fun one today www.nytimes.com/badges/games...

New: Iran stalemate drags on Trump as he heads to China open.substack.com/pub/diplomat...

“Broadcasting House was in fact dedicated to the strangest project of the war…to tell the truth. Without prompting, the BBC had decided that truth was more important than consolation.” Such a smart book about the BBC in WWII, with observations that resonate today (h/t Backlisted pod)

The U.S.’s failure to learn the *most obvious lessons* from its actions’ repeatedly going sideways is the craziest thing on a long list of crazy things about it.

Iran reviewing U.S. proposal on ending the war open.substack.com/pub/diplomat...

I love Laura Rozen @lkrozen.bsky.social and it's so wild, to me, after sitting and watching the entire Rubio briefing - that when drumpf trickled his Truth about suspending "Project Freedom" it's only NOW that I'm clocking how unhinged that truly was.

Had like 16 cups of coffee to stay up late to do an interview on what Trump doing on Iran, that had a few major reversals between when they asked and when it taped. And basically became another reflection on Trump’s psychology, & probably went in the trash

The longer, the better.

Let's be clear that the ongoing naval blockade of #Iran is an act of war (according to the UN Charter, the Supreme Court, DOJ/OLC, & DoD). The American people deserve better than word games. This is not a partisan issue, it is Congress' constitutional duty. www.nbcnews.com/politics/con...

New: Trump touts blockade as he seeks face-saving exit from Iran war open.substack.com/pub/diplomat...

Cats.

"One... twooooo.... two and a haaaalf.... I mean it buster... two and a haaaalf...."

The dog chewed on a pillow and I now have goose feathers in my hair, in my nose,… then the dog ate my glasses. have found one lens

Trump announces extending Iran ceasefire open.substack.com/pub/diplomat...

“Some Trump officials privately acknowledged to CNN that the president’s public commentary has been detrimental to talks, noting the sensitivity of the negotiations and the Iranians’ deep mistrust of the US.” www.cnn.com/2026/04/20/p...

bee was so hard today I may have missed the next Islamabad meeting

The White House said more Iran talks could be held in Pakistan, amid signs parties could be nearing framework deal open.substack.com/pub/diplomat...

I spent a few days in Budapest in the late 80s (start of its transition from Communism). A truly magnificent city. It's been hard in recent years to not feel bad about what it has been going through.

Azalea

Timely, in local Little Free Library

Vance: Iran did not accept U.S. demands. Trump admin demand Iran forego the right to enrichment seen as key stumbling block to a deal. “Unfortunately, we couldn’t make any headway,” Vice President Vance said after Islamabad talks. open.substack.com/pub/diplomat...

We need more of this!

Therapydogs and their volunteer handlers at Pittsburgh airport

New: Watching the strange spectacle of Trump committing political suicide open.substack.com/pub/diplomat...

Happy Passover wishes to those who celebrate

Both Roberts and Gorsuch sound intensely skeptical of the Trump administration's arguments against birthright citizenship. The three liberals have already opposed Trump's executive order. So if this holds, there's five votes against Trump right there.

Letter: Congress is not supposed to rubber-stamp wars after the fact. It is supposed to decide whether a president should take the country into war in the first place. Why does Blake Moore need us to tell him that?

New: Ex Pentagon officials fear broken Trump national security process could lead to risky Iran ground escalation open.substack.com/pub/diplomat...

New: Trump conciliatory noises on Iran greeted with skepticism open.substack.com/pub/diplomat...

Sunset, KC

New: Lose/lose: Both sides can lose the war on Iran open.substack.com/pub/diplomat...

Trump faces growing prospect of no decisive win in Iran war: ‘We don’t want to go back every two years.’ open.substack.com/pub/diplomat...

Mucho sibling rivalry between cat and dog, but it is the dog at night who lets us know cat is ready to be let in after prowling around outside.

A couple of threads tonight have got me thinking about the military planning for Trump's war on Iran. How do they plan without clear objectives? Did they pick and choose among his words, as the media does in sanewashing? Did mil leaders construct something with Rubio and present it to Trump?

Embattled Rep. Tony Gonzales announces he's dropping out of the runoff resulting from his close second-place finish last Tuesday in his re-election primary. (Does anybody believe Mike Johnson would have asked Gonzales to drop out if Gonzales had decisively won his primary?)

Exclusive: US investigation points to likely US responsibility in Iran school strike, sources say www.reuters.com/world/middle...

US ICE arrested journalist in Nashville without arrest warrant, her lawyers say www.reuters.com/business/med...

14 cases, that are known. DHS refuses to respond to inquiries. “In response to the outbreak, the facility has been closed to visitors and legal advisers and isn’t expected to reopen until March 19”

She was not fired for her excesses. She was fired for his embarrassment.

Honestly, this headline quote is impeachable. people.com/trump-says-i...

get a load of Kristi Noem's facial expressions as Rep. Kamlager-Dove enters articles in the congressional record with headlines like, "Lewandowski taking out trash at Noem's DC home" and "ICE Barbie's mile high private chamber with alleged lover exposed"

And canis interruptus?

I will miss Kristi Noem's inimitable constitutional insights, as when, asked by Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H. at a Senate hearing to define "habeas corpus," she replied, "Habeas corpus is a constitutional right that the president has to be able to remove people from this country."

"No stupid rules of engagement." — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, March 2, 2026 "The strike would rank among the worst cases of civilian casualties in decades of U.S. conflicts in the Middle East." — Reuters, March 5, 2026

What a surprise.

Mediaite and People are on it, while I can't find anything about this on the New York Times or Washington Post websites

Cool DC area restaurant to a teenager for their bday?