full amicus curiae brief in support of Harvard. The motion outlines how the Trump administration’s funding terminations ‘inflict grievous harm’ not only on Harvard, but on American research as a whole.” [28]
In the amicus brief, the universities argue that the action by the federal government undermines the “longstanding mutually beneficial partnership between the government and academia that has powered American innovation and ensured American leadership for over eighty years.”
The motion also says: “Together with private donations and their own investments, the universities have put those resources to work, conducting fundamental research that has advanced scientific knowledge, safeguarded national security, strengthened the American economy, and saved countless lives.”
According to U.S. News and World Report, of the top 20 universities in the world, 14 are in the United States (including my alma mater UCLA); higher education is one of the truly great American contributions to the world. [29].
The attacks on our higher education institutions are attacks on what makes America truly great.
Battleground: California and the Union Itself
According to CNN reporting, “The Trump administration is preparing to cancel a large swath of federal funding for California, an effort that could begin as soon as Friday, according to multiple sources.” [30]
Agencies are being told to start identifying grants the administration can withhold from California. Sources said the administration is specifically considering a full termination of federal grant funding for the University of California and California State University systems.
“No taxpayer should be forced to fund the demise of our country,” White House spokesman Kush Desai said in a statement Friday afternoon, criticizing California for its energy, immigration and other policies. “No final decisions, however, on any potential future action by the Administration have been made, and any discussion suggesting otherwise should be considered pure speculation.”
Governor Gavin Newsom responded by highlighting that “Californians pay Trump’s bills”: [31]
In case you missed it, California is the biggest “donor state” in the country — providing around $83 billion more to the federal government than it receives from the federal government — nearly three times as much as the next biggest “donor state.
As a recent Bloomberg column stated: “It should go without saying California is critical to US economic dominance globally, accounting for more than 14% of US’s $28 trillion of GDP as measured by the World Bank and more than 50% greater than the next largest state by the size of its economy — Texas.”
Early this year, Paul Krugman, the 2008 Nobel Laureate in economics, wrote that California is “an economic and technological powerhouse” that “is literally subsidizing the rest of the United States, red states in particular, through the federal budget.” Without California, “America would be a lot poorer and weaker than it is.”
And according to most recent data (2022), California contributes nearly $700 billion to the federal government. Simply put, as California goes — so goes the country.
Post on X by Gavin Newsom [32]
Newsom even floated the possibility of cutting off the federal government from the federal taxes paid by Californians: [32][33]
Californians pay the bills for the federal government.
We pay over $80 BILLION more in taxes than we get back.
Maybe it’s time to cut that off, @realDonaldTrump.
Battleground: The Contributions and Service of All Americans
The Defense Department, headed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, is taking action to rename Navy ships, currently named after Americans whose service and contributions don’t align with a Trump administration worldview. One example is to rename the fleet replenishment oiler, USNS Harvey Milk (T-AO 206): [35]
A defense official confirmed that the Navy was making preparations to strip the ship of its name but noted that Navy Secretary John Phelan was ordered to do so by Hegseth. The official also said that the timing of the announcement -- occurring during Pride month -- was intentional.
Retired Admiral James Stavridis said he doesn’t agree with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s decision to rename the USNS Harvey Milk, named after the Navy veteran, LGBTQ+ rights activist, and first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Milk was assassinated in 1978 by a former colleague on the Board of Supervisors. [36]
Hegseth is planning to rename eight navy vessels, all currently named for Americans with enviable contributions and service to our country and - I’m sure as a coincidence - all who happen not to be white, straight men: [37]
USNS Harvey Milk
USNS Lucy Stone
USNS Dolores Huerta
USNS Thurgood Marshall
USNS Ruth Bader Ginsburg
USNS Harriet Tubman
USNS Cesar Chavez
USNS Medgar Evers
Battleground: International Democracy
As the battles occur here at home, the conflict against Russian aggression in Ukraine continues. Ukraine struck a major blow against the Russian military with a ingenious offensive, sneaking dozens of drones deep into Russian territory to take out a large portion of the Russian bomber fleet. From NBC News reporting: [38]
Image of Russian bomber damage from Ukranian drone attack from Military Watch Magazine [39]
It was a stunning, audacious attack whose widespread effects are only just becoming clear.
Ukraine managed to smuggle 117 aerial drones on the backs of trucks that deposited them at the perimeter of four Russian air bases — one of them deep inside Siberia 2,500 miles from Ukraine's borders, according to Ukrainian officials.
While there are differing accounts on the extent of the ensuing damage of Sunday’s “Spiderweb” operation, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said 40 Russian aircraft — 34% of Russia's strategic cruise missile carriers — were hit. Ukraine's security service, the SBU, put the estimated cost to the Kremlin at $7 billion.
A deeper overview of the Ukrainian operation is available from BBC reporting here. [40]
Battleground: Invading our Businesses
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducted raids on businesses in Los Angeles Friday. From Los Angeles Times reporting: [41]
Immigration officials descended on businesses around Los Angeles and arrested 44 people on suspicion of immigration violations and another for obstruction. ICE has arrested a total of 118 people in L.A. in connection with suspected immigration violations this week, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
Immigration rights advocates said conditions at the Metropolitan Detention Center downtown had become overcrowded, with 200 people packed into a facility built to hold only 100.
Gov. Gavin Newsom strongly denounced the raids. “Continued chaotic federal sweeps, across California, to meet an arbitrary arrest quota are as reckless as they are cruel,” Newsom said in a statement. “Donald Trump’s chaos is eroding trust, tearing families apart, and undermining the workers and industries that power America’s economy.” [42]
Spontaneous protests resulted from the raids from the “military-style” presence of ICE and local law enforcement. From Reuters reporting: [43]
Helmeted police in riot gear turned out on Friday evening in a tense confrontation with protesters in downtown Los Angeles, after a day of federal immigration raids in which dozens of people across the city were reported to be taken into custody.
Live Reuters video showed Los Angeles Police Department officers lined up on a downtown street wielding batons and what appeared to be tear gas rifles, facing off with demonstrators after authorities had ordered crowds of protesters to disperse around nightfall.
Early in the standoff, some protesters hurled chunks of broken concrete toward officers, and police responded by firing volleys of tear gas and pepper spray. Police also fired "flash-bang" concussion rounds. It was not clear whether there were any immediate arrests.
An LAPD spokesperson, Drake Madison, told Reuters that police on the scene had declared an unlawful assembly, meaning that those who failed to leave the area were subject to arrest.
Television news footage earlier in the day showed caravans of unmarked military-style vehicles and vans loaded with uniformed federal agents streaming through Los Angeles streets as part of the immigration enforcement operation.
In late news Saturday, President Trump activated the California National Guard over Governor Gavin Newsom’s objections, who called the move “the wrong mission and will erode public trust.” [44] From NBC News reporting: [45]
President Donald Trump tonight signed a memo to federalize 2,000 National Guardsmen, arguing the deployment is necessary to combat what the White House says is the “lawlessness that has been allowed to fester” in Los Angeles. The move comes over the objection of Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has said it will erode trust and escalate tensions.
Governor Newsom’s response to Trump’s deployment of the California National Guard: [44][46]
The federal government is moving to take over the California National Guard and deploy 2,000 soldiers. That move is purposefully inflammatory and will only escalate tensions. LA authorities are able to access law enforcement assistance at a moment’s notice. We are in close coordination with the city and county, and there is currently no unmet need. The Guard has been admirably serving LA throughout recovery. This is the wrong mission and will erode public trust.
The federal government is taking over the California National Guard and deploying 2,000 soldiers in Los Angeles — not because there is a shortage of law enforcement, but because they want a spectacle. Don't give them one. Never use violence. Speak out peacefully.
Battleground: Billionaire Beef
Then, there’s Trump vs Musk.
There is a lot of coverage about the predictable blow-up between President Trump and the world’s richest man (and Trump’s top donor), something Atlantic columnist called “The Super Bowl of Internet Beefs”: [47]
Musk had, it seems, kicked off an attentional spectacle without precedent. You have the world’s richest man, who is terminally online and whose brain has been addled by social media and, reportedly, other substances. He is one of the most prolific and erratic high-profile posters, so much so that he purchased his favorite social network to mold it in his image. He is squaring off against Trump, arguably the most consequential, off-the-cuff poster of all time and, one must note, the current president of the United States. If it weren’t for the other, both men would be peerless in their ability to troll, outrage, and command news cycles via their fragile, mercurial egos.
This isn’t making America great; it’s dividing America.
A Little History
Marking the Semiquincentennial of American Independence 250 years ago
After John Adams proposed to Congress that the men laying siege to Boston should be considered a Continental Army led by a general.
June 12-13, 1775, was the build-up to the Battle of Bunker Hill. From overviews from the Library of Congress and Wikipedia: [48][49]
On June 12, British General Gage put martial law in effect and stated that any person helping the Americans would be considered a traitor and rebel. When Americans began to fortify a hill against British forces, British ships in the harbor discovered the activity and opened fire. British troops -- 2,400 in number -- arrived shortly after. Although the Americans -- 1,000 in number -- resisted several attacks, eventually they lost the fortification.
On June 13, the leaders of the colonial forces besieging Boston learned that the British were planning to send troops out from the city to fortify the unoccupied hills surrounding the city, which would give them control of Boston Harbor. In response, 1,200 colonial troops under the command of William Prescott stealthily occupied Bunker Hill and Breed's Hill. They constructed a strong redoubt on Breed's Hill overnight, as well as smaller fortified lines across the Charlestown Peninsula.
The top team in the National Basketball Association, the Oklahoma City Thunder, led every minute of Game 1 of the NBA Finals – except for the final 0.3 seconds, which allowed the Indiana Pacers to take the first game of the seven-game series. [50]
Here is the craziest stat I’ve seen about the Indiana Pacers this playoff season: [51]
Indiana has come back from down 15 or more FIVE times, the most such comebacks in a single postseason in the play-by-play era (since 1997). Pacers are 5-3 when they go down by 15 or more this playoffs.
Game 2 of the NBA Finals is this Sunday 5 pm Pacific.
GIF Game
Jeffrey DeMunn as Charles Rhoades Sr. in Billions
Notes and Sources
[1] Donald J. Trump, Executive Order 14217, “Commencing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy,” February 19, 2025, Code of Federal Regulations, 90 FR 10577, https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/02/25/2025-03133/commencing-the-reduction-of-the-federal-bureaucracy
[2] Gary Fields, “Institute of Peace reclaims its headquarters after court win over DOGE,” PBS News, May 22, 2025, https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/institute-of-peace-reclaims-its-headquarters-after-court-win-over-doge
[3] United States Institute of Peace v. Jackson, 1:25-cv-00804, (D.D.C.), Document 40, May 19, 2025, https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.278529/gov.uscourts.dcd.278529.40.0_2.pdf
[4] Ibid.
[5] Ibid.
[6] Ibid.
[7] United States Institute of Peace v. Jackson, 1:25-cv-00804, (D.D.C.), Document 45-1, May 23, 2025, https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.278529/gov.uscourts.dcd.278529.45.1.pdf
[8] Sean O’Kane, “DOGE left United States Institute of Peace office with water damage, rats, and roaches,” TechCrunch, May 30, 2025, https://techcrunch.com/2025/05/30/doge-left-united-states-institute-of-peace-office-with-water-damage-rats-and-roaches/
[9] Gary Fields, “Elon Musk is gone, but DOGE's actions are hard to reverse. The US Institute of Peace is a case study,” ABC News, June 5, 2025, https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/elon-musk-doges-actions-hard-reverse-us-institute-122537255
[10] Noem v. Abrego Garcia, 24A949, 604 U.S. _____ (2025), https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/24a949_lkhn.pdf
[11] Mic Farris, “Signs of Weakness,” April 12, 2025, https://www.micfarris.com/articles/signs-of-weakness
[12] Noem v. Abrego Garcia, 24A949, 604 U.S. _____ (2025)
[13] Hannah Rabinowitz, Devan Cole, Katelyn Polantz, and Evan Perez, “Kilmar Abrego Garcia has been returned to the United States to face criminal charges,” CNN, June 6, 2025, https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/06/politics/kilmar-abrego-garcia
[14] Heather Cox Richardson, “June 6, 2025,” Letters from an American, June 6, 2025, https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/june-6-2025
[15] Philip Bump [@pbump.com], Bluesky, June 6, 2025, https://bsky.app/profile/pbump.com/post/3lqxsimxjos2c
[16] Philip Bump, “At least in the court of public opinion, Abrego Garcia gets a hearing,” Washington Post, April 21, 2025, https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/04/21/trump-deportation-facts-kilmar-abrego-garcia/
[17] United States v. Garcia (M.D. Tenn., 3:25-cr-00115), May 21, 2025, https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25965691-charges-against-kilmar-abrego-garcia/
[18] Hannah Rabinowitz et al., “Abrego Garcia returned to United States,” CNN, June 6, 2025
[19] Mic Farris, “Memorial Day,” May 25, 2025, https://www.micfarris.com/articles/memorial-day
[20] Scott Detrow, “Will the Supreme Court stop nationwide injunctions?” All Things Considered, May 17, 2025, https://www.npr.org/2025/05/17/nx-s1-5399658/will-the-supreme-court-stop-nationwide-injunctions
[21] Hannah Grabenstein, “WATCH: Law professor addresses unprecedented nature of judicial attacks under Trump administration,” PBS News, June 4, 2025, https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-law-professor-addresses-unprecedented-nature-of-judicial-attacks-under-trump-administration
[22] Senate Judiciary Committee, Facebook, April 2, 2025, https://www.facebook.com/SenateJudiciary/posts/pfbid02rdUnHJT5icQrqPkHsgB2rqHtcbAde2UDFp5j2UtWPkRFTHS2Rm7cURRbwPMaW3M1l
[23] Filip Timotija, “Hawley spars with legal professor over injunctions blocking Trump,” The Hill, June 3, 2025, https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5331662-hawley-spars-with-legal-professor-over-injunctions-blocking-trump/
[24] “WATCH: Hawley questions law professor over her stance on judicial rulings,” PBS NewsHour, June 3, 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIeZ0_QNHjk
[25] Mic Farris, “Memorial Day,” May 25, 2025
[26] Filip Timotija, “Harvard sues over Trump’s foreign student visa restrictions,” The Hill, June 5, 2025, https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/5336161-harvard-sues-over-trumps-foreign-student-visa-restrictions/
[27] Sarah Bregel, “College presidents from 170 schools including Harvard and Princeton sign letter rebuking Trump administration ‘overreach’,” Fast Company, April 22, 2025, https://www.fastcompany.com/91321456/harvard-princeton-ivy-league-college-university-sign-letter-rebuking-trump-administration-overreach
[28] Baala Shakya, “Yale backing Harvard in lawsuit against government,” Yale News, June 6, 2025, https://yaledailynews.com/blog/2025/06/06/yale-backing-harvard-in-lawsuit-against-government/
[29] “2024-2025 Best Global Universities Rankings,” U.S. News and World Report, https://www.usnews.com/education/best-global-universities/rankings
[30] Annie Grayer, Gabe Cohen, and Betsy Klein, “Trump preparing large-scale cancellation of federal funding for California, sources say,” CNN, June 6, 2025, https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/06/politics/trump-california-federal-funding
[31] Governor Gavin Newsom, “Californians pay Trump’s bills,” press release, June 6, 2025, https://www.gov.ca.gov/2025/06/06/californians-pay-trumps-bills/
[32] Gavin Newsom [@GavinNewsom], X, June 6, 2025, https://x.com/GavinNewsom/status/1931087538565054849
[33] Anabel Sosa, “Gavin Newsom threatens to cut off California's federal taxes in Trump rebuke,” SFGate, June 6, 2025, https://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/newsom-threatens-trump-funding-20365586.php
[34] Jamelle Bouie [@jamellebouie.net], Bluesky, June 6, 2025, https://bsky.app/profile/jamellebouie.net/post/3lqxsejxl4c2p
[35] Konstantin Toropin, “Hegseth Orders Navy to Strip Name of Gay Rights Icon Harvey Milk from Ship,” Military.com, June 3, 2025, https://www.military.com/daily-news/2025/06/03/hegseth-orders-navy-strip-name-of-gay-rights-icon-harvey-milk-ship.html
[36] Ashleigh Fields, “Retired Navy admiral criticizes Hegseth over Harvey Milk ship renaming,” The Hill, June 6, 2025, https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5337502-retired-navy-admiral-criticizes-hegseth-over-harvey-milk-ship-renaming/
[37] Joanna Guldin, “Hegseth Wants to Rename 8 Naval Ships. Here Are the Stories Behind Their Namesakes,” Military.com, June 6, 2025, https://www.military.com/history/hegseth-wants-rename-8-naval-ships-here-are-stories-behind-their-namesakes.html
[38] Alexander Smith, “Ukraine's massive drone attack deep inside Russia lays bare Putin's vulnerability,” NBC News, June 2, 2025, https://www.nbcnews.com/world/ukraine/ukraines-massive-drone-attack-deep-russia-lays-bare-putins-vulnerabili-rcna210300
[39] “How Badly Damaged is the Russian Bomber Fleet After Ukraine’s Unprecedented Drone Attack?,” Military Watch Magazine, June 6, 2025, https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/how-damaged-russian-bomber-ukraine-drone-attack
[40] Laura Gozzi & BBC Verify, “How Ukraine carried out daring 'Spider Web' attack on Russian bombers,” June 1, 2025, https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cq69qnvj6nlo
[41] Rachel Uranga, Rebecca Ellis, Clara Harter, Ruben Vives, Seema Mehta, and Corinne Purtill, “ICE raids across L.A. spark backlash; Trump officials vow to continue operations,” Los Angeles Times, June 6, 2025, https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-06-06/la-me-ice-raids-protests-color-scene
[42] Andrew Blankstein, Erick Mendoza, and David K. Li, “Immigration officials target 3 Los Angeles sites in raids condemned by area leaders, NBC News, June 6, 2025, https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/ice-raids-los-angeles-rcna211546
[43] Jane Ross and Steve Gorman, “Riot police, anti-ICE protesters square off in Los Angeles after raids,” Reuters, June 7, 2025, https://www.reuters.com/world/us/riot-police-anti-ice-protesters-square-off-los-angeles-after-raids-2025-06-07/
[44] Governor Gavin Newsom [@CAgovernor], X, June 7, 2025, https://x.com/CAgovernor/status/1931537260123750663
[45] “Live updates: Trump to deploy National Guard in L.A. over governor's objection,” NBC News, June 7, 2025, https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/live-blog/paramount-california-home-depot-protest-rcna211650
[46] Governor Gavin Newsom [@CAgovernor], X, June 7, 2025, https://x.com/CAgovernor/status/1931504803487879617
[47] Charlie Warzel, “The Super Bowl of Internet Beefs,” The Atlantic, June 5, 2025, https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2025/06/musk-trump-feud/683049/?gift=-e9sgF_ck10Br0HrxMECmwvGZYGUlqxszrUJIqNuOMk&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share
[48] “Documents from the Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention, 1774 to 1789,” Library of Congress, retrieved June 7, 2025, https://www.loc.gov/collections/continental-congress-and-constitutional-convention-from-1774-to-1789/articles-and-essays/timeline/1775
[49] “Battle of Bunker Hill,” Wikipedia, retrieved June 7, 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Bunker_Hill
[50] Shaun Powell, “NBA Finals MVP Ladder: Last-second clutch bucket puts Tyrese Haliburton on top,” NBA.com, June 6, 2025, https://www.nba.com/news/nba-finals-mvp-ladder-2025-game-1
[51] Keerthika Uthayakumar [@keerthikau.bsky.social], Bluesky, June 5, 2025, https://bsky.app/profile/keerthikau.bsky.social/post/3lqvubpp3kk2l
Decisions with Mic Farris
Seek Truth. Honor Differences.